US2066478A - Display rack - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1937.

A. M. LEWIN. JR

. DISPLAY RACK Filed Aug. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 5, 1937.

A. M. LEWIN; JR

DISPLAY RACK Filed Aug. 15, 1935 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 E E S Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED srarrs mam PATENT OFiE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to display racks and has particular reference to a rack for displaying and merchandising bananas and similar food articles.

Heretofore, it has been customary to merchandisc bananas in either of two ways. One method is to hang the entire stalk with the bananas thereon from some suitable support. When a customer desires to make a purchase, he selects a certain bunch, whereupon the merchant cuts the selected bunch from the stalk. This method is unsatisfactory as individual bananas are quite often knocked from the stalk when cutting a bunch, or by the customer handling the bananas when making a selection. Individual bananas are not as readily salable as when in bunches and hence the merchant must take a loss on all dew, tached bananas. Furthermore, the customer in seeking a. desirable bunch on the stalk will often handle and bruise other bananas while making the selection. I

The other method of merchandising bananas involves the cutting of suitable salable unit bunches from the stalk by the merchant when first received,. and then placing these bunches on a display table. This arrangement is also unsatisfactory as the customer in making a selection will pick up and examine various bunches before making a purchase. Obviously the fruit receives considerable handling and bruising with attendant detaching of individual bananas, all of which means considerable loss in money and time to the merchant.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved rack which will display bunches of bananas for sale in an exceptionally attractive and neat manner thereby promoting sales, and at the same time permitting the customer to readily inspect each bunch without handling and quickly make a selection.

Another object is to provide a rack whereon each bunch of bananas is displayed individually so that handling and bruising of the fruit with consequent loss to the merchant is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide a rack whereon the bananas will be displayed in bunches, each comprising a salable unit that may be easily and quickly detached so that the merchant may consumate the sale in a minimum of time.

A still further object is to provide a rack of the aforesaid character which shall be easily and quickly assembled or dismantled, which shall be strong and durable, and occupy a minimum of space, and which shall consist of few parts that are simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in View, the invention may be stated to consist in the various novel features of construction and arrangement or combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafterand pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a rack constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the bananas in display position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the rack; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

A display rack constructed in accordance with my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein I denotes suitable base members, each of which consists of a pair of horizontally disposed rectangular blocks 2 and 3 arranged end to end and spaced as indicated at d for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter. Positioned on top of the blocks 2 and 3 is a rectangular element '5 which is substantially coextensive with the blocks 2 and 3. A pair of vertical supports 6, 6 rise from each base member and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, these sup-ports are arranged in spaced relation and rest on the rectangular element 5. The supports are secured to the base by angle braces l which are preferably fastened to the base by bolts 8, the heads whereof are countersunk in the blocks 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 3, and a wing nut 9 is applied to each bolt.

As shown in Fig. 2, the rack comprises two bases and two pairs of vertical supports 6, and these elements are interconnected by a plurality of horizontally disposed bars Ill. The end portions of each bar are positioned between the respective pairs of spaced vertical supports 6, 5 and are retained in position by a bolt H which extends through the supports and bar and is fitted with a wing nut H? to clamp the parts in assembled relationship.

In order to steady the rack and prevent side or lateral movement, I provide an inverted vshaped brace member l5, the vertex whereof is fastened to the lower horizontal bar Iii at substantially the mid point thereof by means of a bolt Hi and a wing nut ll. Each outer end of the brace I5 is bent at right angles to form a spacing portion l6 and then again bent at right angles to provide a bearing portion H. The spacing portion i6 is interposed between a pair of vertical supports 6, 6 and a bolt l9 extends through angle brace 1, vertical support 6, brace l5, bearing portion H, the other vertical support 6 and the other angle brace I. A wing nut 20 applied to' the bolt clamps the several parts in position.

Secured to each horizontal bar H) at spaced intervals and on one or both faces are a plurality of hooks 2|, each of which is designed to detachably support a bunch of bananas. The specific details of these books form no part of the present invention and hence a detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. As shown in Fig. 1, certain of the hooks are preferably inverted to support a sign 22 such as a price card.

The rack constructed as described above is strong and durable as the stress due to the weight of the bananas is downward. The brace I5 effectively prevents lateral movement of the rack and ties the parts thereof into a stiiT rigid structure. It will also be noted that the several parts are devoid of any recessed joints and hence are not weakened, and furthermore are inexpensive to manufacture. Also by reason of the construction, and the use of the wing nuts, no tools are required to assemble or dismantle the rack which can be accomplished in a minimum of time.

The rack may be supported from the floor or from a display table 23 such as commonly used by merchants for displaying fruit and vegetables. When several tables 23 are positioned in close group formation, the rack may be supported thereon in a level position by permitting the upstanding edges 24 of the tables to project into the space 4 of the bases as shown in Fig. 3.

What I claim is:

1. A knockdown display rack of the character set forth comprising a pair of base members arranged in spaced relation, a pair of uprights rising from each base member, said uprights having smooth unbroken surfaces and resting on the top surface of said base members, an angle member detachably connected to each upright and its respective base member to secure the upright in position on its respective base member, a plurality of horizontally disposed bars interconnecting said uprights, said bars having smooth unbroken surfaces, the end portions of said bars being interposed between said spaced uprights, a single bolt and wing nut detachably connecting each end portion of the bar with its respective uprights, an inverted V-shaped brace member connected at its vertex to one of said bars and at its ends to said uprights, said brace member and horizontally disposed bars serving as the sole lateral bracing means for said rack, and a plurality of article supporting elements carried by each bar.

2. A knockdown display rack of the character set forth comprising a pair of base members arranged in spaced relation, each base member consisting of a pair of rectangular blocks disposed in longitudinal alignment and arranged end to end in spaced relation, and a single rectangular member overlying and substantially coextensive with each pair of blocks, a pair of uprights rising from each base member, said uprights having smooth unbroken surfaces and resting on the top surface of said rectangular member, an angle member interconnecting each upright with its respective base member, a bolt and wing nut detachably connecting each angle member and the component parts of the base member together, and a similar bolt and wing nut detachably connecting both angle members and their respective uprights together, a plurality of horizontally disposed bars interconnecting said supports, said bars having smooth unbroken surfaces, the end portions of said bars being interposed between said spaced uprights, a single bolt and wing nut detachably connecting each end portion of the bar with its respective uprights, an inverted V- shaped brace member connected at its vertex to one of said bars and at its end portions to said uprights, and a plurality of article supporting elements carried by each bar.

3. A knockdown display rack of the character set forth comprising a pair of base members arranged in spaced relation, a pair of spaced uprights rising from each base member, said up rights each resting on the top surface of its respective base member, an angle member detachably connected to each upright and its respective base member to secure the upright in position, a plurality of horizontally disposed bars interconnecting said uprights, the end portions of said bars being interposed between saidspaced uprights, means detachably connecting said bars to said uprights, an inverted V-shaped brace member connected at its vertex to one of said bars and having each end portion bent upon itself to form a spacing element between the spaced uprights of each pair, and a plurality of article supporting elements carried by each horizontally disposed bar.

ADOLPH M. LEWIN, JR.

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