Improvements in and in connection with Apparatus for Exhibiting or Displaying Articles of Merchandise.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Apparatus for Exhibiting
or Displaying Articles of Merchandise.
;
I, ARCHIBALD ALLAN PERCY of 71 Trongate, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Merchant, 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 :-
t
This Invention relates to moving or rotating apparatus for exhibiting or displaying
in shop windows and elsewhere and in an attractive manner a varying succession
of goods or articles of merchandise and as seen in vertical section at figure 1 and
in front elevation at figure 2 sheet 1 of the appended drawings the improved
apparatus as constructed under one modification consists of two standards A carrying
a horizontal shaft or spindle B on which two end frames C are keyed or fixed, the
shaft being rotated by a belt and pulley D or it may be rotated by a hand wheel or
crank mounted on one end of it or by equivalent means. The end frames C consist
each of a boss from which a number of arms radiate these arms being composed of
round bars as at Cor of flat bars which may or may not be slotted as at C². Between
the frames other bars wires or cords extend and on these the articles to be displayed
or exhibited are hung or suspended, the means of suspension being either such forms
of the improved hooks or catches for which I have made application for Letters
Patent the 8th day of April 1890 No. 5296 as are suitable for that purpose or other
available catches. The bars extending between the frames C may be round rods as
at E or they may be cords or wires as at F in which case suitable reels or winders a
are furnished to keep the cord or wire stented or stretched, the bars may be of
channel iron form as at G journalled in the frames the bars in any case when the
arms are slotted as at C² being capable of adjustment to a greater or less distance
from the spindle B.
In conjunction with a bar of the form G the catch as shewn by the enlarged detailed
elevation and cross section figures 3 and 4 may consist of a screw I tapped from the
back through a nut or thickened part made in the bar. The article to be exhibited
has a part of it placed under the projecting bracket H and it is held in position by
passing the pointed end of the screw through it into the hole made in the bracket.
Instead of a screw a simple pin or skewer may be used as at J figures 3 and 5 the
skewer being held in place by a bolt k passed through an eye at its inner end and
also through lugs or projections L made on the bar G or as seen at M figures 3 and 6
the catch may consist of one or more spring clips secured to an arm or arms on a bar
which has an eye at its inner end and is retained in position by a bolt passed through
it. Figures 7, 8, and 9 illustrate other forms of catches or clips which may also be
conveniently used in conjunction with the bar G and which consist of a finger N
formed on the bar as at figure 7 or on a separate plate O attached to the bar as at
figure 8 or made separately from the plate O and secured in position by a thumb nut
as at figure 9.
In either case a screw P is provided in conjunction with the finger the article to be
exhibited being held between them.
The bar G with any of these arrangements of catches besides being used in the
rotating exhibiting apparatus is equally applicable to be fixed in any desired position
as for example at a shop door for the display of goods.
Instead of having only one rotating frame between the end standards A as at
figures 1 and 2 two or more such frames may be carried along side of each as at
figure 10 and made to rotate in the same direction or opposite directions by gearing
their spindles B as shewn at Q or by other suitable means or two frames rotating in

page_text: opposite directions may be situated one within the other as seen by figure 11 in which
case the outer frame is carried on sleeves R placed loosely on the spindle B to which
the inner frame is keyed the outer frame being rotated from the spindle by bevel
gearing S or by equivalent means.
With any of the arrangements figures 1, 2, 10 and 11 the standards A may be
prolonged above the rotating frames and carry catches or supports for an advertise-
ment or the like each such support preferably consisting of two slotted bars or plates
having a screw passed through them by slacking which the width of the support
between its gripping ends may be adjusted. The adjusting screw passes through a
sleeve which is capable of swivelling upon the eye w so that the advertisement
may be carried vertically or at any desired angle its height being regulated by the
position of the eyes won the standards A.
Figure 1, sheet 2, illustrates in front elevation and figure 2, in cross section
a modification in which the end standards are dispensed with and instead of frames
having radiating arms being used the cross bars E, are carried by endless chains or
bands T, passed round pulleys or wheels U, which are keyed upon shafts B, one of
which is rotated by hand or power. The shafts B, may be carried in fixed bearings
in the sides of a window or it may be carried by a frame capable of being moved on
wheels or otherwise and in either case the upper shaft may as indicated at B' figure 2
have its bearing in curved guides so that the apparatus instead of rotating in a vertical
plane may be rotated at any desired angle. The cross bars E, may have catches or
clips applied to them as hereinbefore described or as shewn by the drawings they may
have shelves V hung upon them and each shelf may be furnished with a quadrant or
the like as at V so that it may be laid at an angle to the plane of rotation. In order
that the shelves whilst ascending or descending at the hack of the apparatus may be
hidden from view an endless blind W is or may be passed over the shafts B.
Figure 3, sheet 2, illustrates in side elevation and figure 4 in front elevation a
further modification in which three shafts B, and relative pulleys or wheels are used
in order that the part of the apparatus presented to view may be caused to travel in
an inclined plane.
Instead of employing chains or bands with cross bars extending between them as
at figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 a single broad belt or band may be used as at figures 5, and 6,
'sheet 2, in which case the fastener or holder ½, for the article to be exhibited is
attached by journals at its centre to a metal sole i. The gripping parts of the
holder h¹, work in slots in the part h, and are adjustable.
In conjunction with the arrangement figures 1 and 2, sheet 2, there may also be
provided an advertising apparatus consisting as seen at figures 7 and 8 sheet 2, of a
board or other surface j, carried on guides k, which at their upper and lower ends are
passed loosely over the shafts B. To the board j, and also to the guides the ends of
spiral or other springs 4, are attached. The chains or bands have each a rod or
rods m, projecting inwards from them and acting against bent or cranked arms n, on
rods secured to the board so that as the shelves move downwards at the front of the
apparatus the board j, is also drawn downwards against the action of the springs 1,
until the chains or bands in passing round the lower pulleys free the rods m, from the
arms whereupon the springs contracting draw the board suddenly upwards. In
'addition to or in substitution of this arrangement a vertically reciprocating board
outside of the rotating apparatus may be used as seen at figure 9 in which case one
or both of the lower pulleys has a pin or stud p, fixed in the side of it to act on a
rod q connected to a lever q' which is centred below the sill of the window. The
lever is also attached to a rod 93, working in a casing 98, a spiral spring 9', being
confined between a flange on the upper end of the rod 92, and the bottom of the
casing. The board j, is carried on a guide wire or wires on which it slides downward
by its own weight until the lower part of it rests on the flange at the upper end of
the rod and a sudden impulse is given to it at each rotation of the pulley when the
pin p, after having moved the lever q', downwards and compressed the spring passes
put of contact with the rod 9.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The several arrangements of rotating apparatus for exhibiting or displaying
articles of merchandise herein before described with reference to the drawings
appended.
2. In apparatus of the class set forth the combination of rotating displaying
mechanism with vertically reciprocating advertising mechanism substantially as
described with reference to figures 7 and 8 sheet 2 of the drawings annexed.
3. For displaying or exhibiting articles of merchandise a bar fitted with catches
substantially as described with reference to figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, sheet 1 of
the drawings.
Dated this Fifteenth day of April 1890
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.