The Mead Corporation

Royston Manufacturing Corporation

Hopeman Brothers, Inc.

Other

James M Suttles

Asa V Brown, Jr

Terry L Norton

Thomas C Jordan, Iii

Joseph P Hart

Sheet metal convenience store shelving utilizes shelf-supporting frame-modules, each of which comprises a prefabricated frame rigidly connectable to a pair of shoes to provide free-standing units. Shelves are supportable on both sides of the frames, and the rear edges of the shelves are notched to receive the frame uprights. Each frame holds a removable backing panel, and additional backing panels extend between adjacent frames, being held in side channels of the frame uprights. The shelves are mounted on the uprights by the engagement of generally horizontally sheet metal shelf tabs with T-shaped slots in the uprights. The tabs extend laterally almost the full interior width of the uprights for optimum strength. As the shelves extend beyond the frame uprights, provision is made to prevent accidental disengagement due to excess weight on an overhanging part of a shelf. The tab neck is enlarged next to the head, and the lower ends of the T-shaped slots are enlarged to receive the enlarged part of the neck underneath overhanging surfaces. The shelf must be tilted upwardly before it can be disengaged from the slots. Upper and lower tabs associated with a shelf bracket are aligned with each other by first securing a tab to the underside of a shelf, and then locating the bracket with respect to the tab by the interengagement of fingers on the bracket with notches in the edges of the tab attached to the shelf. The second tab is secured to the bracket in a predetermined location established by cooperating locating means. The frame modules may be arranged either in a line, or at right angles so that shelving extends continuously around a corner. A unitary L-shaped sheet metal backing panel is used as a backing at the corner, and is secured to both frames by sheet metal screws.

Shelving system

In a sheet metal shelving unit with adjustable telescoping slotted uprights, the upper part of each upright has its slots in a recessed surface so that the upper part does not interfere with shelf bracket tabs projecting rearwardly through slots in the lower part of the upright.

Shelving unit

Sheet metal base panels in merchandising display stands are connected to sheet metal posts by the insertion of tabs into spaces between planar post sections and return flanges through slots. Projections on the tabs are engaged by oblique edges which exert a wedging action, tightening the engagement between the panels and the posts. In one version, the oblique edge is an edge of the return flange itself, and as the tab is inserted, it spreads the return flange away from the planar section of the post until the projection on the tab clears the oblique edge of the return flange, whereupon the flange snaps into place. A downward force exerted through the post by the weight of articles supported on the display stand effects a tightening action. In another version of the invention, a separate locking element having two wedges is vertically slidable in the post, and is moved into engagement with locking projections on tabs of the base panels of a merchandising unit. Each locking element has two wedges connected together by a bridge which has a projection extending away from the post for engagement by a tool or a shoe, by which the locking element can be urged downwardly.

Post-panel connection for sheet metal furniture

In a shelving unit having a two-piece upright with a sloping slotted lower part and a vertical slotted upper part telescoping into the lower part, the slots in the upper part are recessed behind the upper end of the slotted portion of the lower part to allow room for shelf tabs projecting through the slots in the lower part near the upper end thereof. A shelf bracket may be mounted at the transition between the lower and upper parts of the support with its upper tab in a slot in the upper part and with one or more of its lower tabs projecting through slots in the lower part. The slots of the two parts are positioned relative to each other so that the lower tabs project through their slots in the lower part of the support and abut the recessed slotted surface of the upper part, which extends downwardly behind the slotted surface of the lower part. In this way a shelf spanning the transition is situated at the same angle as a shelf supported entirely on the upper part. The shelf tabs are also designed with steps, and the slots of the sloping face of the lower part are spaced farther apart from each other than the slots of the vertical face of the upper part. Thus a shelf supported entirely on the lower part also assumes the same angle as shelves on the upper part or at the transition.

System of shelving

A fastener-free merchandising display stand, which is rigid when initially assembled, and which remains rigid during use, comprises interconnected perpendicular base panels which meet at a sheet metal upright. One of the panels is rigidly welded to the upright, while the other panel is connectable to the first panel and the upright by sliding it vertically downwardly into a pocket formed by a section of the post and a section of the first panel extending perpendicularly from the face thereof and having an oblique, flanged edge. The second panel has a flange with an oblique edge which fits into the pocket. The second panel is tightened against the upright as it slides downwardly by a wedging action, so that the weight of the second panel tends to cause the interconnection to remain tight even if a slight bending of sheet metal parts takes place as a result of abuse.

Base element connection for sheet metal furniture

Outdoor telephone booth

In a gravity-operated, forward feed bottle merchandiser, bottles are supported by their necks on tracks consisting of parallel track elements which are removable and reversible to accommodate bottles of different neck widths. Each track element is secured between front and rear support rails. The track elements are held against rotation in slots in the rear support rail, and must be twisted in order to be disengaged from the front support rails. Each track element comprises a web having flanges extending in opposite directions respectively from its upper and lower edges. Ramps extending forwardly from the flanges cross each other and each ramp has a projection overlying the other ramp so that the ramps reinforce each other.

Forward feed merchandising device for soft drink bottles

A merchandising device for bottles having integrally formed externally projecting neck rings comprising track means providing a pair of substantially parallel supporting surfaces having opposed edges spaced from each other to form a slot of substantially uniform width adapted to receive the necks of said bottles underneath said neck rings, and means for supporting said track means in a fixed position, is characterized by the fact that said track means comprises at least one elongated element having a web having parallel edges extending in the direction of its length, a first flange extending in one direction substantially perpendicularly from one of said parallel edges, and a second flange extending in the opposite direction substantially perpendicularly from the other of said parallel edges, the flanges being of different width transverse to the direction of elongation, and by the fact that said supporting means and said track means include means for supporting said elongated element in a first position in which its first flange serves as one of said substantially parallel supporting surfaces and in a second position in which its second flange serves as one of said substantially parallel supporting surfaces, whereby bottles having different neck widths can be accommodated. The device is also characterized by the fact that each of the supporting surfaces comprises a downwardly sloping portion for effecting feed of bottles by gravity, an upwardly sloping portion for retarding movement of the bottles, and an upwardly extending tab for positively stopping the bottles by engagement with their neck rings.

In a four-post merchandizer, two light-gauge sheet metal corner posts are reinforced against twisting by a dual camming action by which the two posts are urged tightly against the corners of the shelves. Each post comprises two telescoping post sections, and a unitary coilable, flexible trim sheet, received in grooves formed in the post elements, and extending from one end of the post to the other. The posts have a W-shaped horizontal cross-section, in which a pocket is formed for receiving the ends of shelf hooks, thereby protecting the flexible trim from damage. Base panels are secured together by sliding a first flange of one panel into a pocket formed by second and third flanges of another panel and two perpendicular surfaces of a post. By tapering the ends of the first and third flanges, the entry of the first flange into the pocket can be carried out without careful initial alignment. Pairs of post elements are permanently secured in parallel relationship to each other at opposite ends of base panels to provide U-shaped units to facilitate on-site assembly.

A spring-driven track unit for merchandising soft drink bottles has a sliding sheet metal pusher having a forwardly extending foot and a sloping back extending upwardly and forwardly from the rear edge of the foot. A self-coiling polyester sheet extends from a coil retained at the front of the track, along the supporting surface of the track and underneath the pusher foot. The self-coiling sheet is secured to the back of the pusher and provides a bearing surface for a driving spring which is in the form of a narrow, self-coiling strip. The driving spring is secured to the track near the front end and extends rearwardly in a recess to a coil located behind the sloping back of the pusher. The force of the pusher on the bottles is adjustable by bending the sloping back upwardly or downwardly. The pusher is prevented from sliding off the track by tabs bent downwardly from inwardly extending flanges below and integral with the track.

The vertical walls of a sheet metal cabinet comprise front and back members each having a generally U-shaped horizontal cross-section and side members connected between the U-shaped front and back members. The wall members are connected by interengaging slots and tabs on inwardly extending abutting flanges. One flange of each pair of abutting flanges is provided with a series of slots which serve to support shelves within the cabinet. Gussets located at the corners of the cabinet serve to secure legs to the cabinet and also to prevent disengagement of the wall members by locking the wall members against relative vertical movement. A counter top is secured to inwardly extending flanges at the upper edges of the cabinet walls by clamps which bear downwardly on upwardly facing surfaces secured to and spaced below the counter top. The clamps are secured to the flanges of the wall by screws the shanks of which press upwardly against the underside of the top.

Counter top and support means therefor

A free-standing shelf support of prefabricated components particularly suited for convenient store or supermarket displays is disclosed. The unit includes two sections each comprising a pair of vertically-disposed uprights mounting therebetween a panel assembly having grooved vertical edges with clips at their upper ends designed to cooperate with slotted tongue protrusions on the uprights to cause the panel assembly to be secured to the uprights simply by being slid downwardly into engagement therewith during assembly. Each upright has a base member which extends laterally from its lower end, and a lower shelf spans across the top of the base members and cooperates with a kickplate extending across the ends of the base members to tie together the lower end of the unit. The uprights are provided with a series of vertically-spaced holes designed to accommodate vertically adjustable shelf supports.

Free-standing article support unit

In a sheet metal shelving system, shelf clips for retaining shelves on support posts are provided with hooks for engaging openings in the support posts and also with projections which enter openings and prevent removal of the clips from the posts. The projection is held in place in its opening by reason of the engagement of a shelf apron in the retaining portion of the clip. The apron is held in the retaining portion of the clip by a snap-fit relationship between a rolled lower edge of the apron and one or more projections formed in the retaining portion of the clip.

A support for use in conjunction with self-coiling indicia-carrying sheets in a movable indicia display utilizes two identical backing members, and two identical end members, a total of only four parts. Sheet metal is used, and roll retainers are integrally formed on the backing members, as are intermediate edge guides for the indicia-carrying sheets. The end members serve as edge guides, and also provide support for the ends of the roll retainers. The entire assembly is fastener-free, cooperating tabs and slots being used to secure the parts together. In a modified version, each end member is permanently secured to one of the backing members so that the support comprises only two separable parts, which are identical to each other. In another modification, adapted to be viewed from only one side, only one backing member is used.

Growing community of inventors

Elberton, GA, United States of America

James M Suttles