. C. F. Hoor:ER
CARD HOLDER Filed Sept. 13. 1939 July 2 1940.
will!" ,J'fiiliin ATTORN EYS Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT .i OFFICE CARDi HOLDER Charles F. Hoofer, Chicago, Ill. Application September 13, 1939, Serial No. 294,748
5 Claims.` (Cl. 40--10) This invention relates to improvements in tag or card holders and especially is concerned with a new and improved type .of holder useful `for holding price tags or advertising cards upon edge portions of pans, trays andthe like.
It is lan object of the present invention to provide a novel support for cards and advertising `elements which is adapted tofgrip` and to hold itself upon edge portions ci' l pans, trays and the like without projecting into `the interior thereof and without interfering with the removal of the contents therefrom. I
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a tag or a card holder of the type above mentioned means. for easily removably holding a tag or card in upright position adjacent an edge portion of `a pan or tray. A feature of the novel` tagor card holder according to the present `invention is that it includes means for engaging withl and gripping openings formed in `marginal portions of `the tag or card to be held whereby the tag or card engaged with the support is firmly held but readily disengaged therefrom upon such occasions as it is desirable `to change or remove 'the card or tag. An advantage ofthe novel card or tag support according to this invention over similar devices now in use is its comparative simplicity of construction which suits it insofar as manufacture is concerned to the requirements of mass production permitting manufacture and sale of the device at minimum cost.` The structural simplicityof the device is also :advantageous inlthat it minimizes necessity of repairor replacement during use.
Other objects, advantages and features of the new and improved card holder according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art during the course of the following description.
Regarded in certain of' its broader aspects the novel card holder according to the present 1n vention comprises a member having essentially parallel top and bottom portions, one end of said member being suited to support a card, the opposite end of said member comprising a surface oblique with respect to said bottom portion of said member, and a spring tensioned hook ele-` ment mounted in said member urged toward the `said oblique` surface thereof.` i l In `order to facilitate a fuller and more complete understanding of the present invention a specific embodiment thereof herein illustrated will be hereinafter described, it being clearly understood, however, that the illustrated embodiment, although presently preferred, is provided solely by Way of example of the practice of this invention and not by way of limitation thereof except insofar as the invention is recited in the subjoined claims. 115 Referring then to the drawing, Figure 1 issubstantially a perspective view of one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention showing the device in position of use mounted upon a tray edge, J9
Fig. 2 is essentially a vertical sectional View of the device shown in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a topfplan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 showing p-arts of the `same in. sectional Fig, 4 is a side elevational View of the tag or card holder `with parts of a tray ror pan shown in phantom view, y
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of theelements of the card holder, 20
Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the instant invention,
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. ,6, the card being shown in sectional View, and
Fig. 8 is substantially a horizontal sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention. l
Referring now to` Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be perceived that the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention generally designated by the numeral I0 comprises a'member having a horizontally extending top portion l I and a substantially parallel` bottom portion I2 connected by a crosspiece i3 having an inclined surface i3d extending obliquely upwardly from the bottom portion l2. Registry openings Ila and Il'a are formed in the top and bottom portions II and `I2 respectively for slidingly receiving a vertically extending rod` i4' terminating at the bottom in a head Ma and at the top in a hook element` Mb. The hook element Illb` normally is urged against the oblique surface i3d of the cross piece I3 by the spring l5 sleeved around the rod and abutting against the head d5 Ita thereof and parts of the top `portion `Ill of the support member.
The end of the top portion Il, distal relative to the `.cross `piece'l3, is provided with a transversely extending furrow `defined by a bent part of `the top portion Il and by theface plate 16. It is especially to be noted that the furrow is curvilineal in shape for reasons which hereinafter will more fully be apparent,
InFigs. 2 and 4 is illustrated the preferred 55 mode of attaching a novel card holder according to the present invention to a tray or pan edge portion, in these views the pan being designated f by the reference character A and the curved edge portion thereof by the reference character B. It is especially to be noticed that the hook element Mb presses the curved lip Bof the pan A toward the oblique surface 3a of the cross piece I3 whereby the device is held substantially xedly in position upon the pan as shown.
In the above described embodiment of this invention the card or tag C is held within the transversely extending curvilineal furrow |60, by
reason of the intrinsic resiliency of the material from which the card or tag is formed whereby it presses thereagainst and frictionally` engages with end portions of the furrow sides. In the hereinafter to be described embodiments of this invention other means for holding the card within the furrow will be disclosed.
,Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 particularly, it
will be seen that the therein illustrated embodiment of this invention comprises a member having a lower. portion 20 and an upper portion 2| connected by across piece 22 having an inclined outer face substantially corresponding to the upper and lower portions of the member and cross piece referred to in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusive. The member is similarly attachable to edge portions of a tray or pan. 'The furrow defined by bent rparts of the upper portion 2| of the supporting member is, .in this rembodiment of the present invention, 'curvilineal in horizontal outline and end parts of thefront portion 25 over said member are extended in line with the furrow and bent inwardly to provide lugs 25a'receivable in and engageable with corresponding Y openings C formed in 'the card C. It will be evident that in this embodiment of the present invention not only is frictional engagement between parts of the card and edgeportions of the furrow relied upon .to assurer'm holding of the card, but also there wall of 'the furrow isstruck by a punch to pro- -vide inwardly extendingformations 32 for 'gripping and engaging with marginal portions -of the card C pressing the same against the front face -3I ofthe furrow .essentially as shown.. In this embodiment of the present invention the card is held firmly and substantially irremovably in place within the furrow as contrasted to the above described means for mounting the cards whereby the cards might be removed and replaced with ease.
It will be evident to those skilled in this art that "the present invention provides novel means forsupportingprice tags and advertising material upony edge portions of pans or trays whereby the supporting structure does not come in con.- tact with the' contents rof the tray or pan and in no wise interferes with the removal of the contents therefrom.
It is to be understood of course that this invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the precise illustrated forms nor described construction and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention no-r exceed the scope of the appended claims.
Having thus described the present invention, What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A card holder comprising a member having essentially parallel top and bottom portions, one end of said member being suited to support a card, the opposite end of said member comprising a surface oblique lwith respect to said bottom portion of said member, and a spring tensioned hook ,element having a downturned free end portion facing the oblique surface, mounted in said member urged toward said surface.
2. A card holder comprising a supporting member having formed therein a transversely extending curvilineal furrow for receiving portions of a card, and integral formations near the ends of said furrow for engaging and holding a card positioned therin, said formations comprising lugs extending in line with said furrow, bent inwardly at the ends for engagement with openings formed in the card.
3. A card holder comprising a member having spaced horizontally extending arms and an integrally formed crosspiece connecting said arms; a vertically slidingly mounted hook element, mounted in registering openings formed in Said arms, forfgripping objects positioned between said element and said crosspiece; and means on said member for holding a card, said means comprising a curvilineal furrow transversely extending across an end portion of said member for receiving portions of a card, and integral formations near the ends of said furrow for engaging a card positioned therein.
4. A card holder comprising a member having spaced lhorizontally extending arms and an integrallyformed crosspiece connecting said arms; a vertically slidingly mounted hook element,
mounted in registering openings formed in said arms, for gripping objects positioned between said element and said crosspiece; and means on said member for holding a card, said means comprising a curvilineal furrow transversely extending across an end portion of said member for receiving portions of a card, and integral formations near the ends of said furrow'for engaging and holding a card positioned therein, said formations comprising punched portions ofl said member extending within said furrow engaging corresponding openings in the card.
5. A card holder comprising a member having spaced horizontally extending arms and an integrally formed crosspiece connecting said arms; a vertically slidingly mounted hook element, mounted in registering openings formed in said arms, for gripping objects positioned between said element and said crosspiece; and means on said member for holding a card, said means comprising a curvilineal furrow transversely extending across an end portion of said member for receiving portions of a card, and integral formations near 'the ends of said furrow for engaging and holding a card positioned therein, said formations comprising lugs extending in line with said furroW, bent inwardly at the ends for engagement with openings formed in the card.
CHARLES F. HOOFER.