Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
Fig. 3 a perspective view of one of the display cases.
Fig. 4 a detail perspective view of one of the links of the endless chain on which
the cases are carried.
Fig. 5 a detail sectional view shewing the method of attaching the cases to the
endless chain.
1, 2, are upper and lower bearing brackets adapted to be secured respectively to a
ceiling and a floor or to other suitable supports, and having journalled in them
short shafts 4, 5, carrying upper and lower chain wheels 6, 7 on which are arranged
parallel endless chains 7, 8, composed of substantially rectangular links provided at
intervals at their inner edges with headed studs 9 adapted to support cases 10, 11.
The cases 10, 11, which may be open or closed, are provided at opposite sides with
substantially inverted V shaped hangers 12 secured at the lower ends of their sides
to the outer faces of the ends of the cases and provided at their apices with inverted
keyhole, slots 13 detachably receiving the headed studs 9 of the links of the endless
chains, whereby the cases are journalled on the latter. The links are prevented from
sagging and becoming accidentally disengaged from the cases by transversely
arranged stays or gards 14 extending across the upper portions of the hangers or
supports, arranged a short distance below. the keyhole slots and angularly bent at
their ends.
The hangers are adapted to be readily depressed or moved inward when it is
desired to remove a case from the display rack, and the guards or stays 14 also
prevent the hangers from springing outward too far.
The closed cases 10 which are provided at their fronts with lids 15 are adapted to
contain various kinds of merchandise, such as spices, meal, and flour, and the open
cases are adapted to contain various other kinds of goods.
The shafts are journalled in suitable bearing boxes, and one of the upper ones and
both of the lower ones are provided at the outer ends of the journal boxes with
removable collars 16 which detachably secure the shafts in the bearings. The other
one of the upper shafts carries a brake wheel 17 adapted to be engaged by a curved
brake shoe 18 to lock the cases and endless chains against movement in event of
their being unequally loaded.
The brake shoe 18 which is hinged at its back to a suitable support, is held in
frictional engagement with the brake wheel by a weight 19 connected to the front
end of the shoe by a rope 20 or other suitable connection and when the operator

page_text: desires to obtain access to any particular case the weight 19 is lifted to release the
shoe and permit the operator to rotate the endless chains freely to bring the desired
case within easy reach. The hinged brake shoe is lifted out of engagement with the
brake wheel when the weight 19 is raised by a smaller weight 21 attached to the
end of a cord 22 passing over a pulley 23 and which has its other end connected to
the shoe. The lower weight counterbalances the weight 21 and produces the
necessary frictional engagement with the brake wheel.
The display rack may be constructed of any suitable length and may, if desired,
extend through one or more floors of a building, and the hangers or bearing brackets
are adapted to be secured to any suitable support to adapt the display rack to its
particular location.
The headed studs form journals for the cases and are located directly above the
centres thereof, so that the centre of gravity is beneath them to maintain the cases
always in a vertical position, and as the endless chains are rotated the journals turn
in the bearing slots 13 of the hangers or supports 12.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a display rack, the combination of upper and lower chain wheels, endless
chains arranged thereon and provided at their inner edges with journals, cases
having vertical sides, the resilient ✓ shaped hangers mounted on the outer faces of
the sides of the cases, provided with bearing openings to receive the journals and
having their ends angularly bent and secured to the outer faces of the sides of the
cases, said hangers being adapted to be depressed to disengage them from the
journals, and the transversely disposed guards extending horizontally across
the hangers and having their ends angularly bent and secured to the outer faces of
the cases, the transverse portion of the guards being interposed between the endless
chains and the hangers and preventing the latter from springing outward too far,
substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a display rack, the combination of upper and lower chain wheels, endless
chains arranged thereon, cases located between the chains and connected therewith,
a brake wheel connected with one of the chain wheels, a curved shoe arranged at the
top of the brake wheel and hinged at one end, a weight connected with the other
end and adapted to lift the shoe out of engagement with the brake wheel, and a
heavier weight connected with the free end of the brake shoe for holding the latter
in engagement with the brake wheel, substantially as described and shewn.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the display
rack, substantially as described and shewn.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane London W.C. Agent for the Applicants.