Improvements in Display Racks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 20th May, 1899
Improvements in Display Racks.
I, JONATHAN T. XANDER, Jeweller, of Pennsburg, Montgomery Co., Pennsyl-
vania, United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in display racks
and more particularly to the class of revolving racks.
The object of the invention is to provide a neat and gracefully arranged tree
or rack motor operated to revolve and attract attention to the display of goods
thereon.
A further object of the invention is to provide a motor operated revolving
display rack or tree having one or more trays, arranged as described, to receive
the articles to be exhibited in a merchants window and a clock and sign or
other decorated and useful attachment to revolve within the rack in an opposite
direction to said rack.
A further object is to provide the rack or tree with a hollow stem turned in
one direction, and a rod within said stem to revolve in the opposite direction.
A further object is to provide ball bearing and guides for the rack, and
means for operating the parts in various directions by the same motor.
A still further object is to provide means for neatly and securely fastening
the arms or limbs to the rack or tree.
The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in com-
bination of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out
in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved display rack detached from
the motor, the bearings and guides also removed.
Figure 2 is an elevation of a double rack in operative adjustment.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section enlarged, showing a portion of one of
the arms and the means for attaching them.
Figure 4 is a perspective detail view of the central revolving rod showing
the ball bearing cone and centre point, composing the head.
Referring more particularly to the drawings, a is the hollow stem or drive
shaft composed of the tube sections 6 and 6' and the arms c and c¹, connecting
the tube sections b and b¹, in such manner as to form bows in which the clock,
sign etc. may freely revolve.
The lower tube section 6 of the stem or drive shafts carries at its lower end
the tray d, and at its upper end is secured the lower ends of a series of arms c,
which radiate therefrom in an upward direction. To the lower end of the next
tube section b, (or Figure 1) is suitably secured another series of arms el
about their middle, where they are bent at an angle suitable to permit of their
lower halves which are provided with rings or bands e to pass over the curved
ends of arms c, and their upper halves to upwardly radiate from the shaft
similar to the arms c.

page_text: The armis care provided with flanges
against which the ringed ends e of
the arms c¹ rest and are rigidly secured to the said arms c by suitable means e¹,
such as a set screw, as shown.
The shaft may be indefinitely lengthened in this way to the desire of the
user, as is shown in Figures 1 and 2.
2.
These arms forming the intermediate bows.constitute a portion of the shaft
and consequently must be strong and rigidly secured together and to the tube
sections.
At the ends of these arms c and c¹ are hooks or other arrangements to secure
articles for display.
The lower end of the hollow drive shaft a is geared to a motor f, and is pro-
vided with a ball bearing and guide step in which it revolves. g is a step
having a conical socket, somewhat larger than the centre point h, which revolves
therein and is adapted to hold a suitable amount of lubricant. At the top of
the step is a dished dise to receive and hold the balls j, on which rests and
revolves the cone k, supporting the entire rack:
The socket y being deep enough to form a guide for the centre pin carrying
the cone keeps the two discs of the. bearing in perfect adjustment.
At the top of the drive shaft a is a cog wheel 7, adjustably secured having
an opening m through its centre for the free rotation of the central rod n, which
is revolved in an opposite direction to the stem by means of cog o, engaging
the upper cog p of two carried on the shaft q, the lower one ¹ taking the
motion from the cog by means of an intermediate cog r, which of course
reverses the motion of the cog o through the medium of the double cogs and p'.
These cog wheels are carried by a frames upon which and directly over the
hollow drive shaft is a dished disc t, adapted to receive the balls u on which
rests the cone u forming a ball bearing and support for the central rod, to which
is suspended the sign 1, and clock 2, by means of a link passing through the
tube section but it is of the single design, as shown in Figure 1, the clock 2
only is attached and a single tree is used as shown in Figure 1.
The top of the cone is provided with a center point 3, rotatable in a metal
socket 4, forming with the lower ball bearing step y, a perfect pivot of journal
adjustment, the weight of the tree resting on the lower ball bearing, and held
in vertical adjustment by the central rod n, while the weight of the clock, sign
or other ornament hang from the upper ball. bearing by means of the cone u,
and the central rod n.
In operation the device is very simple and is as follows:
The power is applied by any adjustable motor to the hollow stem or drive
shaft a, which we will say revolves to the right. At the top of this shaft is a
series of cog wheels which transmit the power from the stem to the central pin
and at the same time reverse the motion. Hence the rack revolves in one
direction while the sign, clock or other attractive attachments rotate in the
opposite direction, the whole presenting a very beautiful, ornamental and ser-
viceable display rack to arrest and hold the attention of possible purchasers.
It is evident that various slight changes might be made in the forms, arrange-
ments and constructions of the parts described without departing from the spirit
and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact
construction herein set forth but consider myself entitled to all such changes.
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is :-
1. The combination in a display rack having a central hollow shaft made of
sections, a central rod within said shaft, said shaft and rod having gear wheels
by which they are rotated in opposite directions, and a motor for operating said
gear wheels, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a display rack of the sectional tubular shaft provided
with upper and lower gearing and resting in a step on its lower end and in a

page_text: frame on its upper end, with a central rod provided with a centre point and a
ball bearing interposed between the said shaft and centre point whereby the
upper end of the snatt is held in alignment with the centre point and step and
operating means for said shaft and rod, substantially as described.
3. A display rack comprising the hollow drive shaft or stem made in tube
sections, armis radiating from said sections forming bows, a series of cog wheels
operated by said drive shaft, a central rod within said shaft carrying an orna-
ment, said rod and shaft being oppositely rotated and means for imparting
motion to said cog wheels, substantially as described.
4. A display rack comprising the hollow drive shaft or stem made of tube
sections, a series of arms radiating from each section, said arms secured together
to form a bow, a tray carried by the lowest tube section adapted to revolve there.
with, a central rod within said hollow shaft adapted to suspend an ornament
revolving within said bow in an opposite direction thereto and gearing carried
by said shatt and rod to produce the opposite rotation, substantially as described
5. A display rack comprising the hollow shaft having bows within its length
forming arms, a tray carried by said shaft, a ball bearing step in which said
shaft revolves, a frame at the top of said shaft carrying cog wheels, a bali
bearing carried by said frame, a central rod depending from the upper cone of
said bearing, a centre point on said cone, a bearing for said point, the point
forming a bearing for the rod, and step forming bottom bearing for the shaft,
the said central rod being adapted to carry a clock or ornament and revolved
by said central pin in a reverse direction to said bow arms and a motor. for
operating said gear wheels, substantially as described.
il
6. A revolving display rack comprising the hollow shaft or stem, arms radiat-
ing therefrom forming bow, ball bearing in which said stem revolves and
rests, and a ball bearing at the top of said shaft or stem. in combination with a
central rod reversely rotated within said stem and a series of cogs also operating
said stem, substantially as described.
7. A rotary shaft made up of hollow sections, bowed arms connecting the ends
of said sections, said arms being rigidly secured to the end of the sections and
forming a continuous and intermediate part of said shaft, substantially as described.
UITIS
Full day
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.G.,
Agent for the Applicant.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.