New or Improved Apparatus for Displaying Goods.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Displaying Goods.
I, EUGENE GAILLARD, of 145 Rue Saint-Antoine, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer, 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 apparatus for arranging and displaying materials in
sheets or other such form, and in picces of considerable size, for example such
material as prints, cards, plans, drawings or designs, samples of textile fabrics,
curtains, lace, wall paper, carpets, skins, wooden panels, metal sheets and the like.
The apparatus permits of this arrangement in such manner that any one of a
large number of such sheets can be at will presented to view.
In the apparatus the sheets of material which I shall hereinafter term the
samples hang vertically and any one can be displayed by the withdrawal of the
others.
The apparatus as it is represented in the drawings attached to this Specification
is constructed entirely of iron, but it can also be made either wholly or in part of
any other convenient material such as wood for example.
The apparatus essentially consists of the following parts, a fixed frame, a number
of arms serving for the suspension of the samples, a movable or opening frame, and
a device hereinafter called the key which permits the withdrawal at will together
with the opening frame of any number whatever of the said suspension arms.
The movable frame and the suspension arms may be turned at will around a
single hinge occupying the whole height of the apparatus. All the work of rotation
and the whole of the supported load is transferred to this hinge through the medium
of the opening frame. This frame constitutes the sole support, whatever may be
the number of suspension arms withdrawn, and insures the movement of the said
arms in a perfectly horizontal plane.
The apparatus can be fixed against a wall or in any other manner as upon
columns for example the height of which will depend upon the size of the samples.
The fixed frame E F G H shown in Figure 1 bears at one of its extremities a
vertical spindle m n which occupies the whole height of the apparatus, and at its
other extremity a toothed device A B hereinafter called the fixed comb and shown
in Figures 1 and 2. Upon the vertical spindle and corresponding to the intervals
between the teeth of the fixed comb a number of rings and washers are superposed
so as to form a vertical succession of compartments. A few only of the said rings
and washers are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 6 shows in plan one of the suspension arms, each of which arms bears at
one end a pivoting plate R S furnished with a half collar which embraces the
spindle in the spaces formed by the rings and washers already mentioned. To the
other end of each of the said suspension arms is attached a locking plate NO
which engages between the teeth of the fixed comb.
This arrangement permits of the horizontal superposition upon the fixed frame of
as many suspension arms as the fixed comb contains teeth, and the washers arranged
upon the vertical spindle form corresponding intervals.
All the suspension arms together with their plates are identical, with the
exception that the position of attachment of each arm to its two plates is a little in
advance of that of the arm immediately below it, in order that the samples may be
able to hang vertically one in front of another. Figure 6 represents the first
suspension arm counting from below while that shown in Figure 5 in the plan view
of the apparatus is the fourteenth arın.

page_text: Figure 9 shews the mode of attaching the samples to the susperding arms.
These
Famples are rolled up by their ends upon a rod inserted in a groove which runs the
whole length of the suspension arm and they are held in the groove by small
fasteners as shown.
The arrangements being as described, whenever a larger or smaller number of
suspension arms are arranged one above the other upon the fixed comb and frame,
it will be necessary in order to see any given sample or object that may be
suspended from any one of these arms to remove all the arms which are placed
above it.
This result is accomplished by means of the moveable frame and the key belonging
thereto.
The movable frame E' F' G¹ H' shown in Figure 3 is a counterpart of the fixed
frame. It turns upon the vertical spindle m n attached to the fixed frame and
lears on that side which faces the fixed frame a toothed device similar to the fixed
comb already mentioned and hereinafter termed the movable comb.
•
.
Figure 5 represents in plan the arrangement of these parts, the apparatus being
closed. In this view each suspension arm is by means of its locking plate shown to
be engaged between two teeth of the fixed comb and between the two corresponding
teeth of the movable comb.
Upon the outer side of the movable comb the key I K J W shown in Figures 3
and 7 is attached. This key is movable and is actuated by a handle placed beneath
and within reach of the hand. As the vertical portion K W of the said key is
cylindrical and free to move in the two collars k, l, it can be raised and lowered at
will and also made to turn, upon its axis. In addition to this the lower horizontal
arin I (Figures 3 and 7) of the key is guided during the rotation of the latter by
a vertical rack X Z shown in Figure 3 in such manner that the said arm I K may
be inserted between the last of the suspension arms to be removed and the particular
suspension arm to be uncovered, while at the same time the vertical withdrawing
bar I J passes to the rear of all the end pieces P of the suspension arms to be
withdrawn. These end pieces P are shown in Figures 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows in
plan the key after having been moved into this position.
.
It is now only necessary to draw open the movable frame in order to uncover the
desired suspension arm and the sample attached thereto.
It is very essential that all the suspension arms including both those remaining
upon the fixed frame and those withdrawn with the movable frame should remain in
their respective positions without any horizontal displacement which might cause them
to escape from either of the two combs, and consequently provoke their fall. For
this purpose the locking plates of each of the suspension arms are furnished with a
click T actuated by a very light spring as shown in Figure 6. When the suspension
arms are moved back against the fixed frame these clicks engage the vertical bar
attached to the fixed frame at L and M, and in this way the suspension arms are
secured to the said frame.
The key when moved as previously stated will push back the clicks of all the
suspension arms to be removed and so release them from the fixed frame as shown
in Figure 5.
During the opening of the apparatus the key will be caught in the rack and
maintained in position so as to prevent all escape of the suspension arms with-
drawn.
Further a spring d shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7 is fixed to the base of the opening
comb. This spring, which is pushed back at the closing of the apparatus by the
arm a b shown in Figures 2 and 7 and projecting from the fixed comb as indicated in
Figure 7, engages as soon as the movable frame is withdrawn in a groove formed
upon the vertical sliding portion of the key. By these means the key is rendered
completely immovable during the opening of the apparatus and the suspension arms
withdrawn are consequently firmly secured to the opening frame.
The arm a b moreover being in itself a spring, insures the accurate closing of the
apparatus by engaging with the button e situated beneath the lower extremity of the

page_text: movable comb. The button e is shown in Figures 3 and 4, and the arm a b in
Figures 1, 2 and 7.
Figure 10 represents in detail a locking plate belonging to one of the suspension
arms. The click T is in duplicate being shaped according to the profile shown in
Figure 11. It is then folded across rs and placed astride upon the end of the
said plate as shown in Figures 10 and 12. By this method of fitting the click
its movement is limited and its liability to twisting in the event of shocks
prevented.
The movable frame swings in suspension from the fixed frame as indicated in
Figure 8. A threaded stud inserted at the top of the vertical spindle mn and a
check nut p allows adjustment of the relative heights of the frames. In addition
the fixed and movable combs are fastened to their respective frames by bolts passing
through the oval apertures V shown in Figures 2, 4 and 7, which arrangement
permits also the vertical adjustment of the combs. These arrangements insure the
accurate adjustment of the apparatus and the exact correspondence of its parts, more
especially of the combs.
Figure 13 represents the general arrangement of the apparatus and enables its
action to be readily understood.
The mode of attaching the suspension arms to the vertical spindle by a half
collar admits of their easy removal, and as all the said suspension arms are
independent of one another, the apparatus will act whatever may be the number of
the arms employed.
Two samples may in many cases be attached back-to-back to each suspending
arm, in such manner that when the apparatus is opened, two samples will be exposed
to view, one upon the fixed, and the other upon the moveable frame.
The apparatus is more directly applicable to papers, samples and textile fabrics
of large size, but it is also readily serviceable for the arrangement and display of
prints, drawings, designs, samples or other objects of small size as gloves and cravats
for example, which may be attached to both faces of each sheet or screen hanging
from the suspending arms.
Panels or sheets of all classes of material and indeed all kinds of objects may be
substituted for the suspension arms and be moved in like manner provided they be
furnished with half collars for rotation and locking plates or pieces similar to those
of the suspending arms already described.
The apparatus may also be placed upon pillars or columns. Two sets of the
apparatus may be placed back to back in such manner as to display the samples
when the frame upon either side of the combined apparatus is opened, or several
sets of apparatus may be arranged around a central column.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The new or improved apparatus for displaying goods substantially as set
forth.
2. In an apparatus of the type set forth the combination of a fixed frame having
a fixed comb, a movable frame having a movable comb, and one or more suspension
arms each having at one of its extremities a pivoting plate and at the other
extremity a locking plate substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus of the type set forth the employment of a key acting substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of August 1892.
EUGENE GAILLARD,
Per J. G. L.