Claims
- 1. A dispenser of sheet items, adapted for being mounted in a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf by engaging the flanges of the channel, said dispenser comprising a substantially, flat sheet of flexible material having upper and lower edges, said sheet of material being mountable in a U-shaped channel having upper and lower flanges mounted at the edge of a shelf, the spacing of the upper and lower edges of the sheet being such to enable said edges to engage the flanges of the U-shaped channel to hold said sheet in flexed condition in said channel, and a bendable prong extending downwardly from said sheet beyond said lower edge for movement between a first position in the plane of the sheet and a second position projecting from the plane of said sheet, said prong including a stem and a head, said stem having one end integrally and bendably formed to said sheet and an opposite end to which said head is integrally connected, said head having a greater width than said stem and forming laterally extending sides at the juncture therewith, said head tapering in width from said laterally extending sides in a direction away from said stem to a free end of said head such that said prong can support a plurality of sheet items on said stem while said lateral sides retain said sheet items on the prong in front of the plane of said sheet and said sheet items can be removed one by one from the prong.
- 2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 comprising adhesive means on said sheet.
- 3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said adhesive means extends to said lower edge of said sheet.
- 4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein said adhesive means extends across the width of said sheet.
- 5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said prong extends from said lower edge of said sheet downwardly.
- 6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5 comprising adhesive means on said sheet on the rear surface thereof.
- 7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet further comprises a pair of ears each having a lower edge forming part of said lower edge of the sheet means which engages the respective flange of the U-shaped channel.
- 8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 comprising adhesive means on said ears.
- 9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said head first increases in width along said sides from the juncture thereof with said stem to a maximum width and then tapers towards laterally extending said free end.
- 10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 9 wherein said head is rounded at said free end.
- 11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 9 wherein said head has a hole therein.
- 12. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet of material has lateral edges and foldable wings at said lateral edges.
- 13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12 wherein said wings each comprises a depending grip arm including a hook-shaped lower end portion.
- 14. A dispenser as claimed in claim 13 wherein said grip arm tapers in narrowing fashion towards said hook-shaped lower end portion.
- 15. A dispenser as claimed in claim 14 wherein each said grip arm is formed by the provision of a tapered slot in said sheet of material.
- 16. A dispenser as claimed in claim 15 wherein said sheet of material is formed with a second slot at each wing extending from said lateral edge of said sheet of material.
- 17. A dispenser as claimed in claim 16 wherein said second slot is inclined with respect to said lateral edge to form an engagement lip on the respective wing at an upper end thereof remote from said hook-shaped lower end portion.
- 18. A dispenser as claimed in claim 17 wherein said slots are spaced from one another to define a region of material therebetween constituting a bend line for the respective wing to enable the wing selectively to remain in the plane of the sheet of material or to be bent therefrom.
- 19. A holder of a plurality of sheet items adapted for being selectively mounted in flanges of a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf, on a flat backing board, or on the edge of a shelf, said holder comprising a flat sheet of flexible material having upper and lower edges and lateral side edges, said upper and lower edges being spaced apart to engage flanges of a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf to hold the sheet in flexed condition in said channel, a bendable prong integrally formed in said sheet and extending below said lower edge for supporting a plurality of sheet items in front of the plane of the sheet at a level below said channel for removal one by one, said prong including a stem and a head, said stem having one end integrally and bendably formed to said sheet and an opposite end to which said head is integrally connected, said head having a greater width than said stem and forming laterally extending sides at the juncture therewith, said head tapering in width from said laterally extending sides in a direction away from said stem to a free end of said head such that said sheet items can be supported on said stem and retained thereon by said lateral sides, said sheet including a strip of adhesive means thereon for attaching said sheet to a flat backing board with the prong bent forwardly from the plane of the sheet or for attaching the sheet to the upper surface of a shelf with the prong projecting forwardly beyond the edge of the shelf.
- 20. A holder as claimed in claim 19 wherein said sheet further includes foldable wings at said lateral edges comprising depending arms having lower hook-shaped end portions, said wings being foldable out of the plane of the sheet to enable said arms to hold the sheet on a rod, said wings when folded being insertable into holes in a riser card to hold said sheet against the front of said riser card with said wings engaging the back of said riser card to said hook-shaped end portions, said sheet being provided with a mounting hole to enable the sheet to be mounted on a hook engaged in said hole.
- 21. A dispenser of sheet items, adapted for being mounted in a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf by engagement with flanges of the channel, said dispenser comprising a substantially, flat sheet of flexible material having upper and lower edges and including flap means including a portion which can be bent out from the plane of the sheet, said portion of the flap means having an edge which is spaced from said upper edge of the sheet and disposed out of the plane of the sheet when said portion of the flap means is bent out from the plane of the sheet, the spacing of the upper edge of the sheet and said edge of the flap means being such to enable said edges to engage the flanges of a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf, said flap means further including means for engaging one of the flanges of the channel at the front thereof to act in combination with said flap means which is bent out of the plane of the sheet to hold the dispenser securely on said flange, and a bendable prong extending downwardly from said sheet beyond said lower edge for movement between a first position in the plane of the sheet and a second position projecting from the plane of said sheet, said prong being shaped to support a plurality of sheet items thereon in front of the plane of said sheet and to enable said sheet items to be removed one by one from the prong.
- 22. A dispenser as claimed in claim 21 wherein said means for engaging said one flange of the channel at the front thereof comprises an ear formed on said flap means, and a shoulder joining said ear with said portion of the flap means which is bent from said one plane of the sheet to engage the flange of the channel, said one shoulder extending over said flange of the channel.
- 23. A dispenser as claimed in claim 22 wherein said shoulder is formed by an undercut in said sheet between said ear and said portion of the flap means.
- 24. A dispenser as claimed in claim 21 comprising adhesive means on said sheet in a region between said prong and said edge of said flap means.
- 25. A dispenser as claimed in claim 21 wherein said sheet of material has lateral edges and foldable wings at said lateral edges.
- 26. A dispenser as claimed in claim 26 wherein said wings have lower edges located at a level above the level of said edge of said flap means.
- 27. A dispenser as claimed in claim 21 wherein the rearmost of the sheet items extends above the remainder of the sheet items in front of said sheet of material in a region between said prong and said edge of said flap means so as to be visible to a user without obscuring the U-shaped channel.
- 28. A dispenser as claimed in claim 27 wherein said rearmost sheet item has a slot enabling the sheet item to be slipped on the prong after the other sheet items have already been installed on the prong.
- 29. A dispenser as claimed in claim 21 in combination with said sheet items, the latter having holes therein for insertion of said prong therein, at least one of said sheet items having a slot extending from said hole therein to facilitate mounting said sheet item on said prong.
- 30. A method of mounting a plurality of sheet items on a holder in the upper and lower flanges of a U-shaped channel at the edge of a shelf, said method comprising bending a prong from the plane of a sheet of material of the holder and pulling the prong through holes in a plurality of sheet items such that the sheet items are loosely held on the prong and are capable of being pulled from said prong one by one, the holder having upper and lower edges and a pivotal flap with a respective lower edge and an ear connected to the edge by a shoulder, and installing said holder in a U-shaped channel having upper and lower flanges with the sheet items suspended in front of and below the channel by engaging the upper edge of the holder in the channel in engagement with the upper flange and engaging the lower edge of the pivotal flap of the holder in the channel in engagement with the lower flange at the back thereof while the ear of the holder fits against said lower flange at the front thereof and the shoulder rides on the lower flange.
- 31. A method as claimed in claim 30 comprising forming one of the rear sheet items with a greater height than the remainder of the sheet items such that said one sheet item extends above the remainder of sheet items in front of the holder above said prong but below the channel.
- 32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein said one sheet item is installed on the prong after the other sheet items.
- 33. A method as claimed in claim 32 comprising adhesively securing said one sheet item to said holder.
- 34. A dispenser of sheet items comprising a substantially, flat sheet of flexible material having upper and lower edges and including flap means including a portion which can be bent out from the plane of the sheet, said portion of the flap means having an edge which is spaced from said upper edge of the sheet and disposed out of the plane of the sheet when said porton of the flap means is bent out from the plane of the sheet, and a bendable prong projecting from said lower edge in the plane of the sheet for supporting a plurality of sheet items thereon in front of the plane of said sheet, said flap means including an undercut shoulder joined to said edge of said portion of said flap means, and an ear connected to said shoulder, said ear being bendable with respect to said edge of said portion of said flap means.
- 35. A dispenser as claimed in claim 34 wherein said sheet of material has lateral edges and foldable wings at said lateral edges.
- 36. A dispenser as claimed in claim 35 wherein said wings have lower edges located at a level above the level of said edge of said portion of said flap means.
CROSS-RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 402,535 filed July 28, 1982.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
394334 |
Jun 1933 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
402535 |
Jul 1982 |
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