US821144A - Display-rack. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

J. D. WALSH.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED 00 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v l ll l l 6 Roman 13 PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

J. D. WALSH.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED 001 2a. 1905 2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed October 23, 1905- Serial No. 283,962-

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs D. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Racks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in display-racks; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display-rack, showing my invention applied thereto, a portion of the swinging wings being broken away. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the wing-operating mechanism at the base of the frame. Fig. 3 is a horizon tal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical 'transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged top plan of the reciprocating rider, showing the manner of its engagement with the driving sprocket-chain. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of one section of the recipro cating rider, being a section in the plane of the line 8 8 of Fig. 9 and showing also the driving sprocket-wheels for the chain. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section on line 9 9. of Fig. 8, showing the dog of the rider coupled to the upper lap of the drive-chain. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the reciprocating rider. Fig. 11 is asectional detail similar to Fig. 9, but showing the dog of the rider coupled to the lower lap of the drive-chain; and Fig. 12 shows a top plan of a modified form of co nstruction for coupling the motor.

The present invention has relation to that class of displayracks which are provided with a series of swinging wings or leaves to which the articles to be exhibited are attached.

The object of the present improvement is to provide such a rack with means for oscillating the wings automatically by mechanism actuated, preferably, by an electric motor, so that the public or purchaser may have opportunity of inspecting the entire line of goods offered by the dealer without imposing the labor of turning the wings on the clerk in charge.

A further object is to provide 'a wing or leaf operator of the nature herein referred to which shall be reliable, strong, durable, positive, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed de scription of the invention, which is as follows Referring to the drawings, F represents a frame for the support of the swinging wings or leaves W, the latter oscillating freely about hinge-axes disposed between the top and bottom members of the frame, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. The ends of the frame are reinforced by braces F, a construction well known in theart and forming no part of the present invention. Mounted on suitable bearings at one end of the basal member of the frame (the said member being preferably a flat structural bar) is an electric motor M, to

' which the current is supplied from any available source. The shaft 1 of said motor is provided with a worm-wheel 2, which meshes with a pinion 3 on a counter-shaft 4, mounted in the bracket 5 (which likewise supports one end of the shaft 1) and in the bracket 6, carried by the basal member of the supportingframe. The counter-shaft 4 is disposed parallel to the bottom member of the frame and at an intermediate point is provided with a worm-wheel 7, which meshes with a pinion 8 on the shaft of a sprocket-wheel 9, likewise mounted in the bracket 6. From the sprocketwheel 9 there passes a sprocket-chain or endless conveyer 10 over a second sprocketwheel 11, mounted in a bracket 12, secured in any adjusted position at the opposite end of the base of the frame F, said bracket 12 being preferably adjustable to take up any slack in the drive-chain or conveyer 10. Disposed between the brackets 6 12 is a rail or bar 13, whose one end is fixed to the bracket 6 and whose opposite end is provided with an elongated slot 14, through which passes a securing-screw 15, the purpose of the slot being to allow for the necessary adjustment of the bracket 12 for the purpose mentioned.

'As seen from the drawings, the rail 13 is disposed contiguous to and parallel to the plane of travel of the chain 10. Along the rail 13 freely slides in either direction one member or section 16 of a block or rider, the opposite member or complement 16 of said rider being coupled to the section 16 by screw-bolts 17, passed through the extended corner-ears 18 18 of the respective sections. The contacting faces of the sections 16 16,

constituting the rider, are plane and when coupled together in the manner indicated follows: Pivoted at opposite ends within the cavity or depression 19 are shifting or tripping levers 2O 20, whose outer arms project beyond the rider 16 16, said levers being capable of oscillation in the plane between the laps of the chain 10. Movably linked or hinged'between the ends of the inner arms of the levers is a dog 21, having beveled ends adapted to alternately engage the links of the opposite laps of the chain 10. The chain of course travels constantly in one direction,

as shown by arrows in Fig. 8. Assuming that the upper end of the dog is in engagement with a link in the upper lap of the chain, the chain will impel the dog, and hence impel the rider 16 16 along the rail 13 in the same direction as the said upper lap. When, how- 'ever, the rider has advanced far enough for the end of the outer arm of the right-hand lever 20 to be struck by the teeth of the sprocket-wheel 1 1, the said sprocket-wheel will trip the levers to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 8, forcing the lower end of the dog to engage a link of the lowerlap of the chain, when the dog and the rider carrying the same will now be impelled along the rail in the direction of travel of the said lower lap, the rider thus reciprocating in the opposite direction. When the end of its stroke is again reached, the teeth of the sprocket-wheel 9 will trip the levers back to the full position shown in Fig. 8, driving the dog 21 into engagement with a link of the upper lap of the chain, thereby causing the rider to travel with the upper lap of the chain, so that at the end of each stroke the rider is brought into alternate engagement with the opposite laps of the chain and caused to reciprocate back and forth along the rail 13. When forced into engagement with the upper lap of the chain, the dog is preferably held elevated and prevented from dropping by the spring-actuated latch or stud 22, confined in a pocket in the dog, Figs. 9, 11, which stud under the action of its controlling-spring 23 is forced to enter a depression 24 of the section 16 of the rider. This spring 23 is a weak spring of just sufficient resilience to hold the dog frictionally sus pended in position against any possible gravitation of the same and its consequent disengagement from the upperlap of the chain.

Of course for its lowest position the dog requires no special locking provision.

In its reciprocations along the rail 13 the rider encounters the studs 25, projecting rearwardly from the bases of the hinge-axes of the several wings, the resultingimpact against these studs serving to oscillate or swing the wings about their axes first n one direction and then the other, Fig. 3. To cushion this impact, the rider is provided on its outer face with a hinged buffer -block 26, having lateral inclined faces at the meeting edge of, which is formed a groove or depres sion 27 for receiving the studs 25. Behind the block 26 is a spring 28, which becomes compressed as either inclined face of the buffer-block strikes a stud 25, the stud after the impact riding up the incline until it comes opposite the groove'27, when the force of the spring 28 drives the groove 27 and stud 25 i view the articles hung on them.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a modified constructionfor coupling up the motor M. In that case it is pivoted to the basal member of the frame F, the gear 29 of its driving-shaft being held firmly in engagement by the spring 30 with a pinion 31- at the end of a shaft 4 (corresponding to the .shaft 4) by means of which motion is imparted to the drive-chain. Of course any other manner of coupling the motor would answer the present purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A display-rack comprising a series of swinging wings or leaves, and suitable devices for imparting to the leaves an automatically reciprocating oscillatory movement, substantially as set forth.

2. A display rack comprising a series of swinging wings or leaves mounted along consecutive hinge-axes, and devices moving in proximity to said axes and engaging said wings for oscillating the same first in one direction and then automatically in the other, substantially as set forth.

3. A display-rack comprising a series of swinging wings or leaves mounted along consecutive hinge-axes, and devices automatically reciprocating in proximity to said axes and engaging-the said wings for oscillating the same first in one direction and then the other, substantially as set forth.

4:. A display-rack comprising a series of secutive hinge-axes, projections formed on the several leaves extending rearwardly beyond the axes, and suitable automatically reciprocating devices adapted to impinge against said projections and thereby oscillate the Wings, substantially as set forth.

5. A display-rack comprising a series of swinging Wings, a rail disposed adjacent to the hinge-axes of the wings, a rider automatically reciprocating on said rail, and formations on the Wings with which the rider comes successively in contact for oscillating the wings with each reciprocation, substantially as set forth.

6. A display-rack comprising a series of swinging Wings, studs on the same projecting beyond the hinge-axes of the same, a stationary rail disposed adjacent to the studs, a rider on said rail, a driving sprocket-chain adjacent to the rail, sprocket-wheels at opposite ends of the chain, a dog mounted on the rider, and suitable shifting devices operated by the sprocket-wheels for alternately bringing the dog into engagement with the opposite laps of the chain, substantially as set forth.

7. A display-rack comprising a series of swinging Wings, studs on the same projecting beyond the hinge-axes of the same, a stationary rail disposed adjacent to the studs, a rider on said rail, a yielding impact member or buffer carried by the rider, said buffer provided with means for permitting engagement therewith of the studs as the buffer passes over the studs, a sprocket-chain adjacent to the rail, sprocket-wheels at opposite ends of the chain, a dog mounted movably on the rider, and suitable shifting levers operated by the sprocket-wheels for forcing the dog into alternate engagement with the opposite laps of the chain, substantially as set forth.

8. In a display-rack, a suitable reciprocating rider, a pair of levers pivoted thereon and oscillating in the same plane, a dog movably connected to the ends of the adjacent arms of said levers, and means for alternately tripping the outer arms of the levers in opposite direction thereby reciprocating the dog confined between the adjacent arms, substantially as set forth.

9. In a display-rack, a suitable reciprocating rider, a pair of levers pivoted thereon and oscillating in the sameplane, a dog movably coupled between the ends of the adjacent arms of the levers, a spring latch or stud on the dog, the rider having a depression for receiving said stud, and means for alternately trippingthe outer arms of the levers in opposite directions thereby reciprocating the dog confined between the adjacent arms of said levers, substantially as set forth.

10. In a display-rack, a traveling endless conveyer, a rider in proximity thereto, and devices on the rider for alternately engaging one lap of the conveyer and then the other whereby a reciprocatlng movement is imparted to the rider, substantially as set forth.

11. In a display-rack, a traveling endless chain, a rider in proximity thereto, sprocketwheels for the chain, and devices on the rider actuated by the sprocket-wheels and forced into alternate engagement with the respective laps of the chain, whereby the rider is reciprocated by the chain, substantially as set forth.

12. In a display-rack, a series of swinging Wings, projections formed on the same and extending beyond the hinge-axes thereof, a reciprocating rider mounted adjacent to the hinge-axes, a spring-controlled buffer carried by the rider and having inclined faces adapted to impinge against the projections aforesaid, and provided with a groove adapted to receive the projections of the said wings, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. WALSH.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, MARY D. WHITOOMB.,

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