Multi-shelved display assembly

Claim 1

In a multi-shelved collapsible display assembly including a base, a standard extending upwardly from said base, and an array of shelves spaced longitudinally along the length of said standard and carried thereby, said shelves being formed with holes extending transversely thereof to receive portions of the standard therethrough, said base and a lowermost shelf of said array of shelves being generally coextensive, coaxial, and each including a generally circular perimetric edge portion, said display assembly further comprising a sheetlike display panel adapted to wrap around the display assembly between the base and the lowermost shelf and to bear graphic indicia for advertisement of any articles carried by the shelves of the display assembly, said display panel being formed with a slit extending longitudinally therethrough and further comprising integral tab means, said tab means being adapted to seat within the slit to form a cylindrical display sign surrounding the display assembly between the base and the lowermost shelf, said base being formed with a groove opening upwardly and extending around an upper perimetric edge portion thereof, and said lowermost shelf being formed with a groove opening downwardly and extending around a lower perimetric edge portion thereof, said cylindrical display panel being sized to extend longitudinally between the grooves in the base and in the lowermost shelf, thereby to stabilize the display assembly against objectionable lateral displacement, said display assembly further comprising shelf weight isolating means to preclude a given shelf of said array from subjection to the weight of any shelf and shelf-carried articles thereabove in said array, said shelf weight isolating means including a shelf-support standard which is lineally segmented to provide a series of in-line pole segments interconnectable to provide a unitary integrated pole structure, said standard including a first pole segment defining a socket, a weight support end wall extending transversely of said socket, and a second pole segment adjacent the first pole segment and including a projection adapted to seat within the socket of the first pole segment and to abut said end wall, said projection, said socket, and said end wall comprising in combination coupling means and weight bearing means operative to transfer to each segment of said pole structure the full weight of each segment thereabove, and pole carried shelf support means to support the shelves in place on the standard in zones adjacent junctures of intercoupled consecutive segments of the pole structure, said support means comprising an annular weight bearing ledge encircling a longitudinal axis of said pole structure and normal thereto, and annular shoulder means on said shelves encircling and concentric with said holes formed therethrough; whereby said shoulder means bears downwardly upon said ledge to support said shelves and shelf-carried articles on the pole structure, to obviate imposition on any shelf of the weight of the standard and the standard-carried shelves thereabove.