Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
DISPLAY SHELF HAVING ANTI ROTATION MEANS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a display device useful in merchandising articles
having petaloid feet, and more particularly to a shelf device having an
elongate channel for
receiving petaloid articles for sliding movement therealong. The display
channel of the
invention has anti-rotation means for engagement with at least one of the
petaloid feet of
each article. The anti-rotation means enhances the appearance of the articles
in the
channel by retaining the articles at a predetermined orientation during their
movement
along the channel.
Display shelf devices with article-dispensing channels have been used in the
merchandising of a numberof products. The channels, typically, are supported
on a shelf
in a tilted condition and receive articles in rows so thatthe received
articles slide orgravity
feed one after anotherto the fronts of the channels as the leading articles in
each row are
removed from the respective channel. Shelf devices with conventional
dispensing
channels are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,239,099; 4,314,648;
and
4,496,037 which are owned by the assignee of the present invention.
While such conventional channels have experienced considerable success,
they are not without disadvantages. Because the majority of commercial bottles
and cans
have cylindrical bodies, it is difficult to arrange bottles or cans on the
channels at a
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predetermined orientation. More particularly, cylindrical articles tend to be
placed on the
channels at a random orientation and even to slowly rotate about their upright
axes during
their sliding movement along the channels. This results in the labels or the
logos on the
articles facing in different directions, which detracts from the appearance of
the displayed
articles.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved display channel which enhances
the appearance of the articles displayed thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In meeting the foregoing needs, the present invention provides an elongate
display channel for receiving a row of articles for sliding movement
therealong. The
channel comprises a base wall having opposite side edges and at least one
sidewall
upstanding from one of the side edges of the base wall. The base wall
comprises means
for defining a plane on which the bottoms of articles are to be placed, and
one or more
railings disposed along the plane and extending along the channel. A single
railing
protrudes above the plane into spaces on the bottoms of the articles to
prevent rotation of
the articles in the channel. A pair of railings define therebetween a groove
for receiving
the respective portions of the bottoms of articles. The pair of railings have
their tops
disposed above the plane and can protrudes into spaces on the bottoms of the
articles to
prevent rotation of the articles in the channel. Articles having petaloid feet
can have a
single foot or pairs of feet riding in the groove so that the articles do not
rotate.
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In the channel of the invention, the groove can receive the portions of
articles.
This assists in the loading of articles with their labels or logos facing in a
predetermined
direction. The railings engage the portions of the loaded articles during
movement of the
articles along the channel. This prevents rotational movement of the articles
about their
upright axes, which keeps the articles arranged at a certain orientation while
they are
displayed on the channel.
A preferred embodiment of the plane-defining means comprises a plurality
of upwardly projecting parallel ribs formed on the base wall along the
channel. The ribs
may be formed such that the tops of the ribs lie in the plane.
The present invention also provides anotherform of display channel. This
channel is designed to receive a row of upright articles each having petaloid
feet. The
channel comprises a pairof spaced upstanding sidewalls, a base wall
interconnecting the
sidewalls at their respective lower edges, and anti-rotation means for
engagement with at
least one of the petaloid feet of each article in the channel so as to
maintain the articles in
a predetermined orientation during sliding movement of the articles along the
channel.
The present invention further provides a display shelf device including a
shelf
unit having front and rearopposed edges. The shelf unit comprises means
fordefining a
plurality of parallel tracks each extending between the front and rear edges
of the unit to
receive a row of articles for movement along each track. The track-defining
means
comprises a floor panel and a plurality of spaced parallel partition walls
upstanding from
the floor panel and extending between the front and rear edges. Each track is
defined by
the floor panel and a pair of adjacent partition walls. The floor panel
comprises, for each
track, means for defining a plane on which the bottoms of articles are to be
disposed, and
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a pair of railings disposed along the plane and extending along each track.
The floor panel
further comprises a pair of railings defining therebetween a groove for
receiving a portion
of the bottom of each article. The railings have tops disposed above the
plane.
In a preferred embodiment, the device further comprises support means for
supporting the shelf unit so that the shelf unit is inclined downwardly toward
its front edge.
This allows the articles in each track to gravity feed one after anothertoward
the front edge
of the shelf unit as leading articles in each track are removed from each
track.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a display shelf
device according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the channels in the shelf device of
Figure 1, showing a petaloid bottle placed therein.
Figure 4 is a view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are cross sections showing variations of the channel of
Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a shelf unit which may be used in the shelf
device of Figure 1.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an article
support sheet according to the present invention.
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Figure 9 is a perspective view of a display shelf device having the support
sheet of Figure 8.
Figures 10-12 illustrate a channel memberwith a single railing offset to the
right of the centerline.
Figures 13-15 illustrate a channel memberwith a single railing offset to the
left of the centerline.
Figures 16-18 illustrate a channel memberwith a pairof railings offset to the
right of the centerline.
Figures 19-21 illustrate a channel memberwith a pair of railings offset to the
left of the centerline.
Figures 22-24 illustrate a channel member with a pair of railings equally
spaced from the centerline with parallel ribs therebetween
Figure 25 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a front portion of a channel
member having ribs and railings.
Figure 26 is a front view of a front stopper member forthe channel member
of Figure 25.
Figure 27 is left L-shaped channel member with a railing and ribs.
Figure 28 is a pair L-shaped channel members, each with a railing and ribs.
Figure 29 is an inverted T-shaped channel member with railings and ribs.
Figure 30 illustrates a pair inverted T-shaped channel members, each with
railings and ribs.
Figure 31 is a diagram illustrating the position of a single railing relative
to
the petaloid feet of an article.
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Figure 32 is a diagram illustrating the position of a pair of railings
relative
to the petaloid feet of an article.
Figure 33 is a diagram illustrating the position of a pair of railings and
positioning ribs relative to the petaloid feet of an article.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 shows a gravity feed display shelf device designed to display and
merchandise bottled beverages such as soft drinks contained in PET petaloid
bottles. The
"petaloid bottle" in this application refers to a bottle having at least three
(preferably five
or six) feet evenly disposed around the longitudinal axis of the bottle and
projecting from
a generally hemispherical bottom form of the bottle to provide a stable self-
standing
support.
The illustrated shelf device comprises a base 20 and a lower back panel 22
extending upwardly from the base 20. The back panel 22 is supported by lower
post
members 24 and 26 having slotted sloping faces 28 and 30, respectively.
Secured atop
the lower post member24 is an upper post member32 having a vertically disposed
slotted
face 34. Similarly, an upper post member 36 is mounted atop the lower post
member 26
and is provided with a slotted vertical face 38. An upper back panel 40 is
supported by
the upper post members 32 and 36. Shelves generally indicated at 42 and 44 are
mounted respectively on the slotted sloping faces 28 and 30 and on the slotted
vertical
faces 34 and 38.
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The shelves 42 and 44 are substantially identical and are supported in
substantially parallel relationship to each other on the respective sloping
and vertical faces
28, 30, 34 and 38. Engaging tabs on the shelves 42 and 44 cooperate with the
slots in the
sloping and vertical faces in different ways to detachably connect the shelves
to the post
members 24, 26, 32 and 36. Thus the shelves 42 and 44 are maintained in
parallel
relationship by virtue of the fact that the tabs and the angle of the sloping
faces of the lower
post members 24 and 26 cooperate in such manner as to achieve this result. The
manner
in which this is accomplished is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,983,822 issued
October 5,
1976.
As shown in the drawings, each of the shelves such as 42 and 44 comprises
support means in the form of a substantially rigid support frame and a
plurality of parallel
elongate channels 64 placed side by side on the support frame to accommodate
and
support a number of petaloid bottles. As is best shown in Figures 1 and 2,
each support
frame includes a pair of spaced parallel side elements 46 and 48 extending
forward from
the respective post members and a set of spaced parallel front, intermediate
and rear
elements 50, 52 and 54 interconnecting the side elements 46 and 48. The side
elements
46 and 48 are provided at their respective rear ends with the aforementioned
engaging tabs.
The elements 50, 52 and 54 include upwardly facing support surfaces 56, 58 and
60,
respectively, all disposed in a common plane which is forwardly and downwardly
tilted.
These surfaces in cooperation support the channels 64 in a tilted fashion. The
angle of tilt
from the horizontal may vary somewhat but experience has shown that this angle
may be
about 1 to 20 degrees and preferably about 3.5 to 8 degrees. The angle of tilt
in most
applications of the invention may be approximately 6 degrees from horizontal.
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The front element 50 of the support frame includes stop means in the form
of a wire guard 62 which is slotted into the front element 50. This wire guard
62 is a
portion on which frontmost/leading bottles on each channel 64 rest, as will be
described
in more detail.
Figure 3 illustrates one of the channels 64 in the form separated from the
supportframe. As all the channels 64 are virtuallythe same in size and
structure, only one
channel is described hereinafter. As illustrated, the channel 64 includes a
pair of spaced
sidewalls 68 and 70 and a base wall 66 interconnecting the sidewalls 68 and 70
at their
respective lower edges. The channel 64 extends between the front and rear
elements 50
and 54 so that a track extending entirely between the front and rear elements
50 and 54
is defined by the sidewalls 68 and 70 and the base wall 66. The sidewalls 68
and 70 act
as guides for bottles in the channel 64 and cause the bottles placed on the
channel 64 to
be arranged in a row. The base wall 66 provide a floor on which the bottoms of
the bottles
are supported.
In order to minimize friction between the floor of the channel 64 and the
bottles to be received therein, a plurality of upwardly projecting parallel
ribs 86 are
integrally formed with the base wall 66 along the channel 64, as best shown in
Figures 3
and 4. The ribs 86, preferably, are arranged at equal spacings. Each rib 86 is
of a
generally triangular cross section. The tops or peak edges of the ribs 86 lie
in a common
plane on which the petaloid feet of each bottle are to be disposed.
As furthershown in Figures 3 and 4, the area of the base wall 66 around the
midpoint between the sidewalls 68 and 70 are formed without ribs 86, which
leaves a strip
of smooth surface on the base wall 66. The smooth surface is bounded by a pair
of
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spaced parallel railings 76 extending along the channel 64. These railings 76
are integrally
formed with the base wall 66, project upwardly and are turned inwardly toward
each other.
In other words, each railing 76 is of a generally L-shaped cross section. A
groove 80 is
defined between the railings 76, which groove is dimensioned such that one of
the petaloid
feet of a bottle may be loosely received in the groove. When using two-liter
petaloid
bottles having six feet, the width "W" of the groove 80 orthe distance between
the railings
76 may be about 18 mm and 35 mm and preferably about 23 mm. The height "H1"of
the
railings 76 is slightly greaterthan the height "H2" of the ribs 86 so that the
top surfaces of
the railings 76 are disposed above the plane. This arrangement allows the
bottles on the
base wall 66 to engage at their feet with at least one of the railings 76 to
resist minor
torque exerted on the bottles which would otherwise rotate the bottles about
their
respective upright longitudinal axes.
The above channel 64 may be extrusion-molded from any low friction
material; however, the unit is preferably formed of a plastic material such as
polyvinyl
chloride, polystyrene and the like. Among these plastic materials, the most
preferred
material for manufacturing the channel 64 is high impact polystyrene. Such
polystyrene
may have silicone or some other suitable lubricant material dispersed therein
in nrderto
reduce friction between the railings/ribs 76 and 86 and the bottles to be
disposed thereon.
In order to locate the channel 64 in position on the support frame, it is
necessary to simply insert the front and rear ends of the channel 64 into the
channel
shaped recesses 102 and 104 (see Figure 2) provided by the front and rear
elements 50
and 54, respectively. Of course, if required, the channel 64 may be secured to
the support
surfaces 56, 58 and 60 by suitable fastening means.
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The channels 64 thus located on the support frame are tilted downwardly
toward its front end. Therefore, when bottles are loaded onto the channels 64
as shown
in Figure 1, there is a natural tendencyfor rows of bottles automaticallyto
slide downwardly
and forwardly so that the leading bottles such as BO have theirsliding
movement arrested
by the wire stop 62 and normally rest against the front element 50. Also, as
the leading
bottles are removed from each channel, the remaining bottles are allowed to
gravity feed
one after another toward the front ends of the channels so as to be easy to
access and
ready to be dispensed.
During the above sliding movement, the bottles are subject to minortorque
due to friction with neighboring bottles as well as with the respective
channel, which tend
to rotate the bottles about their respective longitudinal axes. In the channel
of the invention,
however, the petaloid feet of the bottles are engaged by the railings 76 and
thereby
rotational movement of the bottles are prevented effectively. With the bottles
each having
five petaloid feet, one of the feet of each bottle is received in the groove
80. On the other
hand, with the bottles each having six petaloid feet, a pair of diametrically
opposed feet
of each bottle are received in the groove 80. An example of the bottles with
six petaloid
feet is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 where reference "L" designates one of
the
diametrically opposed feet.
The railings 76 also function as a guide forfacilitating the loading of
bottles
into the channel 64 with the labels or logos on the bottles facing in a
predetermined
direction. This is particularly convenient when the invention is used with
large sized PET
bottles having a body of a squeezed profile. On these squeezed bottles, the
logos are
printed on the opposed unsqueezed cylindrical faces only. An example of the
squeezed
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bottles is shown in Figure 3 in which reference numeral 90 denotes the
billboard area on
which the logos are printed.
It should be recognized that when the channel 64 is loaded with non-petaloid
articles, the lips (i.e., the horizontally extending portions) of the railings
76 can be resiliently
flexed downwardly due to the load of the bottles. When flexed, the tops of the
railings 76
are lowered to the plane and thereby do not interfere with smooth sliding
movement of the
non-petaloid bottles. In otherwords, the channel of the invention can
accommodate not
only the petaloid bottles but also articles with varying bottom shapes
including star,
champagne, and scalloped configurations. This also includes the shapes
provided by
base cups which fit on the bottoms of articles.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate variations or modified forms of the channel 64. The
channel 94 in Figure 5 has railings 96 of a generallytriangular cross section
whereas the
channel 104 in Figure 6 has railings 106 of a generally semicircular cross
section. The
other portions of the channels 94 and 104 are virtually identical to those of
the channel 64,
and thus like reference numerals are used to indicate the corresponding
portions.
Figure 7 illustrates a shelf unit 120 which may be used in place of the
channels 64. The shelf unit 120 is shown in the form separated from the
support frame in
Figures 1 and 2. As illustrated, the shelf unit 120 includes a floor panel 126
and a pair of
end partition walls 128 and 130 upstanding from the opposite side edges of the
floor panel
126. The partition walls 128 and 130 extend entirely along the respective side
edges. The
unit 120 also includes a series of equally spaced parallel intermediate
partition walls 132,
134, 136 and 138, which are parallel to the end partition walls 128 and 130.
These
intermediate partition walls also extend all the way between the front and
rear opposed
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edges 140 and 142 of the floor panel 126. Preferably, the shelf unit 120 is
molded from a
plastic into a one-piece structure.
The intermediate partition walls divide the space between the end partition
walls 128 and 130 into a plurality of tracks extending between the front and
rear edges 140
and 142. In other words, each track is defined by the respective pair of
adjacent partition
walls and the floor panel 126. The partition walls 128, 130, 132, 134, 136 and
138 act as
guides for bottles on the shelf unit 120 and cause the bottles placed on the
shelf unit 120 to
be arranged in parallel rows, each row of bottles being received in the
respective track. For
each track, a plurality of ribs and railings similar to those in Figure 4 are
provided.
It will be recognized that many variations may be made to the foregoing within
the scope of the present invention. For example, channel 64 may have only one
sidewall
upstanding from one of the opposite side edges of the base wall 66 so that the
channel has
a L-shaped cross section. Such L-shaped channels are placed side by side on
the support
frame so that the sole sidewall of each channel is shared with the adjacent
channel. An
example of the L-shaped channels is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,496,037
owned by the
assignee of the present invention.
It should be also recognized that the channel and the shelf unit of the
invention may be placed or fixed on a horizontal support frame to provide a
non-gravity feed
display shelf.
It should be further recognized that the present invention may be incorporated
into an article support sheet 140 such as shown in Figure 8. The sheet include
a plurality of
elongate parallel base wall strips 142 arranged side by side and
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joined togetherto form a unitary structure. Each base wall strip 142 include
ribs 144 and
the railings 146 extending along the respective strip 142 similarly to those
shown in
Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 9, the sheet 140 is placed on the
supportframe 148
which is similar to the support frame in Figure 1 and provided with a wirework
150
including front transverse members 152 and 154, reartransverse members 156 and
158,
and a pluralityof longitudinal partition members 160. Thewirework 150 defines
a plurality
of tracks extending along the base wall strips 142 respectively so that each
track can
receive a row of articles for movement along the respective base wall strip
142.
Referring now to Figures 10-12, an elongated display channel member is
illustrated for receiving a row of articles for sliding movement therealong.
Such articles
may be beverage bottles or cans having petaloid feet. The display channel has
an
elongated base wall 161 with opposites edges which are left and right sides
edges as
illustrated in Figure 10. A left sidewall 162 is upstanding from the left side
edge, and a
right sidewall 164 is upstanding from the right side edge. A plurality of
parallel ribs 166
project upwardlyfrom the base wall 161 and extend longitudinallyalong the base
wall. The
ribs 166 have tops that define a plane on which the bottoms of the articles
ride. A first
railing 168 projects upwardlyfrom the base wall 161 and extends longitudinally
along the
channel. The first railing 168 has a top portion disposed above the plane. The
projecting
first railing 168 extends above the plane to engage a groove or space existing
between
adjacent petaloid feet of the articles. Railing 168 is offset from the
longitudinal centerline
of the channel toward the right sidewall 164. This positioning allows railing
168 to engage
the space or groove between adjacent petaloid feet in an article having an
even number
of petaloid feet, such as six forexample, to prevent the article from rotating
in the channel.
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Becausethe display channel is normallytilted downward, the sidewalls 162 and
164 have
their front topmost corners truncated to fit neatly in the shelving, such as
the shelving in
Figures 1 and 9.
Figures 13-15 are similarto Figures 10-12. An elongated display channel
has an elongated base wall 170 with opposites edges which are left and right
sides edges
as illustrated in Figure 13. A left sidewall 172 is upstanding from the left
side edge and a
right sidewall 174 is upstanding from the right side edge. A plurality of
parallel ribs 176
project upwardly from the base wall 170 and extend longitudinally along the
base wall. The
ribs 176 have tops that define a plane on which the bottoms of the articles
ride. A first
railing 178 projects upwardly from the base wall and extends longitudinally
along the
channel. The first railing 178 has a top portion disposed above the plane. The
projecting
first railing 178 extends above the plane to engage a groove or space existing
between
adjacent petaloid feet of the articles. Railing 178 is offset from the
longitudinal centerline
of the channel toward the left sidewall 172. This positioning allows railing
178 to engage
the space or groove between adjacent petaloid feet in an article having an
even number
of petaloid feet to prevent the article from rotating in the channel. Because
the display
channel is normally tilted downward, the sidewalls 172 and 174 have their
front topmost
corners truncated to fit neatly in the shelving, such as the shelving in
Figures 1 and 9.
Referring to Figures 16-18, an elongated display channel has an elongated
base wall 180 with opposites edges which are left and right sides edges as
illustrated in
Figure 16. A left sidewall 182 is upstanding from the left side edge and a
right sidewall
184 is upstanding from the right side edge. A plurality of parallel ribs 185
project upwardly
from the base wall 180 and extend longitudinally along the base wall. The ribs
185 have
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tops that define a plane on which the bottoms of the articles ride. First and
second railings
186,187 project upwardly from the base wall 180 with theirtops extending above
the plane
to engage a petaloid foot of an article to prevent rotation of the article in
the channel. The
front end of the sidewalls 182, 184 have theirtop corners truncated so that
the front of the
shelving unit lies in a vertical plane. Protruding corners would interfere
with the closing of
a door of a refrigerator unit where the shelving may be used. The railings
186, 187 are
offset from the longitudinal centerline of the channel toward the right
sidewall 184 to
cooperate with the right sidewall to prevent rotation of the articles.
Railings 186 and 187
may act independently to prevent rotation or may cooperate depending on the
article size
and number of feet.
Figures 19-21 are similarto Figures 16-18. In Figures 19-21, an elongated
display channel has an elongated base wall 190 with opposites edges which are
left and
right sides edges as illustrated in Figure 19. A left sidewall 192 is
upstanding from the left
side edge and a right sidewall 194 is upstanding from the right side edge. A
plurality of
parallel ribs 195 project upwardly from the base wall 190 and extend
longitudinally along
the base wall. The ribs 195 have tops that define a plane on which the bottoms
of the
articies ride. First and second railings 196,197 project upwardly from the
base wall 190
with theirtops extending above the plane to engage a petaloid foot of an
article to prevent
rotation of the article in the channel. The front end of the sidewalls 192,194
have their top
corners truncated so that the front of the shelving unit lies in a vertical
plane. The railings
196, 197 are offset from the longitudinal centerline of the channel toward the
left sidewall
192 to cooperate with the left sidewall to prevent rotation of the articles.
Railings 196 and
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197 may act independently to prevent rotation or may cooperate depending on
the article
size and number of feet.
Referring to Figures 22-24, an elongated display channel has an elongated
base wall 200 with left and right upstanding sidewalls 202, 204 attached
thereto. The base
wall 200 has a piuralityof parallel ribs 205 projecting upwardly from the base
wall 200 and
extending longitudinally along the channel. The ribs 205 have tops that define
a plane.
Also upstanding from the base wall 200 are first and second upwardly
projecting railings
206, 207. The first and second railings 206, 207 are spaced apart and define a
groove
therebetween. The groove is dimensioned to receive at least one petaloid foot
of each of
the articles in the channel to prevent rotation in the channel. One or more
positioning ribs
208 are disposed in the groove between the first and second railings to
receive portions
of two petaloid feet of each article to tilt the article forward toward the
front of the channel.
Both the railings 206, 207 and the positioning ribs 208 extend above the plane
but the
railings extend fartherthan the positioning ribs 208. A preferred orientation
of an article
in the channel is to have one petaloid foot ride in the groove defined by the
first and second
railings, and, in the case of an odd numberof petaloid feet, to have portions
of two petaloid
feet disposed in the groove and ride on the positioning ribs 208. Figure 33
illustrates a
front petaloid foot riding between railings while two rear petaloid feet ride
on the railings
and positioning ribs. This positioning tilts the rear of the article to be
upward causing the
article to tilt forward in the channel. This is very useful when the channel
member is used
on a horizontal shelf because the tilting makes the article easierto see and
remove. This
rib configuration may be used with the tray structure of Figure 7 or the sheet
structure of
Figure 8.
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Figures 25-26 illustrate a merchandising track device for displaying articles.
The track device has an elongate track base 210 for carrying a row of articles
for sliding
movement therealong. A plurality of parallel ribs 212 project upwardly from
the track base
and extend longitudinally along the track base parallel to a longitudinal
centerline of the
track base. The ribs 212 have tops defining a plane. A first railing 214
projects upwardly
from the track base and extends longitudinally along the track base with its
top portion
disposed above the plane. A tongue 216 extends from the track base to attach a
front
piece 218. The front piece 218 is formed as a discrete structure separate from
the track
base and attached to the tongue 216 to provide a stopper for preventing a
leading article
in the row from exiting the track device. The track device has at least one
article-guiding
sidewall 220 upstanding from the track base and extending therealong. A second
railing
222 project upwardlyfrom the track base and extends longitudinally along said
track base
with its top portion disposed above the plane.
The first and second railings 212, 222 define a groove therebetween
dimensioned to receive at least one petaloid foot of each of article in the
channel to
prevent rotation of the article. One or more positioning ribs 224 are disposed
in the
groove to receive portions of two petaloid feet of each of the articles to
tilt the article
forward toward the front edge. As illustrated in Figure 25, the first and
second railings are
equally spaced from the centerline, but they may be offset from the centerline
toward one
of said sidewalls as illustrated in Figures 10 and 13. The front piece 218 has
ribs and
railings that align with the ribs and railings of the track base.
Figure 27 illustrates a display track device having a base wall 230 and a
single upstanding sidewall 232. Base wall 230 has parallel ribs 234 and a
railing 236
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positioned on the base wall to engage the bottom of an article. Figure 28
shows track
devices arranged as a pair with one device having a left sidewall and the
other device
having a right sidewall. The railings are disposed on the base walls at or
near the side
edge remote from the attached sidewall. Depending on manufacturing tolerances,
the
railings may abut one another or may be spaced apart to engage an article to
prevent
rotation of the article in the channel.
Figure 29 illustrates a display track device having a base wall 240 and a
single upstanding wall 242 disposed along the longitudinal centerline of the
device. Base
wall 240 has parallel ribs 244 and a railing 246 disposed on either side of
the upstanding
wall 242 to engage the bottom of an article. Figure 30 shows track devices
arranged side
by side as a pair. The railings 246,248 are disposed on the base walls at or
near the side
edges remote from the attached upstanding wall. Depending on manufacturing
tolerances,
adjacent railings may abut one another or may be spaced apart to engage an
article to
prevent rotation of the article in the channel.
Figure 31 shows a single railing 250 fitting between adjacent petaloid feet
to prevent rotation of the article. Figure 32 shows a pair of railings 252,
254 with petaloid
feet between the railings. Figure 33 illustrates an article with an odd number
of petaloid
feet with one foot in the groove between the railings 256,258 to prevent
rotation, and with
parts of two feet riding on railings 256, 258 and on positioning ribs 260.
