Chain merchandising apparatus

• US 5,165,316 A
• Filed: 07/01/1991
• Issued: 11/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laclede Chain Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Laclede Chain Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Hayes, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson, Kenneth E.
• Application Number:
  US07/723,931
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 83/650, 83/949, 83/950, 83/649, 83/522.21, 83/522.17, 83/646, 242/132, 242/137, 242/139, 242/146, 242/55.3, 242/55.42, 225/36, 225/34, 221/307, 221/310, 221/92, 108/50, 312/12, 312/107, 312/107.5, 312/126, 312/216, 283/114, 283/39, 206/45, 211/59.2
• US Class Current: 83/522.17
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/02 with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04 takes precedence; for cigars or cigarettes A24F15/04; for cigarette papers A24F17/00; for hand towels or toilet paper A47K; for photographic paper G03B; coin-freed G07F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0807 Display panels, grids or rods used for suspending merchandise or cards supporting articles; Movable brackets therefor with fixed brackets A47F5/0876; packages comprising articles attached to cards B65D73/00; labels G09F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/005 for flexible long articles in rolls, e.g. electrical cords, cables, chains, waterhoses for textile articles on rolls A47F7/17
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/949 Continuous or wound supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/856 To work-engaging member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8743 Straight line positioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8776 Constantly urged tool or tool support [e.g., spring biased]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8874 Uniplanar compound motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8889 With means to adjust position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/902 Plural supply sources

Abstract

A chain merchandising apparatus includes a frame, a cabinet secured to the frame, and chain support means mounted to the frame and located within the cabinet for supporting a plurality of chain containers. A chain cutter is moveably fixed to the apparatus so as to be selectivity adjustable vertically and horizontally in relation thereto for permitting a user to position the chain cutter substantially adjacent to a preselected chain container supported on the chain support means.

Claims

1. A chain merchandising apparatus;

said apparatus comprising;

a. a frame,

b. a cabinet secured to said frame,

c. adjustable chain container support means mounted to said frame and located within said cabinet

d. a plurality of chain containers; and

e. chain cutting means movable on a set of bars, at least one of said bars being fixed to said apparatus so that said chain cutting means is selectively adjustable vertically and horizontally in relation to said apparatus for permitting a user to position said chain cutting means substantially adjacent to a preselected chain container on said chain container support means.

2. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cabinet is provided with an upper portion and a lower portion, and further wherein said chain container support means, said cabinet upper portion and said cabinet lower portion are detachably secured to said frame, and said chain cutting means is detachably moveably fixed to said apparatus, such that said apparatus may be disassembled and reassembled to facilitate shipping by a manufacturer thereof to a chain retailer and to further facilitate subsequent reassembly by such chain retailer.

3. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chain cutting means includes chain measuring means.

4. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, and further wherein said apparatus is provided with pictorial information as to appropriate uses of chain drawn from containers supported on said apparatus.

5. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chain container support means includes chain container guide means for facilitating placement and movement of chain containers on said chain container support means.

6. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cabinet is provided with flat outer surfaces for providing a space on which to apply use and advertising information.

7. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chain container support means are adjustable shelves and said frame is provided with means for connecting said adjustable shelves at a preselected angle.

8. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chain container support means are at least one shelf having a front edge and said apparatus further comprises a horizontal slat positioned edgewise substantially adjacent to the front edge of each said shelf to thereby provide a lip to each said shelf.

9. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 8, wherein each said horizontal slat is provided with means for selective forward rotation thereof to thereby facilitate loading and unloading of said shelves.

10. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 8, wherein said apparatus is provided with means for selectively retaining each said slat in the edgewise, lip-providing position.

11. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is further provided with means for permitting simultaneous display of chain accessories to complement the chain being merchandised in said apparatus.

12. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 11, and further wherein said apparatus and the chain accessories displayed thereon are provided with coded information to facilitate matching of the chain accessories to appropriate chain being merchandised on said apparatus.

13. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coded information is in the form of color coding.

14. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chain cutting means includes stop means to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent of said a portion of said cutting means.

15. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 14, wherein said one of said bars is a vertical support bar extending between and terminating in opposed upper and lower ends, and a cutter head portion vertically moveably mounted on said vertical support bar.

16. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 15, wherein another of said bars is a horizontal support bar secured transversely to said cabinet substantially adjacent to the support surface, and a soffit having a horizontal groove, and further wherein the upper end of said vertical support bar is slidably housed within the horizontal groove of said soffit and the lower end of said vertical support bar is moveably coupled to said horizontal support bar, to thereby permit selective horizontal adjustment of said chain cutting means on said apparatus.

17. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 16, wherein said horizontal support bar is secured transversely to said cabinet substantially adjacent to the support surface, and the lower end of said vertical support bar is moveably coupled to said horizontal support bar by roller bearing couplings to facilitate selective horizontal adjustment of said chain cutting means on said apparatus for causing said chain cutting means to roll on said horizontal support bar.

18. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 15, wherein said stop means to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent of a portion of said chain cutting means includes a series of apertures formed through said vertical support bar spacedly along the length thereof, and a bolt sized for placement into a preselected one of said series of apertures beneath the position of said cutter head to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent thereof.

19. A chain merchandising apparatus for use in combination with substantially box-shaped containers of chain, each said chain container having a face portion and at least one tab provided on said chain container adjacent to a lower edge of the face portion;

wherein said chain merchandising apparatus comprises;

a. a frame,

b. a cabinet secured to said frame,

c. chain container support means connected to said frame and located within said cabinet for supporting a plurality chain containers; and

d. chain cutting means movable on a set of bars, at least one of said bars being fixed to said apparatus so that said chain cutting means is selectively adjustable vertically and horizontally in relation to said apparatus; and

wherein said chain support means comprises at least one shelf, each said shelf having an upper surface, a front edge and a back edge and being provided with grooves in said upper surface, said grooves extending substantially from said front edge to said back edge, said grooves further being spaced parallel to each other at a preselected distance so as to be adapted for receipt of the tabs provided on the substantially box-shaped chain containers, to thereby facilitate proper placement and movement of said chain containers on said shelves.

20. A chain merchandising apparatus;

said apparatus comprising;

a. a frame,

b. a cabinet secured to said frame,

c. adjustable chain container support means mounted to said frame and located within said cabinet,

d. a plurality of chain containers, and

e. chain cutting means movably fixed to said apparatus so as to be selectively adjustable vertically and horizontally in relation thereto for permitting a user to position said chain cutting means substantially adjacent to a preselected chain container on said chain container support means,

wherein said chain container support means is at least one shelf having a front edge and a horizontal slat positioned edgewise substantially adjacent to the front edge of each said shelf to thereby provide a lip to each said shelf, and further wherein each said horizontal slat is provided with means for selective forward rotation thereof to thereby facilitate loading and unloading of said shelves.

21. A chain merchandising apparatus;

said apparatus comprising;

a. a frame,

b. a cabinet secured to said frame,

c. adjustable chain container support means mounted to said frame and located within said cabinet,

d. a plurality of chain containers, and

e. chain cutting means movably fixed to said apparatus so as to be selectively adjustable vertically and horizontally in relation thereto for permitting a user to position said chain cutting means substantially adjacent to a preselected chain container on said chain container support means,

wherein said chain cutting means includes stop means to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent of said portion of said cutting means, and further wherein said chain cutting means includes a vertical support bar extending between and terminating in opposed upper and lower ends, and a cutter head portion vertically movably mounted on said vertical support bar.

22. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 21, wherein said chain cutting means further includes horizontal support means secured transversely to said cabinet substantially adjacent to the support surface, and a soffit having a horizontal groove, and further wherein the upper end of said vertical support bar is slidably housed within the horizontal groove of said soffit and the lower end of said vertical support bar is movably coupled to said horizontal support means, to thereby permit selective horizontal adjustment of said chain cutting means on said apparatus.

23. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 22, wherein said horizontal support means is a horizontal support bar secured transversely to said cabinet substantially adjacent to the support surface, and the lower end of said vertical support bar is movably coupled to said horizontal support bar by roller bearing couplings to facilitate selective horizontal adjustment of said chain cutting means on said apparatus by causing said chain cutting means to roll on said horizontal support bar.

24. The chain merchandising apparatus of claim 23, wherein said stop means to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent of a portion of said chain cutting means includes a series of apertures formed through said vertical support bar spacedly along the length thereof, and a bolt sized for placement into a preselected one of said series of apertures beneath the position of said cutter head to prevent uncontrolled vertical descent thereof.