US3269042A

US3269042A - Price tag molding

Info

Publication number: US3269042A
Application number: US384186A
Authority: US
Inventors: Archer W Carpenter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-07-21
Filing date: 1964-07-21
Publication date: 1966-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-30

Description

g- 1966 A. w. CARPENTER 3,269,042

PRICE TAG MOLDING Filed July 21, 1964 I NVE NTOR.

fireber M Cbr en/er,

BY I v lffarney United States Patent 3,269,042 PRICE TAG MOLDENG Archer W. Carpenter, Whittier, Calif, assignor of onehalf to Malcolm R. Speirs, Lakewood, Calif. Filed July 21, 1964, Ser. No. 384,186 8 Claims. (til. 4010) I This invention relates generally to improvements in price tag or ticket holders, and relates more particularly to improvements in shelf molding type of price tag or ticket holders such as disclosed in my Patent No. 3,1 17,3 87 for Price Tag Holder, issued January 14, 1964.

While the invention has particular utility in connection with price tag molding trim for attachment to the free edges of shelving and the like, and is shown and described in such connection, it is to be understood that its utility is not confined thereto.

In many stores, particularly those of the self-service type, merchandise is display on shelves, counters, or the like, and prices are displayed by means of price tags aligned with the commodities on the shelves. In shelf arrangements of this character it is customary to put the items of merchandise on display shelves with moldings that releasably hold the price tags.

In molding of the character disclosed in said Patent No. 3,117,387 it is desired to replace a price tag with another price tag, the latter is inserted in one end of a slot, preferably the upper end as it is most convenient. As the new tag is pushed into the respective part of the tag chamber the inner longitudinal edge thereof engages the upper longitudinal edge of the tag to be replaced, and as the new tag is pushed further into the chamber the other or old tag is pushed out of the opposite or lower end of said chamber.

These price tags which are used in marking the prices of commodities on display shelves are generally quite thin and the compartments therefor in molding of the type disclosed in my above mentioned patent should be thin and just thick enough to accommodate the tags but still perunit them to slide properly therethrough.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide price molding having compartments of the proper thickness to properly accommodate the tags while permitting them to operably slide therein.

A further problem is the difficulty sometimes encountered in guiding the tags into the chambers or compartments when first inserted thereinto and it is still another object of the invention to provide molding wherein this problem is overcome so that insertion of the tags into the compartments therefore is easy and quick.

It is a further object of the invention to provide molding of this character that is relatively inexpensive to form and assemble.

Another object of the invention is to provide molding of this character that permits full insertion of the tags into the chambers therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide molding of this character having means for substantially eliminating the entrance of dust or other foreign material into the chambers for the tags.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufficiently referred to in connection with the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment -of any structures, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shelf having items of merchandise thereon and molding embodying the present invention installed on said shelf;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section of said molding; and

FIG. 3 is a similar view of an alternative arrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a display shelf 10 on which canned goods 12 or other merchandise, is supported and displayed. Shelf 10 has a depending, longitudinally extending flange 14 along the front, free edge thereof. This type of shelf is shown merely by way of example, there being various types of shelves that are commonly used. Flange 14 provides a forward shelf edge to which the present molding may be attached.

The molding is indicated generally at 16 and comprises a back part, indicated generally at 18, and a front part 20. This molding may be of any suitable material, plastic being found to be well suited to meet the requirements.

The back part 18 of the molding is adapted to be attached to the front edge of the shelf, which as shown is the flange 14. While the back part 18 may be solid it is shown as comprising a front wall 22, the front face 23 of which is concave in cross section and hence pro vides a longitudinally extending arcuate front. Wall 22 has rearwardly extending top and

bottom flanges

24 and 26 along the top and bottom edges respectively, said flanges being parallel to each other and having their rear, free edges engageable with the front edge or flange 14 of the shelf. There is also a longitudinal intermediate flange 28 extending rearwardly from the wall 22 between the

flanges

24 and 26 and substantially parallel therewith. This flange 28 is also adapted to have its rear free edge engageable with the flange 14 of the shelf. Thus when the molding is installed the free rear edges of

flanges

24, 26 and 28 abut against the front edge of the shelf and the back part 18 of the molding is secured to the shelf by any suitable means. As shown in FIG. 2 such means comprises spring pins 30 having heads 32. These pins are of well known character, there being several manufacturers having them on the market. Installation of these is a well known process and need not be described in detail. Suflice to say that holes are drilled or otherwise formed for reception of these pins. In FIG. 3 the attachment means comprises screws 34.

The front part 20 of the molding is concave-convex in cross section with the rear face 36 having substantially the same curvature as the front face 23 of the back part. The front face of the front part 20 may, of course, be of other configuration but the front part should be transparent. For example, there are, of course, various suitable well known transparent plastic materials than can be used.

The width of the part 20 is substantially less than the front face 23 of the back part. However, one longitudinal edge of the front part should be adjacent the corresponding edge of the face 23; as shown in the drawings it is the lower edges of the parts that are adjacent each other. 7

The upper longitudinal edge of the front part 20 is spaced downwardly of the top of the back part 18 and the back part is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 40, the lower edge of said groove being at approximately the adjacent inner longitudinally extending corner 42 of the top edge 42 of the front part 20. At the upper end of the groove 40 the back part 18 has a longitudinally extending flange 44 which overhangs the adjacent edge 42 of the front part to protect the top opening of the tag chamber or chambers 46 from the entrance of dust and/ or other foreign material.

Room for the tags is provided by spacing the rear face 36 of the front part 20 from the front face 23 of the back part. This space may be termed a tag chamber or chambers where there is means forming separator extending into or through said space.

While any suitable means may be used to secure the front to the rear part and provide the proper spacing ofthe parts for the tag receiving space or chamber, in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the front part 20 is secured to the back part 18 by means of pins 48 of any suitable type. It has been found that rolled spring pins are very satisfactory, such pins being well known and commercially available and Spirol Pins are particularly suited for this purpose. Spirol Pins is the registered trademark of the Connecticut Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Inc., of Danielson, Connecticut.

Prior to installing, the pins holes are drilled or otherwise formed in the parts for reception of such pins. These holes are slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the pins which are pressed ito these holes.

There are top and bottom pins 48, the top pins being longitudinally spaced apart suitable distances, the bottom pins being similarly spaced apart, and in order to provide proper spacing between the adjacent faces of the front and rear parts of the molding for the tag chamber or chambers, the holes, and hence the top and bottom pins diverge, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The pins 48 are shown as diverging rearwardly although they may be otherwise arranged. The parts of the molding are, of course, spaced apart the desired distance when the holes for the pins are drilled, the corresponding holes in the front and rear parts being in axial alignment with each other, and after the pins are positioned therein said pins hold the parts in proper spaced relationship to each other.

In FIG. 3, spacer elements, shown as washers 50, may be provided to additionally space the parts of the molding apart. These washers are disposed on the pins 4 8 and are between the adjacent faces of the rear and front parts of the molding.

By having the lower edge of the groove 40 at the upper end of the tag space or chamber 46, the said upper end of said space being termed a slot 52, the tags will be guided into said slot 52 by pushing the lower horizontal edge thereof into said groove and downwardly. Further, said groove 40 provides room for the finger tip or tips of the person inserting the tags so that said tags may be readily pushed entirely into the tag chamber.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore described being merely by way of example, and I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.

I claim:

1. In price tag molding:

(A) an elongated back member having its front side concavely grooved longitudinally, said member being adapted to be attached to a shelf for the display of merchandise;

(B) a transparent front member disposed in the groove of said back member, the back side of said front member having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of said groove;

(C) and pin means for securing said members together in spaced relation to each other to provide space for tags, said pin means comprising pins adjacent the longitudinal edges of said molding members with the pins adjacent one edge diverging relative to the pins adjacent the other edge.

2. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein said pins diverge from the front toward the back side of the mold- 3. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein there are spacer means on said pins and disposed in the space for tags.

4. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the space for the tags has longitudinally extending oppositely arranged slot openings; and a longitudinally extending projection also extending forwardly of the upper slot opening to provide a protecting dust shroud.

5. The invention defined by claim 4 wherein the pro jection is spaced upwardly of the upper edge of the front member and the rear member has a longitudinally extending finger groove and tag guide in the front side above said upper edge of the front member, the lower part of said finger goove guiding tags into the upper slo-t openmg.

6. In price tag molding:

(A) an-elongated back member having its front side provided with a longitudinally extending concave groove;

(B) a transparent front member disposed in said groove of said back member, the back side of said front member having a convex curvature corresponding to the curvature of said groove;

(C) means securing said members together, in spaced relation to form chamber means for snug but slidable reception of tags, said chamber means having upper and lower slot openings, the front member having its upper edge below the upper side of the back member;

(D) and a longitudinal flange extending forwardly from the back member above the upper edge of the front member and projecting over the upper slot opening.

7. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein there is a longitudinally extending finger groove in the back member, at least a portion of said finger groove being above the upper slot opening and so related to the upper slot opening as to serve toguide tags inserted into said finger groove into said upper slot opening.

8. In price tag molding:

(A) an elongated back member having its front side provided with a longitudinally extending concave groove;

(D) and a guide groove in the back member, said guide groove being so related to the upper slot opening as to guide into the upper slot opening tags inserted into said guide groove.

References Cited by the Examiner EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN PRICE TAG MOLDING; (A) AN ELONGATED BACK MEMBER HAVING ITS FRONT SIDE CONCAVELY GROOVED LONGITUDINALLY, SAID MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A SHELF FOR THE DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE; (B) A TRANSPARENT FRONT MEMBER DISPOSED IN THE GROOVE OF SAID BACK MEMBER, THE BACK SIDE OF SAID FRONT MEMBER HAVING A CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE CURVATURE OF SAID GROOVE; (C) AND PIN MEANS FOR SECURING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR TAGS, SAID PIN MEANS COMPRISING PINS ADJACENT THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID MOLDING MEMBERS WITH THE PINS ADJACENT ONE EDGE DIVERGING RELATIVE TO THE PINS ADJACENT THE OTHER EDGE.