U.S. patent application number 11/766438 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-25 for storage rack for pot and pan lids.
Invention is credited to Mark A. Etter, Richard B. Klein, Matt Ostmeyer.
Application Number | 20080314846 11/766438 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40135375 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080314846 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Klein; Richard B. ; et
al. |
December 25, 2008 |
STORAGE RACK FOR POT AND PAN LIDS
Abstract
A rack for holding kitchen items including pot and pan lids,
trays, cutting boards and cake pans may be mounted on a glide
mechanism to slide in and out of a cabinet. The rack includes a
wire construction base and bent wire partitions defining
fore-to-aft pockets in which lids may be stored with bottom arcs of
the lids placed on cross wires of the base to prevent the lids from
rolling when the rack is moved in or out of the cabinet. Handles
and knobs on the lids fit in spaces provided by U-shaped loops of
the partitions. The partitions and base are initially detached from
each other, and from the glide mechanism, for compact packaging.
The partitions have legs provided with flanges to seat flatly on
plates of the base, with special nuts securing the partition legs
and providing large surfaces against the undersides of the plates
for secure and stable connection of the partitions.
Inventors: |
Klein; Richard B.; (Overland
Park, KS) ; Etter; Mark A.; (Independence, MO)
; Ostmeyer; Matt; (Carlsbad, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HUSCH BLACKWELL SANDERS LLP
4801 Main Street, Suite 1000
KANSAS CITY
MO
64112
US
|
Family ID: |
40135375 |
Appl. No.: |
11/766438 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/41.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 5/01 20130101; A47J
47/16 20130101; A47F 5/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/41.11 |
International
Class: |
A47G 29/00 20060101
A47G029/00 |
Claims
1. A rack adapted to hold kitchen items including lids having
curved edges and projecting handles, said rack comprising: a base
having a plurality of cross members arranged in pairs spaced apart
to receive an arc of the edge of a lid between each pair of cross
members; and a plurality of generally upright partitions connected
with said base to extend generally front to back substantially
perpendicular to said cross members and spaced apart to present
pockets between each adjacent pair of partitions for accommodating
lids applied to said cross members.
2. A rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the said
partitions presents a space for accepting extension of the handle
of a lid therethrough when the lid is applied to a pair of said
cross members.
3. A rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said partitions
compromises a wire element arranged to provide a plurality of
generally U-shaped loops located to accept extension of the handle
of a lid therethrough when the lid is applied to a pair of said
cross members.
4. A rack as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said partitions
has front and back legs connected with said base and a bottom wire
extending between said front and back legs.
5. A rack as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said loops is
connected to said bottom wire.
6. A rack as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said loops has a
curved lower end connected to said bottom wire.
7. A rack as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said wire
elements provides a plurality of generally inverted U-shaped loops
each having a curved upper end.
8. A rack as set forth in claim 7, wherein said loops have upper
ends located at a plurality of different heights.
9. A rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partitions have
detachable connections with said base.
10. A rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein: each of said
partitions has front and back legs; and each of said front and back
legs is connected with said base by a detachable fastener.
11. A rack as set forth in claim 10, including a flange on each of
said front and back legs arranged to seat flatly against a selected
portion of said base.
12. A rack as set forth in claim 11, wherein said flanges have
threaded connections with said front and back legs.
13. A rack as set forth in claim 11, wherein said base provides a
substantially flat surface against which said flanges seat.
14. A rack as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said
detachable fasteners comprises: an internally threaded body for
threaded application to said front and back legs, said bodies
having substantially flat upper edges for seating flatly against
undersides of said flat surface; and a tool receiving recess in a
lower end of each body.
15. A rack as set forth in claim 14, including an exterior surface
on each of said fasteners providing an enhanced grip to facilitate
turning of the fastener by hand.
16. A rack as set forth in claim 13, wherein said substantially
flat surface is provided by a generally horizontal plate on said
base.
17. A rack as set forth in claim 16, wherein said base includes a
plurality of lateral wires to which edges of said plate are
secured.
18. A rack as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said
detachable fasteners comprises: an internally threaded body for
threaded application to said front and back legs, each of said
bodies having an exterior surface and opposite ends presenting
substantially flat edge surfaces for seating against said flat
surface of said base; and a tool receiving surface on each end of
each of said bodies.
19. A rack as set forth in claim 18, including an enhanced grip
surface occupying substantially the entirety of said exterior
surface of each of said bodies.
20. A rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said base has a
periphery formed by wire elements; and said cross members comprise
wire members connected with said wire elements on opposite sides of
said periphery.
21. A rack as set forth in claim 1, including a glide mechanism
having a track for installation in a cabinet and a glide on which
said base is mounted, said glide being connected with said track
for extension and retraction out of and into the cabinet.
22. A rack adapted to hold kitchen items including lids having
curved edges and projecting handles, said rack comprising: a base
constructed of interconnected wires including opposite side wires
and a plurality of cross wires extending transversely between said
side wires and arranged in pairs wherein the cross wires in each
pair are spaced apart to receive an arc of the edge of a lid place
thereon; and a plurality of generally upright partitions each
constructed of a wire element having front and back legs attached
to said base to secure said partitions to extend generally front to
back substantially perpendicular to said cross wires with spaces
between adjacent partitions providing pockets for accepting lids
placed on said cross wires, each of said wire elements including a
plurality of generally inverted U-shaped loops alternating with
generally U-shaped loops with said loops located to accept the
handles of lids placed on said cross wires.
23. A rack as set forth in claim 22, including a glide mechanism
having a track for installation in a cabinet and a glide on which
said base is mounted, said glide being connected with said track
for sliding extension and retraction out of and into the
cabinet.
24. A slide out rack for installation in a cabinet to hold kitchen
items including lids having curved edges and projecting handles,
said rack comprising: a glide mechanism having a track for
installation in the cabinet and a runner connected with said track
for extension and retraction relative thereto; a base adapted for
connection to said runner to extend and retract therewith, said
base having opposite sides and a plurality of cross members
extending transversely between said sides and arranged in pairs
spaced apart to receive an arc of the edge of a lid between said
pairs of cross members; and a plurality of partitions arranged to
be connected with said base to extend generally front to back
substantially perpendicular to said cross members and spaced apart
to present pockets between adjacent partitions for receiving lids
applied to said cross members.
25. A rack as set forth in claim 24, wherein each of said
partitions presents a plurality of spaces therein for accepting the
handles of lids applied to said cross members.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates in general to the storage of pot and
pan lids and other relatively thin kitchen items such as cutting
boards, trays, and cake pans. More particularly, the invention is
directed to a storage rack which holds kitchen items of this type
in a convenient and space efficient manner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Storage systems of various types have been proposed for
storing a wide variety of kitchen items in cabinets and other
storage areas. Relatively thin items such as pot and pan lids and
trays, cutting boards and cake pans have proven to be difficult to
store in a manner that conserves available space and yet maintains
the items conveniently accessible when needed. Typically, racks and
organizers for these types of kitchen items store the items either
in a stack or in a position such that their primary planes are
oriented crosswise to the direction of access. With a crosswise
arrangement, access to lids in the back part of the rack requires
reaching over a number of lids in the front part of the rack, and
this can be difficult and often frustrating, especially if larger
items are in the front part of the rack. With pullout-type racks
that store in a cabinet, efforts to organize the lids in a more
convenient orientation with the lids extending front-to-back have
been unsuccessful, primarily because the lids tend to roll back and
forth on their curved edges as the rack is extended out of and
retracted into the cabinet. Simply stacking the lids on one another
is unsatisfactory because the entire stack must often be handled in
order to locate the particular lid that is needed.
[0003] Minimizing the size of the package is of paramount
importance in order to minimize the retail shelf space that is
occupied as well as the packaging, storage and shipping costs.
[0004] Achieving a compact package while providing a rack having
adequate structural strength has not been achieved. The weak
structures that have been proposed cause rattling, wobbling,
inadequate retention of the lids, and even breakage of the rack in
some cases. Another problem has been to accommodate the handles or
knobs that project from most kitchen lids in a satisfactory manner
without taking up undue space in a cabinet or other area where the
lids are stored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the drawbacks associated with the pot and pan lid
racks that have been proposed in the past, it is evident that a
need exists for a rack which can be packaged compactly and which
stores lids in a stable and space-efficient manner while
maintaining the lids readily accessible. It is the primary goal of
the present invention to meet these needs.
[0006] More specifically, it is an object of the invention to
provide a storage rack which accommodates kitchen items such as pot
and pan lids, trays, cake pans and cutting boards in a
front-to-back orientation to maximize accessibility. This is
accomplished by providing a rack that has a base with spaced apart
cross elements to receive arcs on the curved edges of the lids,
along with partitions providing pockets extending front-to-back to
hold the lids and trays upright between adjacent pairs of the
partitions.
[0007] The base may conveniently have a wire construction which
reduces the material costs and weight while providing adequate
strength. The partitions may take the form of bent wires having
various shapes, including alternating U-shaped loops and inverted
U-shaped loops. The loops provide spaces for accepting the handles
or knobs of lids while counteracting any tendency for the handles
to catch on the rack structure. The preferred wire construction of
the partitions is cost effective and results in a light weight.
[0008] The base and partitions are preferably detachable so they
can be packaged in a compact configuration in order to minimize the
retail shelf space that is occupied as well as the packaging,
shipping and storage costs. A glide mechanism is preferably
provided to allow installation in a cabinet such that the rack can
slide in and out of the cabinet. If the glide mechanism is
provided, it may be packaged compactly with the other components,
and the entire unit can be easily assembled and installed by
ordinary consumers.
[0009] The connection of the partitions to the base is preferably
made by providing legs on the front and back of each partition,
extending the legs through mounting plates on the base, and
securing the legs to the plates with nuts which may be specially
constructed for easy installation. The legs may be provided with
flanges that seat flatly on the mounting plates, and the nuts
preferably have large upper edge surfaces that seat flatly against
the undersides of the plates. This arrangement mounts the
partitions in a strong and stable manner and avoids an
out-of-vertical condition of the partitions, as well as preventing
wobbling or other instability of the partitions or any other
portion of the structure. Preferably, the partitions are equipped
with front-to-back bottom wires for enhanced rigidity and to assist
in holding the lids and trays vertical by preventing them from
slipping under the loops of the partitions. The bottoms of the
loops may be welded or otherwise secured to the bottom wires to
strengthen the partition structure. The mounting plates on the base
may be specially constructed to enhance the stiffness and rigidity
of the entire rack structure.
[0010] Other and further objects of the invention, together with
the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the
course of the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0011] In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the
specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage rack for pot and
pan lids and other kitchen items constructed according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rack structure
shown in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the rack structure
shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the
base for the rack structure shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged
scale of the detail identified by the numeral 5 in FIG. 4;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one
embodiment of a nut that may be used to secure the partitions to
the base of the rack structure shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7 is an elevational view of another embodiment of a nut
that may be used to secure the partitions to the base of the rack
structure; and
[0019] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of
FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially
to FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral 10 generally designates a storage rack
constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention. The rack 10 is intended to receive and store
kitchen items including the lids of pots and pans, cutting boards,
trays, cake pans and other relatively thin items.
[0021] The rack 10 includes as its principal components a base
which is generally identified by numeral 12 and a plurality of
partitions which are generally identified by numeral 14. The rack
is preferably mounted on a glide mechanism, generally identified by
numeral 16 in order to allow the rack to be slid into and out of a
storage cabinet (not shown) or other storage area. The glide
mechanism 16 is preferably of the same type disclosed in pending
patent application Ser. No. 11/549,485 filed on Oct. 13, 2006, by
Richard B. Klein and Mark A. Etter and entitled "Glide Mechanism
for Rollout Drawers and Other Items." That pending application is
hereby incorporated by reference.
[0022] As described more fully in pending application Ser. No.
11/549,485, the glide mechanism 16 includes a pair of rails 18
which are rigidly connected by flat cross bars 20 near their front
and back ends. Runners 22 fit in the respective tracks 18 and may
be extended out of the tracks 18 and retracted into the tracks 18
to the fully retracted position shown in FIGS. 1-3.
[0023] The cross bars 20 are provided with openings 24 that may
receive conventional screws (not shown) which secure the glide
mechanism 16 to a cabinet such as the cabinet shelf 26 depicted in
FIG. 3. The runners 22 are equipped with brackets which provide
horizontal mounting plates 28 (FIG. 2) to which the base 12 may be
mounted.
[0024] Referring additionally to FIG. 4, the base 12 may have a
wire construction providing a lightweight yet sturdy structure. The
base 12 preferably has a generally rectangular periphery which may
be provided by a single bent wire presenting opposite side wires 30
and a back wire 32 which connects the side wires 30 at their back
ends. The front portion of the peripheral wire may be bent upwardly
to provide a handle 34 that facilitates gripping of the rack
10.
[0025] A plurality of smaller cross wires 36a-c extend between the
opposite side wires 30.
[0026] Wires 36a-c are spaced apart and parallel to one another and
may be arranged in pairs or in another arrangement. As shown in
FIG. 3, wires 36a provide a front pair of the cross wires, and
wires 36b provide a center pair of the cross wires. Wire 36c is
paired with a larger wire 38 which extends between the side wires
30 on the rear portion of the rack 12. Another wire 40 extends
between wires 30 at locations spaced a short distance rearwardly
from wire 38.
[0027] As best shown in FIG. 4, the wires 38 and 40 provide for the
mounting of a pair of flat tabs 42 which may be welded or otherwise
suitably secured to wires 38 and 40 at locations spaced slightly
inwardly from the opposite side wires 30. The tabs 42 are
preferably welded to the lower surfaces of wires 38 and 40. Each
tab 42 is provided with an elongated opening 44.
[0028] Near the front portion of the base 12, a pair of relatively
large wires 46 and 48 extend parallel to one another between the
side wires 30. A pair of flat tabs 50 are secured to the wires 46
and 48, preferably by welding to the lower surfaces of the wires 46
and 48. The tabs 50 are spaced apart near the opposite sides of the
rack 12 and are each provided with an elongated opening 52. Special
fasteners 53 (FIG. 2) are used to connect tabs 50 to mounting
plates 28 to connect the base 12 to the glide mechanism 16 in a
manner disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 11/549,485 and
with the advantages set forth therein.
[0029] Another cross wire 54 is secured to extend between the
opposite side wires 30 at a location spaced slightly forwardly from
the back wire 32. A flat mounting plate 56 is secured between wires
32 and 54, preferably by welding and also preferably with the plane
of the plate 56 located approximately midway of the depth of each
of the wires 32 and 54. This type of connection provides a strong
mounting for the plate 56 in an I-beam configuration with the wires
32 and 54 providing the flanges of the I-beam and the plate 56
forming the web of the I-beam. Plate 56 may be provided with
openings 58 (four openings in this embodiment) which are preferably
spaced equidistantly apart.
[0030] Near the front of the base 12, a cross wire 60 extends
between the side wires 30 at a location spaced slightly forwardly
from wire 48. A flat mounting plate 62 is secured to extend between
wires 48 and 60, preferably by welding plate 62 to mid-depth
locations on the wires 48 and 60 to provide an I-beam structure.
Plate 62 may be provided with a plurality of equally spaced
openings 64 (four openings in the illustrated embodiment).
[0031] Each of the dividers or partitions 14 may be constructed
identically, although they can have varying constructions. With
particular reference to FIGS. 1-3, each partition 14 is preferably
constructed of a wire element 66 having a front leg 68 and a rear
leg 70 each terminating in a free end. The wire elements 66 may be
bent in a curved fashion to provide a plurality of inverted
U-shaped loops 72 which alternate with U-shaped loops 74. The upper
ends of the loops 72 are preferably curved to avoid presenting
sharp corners or other abrupt surfaces.
[0032] The height of the different loops 72 may be varied as
desired, and preferably the rearward loops 72 extend higher than
the more forward loops 72, although other combinations may be
beneficial. Shapes other than U shapes may be employed.
[0033] The U-shaped loops 74 may be generally centered between the
pairs of wires 36a, 36b and 36c and 38. The lower ends of the loops
74 are curved and extend downwardly to a stabilizing wire 76. Wire
76 may be a straight wire that is welded or otherwise secured to
extend between the legs 68 and 70. The bottom portions of the loops
74 may be welded to the stabilizing wire 76 to enhance the rigidity
and stability of the partition 14 and minimize springiness near its
center.
[0034] As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the lower ends 78 of the
legs 68 and 70 are threaded and are each provided with an
internally threaded annular flange 80. Each flange 80 has a flat
surface for seating on top of the mounting plates 56 and 62. The
flanges 80 may be mounted in ways other than as described. However,
threading of flanges 80 is preferred because welding a flange onto
either leg 68 or 70 provides an unsightly weld bead if welded from
the top and provides an irregular weld bead that would interfere
with flat seating of the flanges 80 on plates 56 and 62 if the weld
is applied from the bottom.
[0035] The partitions 14 may be secured to base 12 by special nuts
82. As best shown in FIG. 2, an internally threaded passage 84
extends into the top end of the barrel shaped shank 86 of each nut
82. The externally threaded lower end portion 78 of each leg 68 and
70 mates with the internal threads in the passage 84 of nut 82. The
upper edge of shank 86 provides a flat annular surface 88 which
seats flatly against the underside of plate 56 or 62 when nut 82 is
fully tightened.
[0036] With particular reference to FIG. 6, the lower end of the
shank 86 has a knurled or splined surface 90 which facilitates
application of the nut 82 by hand. Additionally, the lower surface
of nut 82 is provided with a tool receiving recess 92 which extends
within the splined portion 90. The recess 92 has a configuration to
receive a suitable tool (not shown) that may be used to fully
tighten the nut 82. For example, the recess 92 may have a hexagonal
configuration to receive a conventional Allen wrench or other
wrench configuration.
[0037] It is contemplated that the rack 10 will be packaged with
the base 12, partitions 14 and glide mechanism 16 detached so that
the parts can be laid against one another to provide a package that
is considerably thinner than if the rack is packaged in assembled
form. This is a highly important feature of the invention because
retail shelf space is highly valuable, and providing a package that
occupies as little space as possible is of considerable importance
in this respect. Additionally, a compact package minimizes the
costs of packaging, storing and shipping products.
[0038] The rack 10 can be easily assembled after the parts have
been removed from the package. In a case where the glide mechanism
16 is provided and the rack is to be installed in a cabinet, the
glide mechanism 16 is installed at the proper position in the
cabinet, such as by inserting screws (not shown) through the
openings 24 and threading the screws into the cabinet shelf 26. The
base 12 may be mounted to the glide mechanism 16 by extending the
fasteners 53 through the openings 52 in tabs 50 and threading the
fasteners into the threaded openings in the mounting plates 28.
Preferably before the base 12 has been mounted to the glide
mechanism 16, the partitions 14 may be attached to the base 12 by
extending the legs 68 and 70 through the respective front and back
openings 64 and 58 in plates 62 and 56, and then tightening the
nuts 82 onto the threaded ends 78 from beneath the plates 62 and
56. The knurled or splined surfaces 90 facilitate initial
application of nuts 82 to threaded ends 78 by hand and allow the
nuts 82 to be finger-tightened to the extent possible. Then, a
suitable tool (not shown) may be applied to the recesses 92 and
used to fully tighten the nuts 82.
[0039] It is noted that once nuts 82 are fully tightened, the
flanges 80 are drawn flatly against the upper surfaces of plates 56
and 62 to provide a stable position for each of the partitions 14.
Similarly, the top surfaces 88 of nuts 82 provide large surfaces
that seat flatly against the undersides of plates 56 and 62 such
that plates 56 and 62 are sandwiched between the relatively large
surfaces provided by the flanges 80 and surfaces 88. The result is
that partitions 14 are securely connected with the base 12 in a
manner to assure that the partitions 14 occupy vertical planes and
do not wobble or otherwise exhibit instability. Connection of the
lower portions of the loops 74 to the rigid stabilizing wire 76
assists in maintaining the partitions 14 in position and resists
any tendency for the partitions to exhibit springiness in their
center portions or elsewhere. The strength of the mounting
arrangement for the partition is enhanced by the I-beam connection
of the plates 56 and 62 to the cross wires of rack 12.
[0040] In use, the rack 10 may be slid inwardly and outwardly in
the cabinet to provide convenient access to the pockets 93 (FIG. 2)
provided between the adjacent partitions 14. Pot and pan lids such
as the lid 94 depicted in FIG. 3 may be stored in the pockets 93.
The lids may be placed such that an arc of the round edge 96 of the
lid rests on the pairs of wires such as the wires 36b on which lid
94 rests in FIG. 3. The handle 98 of lid 94 is received in the open
space provided within the loop 74. In this respect, it is noted
that the lower portion of loop 74 extends downwardly to the area of
the stabilizing wire 76 and is thus low enough that the handle 98
does not contact the loop 74, assuring that the lid 94 will seat
properly on wires 36b as intended.
[0041] Additional lids (not shown) may be stored in the same pocket
93 as lid 94 and in the pockets 93 presented between the other
pairs of partitions 14. In the rack 10 shown, three rows of lids
can be arranged in the three pockets 93, although the rack can be
constructed with a different number of rows. Also, two or more lids
can be stored on each pair of wires 36a, 36b or 36c and 38 in any
one of the pockets 93. It is contemplated that two lids will
normally be stored in each row of each pocket 93, with the handles
of the two lids extending in opposite direction to extend within
the loops 74 of the two partitions on the opposite sides of the
pocket. However, a different number of lids may be accommodated
depending primarily upon their size and configuration.
[0042] Preferably, the loops 72 toward the front of the rack extend
to a lesser height than the loops 72 toward the back of the rack.
This provides support for larger lids and other larger items near
the back of the rack where they do not obstruct access to the
smaller lids or other items that may be stored toward the front of
the rack. However, the loops 72 may have other heights and may
assume configurations other than what is shown in the drawings.
[0043] The manner in which the wires 36a-c and 38 capture the
bottom arc portion of curved lids that are applied to the wires
assures that the lids will not roll back and forth as the rack 10
slides in and out of a cabinet. The vertical partitions 14 maintain
the lids with their planes vertical and extending front to rear
where their accessibility is maximized. In the case of lids with
large flanges on their rims or in the case of cake pans and other
items, the presence of the stabilizing wire 76 at the bottom
portions of the loops 74 prevents the rims from slipping beneath
the loops and possibly catching on them to present problems when
attempts are made to remove the lids from the rack. Wire 76 also
helps to maintain the lids and trays in a vertical posture.
[0044] In addition to pot and pan lids, the rack 10 can readily
store other items such as relatively flat trays and cutting boards
and cake pans having a relatively shallow depth. Such items are
maintained in a compact space when held in the rack 10, and they
cannot roll out due to the manner in which they are contained.
Different handle and knob sizes are readily accommodated due to the
construction of the rack.
[0045] While it is convenient to mount the rack on a glide
mechanism so that it can slide into and out of a cabinet or other
storage area, the rack is equally applicable as a self-standing
unit without a glide mechanism. A self-standing rack constructed in
the manner of the rack 10 can be located on a countertop, cabinet
shelf or elsewhere and still provide the advantages previously set
forth.
[0046] FIGS. 7 and 8 depict a nut 182 which may be used in place of
the nut 82 shown in FIG. 6. Each nut 182 has a passage 184 (FIG. 8)
which extends centrally through a barrel shaped shank or body 186
of each nut. Each passage 184 has internal threads 184a located in
the center portion thereof. The opposite ends of the body 186
provide substantially flat annular surfaces 188 which may seat
flatly against the underside of plates 56 or 62 when nut 182 is
fully tightened.
[0047] The entire exterior surface of body 186 is preferably
provided with knurls or splines 190 which allow enhanced gripping
to facilitate application and firm tightening of nut 182 by hand.
Tool receiving recesses 192 which may be hexagonal to receive a
tool such as an Allen wrench are formed in the opposite ends of the
nut body 184. Nuts 182 are applied and function in substantially
the same manner described previously for nuts 82 except nuts 182
are bi-directional.
[0048] From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is
well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth
together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are
inherent to the structure.
[0049] It will be understood that certain features and
subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without
reference to other features and subcombinations. This is
contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
[0050] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention
without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood
that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying
drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a
limiting sense.
* * * * *