Abstract: An apparatus for raising and lowering an article maintains the article tensioned (horizontal and vertical) both when it is in position and also when it is being raised and lowered. In an aspect, the apparatus includes an upper tensioning bar coupled to an upper edge of the article and a lower tensioning bar coupled to a lower edge of the article. The upper and lower tensioning bars are movably mounted on a plurality of vertically extending horizontally spaced apart tracks for vertical movement therealong. One or more tensioners are coupled to an opposed side edge of the article and mounted to one of the tracks for vertical movement therealong. In an aspect, tensioners are coupled to both opposed side edges of the article and mounted to respective ones of the tracks. A raising and lowering device is coupled to the upper tensioning bar, such as by ropes or cables, and raises and lowers upper tensioning bar, thus raising and lowering the display article.

Abstract: An apparatus for raising and lowering an article includes a tube, a motor coupled to the tube for rotating the tube, a plurality of cables secured to the tube and to the article in spaced relation to each other, and a cable indexer synchronously coupled with the tube for indexing the plurality of cables along the tube as the plurality of cables are wound on the tube to wind the plurality of cables on the tube uniformly with respect to each other.