Patent ID: 6216890
Filing Date: 2001-04-17
Classification: A47F

Abstract:
A display for flat objects including floor tiles and ceiling tiles, said display comprising:a rectangular platform having a pair of ends;a respective column at each of said ends formed with means supporting said platform for travel vertically between said columns upwardly and downwardly, each of said columns being formed with a plurality of superposed plates in tiers each adapted to carry one of said objects and mounted for extension from the respective column onto the platform and recession from the platform into the respective column;at least one carriage horizontally displaceable on said platform and formed with catch means for engaging and disengaging selected plates whereby, upon alignment with a plate on one of said columns, said carriage and said catch means draw a selected plate from a respective tier of said one of said columns onto said platform for display of a respective object on said platform and return a plate on said platform to a respective tier of the column;a wall bridging said columns and formed with an image area displaying information relative to said objects;controllable lighting means above said platform for directing lighting onto one of said objects displayed thereon whereby the lighting means represents a variety of lighting conditions; andcontrol means connected to said image area, said platform and said carriage for operating same to display selected objects on said platform under selected lighting conditions,said platform comprising an underframe, a track on said underframe along which said carriage is displaceable between said columns, a cover on said underframe carrying said track means for pivotally mounting said cover to said underframe along one longitudinal edge of said cover, and an actuating cylinder between said cover and said underframe for pivoting said cover relative to said underframe.