US2079754A - Article projection apparatus for shelves - Google Patents

Description

May 11, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 1?, 1935 May 11, 1937. w. v. WAXGISER 2,079,754

ARTICLE PROJECTION APPARATUS FOR SHELVES Filed July 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OF F'I CE ARTICLE PROJECTION APPARATUS FOR: SHELVES.

4 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means applicable to shelves and the like, for moving forwardly rows of. packages such as tins or canisters.

A further object of the invention is to provide means characterized for its adaptability for successive discharge of the articles. forwardly of the shelf, as, from a high point to alower point.

A further object is to provide devices which are adjustable to adapt a single device for cans of various diameters.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the form of the device so as to make it inexpensive, readily applicable, and sure in operation.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a shelf section having applied thereto an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of. the device.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device, theshelf and back wall being shown in section, and. dotted lines showing the position of the rack frame in a rear movement thereof, dotted linesalso showing arow of cans, one can in the course. ofa vertical discharge movement.

Fig. 3A is a view partly in section and. partly in dotted lines, showing use of the deviceon an overhead shelf in connection with a pole and basket.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device, partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the rack operated projector.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of projector.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a somewhatmodified form of rack frame and projector.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on theline 8-8, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line: 99. Fig. 7.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, I have shown a formof the invention in which the primary member is a rack frame comprising a bar I angularly bent at its ends to form extensions lzc. Each of these extensions is provided with a threaded aperture to receive a screw 2 which passes through a slot of a corner bracket 3, having sleeves which extend at right angles, one sleeve in each case receiving a member Inc. The second sleeve, in each case, receives one end of a rack bar 4. The rack bar is embraced by the Vertical sections of a projector which is best shown in Fig; 5.. Verticalwalls of the projector 'areindicatedat 5 and 5:0, a stop pin 6 being carried' thereby sothat the rack frame may be moved upward; but: beyond the pin.

In registry. with the passageway between walls 5, 5x; and rearwardly thereof, is a pawl i. Pawl l is adjacentva. contact wall 8 for the articles to be moved forwardly of. the rack frame. The rearmost article may, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. l", restupon a horizontal wall 8m. Screw 2 may also serve to'connect upon the front mem ber la: a card. holding device 9 having a handle 9.1:. which. will; serve for manipulation of the rack frame.

The purpose of the horizontal section 8.7: of the projector isto. add weight to the latter through the articleresting. thereon, and, if desired, contact plate 8 may have applied thereto a weight, as indicated at [0; Fig. 6.

In the. operation of the device, by loosening screws. 2, the distance between bar I and rack 4 may be adjusted in accordance with the width of. the articles to be placed between said members, and the screws, will then be tightened to' clamp. the rack frame parts in said adjusted position. The projector will then be moved to the rearand. the tins or other articles placed in a row intermediate members I and 4 as indicated in -dotted lines, Fig. 4. When the rack frame ismovedioutwardly a distance equivalent to the cross sectional area. of one of the articles, the projector. by its contact with the rearmost article will move the. foremost article forwardly of the shelf II and said article will tend to drop downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 3.

When the said foremost article has been removed, the rack frame may be slightly raised, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3, to disengage the rack from. pawl i and the rack frame moved backwardly to initial position. In fact, it is not even. necessary to raise the rack frame in such rearward movement because the weight of the projector will hold it in position. The operation is repeated until all of the articles in the rowhave been discharged, and prior to that time, there will aways be an article on display at the front of the shelf. There will be no rotation of tins by the rack frame since the efiect of members l and 4 upon the sides of the tin is that of one neutralizing the rotational effect of the other. Therefore, when the tins are placed upon the shelf with the labels in proper position, they will remain in that position. To provide for a downward discharge of the articles in succession,

an ordinary pole hook and basket such as indicated at 12, Fig. 3A, may be employed for upper shelves.

In Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, I have shown a 5 slightly modified construction having the same general principle of operation however as that of the preceding figures.

By means of ordinary angular clip strips l3 applied to the front and rear edges of the shelf, I hold in position upon the shelf, for ready adjustment, a plurality of laterally flanged guide rails l4. Each guide rail is adapted to slidingly support two abutting flanged rack frame members such as l5, with the exception that the guide rails at the ends of the shelf may be adapted to support a single bar l5. Instead of resting directly upon the shelf, the articles rest upon the flanges Man of the guide rails and guided by the flanges are, as to each rack frame, two opposed frame members l5. One rack frame member l5 has at one end an angularly extending bar I 6 which is slotted to receive a screw ll threaded in an angular extension l8 of the second rack frame member. Each rack frame member 25 has a horizontal raised section and the horizontal raised section of one or both i bars may be formed with regularly spaced apertures as at l9, to receive the pawl a: of a pivoted pawl device 20, carried by the projector 2!.

The projector is formed in two sections, one section being slotted and the other section carrying a clamping screw 22. Projector 2| at each end carries an angularly extending flanged clip Zinc, the clips having their support upon the flanges I 4x of the fixed guide rails l4 and the pawl 20.1 is so formed and inclined relatively to the apertures !9 that the rack frame may be freely moved inwardly without disturbing the position ,40 of the projector, whereas outward movement of the rack frame carries the projector with it. The operation, therefore, is the same as the structure in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

The horizontal front portion of each rack frame 45 member l5 may be cut away so that when a forwardly positioned article is moved beyond the front of the shelf, clearance will be provided for its descent by gravity in generally the manner indicated in Fig. 3A as to the previously described 50 construction. A wire finger may serve to retard tilting of the article, by serving as an abutment member for the upper portion of the article, causing its descent in substantially vertical line.

It will be understood that various modifica- 55 tions may be made in the form and arrangement of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, pawl la: may be carried by the projector illustrated in Fig. 5 in addition to the pawl 60 l, and various changes may be made in the construction of the projector, also in the means for connecting the members 'I and A or IE, as the case may be, etc.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters 65 Patent is as follows:-

1. Article projection apparatus for a shelf, comprising parallel spaced frame members having rack elements, forward and rearward means connecting the frame members whereby a row of articles may be received between the frame members for forward projection, a projector receiving support independent of the frame members and having a pawl engaging said rack elements and a contact face for engaging the rearmost of said row of articles, the pawl and rack being so formed that forward movement of the frame members will transmit movement to the projector and will project the row of articles until the foremost article is carried beyond the shelf, and rearward movement of the frame members will not affect the position of the projector.

2. Article projection apparatus for a shelf, comprising parallel spaced frame members having rack elements, forward and rearward means adjustably connecting the frame members whereby the frame members are adapted to receive between them rows of articles of various widths for forward projection, a projector receiving support independent of the frame members and having a pawl engaging said rack elements and a contact face for engaging the rearmost of said row of articles, the pawl and rack being so formed that forward movement of the frame members will transmit movement to the projector and will project the row of articles until the foremost article is carried beyond the shelf, and rearward movement of the frame members will not aiTect the position of the projector.

3. Article projection apparatus for a shelf, comprising spaced frame members, forward and rearward members connecting said frame members, whereby a row of articles may be received between the frame members for forward projection, one of the frame members having a rack surface, a projector carrying a pawl for engagement with said rack surface and having opposed guide walls abutting said frame member, and also having a contact face for engaging the rearmost of the row of articles, said frame member carrying the rack surface being vertically movable between the said guide walls of the projector and said pawl being disposed at the lower end of the guide walls for engagement with and release from said rack surface whereby forward movement of the frame members will project the row of articles and rearward movement of the frame members will be independent of the projector.

4. Article projection apparatus for a shelf, comprising two spaced guide rails adapted to rest upon the top surface of the shelf, means for holding and permitting relative adjustment between the guide rails, spaced bars slidably held by the guide rails and adapted to receive between them a row of articles having their support upon upright projections on the guide rails, a rack carried by and extending longitudinally of a bar of said spaced bars, a projector having its support upon the projections on said guide rails and having a pawl engaging the rack, and means adjustably connecting the bars.

WILLIAM V. WAXGISER.

Images