Abstract: A remote-controlled motor-driven drum is provided to wind and unwind a cord which holds a self-balancing sign carrier. The sign carrier, which has telescoping rails, is adjustable in width. Its center rail includes two sheaves to receive the cord and lead it from the drum back to an end secured to the ceiling. Rotation of the drum raises and lowers the sign carrier and a sign carried by it. The sheaves on the carrier also serve to make the unit self-balancing. The motor responds to actuating signals for raising and lowering the sign and to safety features. Safety features include a limit switch which stops the motor when an object gets in the way, an overload control which stops the motor if excessive weight is detected, and the use of the motor for braking.

Abstract: A device for displaying and dispensing articles above a horizontal surface includes a turntable for engaging the surface and supporting the device. A base is held above the turntable for rotation about a central vertical axis. A top is held above the base. A stack of article-holding tiers is positioned between the base and the top. Each tier has a plurality of groups of elongate stalls, each stall in a group configured to hold one article. The stalls in each group are arrayed generally side-by-side with each other and each stall has an open outboard end for removal of articles from the stall. A corresponding plurality of groups of blocking members are each associated with a corresponding group of stalls. Each blocking member is associated with one stall in the associated group of stalls.

Abstract: A promotional pallet which can be varied in both length and width, and which will have places for signs and pennants in any of its configurations. Its length is changed by using two sections each formed by a pair of base members with interengaging fingers and in which the extent of interengagement can be varied. The fingers slidingly interengage in a "cantilever" manner so as to provide structural strength regardless of length. The width of the pallet is changed by using two sets of sections of equal width hinged together with hinges which can accommodate change in length, while at the same time permitting flush overlapping of two sets of sections, so the weight being carried is distributed uniformly over a common surface.

Abstract: A remote-controlled motor-driven drum is provided to wind and unwind a cord which holds a self-balancing sign carrier. The sign carrier, which has telescoping rails, is adjustable in width. Its center rail includes two sheaves to receive the cord and lead it from the drum back to an end secured to the ceiling. Thus, rotation of the drum serves to raise and lower the sign carrier and a sign carried by it. The sheaves on the carrier not only allow it to be raised and lowered, but also serve to make the unit self-balancingThe user attaches a sign to the carrier when it is in its lowered position and then raises the sign and carrier to the ceiling. The motor, which is reversible, is remotely controlled either by wires leading between the motor and a switch or by radio control (with a control similar to that used on a garage door).

Abstract: A package merchandiser providing for front and rear stacks of packages resting on a common sloping surface, with a rotating gate positioned between the two stacks to prevent the rear stack to slide to the position of the front stack while packages remain in the front stack. The rotating gate releases when no packages remain in the front stack, allowing the packages in the rear stack to move forward. A control cam associated with the rotating gate to additionally control motion of the rotating gate.

Abstract: An expandable display including a central member and two end pieces, the central member including fingers extending laterally from each side, the end pieces each having fingers extending laterally towards the central member, the fingers of the end pieces slidingly engaging the fingers of the central member, permitting the width of the display to be varied by relative sliding movement between the central member fingers and the end piece fingers. Each of the end pieces may include a hinged back for receiving and holding a display card. The central member may include a clamp at the rear for securing the display to another structure.

Abstract: A display formed of two colorless, transparent plastic cylinders mounted concentrically with a vertical axis upon a base. The space between the two cylinders forms a tank which is filled with liquid and some plastic snowflakes having a slightly greater specific gravity than the liquid. An object to be displayed is positioned within the inner cylinder and, so, is not in contact with the liquid. The object and the liquid are illuminated by a light within the base. A motor operates a pump having an uncased spiral rotor projecting vertically downwardly into the liquid. Rotation of the pump causes a diffuse upward flow of the liquid and the snowflakes in the vicinity of the pump. Though this causes the snowflakes to move upwardly in a gentle and diffuse manner, this motion isn't particularly noticed by an observer. When the snowflakes reach the top of the liquid, they are diffused sidewardly and begin dropping, creating a snowfall effect.

Abstract: A shelving bank formed of a plurality of shelving units, wherein the line of juncture between the shelving units may be substantially concealed. The shelving bank includes at least two shelving units, each shelving unit having a plurality of shelves, the shelving units being joined together with the shelves in adjacent shelving units being in smooth abutting relationship, so that boxes of merchandise can be placed over the areas of the abutting relationship. Light plenums under the shelves, each light plenum extending the length of its respective the shelf, so that light plenums of adjacent the shelving units are adjacent to one another and abut one another. Light panels mounted along the front of the light plenums, and the mounting means of adjacent plenums providing for the light panels to bridge the point of abutment of the light plenums, so that the line of juncture between adjacent shelving units is substantially concealed.

Abstract: A carousel for dispensing canisters of film having a film-holding base secured to a vertical spine mounted centrally of the base, a plurality of vertical dividers extending radially from, and circumferentially of, the spine, vertically-extending wall sections secured to the outermost edges of the dividers, so that the spine, the dividers, and the wall sections together form vertical channels to receive and hold the canisters. The uppermost portions of the wall sections are open to receive the canisters, and the lowermost ends of the wall sections are spaced from the base sufficiently to permit removal of individual canisters, and the base and with the upper end of the spine are pivoted where they are to be attached to a display device so the entire unit can be rotated. If desired, the canisters can have keys on their bodies or their caps, and the channels can have corresponding key slots, so that the canisters will be held in the channels with their labels outermost.

Abstract: The method of making a roller shelf for the display and dispensing of wares which includes molding a plurality of groups of molded parallel axles and rollers as a unit and with a common mold runner, the groups each having the same number of axles, providing a pair of side rails having opposed complementary bearing recesses, the number of the bearing recesses being an integral multiple of the number of axles in the groups, simultaneously inserting the axles of a group into the bearing recesses, fixing the axles in the recesses, and breaking off the runner. The roller shelf can have spaced rollers or interleaved and overlapping rollers.

Abstract: A display providing the illusion of a stream of liquid coming from an unconnected spigot, the stream flowing into a receptacle. A transparent tube, hidden within the stream, runs from the receptacle to the spigot to carry the liquid upwardly to the spigot. A second tube, colorless and transparent, surrounds the stream of water, to prevent evaporation and accidental spillage on a person. A small colorless and transparent air tube runs from the receptacle upwardly between the inner and outer tubes to a mixing chamber at the top of the tubes. Air is drawn upwardly through the tube by a Venturi effect within the mixing chamber and mixes with the water. As a result, the downwardly flowing water is filled with bubbles and can be seen.

Abstract: An illuminated picture display having a surrounding scintilating show of lights, including a housing holding a front half-silvered mirror and a rear mirror, the mirrors being proximate to one another and at a small angle to one another, congruent openings in the mirrors to receive a transparency for display, a light within the housing for illuminating the transparency, a plurality of lamps between the mirrors along the periphery, and a programmed timer causing the lamps to blink on and off in predetermined sequence, and a refraction plate mounted in front of the front half-silvered mirror proximate to the opening in the front mirror, so that the transparency is displayed surrounded by a flashing light display. A fiber optics system may be used instead of the plurality of lamps.

Abstract: A remote-controlled motor-driven drum is provided to wind and unwind a cord which holds a self-balancing sign carrier. The sign carrier, which has telescoping rails, is adjustable in width. Its center rail includes two sheaves to receive the cord and lead it from the drum back to an end secured to the ceiling. Thus, rotation of the drum serves to raise and lower the sign carrier and a sign carried by it. The sheaves on the carrier not only allow it to be raised and lowered, but also serve to make the unit self-balancing The user attaches a sign to the carrier when it is in its lowered position and then raises the sign and carrier to the ceiling. The motor, which is reversible, is remotely controlled either by wires leading between the motor and a switch or by radio control (with a control similar to that used on a garage door).