IP Library Granted Patent US 8,376,151
Granted Patent B2
US 8,376,151 · App. 12/949,184 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Merchandising and displaying of towing products

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,376,151
App. No.
12/949,184
Granted
Feb 19, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A merchandising display for heavy and cumbersome products includes a rail that is supported by a display wall and arms attached to the rail. The arms are spaced from other arms to create columns and rows of retail product stock. The merchandising display further includes structure for providing indicia that assists a viewer to quickly and easily locate desired retail products and other complementary products. Customer accessible back-up inventory is provided behind the first retail product.

Claims (22)

1. A merchandising display with a displayed multitude of towing products as merchandise, the merchandising display including:

a plurality of receiver-style ball mounts being a first displayed merchandise, each ball mount including an elongated portion and a longitudinal extent, the elongated portion including an aperture for a temporary item extending through the aperture, each ball mount including a tongue;

a plurality of hitch balls being a second displayed merchandise, each hitch ball including a collar and a threaded portion;

a rail for fastened support to a display wall; and

a plurality of arms attached to the rail and supporting the pluralities of displayed merchandise, each arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the arms having sufficient strength to withstand supporting the displayed merchandise, the arms having support surfaces to support the displayed merchandise in midair, the arms having sufficient lengths to support a front displayed merchandise item and at least a following displayed merchandise behind the first displayed merchandise, for the receiver-style ball mounts as the first displayed merchandise nesting the following displayed merchandise into the front displayed merchandise at the respective tongues, the arms being spaced from other arms to create columns and rows of retail product stock, some of the arms engaging and supporting the collar of the hitch balls, some of the arms for engaging the temporary items extending through the apertures of the ball mounts.

2. The merchandising display of claim 1 wherein at least one of the arms further includes a non-hanging support surface for a non-hanging retail product.

3. The merchandising display of claim 1 wherein at least some of the support surfaces of the arms are angled to provide a lower elevation at the proximal end than other points toward the distal end, providing a gravity feed to bring at least some of the displayed merchandise toward the proximal end of the arm while retaining nesting of the receiver-style ball mounts.

4. The merchandising display of claim 1 further including stop devices upon at least some of the arms to prevent at least some of the displayed merchandise from sliding past a respective proximal end of the respective arms.

5. The merchandising display of claim 1 further including protection structure to inhibit contact between adjacent retail products.

6. The merchandising display of claim 1 wherein the nesting of the ball mount includes nesting of adjacent tongues of adjacent ball mounts.

7. The merchandising display of claim 1 further including a shelf structure for non-hanging displayed merchandise.

8. A method of displaying a multitude of towing products as merchandise, the method including the steps of:

providing a plurality of receiver-style ball mounts as a first displayed merchandise, each ball mount including an elongated portion and a longitudinal extent, the elongated portion including an aperture for a temporary item extending through the aperture, each ball mount including a tongue;

providing a plurality of hitch balls as a second displayed merchandise, each hitch ball including a collar and a threaded portion;

providing a rail for fastened support to a display wall; and

providing a plurality of arms attached to the rail and supporting the pluralities of displayed merchandise, each arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the arms having sufficient strength to withstand supporting the displayed merchandise, the arms having support surfaces to support the displayed merchandise in midair, the arms having sufficient lengths to support a front displayed merchandise item and at least a following displayed merchandise behind the first displayed merchandise, for the receiver-style ball mounts as the first displayed merchandise nesting the following displayed merchandise into the front displayed merchandise at the respective tongues, the arms being spaced from other arms to create columns and rows of retail product stock, some of the arms engaging and supporting the collar of the hitch balls, some of the arms for engaging the temporary items extending through the apertures of the ball mounts.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of providing a plurality of arms is further limited such that at least one of the arms further includes a non-hanging support surface for a non-hanging retail product.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of providing a plurality of arms is further limited such that at least some of the support surfaces of the arms are angled to provide a lower elevation at the proximal end than other points toward the distal end, providing a gravity feed to bring at least some of the displayed merchandise toward the proximal end of the arm while retaining nesting of the receiver-style ball mounts.

11. The method of claim 8 further including the step of providing stop devices upon at least some of the arms to prevent at least some of the displayed merchandise from sliding past a respective proximal end of the respective arms.

12. The method of claim 8 further including the step of providing protection structure to inhibit contact between adjacent retail products.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of providing a plurality of arms is further limited such that the nesting of the ball mount includes nesting of adjacent tongues of adjacent ball mounts.

14. The method of claim 8 further including the step of providing a shelf structure for non-hanging displayed merchandise.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2022
From: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC
To: KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 059859/0934 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2020
From: SUPER G CAPITAL, LLC
To: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC; SMART STRAPS, LLC; TOWSMART, LLC; CARGO SMART, LLC; CLEVELAND CLEANING PRODUCTS, LLC; MAKE 'EM ALL LLC
Reel/Frame 053363/0066 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK
To: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC
Reel/Frame 050399/0725 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC
To: CHEMICAL BANK, A DIVISION OF TCF NATIONAL BANK
Reel/Frame 050300/0364 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 28, 2019
From: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC; SMART STRAPS, LLC; TOWSMART, LLC; CARGOSMART, LLC; CLEVELAND CLEANING PRODUCTS, LLC; MAKE 'EM ALL LLC
To: SUPER G CAPITAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 048175/0823 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2012
From: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC
To: THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK
Reel/Frame 029258/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2011
From: BREEDEN, WINSTON; BREJ, THADDUES T
To: WINSTON PRODUCTS LLC
Reel/Frame 025674/0309 →