Display rack

April 16, 1963 i. w. shell 3,085,693

DISPLAY RACK

Filed Aug. '24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1

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April 16,1963 ,. _w„ shell. 3$85;693

DISPLAY RACK

Filed Aug. 24, 1959 . _x

Sheets-Sfieet 2

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<img file="US3085693A_D0003.tif" />

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April 16, 1963

3,085,693

I. W. SHELL

DISPLAY RACK

Filed Aug. 24, 1959

Sheets-Sfieet 3

<img file="US3085693A_D0005.tif" />

3,085,693

Patented Apr. 16, 1963

3,085,693 DISPLAY RACK

Irving W. Shell, 442 W. Wellington, Chicago 14, El. Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 835,469

Claims. (Cl. 211—134)

This invention relates to display racks and to improved components for making the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to display racks of the type including slotted uprights, and support brackets which engage with the slotted uprights, the brackets supporting shelving or the like for displaying merchandise. The invention primarily deals with improvements in the slotted uprights and the brackets.

An object of the invention is to provide a display rack of the type above described wherein the brackets are constructed so that the angle of the brackets may be readily adjusted. A related object of the invention is to provide an improved bracket having hook-shaped teeth of a unique design wherein the weight of the brackets and the weight supported thereby maintain the brackets in a locked condition upon the uprights.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the brackets are designed to be used with hollow uprights of the type having one or more vertical walls made of sheet metal or rectangular bar stock with vertically elongated slots formed therein. Each of the brackets preferably includes a pair of vertically-spaced hooked fingers adapted to extend into a corresponding pair of vertically elongated slots in an upright. The bracket has a horizontally elongated, vertically oriented sheet metal body from the inner edge of which rearwardly extend the aforesaid pair of hooked fingers, the lowermost of which has a unique shape which gives the bracket the aforesaid self-locking advantage and also enables the ready adjustment of the angle between the top edge of the bracket and the upright, permitting shelving to be supported on either a 90° angle to the upright or at some selected upwardly inclining angle.

The aforesaid lower finger is downwardly hooked and has an inner or base portion with a bottom edge adapted to rest upon the bottom defining edge of a vertically elongated bracket upright slot. The outer portion of the finger extends downwardly from said inner or base portion of the finger and has a downwardly extending inner edge spaced from the confronting inner edge of the associated bracket body a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the associated slotted upright wall.

The upper finger is upperly hooked and has an inner or base portion with a bottom edge adapted to rest upon the bottom defining edge of the uppermost of the pair of upright slots involved, and an upwardly extending outer portion having an upstanding inner edge spaced from the confronting inner edge of the bracket body a distance approximately equal to· the thickness of the associated slotted upright wall. Sufficient clearance space is provided between the upper edges of the hooked fingers and the upper defining, edges of the pair of upright slots into which the fingers extend so that the bracket can be removed from the upright by merely raising the bracket a relatively small distance and then pivoting of the same upwards. The bracket is inserted into· the upright slots by inverting the steps required for removal thereof and, when mounted upon the uprights, the bracket is locked in place by the weight of the bracket and 'the weight supported thereby which opposes the upward movement thereof required to move the brackets from the uprights.

Additionally, the spacing between the aforesaid inner edge of the downwardly extending portion of the lower finger and the inner edge of the bracket body provides a clearance space for the insertion of shims which vary the angle of inclination between the top edge of the bracket body and the upright. Most preferably, the shims comprise C-shaped resilient clips. The bracket body is slotted adjacent the base of the lower finger, the slot being located to receive the fingers of one or more of the resilient shim clips which extend around the inner edge of the bracket body just below the base of the lower finger. This spaces the lower portion of the bracket body from the upright by the thickness of the shim involved, and ₁₀ thus tilts the upper edge of the bracket body upwardly, if the top edge of the bracket is initially horizontal, or raises the same to a horizontal or above the horizontal if the top bracket is initially below the horizontal due to the wide tolerances used in making the bracket.

Others objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow, the claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display rack constructed in accordance with the present invention;

2q FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical sectional view through the endmost or outer upright of the display rack shown in FIG. 1, taken along section line 2—2 therein;

FIG. 3 is a much enlarged view of a portion of the rack 25 shown in FIG. 2, illustrating the hooked bracket fingers and their relationship to the upright;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the bracket illustrated in FIG. 4, showing a shim clip in place on the bracket;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pair of inversely oriented brackets showing the manner in which two or more brackets can be stamped from the same blank;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a shelf assembly used in the display rack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a modified display rack built with the shelf assembly shown in FIG. 6 and the addition of a shelf-tilting attachment which tilts the shelves;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view through the rack of 40 FIG. 7, taken along section line 8—8 therein;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view through the rack of FIG. 8, taken along section line 9—9 therein; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the shelf-tilting attachment used in the rack of FIGS. 7-9.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown therein a display rack 2 made of two shelf sections 2a and 2b including three horizontally spaced vertical uprights, the endmost upright being identified by reference numeral 4 and the intermediate or center upright being identified by ref50 erence numeral 4'. The uprights 4 and 4' are provided with vertically elongated and spaced slots 5 and 5', respectively. Attached to the bottom of the various uprights are leg assemblies 6—6, each of which may include hooked fingers (not shown) which pass through the bot55 tommost of the slots 5 and 5’. The leg assemblies each include a horizontally extending arm portion 6a secured to the associated upright and short depending end portions 6b. Bottom shelving 8 may be supported upon the horizontal arm portions 6a of the leg assemblies in any 60 desired manner.

Supported at a number of elevations between each endmost upright 4 and the center or intermediate upright 4' are respective shelf assemblies 1®. Each shelf assembly (shown also· in FIG. 6) comprises a shelf-support frame 65 11 including a pair of sheet metal brackets 12—12 between which extend connecting channels 13 which are flush with the top of, and are welded to, the brackets 12. The shelf-support frame 11 inclines at a small angle forwardly and upwardly from the uprights 4 and 4'. Resting 70 upon each of the shelf-support frames is a shelf 14 illustrated as being made of a perforated metal material, such as expanded metal.

3,085,893

In the display rack 2 illustrated, a vertical wall member IS extends between each endmost upright 4 and the intermediate or center upright 4'. A pair of shelf assemblies 10—10 are supported at the same elevation on each side of the wall 15, the centermost upright 4' accommodating the adjacent brackets 12—12 of each pair of shelf assemblies. In addition to the shelf assemblies 10 which extend longitudinally of the rack, end shelf assemblies 16 are mounted upon one or both of the endmost uprights 4, preferably at the same elevations as the longitudinally extending shelf assemblies 10. Each of the end shelf assemblies 16 comprises a shelf IS illustrated as being semi-circular in shape and of a size to extend between the outer ends of the corresponding shelf assemblies 10—10, and a support bracket 12 mounted upon the associated upright 4. The shelf 18 is secured in any suitable way to the bracket 12, as by welding.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a pair of uniquely designed, vertically spaced, hook-shaped fingers 19 and 20 extend from the generally vertical inner edge 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of each bracket 12. As above indicated, the brackets are made of sheet metal, which may be aluminum or other suitable sheet metal material. Each has a horizontally elongated body 22 having straight, parallel upper and lower edge portions 23 and 24. The straight upper edge portion 23 extends substantially the full length of the bracket body whereas the lower straight edge portion 24 terminates at its outer end in an upwardly curving edge portion 25 and at its inner end in a downwardly curving edge portion 26. The aforesaid inner edge 21 of the bracket body may be at right angles to the straight upper edge portion 23 but is preferably at an angle slightly obtuse with respect thereto, so that the top edge portion 23 of the bracket will incline slightly upwardly from the associated vertical upright.

The lower hooked finger 19 is downwardly hooked and has an inner or base portion 39 having straight, horizontal, upper and lower edges 32 and 34 extending at right angles to the inner edge 21 of the bracket body. Tire finger 19 has a downwardly extending outer portion 35 defined by a short, forwardly facing vertical or upstanding inner edge 36 intersecting at the edge 34 and spaced from the inner edge 21 of the bracket body a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the slotted wall of the upright into which it is to extend. For example, in the embodiment illustrated, this spacing is in the neighborhood of 2 to 3 times the thickness of the latter slotted upright wall. The bottom of the forwardly facing vertical inner edge 36 of the finger 19 joins an upwardly curving edge 40 which provides clearance for removing the bracket from the upright in the manner to be explained. To the same end, the vertical inner edge 36 is shorter than the clearance provided between the upper edge 32 of the finger and the upper defining edge of the upright slot 5 or 5' into which it is to extend.

The upper finger 20 is upwardly hooked and has an inner or base portion 42 having straight, horizontal, upper and lower edges 44 and 46 spaced approximately the same distance as the upper and lower edges 32 and 34 of the lower finger 19. The upper edge 44 joins an inclined upper edge portion 49 of the elongated bracket body 22 at a point in vertical alignment with the inner bracket body edge 21. The outer end of the upper finger edge 44 joins a generally vertical, forwardly facing inner edge 48 of the outer, upwardly extending portion 49' of the finger 20. The edge 48 is spaced from the inner end of the edge 44 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the slotted upright wall with which it is to be associated.

The lower finger edge 46 joins an upwardly inclining edge 50 which, like the aforesaid upwardly curving finger edge 40 of the lower finger 19, provides clearance which enables ready removal of the bracket from the associated upright 4 or 4'. The spacing between the lower edges and 46 of the fingers 19 and 20 is the same as the spacing between the lower defining edges of adjacent upright slots 5 or 5'. All of the upright slots 5 and 5' of each of the uprights are of the same size and shape (rec5 tangular) and are spaced the same amount as the bracket fingers 19 and 29, so that the brackets may be positioned at almost any desired elevation.

Each bracket body 22 is provided with a shim-receiving slot 52 adjacent the inner end at a point below the lower 10 edge 34 of the lower finger 19. The slot 52 cooperates with one or more shim members 54 which enable the upper edge 23 of the bracket body to be adjusted to a desired angle. As previously indicated, the upper bracket edge 23 may be at right angles to the vertical inner bracket 15 edge 21, or at an angle slightly greater than 90 degrees where a permanent tilt in the upper edge of the bracket is desired. However, the use of the shim members 54 in the manner to be explained permits the upper bracket edge portion 23 to be at right angles to the inner edge 20 21 where the shelving 14 under certain circumstances is to be perfectly horizontal (although this right angle relation is the less preferred form of the invention), while enabling the adjustment of the bracket to provide a given degree of tilt thereto where desired.

The shim member 54 is illustrated as being a generally C-shaped clip member made of resilient material to provide a pair of resilient clip fingers 56—56 (FIG. 4) adapted to be extended into the aforesaid bracket slot 52. The inner faces of the fingers 56—56 are spaced from a 30 flat inner face 53 of the intermediate leg 60 of the member a distance equal to the spacing between the inner edge 52α of the slot 52 and the inner edge 21 of the bracket body. The intermediate leg 69 of the shim member 54 has a flat outer surface 62 adapted to make face³⁵ to-face engagement with flat vertical surface of the associated upright. The slot 52 has a greater width than the thickness of the shim member 60 illustrated so that shims of various thicknesses can be used to provide a selection in the angle of tilt of the bracket.

⁴⁰ Each of the bracket bodies is additionally provided with a pair of key-receiving slots 64—66, the slots being respectively located near the front and rear ends of the bracket body. The slots 64—66 are adapted to receive rectangular keys when the bracket is positioned adjacent 45 another bracket upon the intermediate or center upright 4'. The use of the keys enables two adjacent shelf assemblies to be supported at the same elevation, despite variations in the dimensions in the brackets, provided by relatively wide tolerances which may be used in the 50 manufacturing of the brackets. It is apparent that minor variations in the dimensions of the fingers 19 and 20 can result in greater variations in the levels of adjacently supported brackets due to the cantilevering of the brackets upon the uprights.

Due to the shape of the elongated bracket body 22, it is possible to stamp the brackets from a common sheet of material with a minimum amount of wastage of metal. The manner in which this is accomplished is illustrated in FIG. 5 which shows a number of brackets just after they 60 have been stamped from a common metal blank. Close nestling of the brackets is possible due to'the similar but opposite curvature provided in the curved edge portions 25 and 26 of the bracket bodies, so that the curved edge portions 25 and 26 of one bracket extend along the curved 65 edge portions 26 and 25 of another bracket inverted with respect thereto.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 10 which illustrate another aspect of the present invention wherein means are inγθ eluded for providing downwardly inclined shelves using the same bracket uprights, and shelf-support frames 11 previously described. To this end, shelf-tilting means 94 is provided with each bracket 12 at the end of each shelfsupport frame 11. The shelf-tilting means 94 may be an 75 inexpensive sheet metal stamping having a generally

3,085,693

T-shaped body shown most clearly in FIG. 10. The T^jshaped.body has a generally rectangular shank portion 96 provided with a longitudinal bracket finger-receiving slot 98 adapted to receive the upper finger 20 of a bracket 12. The inner end of the shank portion 96 is slotted to _gproduce a reduced neck portion TOO which joins a transverse wing 102. The width of the neck portion 100 of the shelf-tilting means.94 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the width of the upright slots, and the length thereof is approximately equal to the thickness of the associated upright wall (see FIG. 9). The wing 102 may be approximately equal to the spacing between the front and rear walls of the associated upright, but, in any event, is no longer than the height of the associated upright slots. The shelf-tilting means 94 is readily inserted within an upright slot by positioning the same in a vertical plan% passing the wing 102 through an upright slot and rotating the same to bring the defining walls of the neck portion 100 around the defining walls of the upright slot. The other end of the latter frame 11 is similarly supported ₂q from a shelf-tilting means 94 extending from the adjacent upright. When the frame is allowed to drop under its own weight, it assumes the downwardly inclined position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, where each upwardly hooked upper bracket finger 20 engages the forward end of the ₂5 associated slot 98 of the shelf-tilting means 94, each downwardly hooked bottom bracket finger 19 hooks over the bottom wall of the subjacent upright slot, and the bottom comer of each bracket bears against the front surface of the uprights involved. 3θ

To vary the angle of tilt of the shelf frame 11, it is merely necessary to vary the spacing of the inner end of the slot 98 of shelf-tilting means 94 from the reduced neck portion 100. A variety of shelf-tilting means 94 may thus be provided with variously positioned slots 98 to provide 35 a selection of the angles of tilt of the shelf-support frames 11.

When the shelf-support frame 11 is tilted downwardly, it is apparent that some means must be provided for preventing the shelf 14 supported 'thereon and the articles 40 which are to be supported upon the shelf from slipping off the front of the frame 11. This means may include any suitable wall member 104 supported at an angle from the bottom of the shelf-support frame 11 as illustrated most clearly in FIG. 8. The wall member 104 may be secured 45 in place in any suitable way as by its connection to a molding strip 106 hooked over or otherwise secured to the lowermost channel 13 of the frame 11. The molding strip 106 may include a longitudinal slot 108 into which price or article identifying inserts may be positioned. 50

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made in the preferred forms of the invention above-described without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.