Folding display rack

A strong, light-weight rack is disclosed which collapses or folds into a compact form for shipping or storage and opens to orient a plurality of vertically spaced planar shelf members at a proper angle and variable spacing to receive and contain carpet swatches and like samples of goods in convenient, overlapping vertical display. Side portions of the rack as well as the top are hinged so as to fold into compact positions as the shelves articulate into the collapsed position. As the shelves are re-oriented into spaced relationship, the sides and top are foldable into positions for engagement with the frame and rigidify the structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A rigid, non-collapsible display rack for carpet swatches is known and 
widely used in the art. Such racks include rigid metal side frame members 
tied together by a plurality of channeled vertically spaced cross braces 
to which the various shelves are affixed. The shelves are glued or 
otherwise attached along their inside edges to the side panels of the 
device. The edges of the side panels are riveted to the frame. Also, the 
upper back edges of the shelves are attached to the back wall of the rack. 
None of the parts are hinged or allowed to articulate. 
Racks of this nature are extremely bulky, usually measuring 6 or more feet 
in height, 2 or more feet in width and 7 or 8 inches in depth. Since 
present freight and hauling rates are based on both weight and volume, 
these rigid racks are quite expensive to ship. Recent increases in freight 
and hauling rates have in fact made the costs prohibitive in that they may 
exceed the selling price the manufacturer obtains for his product. 
Consequently, a reduction in the volume of racks of this kind without 
sacrifice of strength, appearance or utility is desirable. 
However, these display racks must be fabricated of strong, light-weight and 
inexpensive materials which do not leave many degrees of freedom when it 
comes to reducing their volumes for shipping to the end user in knock-down 
form because of their relative complex structure and the necessity that, 
in assembled condition, they remain rigid and strong enough to support 
forty or more carpet swatches of considerable weight. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the primary purpose of this invention to provide a collapsible 
display rack of this nature that is readily fabricated, easily folded for 
shipping or storage and, when unfolded for use, retains the strength, 
lightness of weight and utility of the rigid embodiment. To accomplish 
this, using the same materials of construction as are present in the rigid 
form of rack, the various shelves are hinged to the back wall of the rack 
and also pivoted to the front frame at their reinforcement flanges so that 
they collapse into staggered contiguous relationship and can be opened to 
one or more spaced parallel positions whereby to receive the carpet 
swatches. The front panel and a pair of elongated side flanges which 
extend from the end edges of the front panel make up a frame to carry the 
articulated shelves, that are also hinged at their back hidden edges to 
the back panel of the rack. The reinforcement flanges at the front edges 
of the shelves receive the bottom edges of the swatches and thus retain 
them for staggered display. Both the top dust cover and the side panels or 
portions thereof are hinged so as to engage, respectively, the rear flange 
in back of the front panel and the elongated channel openings of the side 
flanges of the frame, to retain the assembly in its unfolded position. The 
channel openings of the side flanges of the frame have an inner lip 
therealong and one or more clips are provided on the front edges of the 
hinged portions of the side panels to engage under these lips and rigidify 
the assembly in its unfolded condition. 
These and other improvements in the construction of the display rack of 
this invention will be obvious or be described as the specification 
proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the display 
panel 10 of this invention is shown to include the back panel 12 of planar 
rectangular configuration having hinged thereto the pair of side panels 14 
and 16 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) hinged thereto along the hinge lines 18 and 20. 
A dust cover or top portion 22 is provided at the top of the panel having 
a flap portion 24 glued or otherwise affixed to the top inside surface 25 
of the back panel 12. The dust cover 22 is of lesser width than the back 
panel 12 as defined by the side edge 28 by an amount equal to twice the 
thickness of the side panels 14 and 16 so as to close the juncture 30 in 
the assembled condition of FIG. 1. If desired, the dust cover 22 can have 
a second hinge line 32 across its top portion running parallel and spaced 
from the hinge line 26 so as to facilitate folding downward to the closed 
position as will be described. 
A piano-type hinge 34, slightly less in width than the dust cover 22 is 
affixed thereto as by the series of spaced rivets 36. The holes 38 in the 
free half of the hinge 34 are for the purpose of attachment to a wall or 
partition of a room or other structure, if desired, to hold the display 
panel thereagainst. By these means, a pair of panels can also be fastened 
back-to-back through their hinges. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the back panel 12 carries a plurality of planar 
shelves 40 of substantially identical construction and dimensions to 
include the flap portions 42 of each which are glued or otherwise affixed 
to the inside surface 25 in transverse parallel equally spaced 
relationship. Each shelf 40 may include an integral folded-down side 
reinforcing rib 44 on each of its side edges. This array of shelves 40 
extends from just under the dust cover 22 at the top to the bottom-most 
shelf 40a which is spaced above the bottom edge 45 of the back panel 12. 
Each of the shelves 40 has an "L"- or "J"-shaped channel member 46, see 
particularly FIG. 4, affixed thereto by a series of spaced rivets 47, FIG. 
1, or otherwise attached. The channel member has an upstanding wall 48 and 
a rearward flange 50 defining an elongated channel opening 52 therealong 
which receives the edge of a carpet swatch 54, as illustrated in the lower 
part of FIG. 1. The rearward flange 50 can be normal to the wall 48 of the 
various channel members 46, or, as illustrated, depend upwardly slightly 
from the plane of the shelf so that carpets of different thickness are 
readily accommodated and there is no difficulty in retaining a carpet 
swatch on the shelves. The channels can be made of any desired material 
and preferably are constructed of extruded aluminum or an aluminum alloy 
so as to impart rigidity to the shelves without adding significantly to 
the weight of the assembly. 
Immediately behind the channels 46 on each of the shelves 40 and on each 
forward side edge there is provided an "L" or preferably "J"-shape bracket 
56 having a bore hole in a 90.degree. tab 57 to receive a rivet 58 which 
extends through a corresponding hole in each of the pair of spaced 
elongated side channels 60 and 62. The rivets 58 and the "L"- or 
preferably "J"-shaped brackets 56, thru a bore hole in the 90.degree. tab 
57, hingeably attach the front edges of each shelf to the side channels 60 
and 62. 
Each of the identical, but reversed, side channels or frame members 60 and 
62 has the same cross-sectional configuration to include a flat outer base 
portion 64, an upstanding wall 66 and a reverse wall or flange 68 having 
the inner flange 70 therealong which defines the cam surface 72 and the 
retaining edge 74 all arranged about the channel opening or slot 76 which 
extends the length of these side channels. 
The side channels are affixed to and vertically spaced by the top trim 
panel 80 which is about as wide as the individual shelves 40. The mode of 
attachment therebetween is illustrated in FIG. 9 wherein the panel 80 is 
shown to include the top L-shaped angle member 82 along its top edge and 
held by means of the rivets 84 along one leg thereof. The other leg 86 
forms a flange or support surface for the dust cover 22 (as will be 
described) and has a pair of cleats 88, one at each end (only one shown) 
which depend downwardly in a position to be received by the topmost of the 
rivets 58a that extend through the respective side channels 60 and 62. 
Along the bottom edge of the front panel 80, a similar L-shaped angle 
member 82a is provided with one leg under this bottom edge and the other 
leg extending upwardly behind and adjacent to the back side of the front 
panel 80 for receiving the attaching rivets 84. An extension or tab 88 is 
also provided at each end of the other leg to receive the next adjacent 
rivets 58b (on each side) as shown in FIG. 2 to complete the attachment. 
The front panel 80 and the two spaced vertical channels 60 and 62 define a 
frame with a display opening 90 (FIG. 1) wherein the carpet swatches 54 
are displayed. As further shown in FIG. 1, each shelf 40 has one or more 
rounded openings 92 just above the front hinges. These are for the purpose 
of inserting one's fingers from underneath so that the carpet swatches can 
be pushed out and more readily removed. 
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and also in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front edges 94 of 
each hinged side wall 14 are adapted to slide between the opening or slot 
76 of the side channels 60 and 62 in the assembled condition of the 
display panel 10. In order to retain the side panels 14 and 16 in this 
relationship a resilient protuberant means is provided in the form of the 
wire U-shaped clip member 96 having the bent-up tabs 98 which are embedded 
in the side wall 14 with the bight portion thereof formed into a 
spring-point 100 that is bent back and extends above the outer surface 102 
of the side wall 14 or 16. As shown in FIG. 8, when the side walls are so 
positioned the spring point 100 engages behind the edge 74 in the side 
channel openings 76 and is locked in place. To remove the side walls 14 
and 16 it is only necessary to engage the points 100 on the bight portions 
104 with the tip end of a flat instrument such as a screw driver. 
Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3 it is seen that in the folded condition of 
the display panel 10, the side walls 14 and 16 are hinged back flat 
against the back side of the back wall 12, and the dust cover 22 is hinged 
downwardly against the topmost of the shelves. By pulling the back panel 
12 away from the front panel 80, these parts are now free to pivot along 
their hinge lines to the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 where the dust 
cover 22 is raised above the flange 86 and the side walls 14 and 16 are 
pivoted 270.degree. to positions in the plane of the channels 60 and 62. 
At the same time the shelves are pivoted to relatively horizontal 
positions, Next, when the back and front panels are pushed toward each 
other the edges 94 of the side walls 14 and 16 engage in the channels 76 
as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 and the dust cover is then lowered so that its 
outer edge 106 comes to rest on the flange 86 behind the top edge of the 
front panel 80. Temporary or permanent fasteners or rivets can be used to 
affix the dust cover to the flange 86 as at the holes 108. The panel then 
assumes the ready condition shown in FIG. 1 for receipt of the carpet 
swatches 54. 
The back panel 12, the side walls 14 and 16 as well as the front panel 80 
and the various shelves are preferrably fabricated from light weight 
strong material such as cardboard, pressed paper, pressed wood, fiber 
board, plywood, plastic or the like which retains its dimensional 
characteristics and can include a decorative finish surface if and where 
desired. The display rack can be used for the display of any kind of 
merchandise such as carpet, linoleum wall covering panels and related 
products which require an angular planar space for display and are readily 
removed for closer inspection. The extruded aluminum parts including the 
flanges can be formed of other materials including plastic, cold rolled 
steel or various laminated structures. 
It must be realized that very expensive machinery is required to assemble 
the parts of a rigidified structure suitable for the same purposes as the 
instant rack. This is because the parts become more and more inaccessable 
as assembly progresses. In contrast, this invention eliminates the need 
for expensive and complicated assembly machinery. 
The lateral width of the side walls 14 and 16 as well as the dust cap 22 
can be fabricated in variable co-ordinated dimensions at the point of 
manufacture which predetermines the angle of the shelf and the width of 
the sides in the final assembled condition, as specified by the need of 
the end user.