Improvements in Columns for Displaying Goods.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 17th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Columns for Displaying Goods.
I, ALFRED STEER, of 14 Florian Road, Putney, in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in columns for displaying goods, and the
object of it is to dispense with the necessity of providing a solid base for a column
of goods and to provide for their being supported symmetrically and safely about a
vertical axis.
In carrying it into effect, I provide a central rod which is rigidly held in a
vertical position by any suitable devices from which it may be detachable.
Shelves are provided, adapted by virtue of central holes to slide up and down
the rod. A ledge is provided on the top side of each shelf to engage the bottom
end and another on the opposite side to engage the tops, of the respective articles
to be displayed. These ledges may be concentric with the rod or they may be
made to follow the contour of the respective ends of the goods more or less closely.
Suitable devices are provided for holding the shelves or the top and bottom ones
or either of them in their places.
Dated this 17th day of November 1893.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Columns for Displaying Goods.
I, ALFRED STEER of No. 14 Florian Road, Putney, in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—.
My invention relates to improvements in columns for displaying goods and the
object of it is to provide for their being supported symmetrically and safely
about a central vertical support. It consists in a combination of a vertical series
of shelves loose upon a central vertical support, ledges on both sides of the
intermediate shelves and a device or devices by which the shelves and interspaced
goods can be held rigidly but removably and column wise in contact. The vertical
support in question may be either fixed or portable. If the latter, it is provided.
with a portable base with which the bottom shelf of the series is, or may be,
incorporated.
Referring to the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as part of this
Specification and read therewith,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portable column and base made according
to my invention, omitting the goods.
Figure 2 is a plan of the largest shelf of the series, and
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the column in use.
A is the portable base of the column. It may be of any suitable construction.
B is a spine or central vertical support standing up from the base centrally thereof.
[Price 8dl

page_text: This spine is made fast to the base by any suitable device. C, C are the shelves.
Each shelf, excepting the top and bottom ones, has a ledge c along its edge on
each side of it. The top shelf has a ledge on its underside only. d is a similar
ledge around the edge of the base A, on the top of it, or, in other words, the
bottom shelf of the series is incorporated with the said base. is a screw thread
upon the top of the column and D is a tightening nut.
The shelves are shewn as diminishing gradually in diameter from that of the top
of the base A up to the top shelf. Further, both shelves- and base are circular in
plan but it must be understood that my invention does not limit me in respect of
either this differentiation of diameter or of the shape of the shelves. The latter
may be of any suitable shape, and if desired, of the same diameter. I have shewn
the diminishing diameter as in only one direction, viz. :—from the base upwards; but
it may commence from any point and continue in either direction. The dotted
lines of Figure 1 shew how the shelves lie, the one upon the other, when the column
is not being used for exhibiting goods.
When the shelves are circular and are supported by a single spine B, the most
convenient position for the latter is the one illustrated-central of the shelves.
But my invention does not limit me in respect of the number of spines any more
than it does in respect of the shape of the shelves. The former is modified to
meet the requirements of the latter condition. It is obvious that if it is
desirable that the shelves should be oblong, it would be further desirable that
there should be two spines, one near each end of them. In any case, each
shelf has a suitably positioned hole c¹ cut in it large enough for it to pass freely
up and down the respective spine.
When the shelves are carried by only one spine, the latter may be screw
threaded for the whole of its length and the holes c¹ screw threaded to engage
therewith.
The ledges c, c are shewn as following the contour of the respective shelves
exactly, but this parallelism may be modified so far as to allow the shelf edges and
the ledges to follow the louter portion of the contour of the neighbouring article
and to return along the contour of the next article and so on. Thus in the case of
the column for exhibiting circular bottles e, e, illustrated in Figure 3, the above
described modifications would result in scolloping both edges and ledges.
The function of the ledges is to embrace the articles exhibited by engaging
outside their tops and bottoms, respectively, in the way illustrated in Figure 3.
Due provision is therefore made in adjusting the diameter of the under ledges that
they shall, as far as possible, fit just outside the circle of the tops of the bottles e, e,
when the bottoms of them touch the top ledge of the shelf C upon which such
bottles stand.
The shelves are shewn as not having any direct hold upon the spine B but as
standing upon the tops of the goods immediately underneath, goods and movable
shelves being held between the base A and nut D. But I may provide for the
shelves being held in their respective positions on the spine, independently of each
other as well as of the tightening nut and its screw. Such provision may consist of
any suitable device, such as a socket on the top and bottom, as well as on an
intermediate shelf, and a set screw radial thereto and to the column. Such a
provision is alternative to the screw threads mentioned above.
The special central vertical supports or spines B referred to above, together with
the portable base A are not indispensable to my invention, inasmuch as the series
of shelves and suitable provision for holding them in position, may be applied to a
fixed column such as may at the time form any portion of the permanent structure
of the shop or warehouse in which it is desired to install my invention as part of
the fittings and fixtures thereof. Further, the series of shelves having top and
bottom ledges may be combined with a wall or other vertical surface by means of
any well known devices capable of allowing them to be adjusted in point of
height thereupon; and either of the last two modifications I claim to be within the
scope of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of spine or spines, shelves and ledges with any device for
holding the shelves, goods and spine or spines, as the case may be, together as one
independent and removable combination of exhibiting column and exhibited goods.
2. The combination with any vertical support or supports of a series of shelves
having ledges on their top and bottom edges and devices for holding the goods and
shelves together and to the support.
Dated this 17th day of September 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.