US2145879A - Can carrier and display device - Google Patents

Description

7, 1939. JEWETT Y Q 2,145,879

CAN CARRIER AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1935 Patented Feb. 7,1939

can caamsa AND msrmr navrca Freeborn G. Jewett, Lake Forest, 11]., a-ignor to American Can Company, New Iorh, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application octane-'22, ms, Serial No. 46,190 6 Claims. (01. 224-15) UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to combination carrier and display devices and has particular reference to a device for holding filled and sealed .cans, such as cans containing lubricating oil, foodstuffs or other products, in pleasing arrangement and in convenient units which may be easily carried around or placed in different convenient display positions without disturbing such arrangement while at the same time allowing for easy accessibility of the individual can.

The present invention, having as important features the handling and the displaying of canned goods is adaptable for use in businesses where suchcans are handled and soldi Naturally a grocery or a paint store suggests itself by way of example. The unit carrier and display device in such a field lends itself to display from the counter, the floor or the wall of the store while still retaining the cans in convenient .20 groups. Another more special field for the device, however', is in the realm of automobile service stations where the display of canned lubricating oil for automobiles and where convenient dispensing of the canned oil are particularly present an instant appeal to prospective custo- 35 mers driving byso that they will be attracted to the station and will drive in for oil and other of his wares.

The travelling motorist is always in a hurry and it is essential when a car does drive into a 40 station for canned oil that the cans be conveniently accessible as well as in full view. .The service man who is efllcient must also have his wares arranged so that when he closes his establishment for the night it will not be a long and arduous 45 task to transfer his canned oil from display position, necessarily on the outside of the building,

into a place, usually on the inside, where they can be locked up.

The present invention contemplates a holder 50 for filled cans which keeps the individual cans separated one from the other and at the same time grouped in attractive arrangement there being only such number of cans in a group that may be easily handled. Such a holder may be 55 selectively placed in different positions as desired highly desirable features This latter adaptation e to successful business that his station and goods in each of which the holder unit with its group of cans presents a display appeal but this is done without in any way mitigating against the easy removal of individual cans as desired.

The combination holder and display units may 5 be grouped for display. A number of individual units may be combined to take care of a service station's requirements. Such stations are required to handle many different grades of oil and the holders of the present invention are well 10 adaptedto be used side by side or in grouped relationship. A service station handling difierent grades of oil, say grades 10, 10W, 20, 30, 40, etc., for example, finds the instant device very convenient as a single holder unit will be used for 15 each particular'grade of oil and-all of the holders collectively may .then well cover the entire stations requirement. At the preesnt time where stations are using the more modern oil dispensing methods and selling refinery sealed cans of oil in place of the former bottles, the combination holder and display unit of the instant invention will completely supersede the old type of wooden crate holder with its refillable glass bottles and will have the additional broader function of advertising and sales appeal.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a combination holder and display device for filled cans wherein the cans are r'emovably held within the holder in accesible and also in display arrangement, the holder being adapted for easy handling and for location in various display positions singly or grouped and in different planes as desired, the arrangement of the cans within the holder being maintained in any of the selectedpositions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combination holder and display device for filled canswhich permits resting of the holder with its cans upon the fioor in a horizontal position or hanging against the wall in a vertical position, such a holder being also adapted for cooperation with a support for retaining it in, inclined display position. I Numerous other objects and advantages of the 5 invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a composite, schematic view of three embodiments of the present invention, this view illustrating the combination holder and display device, with some of its cans removed, shown in vertical position against the wall, in horizontal position upon the floor and also in inclined position upon a support rack:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the display holder showing the same in display position relative to a. vertical wall;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the display holder illustrating some of the cans removed; 1

Fig. 4 is a part sectional, part side elevation of the device as viewed along the broken line 4-4 in Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5" is a transverse sectional view taken through the holder substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3; and v Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device showing it when used in cooperation with a support rack. parts being broken backgto illustrate the construction.

An embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a holder member Ii adapted to removably support filled cans i2.

This holder with its filled cans is arranged to be hung upon a wall or other vertical surface as at A, Fig. 1. A very attractive arrangement is had by placing several holders side by side. In fact, in some instances it may be desirable to practically cover a wall. This vertical display position is also economical of space. The holder can be conveniently hung on a gasoline pump or other apparatus such as may be found in a gasoline filling station as well as on a wall. These would be display positions. The holder is equally well adapted to rest upon the floor as shown at B in Fig.1 and while it still display appeal this may best be considered a non-display position. g

When associated with a support rack the holder may be used to display the cans in an inclined position as shown at 0, Figs. 1 and 6. In

' any of these three positions the cans are easily accessible for removal yet are maintained in their attractive grouping, thus oflering a sales appeal to a prospective customer and a venience to the station operator.

Device ll comprises a front flat face wall or panel I! which is bent at its edges into side floor support members l6 and top and bottom end walls l1, IS. The walls It are further bent inwardly at is (Figs. 4 and 5) these bent-in parts providing feet for supporting the device in horizontal position.

The wall I5 is cut through with can receiving pockets 2| which are preferably trapezoidal in shape. 'The tapered side walls of each pocket are bent inwardly at 22 (Figs. 3 and 5) and these wall sections are slightly curved to a radius that will fit snugly the cylindrical can l2. If other than cylindrical cans are used the shape of the wall sections will be altered to suit. By reason of the tapered relationship of these opposed side walls the can is caused to rest at an angle to the wall i5 ofthe device as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

At the bottom or wide end of each pocket 2| the pocket edge is formed by an inwardly bent shelf part 23 on which the can I! is adapted torest when the display device is in either ocl. the positions A or C (Fig. 1) and even in position B this shelf part takes some of the weight of the can. An inwardly bent retaining shoulder or flange 24 is formed in the top or narrow end of each pocket and is adapted to engage back of or within the extended rim of the can when the latter is in position within the pocket.

Cooperation of the wall sections 22, 23 and the shoulder part 24 provide a retaining feature et is first hooked under the memberfl and is then lowered into position against the support position A,-Figs 1 and shelf 23. When in such locked position the can cannot be dislodged by mere change of position of the display device. The can within its pocket is spaced from the feet I! of the device and is free of the floor or of the wall against which the holder may be disposed.

A handle 25 preferably of strap' formation is secured at 26 to the wall i5 of the device II. This handle is located centrally or midway between the rows of pockets and extends beyond the cans therein. This centralizing feature insures balancing of the device when filled with cans. The handle 25 is bent into any suitable shape so that it may be conveniently grasped in all positions of the device.

The two side walls or floor supports it are preferably formed with hook devices 21 which are provided in both walls by cutting out an opening 28 in each wall adjacent the top end wall l5. These hook devices are preferably reenforced by struck-out ridges 29 formed in the side wall.

'When the display unit is to be positioned against a vertical wall as atA in Fig. 1 the hook devices 2'! are engaged over or hooked on a right angled Z-ba'r 3| which may be secured in any suitable manner to the wall. This bar may be long enough to hold several display units or a single unit as conditions require and several parallel bars may be used. The bar or bars may be fastened to or it may constitute a part of a gasoline pump, a display rack, or other convenient apparatus such as may be found in a service station. When the device is so placed, as in the 2, the upper leg of the Z- bar 3| is disposed within the cut-out spaces 28 adjacent the hooks 21.

A pair of support racks 32 may also be used in connection with the device I I when it ,is desirable for'the retained cans to be held in an inclined display position, such as is shown at C in Figs. 1 and 6. One simple form of support rack (Fig. 6) includes a vertical leg 33. Each support rack 32 may be secured to the display device and form a permanent part or the two racks may be separable supporting the rack on a floor surface as indicated at .C in Fig. 1 is elevated and suspended 'by its hook devices 21 from the Z-bar 3i on the wall surface, it will be apparent that in such position the vertical leg 33 of the support rack is positioned to engage the wall surface and maintain the unit in substantially rigid display position while suspended from said Z-bar. Such engagement of the vertical leg 33 of the support rack with the wall to which the horizontal Z-bar 3| is secured will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 with particular reference to the display unit indicated at C. v

The top and bottom walls I1, is of the device are preferably extended at an angle to the surface wall i5 and the wall l8 provides a base for the unit when used with the support in its inclined display position.

It isthought that the mvenuen and mm, or

its attendantadvantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,

construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being the top of said pocket and adapted to hold against rearward displacement a filled can when it is inserted in a pocket and to hold the can at'an angle to said holder member wall, and an inwardly projecting depending fiange'formed in the upper edge of a said pocket adapted to seat within and engage the peripheral flange of the can top to cooperate with said inclined side walls in removably confining the can therein against forf ward and rearward movement when the device is x 30 v in display or non-display position.

2. A. combination carrier and display device for "filled cans, which comprises a holder member having aplurality of spacedvopenings cut in a face wall thereof to provide can receiving pockets of trapezoidal configuration, opposed inclined curved sidewalls bent inwardly from said holder face wall .and providing a canreceiving seat for each of said pockets, said side and seat walls being spaced further apart at the bottom of the pocket than at the top and adapted to fit the body of a filled can when the can is inserted in the pocket to confine the can against rearward displacement and adapted to hold the can at an angle to said face wall, and an inwardly projecting depending flange formed in the top edge of each pocket adapted to seat within and engage the peripheral flange of the can top to cooperate with said inclined side walls in removably confining veach can in its individual pocket against I. forward and rearward displacement during transfilled cans which comprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pockets therein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls to confine a held can against rearward displacement from said pocket, a rearwardly projecting depending flange disposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to restwithin and engage the peripheral flange of the can top to maintain the can against forward displacement relative to said pocket, and a support racksecured to. and extending rearwardly from said holder member for holding the same and its confined cans in an inclined display position.

4. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans which comprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pockets therein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls to confine a held can against rearward displacement from said pocket, and a rearwardly projecting depending flange disposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to rest within and engage the peripheralfiange of the can top to maintain the can against forward displacement relative to said pocket.

5. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans which comprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pockets therein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardly and inwardlyinclined sidewalls to confine a held can against rearward displacement from said pocket, and a rearwardly projecting depending flange disposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to rest within and engagethe peripheral flange of the can top to maintain the can against forward displacement relative to said pocket, said front panel having opposed integral marginal portions extending away from the plane of said panel to form a support for said device;

6. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans which comprises a holder member in cluding a front panel having spaced pockets therein, each pocket. including spaced side walls adapted to receive a can therebetween. and a depending flange of a width less than the width of said pocket disposed at the upper edge of each pocket and adapted to rest within and engage the peripheral fiange of the can top to maintain the can against displacement relative to said

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