US3404930A - Pivotal display shelf - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 8, 1968 v.4. CAFIERO Em 3,4

PIVOTAL DISPLAY SHELF Filed June 28, l967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 INVENTORS 1 V/NCENTJ. CAF/ERO WILL/AM I. SOHL T i fwucZM 4 rroeue s o;. s, 1968 CAHERO ET AL 3,404,930

PIVOTAL DISPLAY SHELF Filed June 28, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet,

INVENTORS v VINCENT J. CA F/ERO II II IX B Z:

A'TTORA/EV Oct. 8 1968 v. J. CAFIIERO ET AL 3,404,930

PIVOTAL DISPLAY SHELF Filed June 28, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSH VINCENT J. CAFIERO BY WILLIAM I. Sam. m

AT TO RN EY United States Patent 3,404,930 PIVOTAL DISPLAY SHELF Vincent J. Cafiero, Riverview Terrace, Irviugton, NY.

10533, and William I. Sohl, Barnes Lane, Chappaqua,N.Y. 10514 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 563,163, July 6, 1966. This application June 28, 1967, Ser. No. 652,398

Claims. (Cl. 312-2341) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pivotable display shelf for mounting above a horizontal support surface having a space above said support surface to accommodate any articles supported thereon (e.g. a bookshelf) including, a display shelf surface, a pivot support for the display shelf surface located at an intermediate height within the space above the support surface and essentially parallel to and spaced from the display shelf surface, pivot connections between the display shelf surface and the pivot support structure, and limit structure limiting the pivotal movement of the display shelf surface to a first extreme wherein the display shelf surface is essentially horizontal at the upper portion of the space and a second extreme wherein the display shelf surface is essentially vertical in front of the space. In specific forms thereof, there is included a cover for all or a portion of the display shelf surface, having a hinge connecting the cover along the uppermost edge of the display shelf surface, and being slidably connected thereto for adjustable retention of articles on the display shelf surface; and specific pivot structure comprising a pair of pivot pins supported at opposite sides of the display shelf surface, and a pair of brackets carried one at each lateral edge of the display shelf surface, including curved slots which engage with the pins to provide the range of pivotal movement of the display shelf surface including the extreme limits thereto.

This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application entitled Display Shelf for Employment with a Bookshelf, file'd July 6, 1966, having Serial No. 563,163, invented by Vincent J. Cafiero and William I. Sohl, and assigned to a common assignee with the present invention.

' For purposes of this specification, the term bookshelf will signify any horizontal support surface (e.g. a horizontal surface adapted to and designed for supporting one or more books in an upright side-by-side position) together with the space immediately above that surface adapted to accommodate articles, e.g. books. Typically, but not necessarily, a bookshelf will include additional structural members to support the aforementioned horizontal surface and define the aforementioned book space, such as sides, a back and a top. The term bookcase will refer to a group of bookshelves wherein the individual bookshelves are either arranged side by side, or above one another, or a combination thereof. While the invention is illustrated in combination with a bookshelf, it is equally useful with any other horizontal support surface.

It is often desired, in a library or elsewhere, to employ one or more bookshelves in a bookcase for the retention of periodicals rather than books. Since magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals are very flexible, it is often convenient to stack them vertically in a pile, although they are also sometimes stacked side by side as is done with books. In either case, stacking does not display the cover or outermost sheet of the periodical well, and since they have narrow or no spines, identification of the periodicals stacked on a shelf is difficult or awkward. Often, a display shelf, fixedly arranged nearly vertically 3,404,930 Patented Oct. 8, 1968 within the bookshelf, is employed to display one of the periodicals broadside so that its cover can be viewed. However, such a display shelf wastes the dimensions of a bookshelf in displaying a single piece of periodical-matter, and is in other ways inconvenient to employ with a bookshelf.

It is an object of the invention to provide a display shelf for use with a bookshelf and adapted for selective employment at a generally depending display position, and a generally horizontal disuse position adjacent the upper part of the bookshelf and out of the way of the main bookshelf space underlying same.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf especially suited for the display of one or more pieces of printed matter having relatively few sheets in each piece such as newspapers and various periodicals.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf which is adapted in the depending display position to occupy the generally forward part of the shelf so as to define and hide from view the generally rearward portion of the shelf where additional quantities of the piece of printed matter on display or other objects may be stored out of view of an observer facing the bookshelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf which when positioned in the aforesaid disuse position is situated generally horizontally and generally at the upper portion of the bookshelf space so that access can be gained for loading or unloading or observation of any articles stacked or otherwise stored at the rear portion of the bookshelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf which can be positioned in any position intermediate the essentially horizontal and essentially vertical, including the fully vertical, so as to give the best visibility of the displayed periodical considering the height of the particular bookshelf above the floor and the average height of the adults or children using the bookcase.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf provided with one or more display covers which may each be transparent and serve the function of smoothly retaining one or more copies of the printed article on display against the display shelf so that the copies do not buckle and fall away from the display shelf under their own weight when the display shelf is in the nearly vertical, or even fully vertical, display position.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a display shelf wherein each display cover is provided with means enabling it to accept any of a variety of thicknesses of display pieces or matter between itself and the display shelf while in all cases smoothly contacting the outermost of such articles or matter.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully appreciated as the detailed description of a presently preferred, but merely illustrative, embodiment of the invention is set forth hereinbelow, with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevational view of a bookshelf including a first embodiment of a display shelf according to the invention and viewed along the plane 1--1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a bookshelf and display shelf shown in FIG. 1 with a portion thereof broken away to show the means for mounting the display shelf with respect to the bookshelf;

FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along plane 33 therein;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional side elevation view of a bookshelf including a second embodiment of a display shelf according to the invention, corresponding to the view shown in FIG. 1 and showing a fully vertical orientation of the display shelf;

FIG. is a partial front elevational view of a bookshelf and display shelf shown in FIG. 4 corresponding to the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 taken along plane 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 5 taken along plane 66 therein corresponding to the view shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a partial detail view of the lower portion of the display shelf of FIG. 4, including a modified lower edge to the cover, and with a locking bar in place; and

FIG. 8 is a shortened broken perspective view of the locking bar of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the figures, there is shown a bookshelf indicated generally at 10 which may be of conventional construction and may be fabricated in wood, metal, combinations thereof, or any other suitable bookshelf material. The bookshelf 10 is a single bookshelf unit forming a part of a bookcase of several bookshelf units structurally combined, but the invention is equally applicable to single bookshelf units.

The bookshelf 10 includes a shelf 10:: which extends horizontally and is adapted to support upright books side by side in the usual fashion. The shelf 10a includes a groove 10b extending along each of the left and right sides thereof as viewed from the front in FIG. 2. A pair of upright panels 12 are disposed at either side of shelf 10a, and a plurality .of apertures 12a appear (FIG. I) therein. Apertures 12a are aligned into two vertical rows, and each aperture in either row is at the same elevation above shelf 10a as a corresponding aperture in the other row. The two rows of apertures appear in each of upright panels 12 in the facing surfaces thereof, and the apertures are aligned as between the upright panels 12. By this standard construction, the shelf 100 may be raised or lowered on the upright panels 12 by manipulation of hardware (not shown) which cooperates with an aperture in each of the four rows at the same elevation above shelf 10a and the grooves 10b at either side of shelf 10a.

The upright panels 12 extend from one bookshelf to another as a unitizing structure, i.e. they are common to several bookshelves counted both in the vertical and horizontal directions. A plurality of legs 13 (or a solid base, not shown) extend below the lower-most bookshelf (not shown) to support the entire structure on a floor or the like. A back panel 14 is common to all the bookshelves in a common vertical stack, and a top panel 15 is similarly common to all the uppermost bookshelves of the bookcase. It will be noted that the illustrated bookshelf 10 forms the uppermost bookshelf in a particular stack of the bookcase and consequently underlies the top panel 15 so that the bottom surface 15a of the top panel 15 forms the upper extreme of the bookshelf 10. In bookshelves below the illustrated top bookshelf 10, the upper extreme of the particular bookshelf is defined by the lower surface of the horizontal shelf (corresponding to shelf 10a of bookshelf 10) of the bookshelf immediately above. The foregoing features of an illustrative bookshelf construction useful with the present invention are known to the prior art, and will not be described further.

The display shelf assembly according to the present invention includes a pair of mounting plates each having a generally rectangular outline with two apertures 20a locked respectively in the vicinity of two corners of the plate 20 along one side thereof. The vertical distance between apertures 20a is equal to a multiple of the vertical distance between apertures 12a in upright panels 12, so that the pair of plate apertures 20a may be aligned with various pairs of apertures 12a in the upright panels 12. As may best be seen in FIG. 3, a pair of partly threaded studs are disposed in a pair of apertures 12a in each upright panel 12 in alignment with apertures 20a of mounting plate 20, so that the threaded end of the studs 25 projects through the mounting plate 20. The mounting plate is secured in place by nylon washers 26 upon which bear wing nuts 27 which are engaged with the threaded end of studs 25. By means of studs 25 the mounting plate 20 can be raised or lowered relative to the upright panels 12 by removal and insertion in a higher or lower pair of apertures 12a, as desired.

A pivot pin 30 is welded, threadedly connected, or otherwise secured to mounting plate 20' to project normally therefrom, and includes a threaded end portion 30a. A stop pin 32 is similarly joined to mounting plate 20 to project normally therefrom, and is spaced from pivot pin 30, and in the illustrated embodiments lies along a line extending from pivot pin 30 to the adjacent upper corner 20b of mounting plate 20.

The display shelf assembly further includes a shelf member 35, [which in the illustrated embodiments is fabricated in wood. Shelf member 35 is planar and has a lateral dimension slightly smaller than the distance between the upright panels 12, and a vertical dimension smaller than the vertical distance between the upper surface of shelf 10a and the lower surface 15a of top panel 15. Attached to shelf member 35, at either lateral extreme thereof, is a shelf bracket 37 having a triangular configuration with a perpendicular flange 37a which is secured to shelf member 35 by a plurality of wood screws 38, so that the triangular portion of shelf bracket 37 extends normally outward of shelf member 35. An aperture 37b appears in a portion of shelf bracket 37 spaced from shelf 35, and a slot 370 appears in shelf bracket 37 intermediate aperture 37b and shelf 35. In the illustrated embodiments the slot 37c is formed as a portion of a circle having a mean radius equal to the mean distance to the center of aperture 37b. This radial distance is equal to the distance between the center of stop pin 32 and the center of pivot pin 30, so that stop pin 32 projects through slot 370 when pivot pin 30 projects through aperture 37b. In the illustrated embodiments the slot 370 is arranged to be bisected by the lever arm of shelf 35, i.e. to be bisected by the line extending from aperture 37b perpendicular to the shelf member 3 5.

p The shelf member 35 with the shelf brackets 37 at either lateral extreme thereof is mounted to mounting plates 20 at either of upright panels 12 by the aperture 37b receiving the pivot pin 30. The shelf member 35 is thereby pivoted for movement relative to pivot pin 30, and as will appear presently, important advantages of the invention arise from the fact that pivot pin 30 is spaced from shelf member 35 by a lever arm in the form of the intervening portion of bracket 37. A pair of nylon washers 40 are also retained on pivot pin 30, one being intermediate mounting bracket 20 and shelf bracket 37 so as to space those members apart. The other washer 40 overlies shelf bracket 37 and is borne upon by a wing nut 42 which threadedly engages the end portion 30a of pivot pin 30. By selective tightening of wing nut 42 the force required to pivot shelf member 35 relative to mounting plate 20 can be varied, and the shelf can be held at various tilted positions, as will presently be described.

The shelf 35 has a first end 35a and a second end 35b. As may best be seen in FIG. 1, end 35a is the uppermost end of shelf 35 in one extreme pivoted position (the nearly vertical position, shown in full outline) and is the rearmost end in the other extreme pivoted position (the nearly horizontal position, shown in broken outline). Similarly, end 35b is the lowermost end in the full outline position and the frontmost end in the broken outline position. It will be appreciated that the stop pin 32 determines the extreme positions of shelf 35 just indicated. Thus, when the stop pin engages one end of slot 37c, the shelf 35 will occupy one extreme position and when the shelf is pivoted with respect to pivot pin 30 until the stop pin 32 abuts the opposite end of slot 370, the shelf 35 will occupy the other illustrated extreme position.

At end 3512 of shelf member 35 is secured a lip member 44 in the form of a U-shaped channel running along the entire edge at end 35b, having a longer leg 44a which is secured to the rear of shelf member 35 by a plurality of wood screws 45, and a shorter leg 4411 which is spaced forwardly of shelf member when it is in the generally vertical position shown in full outline in FIG. 1. An article of thin printed subject matter N, e.g. such as a newspaper or magazine, may be displayed by means of shelf member 35 by laying it against the surface of shelf member 35 as is shown in FIG. 1, with the lowermost edge thereof retained upon lip member 44 and secured by the leg 44b thereof. When a plurality of periodicals or the like are stacked against shelf 35, especially when highly flexible printed matter such as newspapers are so stacked, and even when a single article of printed matter, especially a highly flexible article such as a newspaper, is stacked against shelf 35, there is a tendency for the printed matter, when the shelf is in the nearly vertical position as shown in full outline in FIG. 1, to buckle forwardly and fall off the shelf despite the leg 44b of lip member 44. The present invention provides means for preventing this occurrence in the form of a hinged cover.

There are two embodiments of a hinged cover, one shown in FIGS. 1-3 and the other shown in FIGS. 4-6. In addition, a variation of the second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Theonly difference between the display shelf of the first embodiment and that of the second embodiment resides in the construction of the cover, and in the form of the display shelf itself only insofar as the attachment of the cover thereto is concerned. The first embodiment of the hinged cover, illustrated at 50 in FIGS. 13, includes a rectangular cover member 50a preferably fabricated in a transparent material such as a transparent plastic or glass, whose dimensions are essentially coextensive with the dimensions of shelf member 35 so that the cover member 50a may bear against the outermost of the articles N along the entire surface thereof. At its edge adjacent end 35a of shelf member 35, cover member 50a is hinged by a structure which allows contact between the cover member 50a and the outermost of periodicals N despite increase or decrease in the total thickness of the articles stacked against shelf 35. Hinged cover 50 further includes a U-shaped channel home 501) secured around the edges of cover member 50a, and welded or otherwise secured to one leaf 50c of each of a pair of spaced hinges indicated generally at 50d (FIG. 3). Frame 50b can be omitted if desired, and attachment of leaf 500 can be made to cover 50a directly, or through local structure, as in the second embodiment discussed below.

The other leaf of each of hinges 50d is slidably secured to the end edge of shelf 35 adjacent end portion 35a for movement normal to the plane of shelf 35. Specifically, each leaf 506 includes a slot 50 which is normal to the plane of shelf 35. Slidably captured within slots 50f are cap-headed pins 55 which are secured to the end edge of shelf 35 to retain the hinge 50a thereto, but which also allow the hinge 50d to slide relative to pins 55 along slots 50] normal to the plane of shelf 35. Slots 50 are long enough to allow cover member 50a to be pushed toward shelf 35 to rest flush against even a single very thin periodical N carried by shelf 35, and to be moved away from shelf 35 until a desired thickness of articles N can be accommodated with flush resting of cover member 50a against the outermost of such articles. It will be appreciated that the outer surface of the outermost article will be visible through the cover 50, but that the cover 50 will maintain generally flexible periodicals in smooth upright relationship. In various positions of hinge leaf 50e, i.e. with varying thicknesses of articles N, the cover member 50a can still be pivoted upwardly out of the way at hinge 50d to allow removal of the periodicals N from the shelf 35. The flush contact is important from the standpoint both of appearance of the cover and the appearance of the periodicals themselves. A hinge 50 without the aforesaid sliding feature would not allow flush contact of the cover member 50a with varying thicknesses of periodicals N.

The second embodiment of a hinged cover and its connection to the display shelf is illustrated in FIGS. 46 at 50'. The hinged cover 50' differs from the first embodiment hinged cover 50 in only two respects. First, as may be best seen in FIG. 5, the cover member 50a is quite narrow, e.g. much narrower than the typical magazine, while the cover member 50a of the first embodiment is as broad as the entire display shelf thereby fully covering one or more magazines. Second, the means of attachment of the hinged cover 50 to the display shelf is modified from that shown in the first embodiment to enable the hinged cover 50 to be moved laterally along the display shelf. Thus, a channel 35x having an upward central slot opening 35y .(FIGS. 4 and 5) is provided along the upper portion of shelf 35, and secured thereto by screws 35z. The hinge 50d (FIG. 4) includes a hinge leaf 502' which has a pair of slots 50f, all corresponding to similar parts in the first embodiment. However, the hinge leaf 50e is not secured directly to the shelf 35 as in the first embodiment, but rather, a slider member 35w is provided within channel 35x having an upstanding pair of studs 50q', the slider member 35w being proportioned to slide within channel 35x with studs 50q' projecting upwardly out of slot 35y. Studs 50q pass through slots 50f in hinge leaf 50e and are threadedly engaged with wing nuts 50s.

The narrow width of cover member 50a (FIG. 5) presents a neat appearance because it can be centered over a magazine N thus allowing the magazine to be retrieved easily from under the cover member 50a. One or more cover members 50a may be mounted to the display shelf, and each of them will ride within channel 35x so that they can be moved laterally manually to overlie magazines N spaced anywhere along the display shelf. Yet at the same time, the feature of accepting a variable plurality of magazines N under the cover plate with flush retention thereof is provided by slots 50 in the second embodiment just as in the first embodiment. Individual covers 50 can accommodate different pluralities N thereunder. The wing nuts 50s may be employed to secure the position of the hinge member 50d if desired.

Also shown in FIG. 4 is a modified form of shelf bracket, shown therein at 37', which varies from that shown at 37 in FIG. 1 only in the proportions thereof, and in the proportions of curved limit slot 37c, both of which are intended to allow attainment of full vertical disposition of shelf 35, as illustrated in FIG. 4. It Will be noted that the proportions are such that when the full vertical is attained (when stop pin 32 abuts the end of slot 37c as shown), the forward plane of shelf 35 is essentially coplanar with the forward plane of the bookshelf 10.

This full vertical position of shelf 35, as shown in FIG. 4, is very attractive when viewed from the front of the bookshelf 10. However, in the full vertical position, periodicals N on shelf 35 sometimes tend to buckle slightly and tilt away from the shelf 35 so that they can fall off. Because the shelf 35 is then disposed fully vertically, the cover 50' does not exert much retention force on the periodicals N, and accordingly when the bracket 37' is utilized to allow full vertical disposition of shelf 35, a spring 50p (e.g. of the single loop type as illustrated) can be added to hinge member 50d to bias cover 50' against periodicals N.

As may be seen in FIG. 4, an optional pull tab 501' may be added to cover member 50a to provide a handle for pivoting the cover member 50a away from the periodicals N, as to extract a periodical from under the cover member 50a. In the unframed cover 50a illustrated in FIG. 4, the tab 50f can be glue-d to the lower extreme of cover 500 as illustrated, or can be otherwise affixed.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a locking bar 60, designed to lock the lower edge of cover 50' to bracket 44 and thereby to the shelf 35 itself. The bar 60, as shown in shortened broken perspective in FIG. 8, has a generally Z-shaped cross section to intercept both the tab 50f and the short leg of bracket 44 to prevent pivoting of cover 50' away from shelf 35 at the lower edge thereof. This locking function occurs only when the shelf 35 is in the full vertical position shown in FIG. 4, because then the bar 60 cannot be withdrawn from its nest (FIG. 7) between the lower edge of cover 50' and the short leg of bracket 44. While the bar 60 can be removed by pivoting shelf 35 away from the full vertical so that bar 60 clears the sides of the bookshelf, and then sliding it out laterally, that will not be apparent to the uninstructed viewer, to whom the bar 60 will appear to be a unit with the shelf 35 and cover 50'. Preferably the bar 60 will extend the width of shelf 35, and various locking cross sections may be employed. A shallower cross section will, for example, be employed when the pull tab 501 is omitted. The bar 60 may also be employed with the apparatus of the first embodiment although there it will never be captured at its ends by the sides of the bookcase.

In operation, a stack of periodicals may be placed toward the rear of the bookshelf resting upon shelf 10a. For purposes of clarity, the articles stacked on the shelf 10a are designated M, while the articles displayed on the pivotable shelf 35 are designated N, although the two may be the same, and often are the same. The stacked articles M can for example be identical articles which are to be sold to customers or loaned to readers one at a time, or to be otherwise dispensed. One or more of the periodicals M can be put on the pivotable shelf 35 for the purpose of displaying what is available within the bookshelf 10. The pivotable shelf 35 may then be swung down to the essentially vertical position wherein the stop pin 32 contacts one end of the slot 370 (or 370), to display the representative articles N.

When a plurality of periodical articles N are displayed in stacked fashion on pivotable shelf 35, the hinged cover 50 or 50 will allow smooth retention yet accessibility to any one of those periodicals as desired. For example, the stack of periodicals M on the shelf 10a may constitute older back issues of a magazine, while the several periodicals N on the pivotable shelf 35 may constitute the most recent issues of the same magazine. It is then desirable to gain easy access to the most recent issues by manipulation of the hinged cover 50 or 50 and to gain infrequent access of the older issues by manipulation of the pivotable shelf 35. Also as has already been indicated, when the magazines or other periodicals are identical, the articles N may be sold one at a time from the display shelf 35, and may be periodically replenished from the store of periodicals M on the shelf 1011.

It is an important feature of the inventionthat when the pivotable shelf is in the display position, i.e. in the nearly vertical full outline position illustrated in FIG. 1, the magazines or other periodical articles M stored at the rear of shelf 10a are hidden, or essentially hidden, from the view of a person viewing the display shelf 35. When however, access to the magazines or other periodicals M is desired, the shelf 35 may be pivoted up to the approximately horizontal broken outline position shown in FIG. 1, and in that position the shelf 35 will be translated upwardly as well as tilted to the horizontal position, thus exposing the entire stack of periodicals M for inspection or removal or the like. This upward translation occurs because of the aforesaid lever arm portion of bracket 37 between the pivot pin and the shelf member 35. If shelf were instead to be pivoted within its own body, rather than at a distance with the intervening lever arm, it would tilt but it would not translate upwardly, and easy access to the stacked articles M at the lower rear of bookshelf 10 could not be gained.

There are many important advantages to the features of the present invention, which were not heretofore available in the bookshelf construction art. Only a few will be summarized here. First, the display shelf is easily pivoted to the essentially vertical display position, or to the essentially horizontal disuse position near the top of the bookshelf 10 where it is out of the way. The bookcase 10 can thus be easily adapted to temporary use for other than a periodical display case, if desired. Second, when continuous use as a periodical display case is desired, the same action acts respectively as a door or gate to hide from view the extra periodical articles stacked at the rear of bookshelf 10, or to fully expose the whole stack to view. Third, the ability of the shelf 35 to be positioned at intermediate positions allows accommodation to children vs. adults, or to different heights for a particular bookshelf, so that in each case the shelf 35 can be positioned more nearly normal to the line of sight when in the display position. Fourth, the slidable hinged cover 50 or 50' makes an essentially vertical periodical display shelf practical by avoiding buckling, despite changes in thickness of the displayed material.

The invention has been described with reference to particular, but merely illustrative, embodiments. Changes therein may be made within the scope of the invention, and all such variations are contemplated as part of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A display shelf for mounting between two vertical members, over a horizontal support surface having a space above said support surface to accommodate any articles supported thereon, comprising:

(a) first means defining a display surface;

(b) second means defining a pivot for said first means, located at an intermediate height within said space above said support surface, and essentially parallel to and spaced from said first means;

(c) third means pivotally connecting said first means to said second means; and

(d) fourth means limiting the pivotal movement of said first means to a first extreme wherein said display surface is essentially horizontal at the upper portion of said space and a second extreme wherein said display surface is essentially vertical, and to intermediate positions;

whereby said display surface hides said space from view when in the essentially vertical display position, and exposes said space to essentially full view when in the essentially horizontal position.

2. A display shelf according to claim 1 further comprising, a cover member for said display surface, and a hinge adapted to connect said cover member to said first means along mutual edges located at the portions thereof which are uppermost when said display surface is essentially vertical, said hinge including a slidable connection to said first means so that the spacing of the hinged end of said cover member from said display surface is variable.

3. A display shelf according to claim 2 further wherein, said hinge has a hinge pivot line, one leaf fixed to said cover member, and a second leaf provided with a slot extending essentially perpendicular to said hinge pivot line, and wherein means is secured to the adjacent end edge of said first means and slidably engaged within said hinge leaf slot to form said slidable connection.

4. A display shelf according to claim 1 wherein, said second means comprises a pair of pivot pins supported at opposite sides of said bookshelf, said third means comprises a pair of brackets, one at each lateral edge of said first means, and each located intermediate the edges of said first means which are uppermost and lowermost when said first means is in said essentially vertical position.

5. A display shelf according to claim 4 wherein, said third means comprises a pair of brackets, one at each lateral edge of said first means, and each located intermediate the edges of said first means which are uppermost and lowermost when said first means is in said essentially vertical position.

6. A display shelf according to claim 5 wherein, each of said pair of pivot pins is mounted to a mounting means, and a screw clamp is employed to selectively increase and decrease the frictional engagement of said brackets to said respective mounting means around said pivot pins.

7. A display shelf according to claim 6 wherein, said screw clamp comprises a threaded end on each of said pivot pins, and a Wing nut threadedly engaged with said threaded end.

8. A display shelf according to claim 6 wherein, at least one of said brackets includes a curved slot, and wherein said mounting means includes a fixed pin secured thereto and slidably engaged within said slot, to limit the extremes f pivoting in either direction by said first means.

9. A display shelf according to claim 1 wherein, said vertical members comprise a pair of spaced upright lateral panels, overlaid by a top panel essentially parallel to said lower support surface, and wherein said first means has a vertical dimension equal to a major portion of the height from the upper surface of said support surface to the lower surface of said top panel, and a lateral dimension equal to slightly less than the lateral dimension between the facing surfaces of said upright lateral panels, both measured when said first means is in said essentially vertical position, and wherein said third means comprises pivot pins secured relative to said respective upright lateral panels.

10. A display shelf according to claim 1 further comprising, a cover member for said display surface having a transverse dimension equal to a fraction of the transverse dimension of said display surface, and a hinge adapted to connect said cover member to said first means along mutual edges located at the portions thereof which are uppermost when said display surface is essentially vertical.

11. A display shelf according to claim 10 wherein said hinge is slidable laterally along the uppermost edge of said first means and is also slidable normal to said display surface so that the spacing of the hinged end of said cover member from said display surface is variable.

12. A display shelf according to claim 11, wherein said hinge member is slidably engaged with the upper edge of said first means for lateral sliding motion therealong.

13. A display shelf according to claim 1 wherein said fourth means is arranged to allow vertical disposition of said display surface at said second extreme.

14. A display shelf according to claim 9 wherein said third and fourth means are proportioned to allow vertical dis-position of said display surface at said second extreme, at which occasion the forward face of said display shelf is approximately coplanar with the forward edges of said upright lateral panels.

'15. A display shelf according to claim 2 wherein a locking bar is laterally slidably engaged with the lower edge of said first means, and the lower edge of said cover means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,501,608 3/1950 Lyons 312-233 2,884,295 4/1959 Foot et al. 312-2341 3,181,922 5/1965 McBean 312234.1 3,288,545 11/1966 Benne 312327 X CASMLR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

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