US3322381A

US3322381A - Display device

Info

Publication number: US3322381A
Application number: US545397A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bubb Max
Original assignee: Designa GmbH
Current assignee: Designa GmbH
Priority date: 1965-04-27
Filing date: 1966-04-26
Publication date: 1967-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-30

Description

May 30, 1967 M. BUBB 3,322,381

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet f 46 48' 1 If: HIIIIII J 3 -IIIH|II l /n v V/ lNVEN/Ol? MA X BUBB United States Patent Claims This invention relates to display devices, and particularly to a device for displaying pictorial or letter messages and/ or merchandise.

An object of the invention is the provision of a display device which permits plates carrying messages and trays carrying merchandise to be displayed interchangeably or simultaneously in a vertical array occupying but a minimum of floor space and readily attracting attention.

Another object is the provision of a device in which individual message or merchandise carrying display elements may be removed quickly and conveniently and replaced by others.

A further object is the provision of a device which gives an overall impression of lightness, yet provides firm and safe support for the display elements carrying messages or merchandise.

With these objects and others in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, the invention in one of its aspects provides an elongated support member such as a pole of circular cross section which may be set up with its axis extending in a vertical position. The pole is provided with one or more clamping members having integrally joined leg portions which jointly define an axially open channel for receiving the support member. The channel has a resilient wall which may be engaged conformingly with the support member about more than 180", but substan tially less than 360 of the circumference of the latter. Terminal parts of the leg portions define a radial entrance to the channel, and are resiliently movable relative to each other in a substantially circumferential direction between a relaxed position in which the entrance is narrower than the cross sectional width of the support member, and a distended position in which the entrance is at least as wide as the cross sectional width of the pole. A substantially plate-shaped display element may be secured to the clamping member.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a display device of the invention in elevation, and partly in section;

FIG. 2 illustrates a detail of the device of FIG. 1 in plan view on a larger scale than that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows yet another detail of the device of FIG. 1 in plan view; and

FIG. 4 shows the detail of FIG. 3 in elevational section on the line IV-IV.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen a display device of the invention whose supporting structure mainly consists of a generally cylindrical upright pole and a pedestal 12. The reduced bottom end 14 of the pole 10 is conformi-ngly, but movably received in an upwardly open recess of the pedestal 12. Annular collars 16 are uniformly spaced along the pole It The pole and its collars are a unitary body of ma terial, and may be a casting or molding. The top end of the pole has ,an axially open recess 18 substantially identical with the recess of the pedestal 12.

A stiff, plate-shaped display element 20, which is a rectangular piece of cardboard or plastic, and normally carries a printed or pictorial message, not shown, is attached to the pole 10 by a clip 22 better seen in FIG. 2. The clip is a piece of extruded resilient plastic or metal, but may be made in any other manner to have the uniform cross section apparent from FIG. 2. It has two leg p0rtions 24 which jointly define a channel 26 in which an axial section of the pole 10 is conformingly received in the assembled condition of the device, as shown in FIG. 1. The free end parts 28 of the leg portions 24 define a radially open entrance 30 to the channel 26, and flare outwardly of the entrance. In the relaxed position of the clip shown in FIG. 2, the entrance 30 is narrower than the diameter or cross sectional width of the pole 10, and the channel 26 is smaller than the cross section of the pole.

Two prongs 32 are respectively integrally attatched to the leg portions 24, and extend from the associated leg portions in a direction transversely of the channel axis away from the entrance 30. Two narrow serrated faces 34 of the prongs 32 form the sides of a slot 36 which is axially elongated in the mounted clip 22. The element 20 is received in the slot of the clip 22 in FIG. 1.

A wall portion 38 of the clip 22 integrally connects the leg portions 24 and extends therewith about the channel 26 in an arc of about 240. The wall portion is sufliciently flexible to permit some pivoting movement of the two leg portions 24 and of the two prongs 32 relative to each other. When the end parts 28 are forced apart, the serrated faces 34 move tow rd each other, and the slot 36 is narrowed. Conversely, when the faces 36 are forced apart, the leg portions 24 tend to move toward each other.

The device described so far is assembled as follows:

The pole It) is placed in its pedestal 12 which holds it upright, but permits the pole to be turned. A clip 22 is placed on a pole section between two adjacent collars 16, the spacing of the collars being slightly greater than the axial length of the clip. The dimensions of the clip 22 are correlated to those of the pole 10 in such a manner that the channel 26 and its entrance 30 are somewhat distended when the pole is conformingly received in the channel so that the slot 36 becomes narrower than shown in FIG. 2. The flaring end parts 28 guide the pole 10 to the entrance 3d and the end parts 23 may be spread apart by manually urging the prongs 32 toward each other.

The element 20 is next pushed through the slot 36 until it abuts against the wall portion 38, the thickness of the element being sufiicient to force the prongs 32 apart, thereby increasing the resilient clamping grip of the leg portions 24 on the post 10. Vertical displacement of the clip 22 under its own weight and that of the element 20 is prevented by abutting engagement of the clip with the next lower collar 16. The grip of the serrated faces 34 on the element 20 is sufiicient to hold the element in the illustrated position, or in any other desired position in which the element extends mainly in a vertical plane. The entrance 30 extends over less than of the pole circumference when the latter is placed in the channel 26.

The pole 10 also supports a plate-like tray 40 which may serve as a carrier for merchandise to be displayed. As seen in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray 4%} is mounted on the pole by means of a clip 42 whose leg portions 44 are closely similar to the afore-described leg portions 24, and normally conformingly and frictionally engage a section of the pole 10 between two collars 16.

The tray 40 has a circular, horizontal top face 46 which is bounded by a raised rim 58. It will be appreciated that the tray 40 may be mounted on the pole in an inversed position in which its fiat underside faces upward for carrying objects that would be obscured by the rim 48 or may be too long to be contained within the rim which holds smaller objects securely on the carrying face 46.

The wall portion 50 of the clip 42 which integrally connects the leg portions 44 is recessed conformingly to receive an edge portion of the tray 40, and provide-d with an axial groove in its outer face in which a bracket 52 is received. The bracket, which is a plate having the shape of a right triangle, holds the engaged underside of the tray 40 at right angles to the pole axis. The bracket is fixedly attached to the clip 42 and to the tray 40, and a non-illustrated tray assembly molded as a unitary piece of plastic including the clip 42, the tray 40, and the bracket 52 has been found most serviceable, and to combine light weight with high strength.

Obviously more than one plate-shaped element 20 and more than one tray 40 may be attached to the same pole 10, and the pole may carry only trays or only plateshaped elements without departing from the spirit of the invention. The flexibility of the display arrangement is one of its major advantages. If the length of a single pole is insufficient, the bottom end of another pole, identical with that illustrated, may be inserted coaxially into the recess 18.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising, in combination:

(a) an elongated support member having a longitudinal axis and being of substantially circular cross section about said axis;

(b) a clamping member having two integrally joined leg portions jointly defining an axially open channel for receiving said support member, said clamping member constituting a resilient wall of said channel conformingly engaging said support member about more than 180, but substantially less than 360 of the circumference thereof, respective terminal parts of said leg portions defining therebetween a radial entrance to said channel, said terminal parts being resiliently movable relative to each other in a substantially circumferential direction between a relaxed position in which said entrance is narrower than the cross sectional width of said support member and a distended position in which said entrance is at least as wide as said cross sectional width; and

(c) securing means for securing a substantially plateshaped display element to said clamping member,

(1) said securing means including two prong portions respectively attached to said leg portions and extending therefrom transversely of said axis in a direction away from said entrance,

(2) said prong portions defining an axially elongated slot therebetween, said prong portions moving apart to Widen said slot when said terminal parts move from said distended to said relaxed position, and

(3) said prong portions urging said terminal parts to move from said distended position toward said relaxed position when the prong portions are moved toward each other to narrow said slot.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said terminal parts flare outwardly of said entrance.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of axially spaced abutment means on said support member for preventing axial sliding movement of said clamping member on the support member.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said abutment means each include an annular projection on said support member.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the axial spacing of said projections is substantially uniform and at least equal to but not substantially greater than the axial length of said leg portions.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said prong portions are integral with said leg portions and constitute a unitary structure therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,473 4/1888 Austin 248-121 X 1,045,583 11/1912 Mills 248-121 X 1,081,378 12/1913 Freeman 248-224 1,782,257 11/1930 Dumler 211-163 X 2,156,025 4/ 1939 Paul 248-230 2,262,873 11/1941 Wise 248-230 X 2,930,156 3/1960 Jones 248-229 X 3,194,526 7/1965 Lemmond 248-226 3,228,640 1/1966 Wolsh 248-72 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION ABOUT SAID AXIS; (B) A CLAMPING MEMBER HAVING TWO INTEGRALLY JOINED LEG PORTIONS JOINTLY DEFINING AN AXIALLY OPEN CHANNEL FOR RECEIVING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER CONSTITUTING A RESILIENT WALL OF SAID CHANNEL CONFORMINGLY ENGAGING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER ABOUT MORE THAN 180*, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 360* OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF, RESPECTIVE TERMINAL PARTS OF SAID LEG PORTIONS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A RADIAL ENTRANCE TO SAID CHANNEL, SAID TERMINAL PARTS BEING RESILIENTLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION BETWEEN A RELAXED POSITION IN WHICH SAID ENTRANCE IS NARROWER THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL WIDTH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND A DISTENDED POSITION IN WHICH SAID ENTRANCE IS AT LEAST AS WIDE AS SAID CROSS SECTIONAL WIDTH; AND (C) SECURING MEANS FOR SECURING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLATESHAPED DISPLAY ELEMENT TO SAID CLAMPING MEMBER, (1) SAID SECURING MEANS INCLUDING TWO PRONG PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ATTACHED TO SAID LEG PORTIONS AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID ENTRANCE, (2) SAID PRONG PORTIONS DEFINING AN AXIALLY ELONGATED SLOT THEREBETWEEN, SAID PRONG PORTIONS MOVING APART TO WIDEN SAID SLOT WHEN SAID TERMINAL PARTS MOVE FROM SAID DISTENDED TO SAID RELAXED POSITION, AND (3) SAID PRONG PORTIONS URGING SAID TERMINAL PARTS TO MOVE FROM SAID DISTENDED POSITION TOWARD