GB2044092A

GB2044092A - Frame for displaying greetings cards

Info

Publication number: GB2044092A
Application number: GB7910281A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bavester A C
Current assignee: Bavester A C
Priority date: 1979-03-23
Filing date: 1979-03-23
Publication date: 1980-10-15
Also published as: GB2044092B

Abstract

The frame comprises an array of parallel elongate struts (10,12,14) and a cord (16) which is secured to the ends of the struts and extends in the form of a loop across the uppermost strut (10) to form a hanging loop for attaching the frame to a hook. Holes through which the cord can be threaded may be formed at the ends of the struts or V-shaped slots may be formed to receive the cord. Alternatively, a pin or screw may be inserted into the end of each strut or the strut may be formed with an integral necked portion, the cord then being wrapped around this portion or the pin, screw etc. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to frames Field of invention This invention concerns a device for displaying greetings cards and the like.

Background to invention With the arrival of large numbers of cards and like items particularly at Christmas-time it has become a considerable problem in many households to know how to display all the cords in a convenient manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for displaying cards and the like in a convenient way so as to obviate the need to situate the cards on all available horizontal surfaces or string the cards from wall to wall or pin or otherwise stick the cards to picture rails and the like. Although the invention is primarily designed to display Christmas cards and perhaps birthday cards in private houses the invention is not in any way limited to this application and may be used in commercial premises for displaying goods for sale which are in the form of folded cards and the like.Additionally the invention may be used in educational and other institutions where there is a need to conveniently retain in a visible array a plurality of folded cards such as for example record cards and the like which have been extracted from long-term storage and are to be for immediate usage either by a doctor or teacher or the like.

The invention According to the present invention a frame for displaying greetings cards and the like comprises a plurality of elongate struts which are joined at or near their ends by flexible members such as cards so that the struts can be suspended to form a generally parallel spaced apart array of elongate supporting ribs on which cards and the like can be hung.

Preferably the flexible supporting means at or near the ends of the struts comprises cords or the like which may be tied to each of the struts individually or received in slots or recesses formed in the ends of the struts or each of the struts may be formed with a necked region at each end and the cords may be secured to the necked regions thereof.

Whilst all the struts may be similar in size and shape, conveniently the array is formed with thicker and heavier weight struts at least at the top and bottom and the intermediate struts may be formed from lighter weight material and may be of smaller cross-section.

Conveniently means is provided from the strut which is to form the upper strut of the array by which the array can be suspended for example from a picture rail or the like.

In a preferred embodiment the cord used to secure the struts together to form the parallel spaced apart array is extended through apertures in the upper strut or around necked regions of the ends of the strut and a loop is formed on the upper strut and this loop can be used as the hanging means.

The struts may be formed from wood or metal or from plastics material and may be solid or hollow.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of a greetings card display frame constructed as an embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is an end elevation of the frame shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an end perspective view of one of the struts of Figure 1, Figure 4 is an end perspective view to enlarged scale of an alternative strut end to that shown in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of another strut end different from that shown in Figure 3.

Detailed description of the drawings Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a greetings card display frame is illustrated therein as comprising upper and lower main frame struts 10 and 12 and a plurality of intermediate struts one of which is denoted by reference numeral 14 which extend parallel to and at regularly spaced apart intervals between the upper and lower struts 10 and 14 and are secured to each other and to the upper and lower struts by means of a cord 16 which is looped from the upper strut 10 so as to form a hanging loop to allow the frame to be suspended for example from a hook or picture rail. The cord 16 is secured to the opposite ends of the struts such as 14 and Figure 3 illustrates one way in which the cords are connected to the struts.This involves a simple slip knot around the end of each strut as at 18 and by arranging the slip knots at equal intervals along the length of the two cords between the upper and lower struts 10 and 12 so the intermediate struts such as 14 will be held in position between the upper and lower struts at parallel spaced apart intervals.

Although not shown an improvement on the arrangement shown in Figure 3 can be obtained simply by drilling or otherwise forming a hole such as shown in dotted outline preferably across a diameter of each of the struts 14 (but not necessarily across the diameter) and threaded the cord 16 through the hole and tying the cord either top and bottom of the hole by means of knots within the cord or tying the cord around the strut using the hole designated by reference numeral 20 merely as a means for axially locating the cord along the length of the strut 14.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 4 in which a slot 22 is formed in each end of the struts and the cord 16 is pushed into the slot. A knot 24 on the cord prevents the strut from dropping down the cord 16 and by tapering the walls of the slot 22 the cord can be trapped and held in position by friction after being pulled tightly into V-shaped slot 22.

Figure 5 illustrates a further embodiment in which a necked region generally designated 26 is formed at each end of each strut 14 and the cord 16 is looped around the necked region 26 and tied therein for example by means of a slip knot to locate the strut along the length of the cord. the necked region may be formed integrally in the strut for example by machining or moulding or the like or alternatively may be formed by inserting a pin or screw or other similar device into the end of the strut 14 having an enlarged head 28 and narrow diameter shank section 30 and by leaving the device protruding from the end of the strut 14 so that part of the shank 30 is exposed so an effective necked region of the end of the strut 14 is obtained. In this event the cord 16 is wrapped around the exposed shank section as shown in Figure 5 and is secured in place by means of a slip knot or the like.

To reduce the amount of material required and also lighten the weight of the structure the struts (upper, lower and intermediate) may be formed from hollow tubing which may be of plastics or metal. A particularly attractive alternative is to use bamboo rods or plastics rods shaped and coloured so as to imitate bamboo rods.

Claims

1. A frame for displaying greetings cards and the like comprising a plurality of elongate struts which are jointed at or near their ends by flexible supporting means so that the struts can be suspended to form a generally parallel spaced apart array of elongate supporting ribs on which cards and the like can be hung and can be rolled up to form a bundle of the ribs for storage.

2. A frame as claimed in claim 1 in which the flexible supporting means at our near the ends of the struts comprises cords.

3. Aframe as claimed in claim 2 in which the cords are tied to each of the struts individually.

4. A frame as claimed in claim 2 in which the cords are received in slots or recesses formed in the ends of the struts.

5. A frame as claimed in claim 4 in which the slots or recesses are each formed with a necked region and the cords are secured in the necked regions thereof.

6. Aframe as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which all the struts are similar in size and shape.

7. Aframe as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the uppermost and lowermost struts are thicker and heavier than the intermediate struts.

8. A frame as claimed in any of the preceeding claims in which hanging means is provided by which the array can be-suspended from a book.

9. Aframe as claimed in claim 8 in which the cord used to secure the struts together to form the parallel spaced apart array is looped across the uppermost strut to form a loop which comprises the hanging means.

10. Aframe as claimed in any ofthe preceeding claims in which the struts are formed from wood or metal or from plastics material and may be solid or hollow.

11. A frame for displaying greetings cards and the like constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the Rccompanying drawings.