GB1601142A - Price tickets and the like - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PRICE TICKETS AND THE LIKE (71) I, GEORGE HERBERT WOODWARD KENNEY, a British Subject, of 7 Tymperley Court, Princes Way, Wimbledon, London, SWl9 6QS, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to price tickets and like articles for indicating information about goods, for example on display for sale.

There are instances where it is desirable for a number of such tickets to be displayed at different heights, such as for example where a number of items for sale are placed one behind the other on a counter, and the respective price tickets need to be successively higher off the counter, taken from front to back.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an improved form of price or like ticket which can readily be adjusted vertically and which will remain in any selected position of height adjustment.

According to the present invention, a price ticket comprises a base including an upstanding portion defining a guide way, an indicator portion including a depending stem slidable up and down in the guide way, and resiliently deformable means on the upstanding portion bearing frictionally on the stem to retain the stem in a selected along the guide way.

In a preferred arrangement, the guide way includes a first wall, and flange means partially overlying the first wall and adapted to bear resiliently against the first wall. The flange means may be, for example, two opposed spaced flaps which are advantageously integrally formed on the lateral edges of the first wall. In a practical construction, the first wall and the flange means are formed from a single piece of material and each flange firstly curves away from the wall and then curves inwardly again to abut at its free edge against the first wall.

The free edges of the opposed flange means are advantageously parallel to define a guide slot, and the stem may include a rib or ridge the width of which is selected to fit precisely between the lateral edges of the flanges so that a tighter grip is obtained.

The rib or ridge of the stem may be continued upwardly wholly or partly across the indicator portion, to give increased vertical rigidity.

The base may include a foot portion having the upstanding portion at one rear edge, and in a preferred arrangement, the upstanding portion at one rear edge, and in preferred arrangement, the upstanding portion has a cutout zone which becomes included as a rearward extension of the foot portion to give increased support against backwards tilting of the ticket as a whole.

The indicator portion and stem may be made as a single piece all in the same plane, or the stem may be secured on the indicator portion e.g. as by adhesive. The indicator portion would normally be wider than the stem, and in order to give increased strength of the joint between the two, the stem may have outwardly curved shoulders at its upper end merging into the indicator portion. To accomodate such shoulders, the upper outer corners of the flange means may be cut away or chamfered correspondingly.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of price ticket in accordance therewith is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the figures of he accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation of the base; Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the base; Figure 3 is a plan view of the base, viewed along the plane of the upstanding portion; Figure 4 is a perspective elevation of the assembled ticket; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the assembled ticket; Figure 6 is a partial section, taken at the position of the line VI-VI on Figure 5, of a modified stem portion including a rib or ridge.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the base has a plane foot 1 at the rear edge of which there is attached an upstanding portion 2 which is tilted somewhat backwardly from the vertical. The upstanding portion includes a plane wall 3 at each lateral edge of which there is attached integrally a flange 4 which overlies part of the rear face of the plane wall 3. Each flange 4 is curved so as to be spaced from the rear wall adjacent the line of connection between the two, but then passes inwardly towards the plane wall so as to abut resiliently against it.

Between the adjacent parallel free edges of the flanges there is defined a slot 5.

The lower part of the upstanding portion has a cutout zone 6 from which the material is used to form a tongue 7 extending rearwardly of the ticket to give increased stability. The base is advantageously made as a one-piece whole of suitable material, such as a plastics material, and may be initially made flat and then bent up, or may be bent up during manufacture.

The indicator portion comprises a stem 8 carrying an indicator plate 9. These may be formed in one piece, in the same plane, or formed in two pieces secured together during manufacture. The stem 8 is of such width as to fit with clearance into the guide way of the base, and is held inits position of vertical adjustment by the flanges 4,4 bearing frictionally on it. To give increased strength where the stem 8 joins to the lower part of the plate 9, the stem 8 is provided with outwardly curved shoulders 10, and to accommodate these shoulders in the lowered condition of the device, the upper outer corners of the flanges are cut away as at 11. This also permits a portion of the lower part of che plate 9, to enter between the wall 3 and the flanges 4, 4, so that increased support is given to the plate 9.

In a modification, to provide greater rigidity of the stem, increased grip of the flanges on the stem, and absolutely correct alignment of the stem and the guide way, the stem is provided with a central longitudinal rib 12, as seen in Figure 6, made for example by vacuum forming of the stem, and the width of this rib is selected to correspond to the gap separating the free edges of the flanges 4, 4. In this way, the flanges bear against the stem not only by virtue of their own resilient pressure exerted towards the wall 3, but also by virtue of the tight engagement of their free edges jammed against the sides of the rib 12. The rib 12 may be continued up into the plate 9 for all or part of its height, to increase rigidity.

The plate 9 may be pre-printed with price or other information, or may have adhesive tickets applied to it.

The upstanding portion may be inclined to the base, or advantageously at a right angle to the base.

The tongue 7 is not essential, but is useful where the device is intended to be free standing to avoid toppling over backwards of the device as a whole.

The device is particularly suitable for pricing of goods such as displays of meat on meat trays, where a number of trays are arranged one be hind the other and the ticket appertaining to each tray must be sufficiently elevated to be clearly visible above the goods in the tray, when viewed from the front of a counter.

Claims (14)

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A price ticket comprising a base including an upstanding portion defining a guide way, an indicator portion including a depending stem slidable up and down in the guide way, and resiliently deformable means on the upstanding portion bearing frictionally on the stem to retain the stem in a selected position along the guide way.

2. A price ticket, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the guide way includes a first wall, and flange means partially overlying the first wall and adapted to bear resiliently against the first wall.

3. A price ticket, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the flange means are two opposed spaced flaps.

4. A price ticket, as claimed in either of Claims 2 and 3, wherein the flange means are integrally formed on the lateral edges of the first wall.

5. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the first wall and the flange means firstly curves away from the wall and then curves inwardly again to abut at its free edge against the first wall.

6. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the free edges of the opposed flange means are parallel to define a guide slot, and the stem includes a rib or ridge the width of which is selected to fit precisely between the lateral edges of the flanges so that a tighter grip is obtained.

7. A price ticket, as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the rib or ridge of the stem is continued upwardly at least partly across the indicator portion to give increased vertical rigidity.

8. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the base includes a foot portion having the upstanding portion at one rear edge.

9. A price ticket, as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the upstanding portion has a cut-out zone which is included as a reanvard extension of the foot portion to give increased support against backwards tilting of the ticket.

10. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the indicator portion and the stem are made as a single piece in the same plane.

11. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the stem is secured to the indicator portion by adhesive.

12. A price ticket, as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the indicator portion is wider than the stem, and the stem has outwardly curved shoulders at its upper end merging into the indicator portion.

13. A price ticket, as claimed in Claim 12, when dependent upon any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the upper corners of the flange means are cut away or chamfered to accommodate the shoulders of the stem.

14. A price ticket substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.