Supporting Structures For Shelves, Rails And Like Members

Abstract

A support structure includes an upright and a bracket extending laterally therefrom. The upright has slots therein. The bracket includes first and second members. The first member has hooks which engage in the apertures and stops which limit rotational movement of the member toward the second member. The second member has hooks which engage in the apertures and stops which limit rotational movement of the member toward the first member. Both members have transverse holes therethrough which become aligned for receiving a pin when the members are strained toward each other.

Description

This invention relates to supporting structures for shelves, rails and like generally horizontally extending members for carrying and/or displaying goods for example in shops, offices and storerooms.

According to this invention there is provided a supporting structure for shelving, which structure comprises an upright having apertures spaced apart at regular intervals along its length, and a laterally projecting bracket which is mounted on the upright and which includes first and second laterally projecting members whereof the first member has a hook portion which is engaged in one of the apertures in the upright and which is disengageable by rotating the first member away from the second member and towards the upright, and has a stop portion which abuts the upright to limit rotation of the first member about its hook portion towards the second member, and whereof the second member has a hook portion which is engaged in one of the apertures in the upright and which is disengageable from the aperture by rotating the second member away from the first member and towards the upright, and has a stop portion which abuts the upright to limit rotation of the second member about its hook portion towards the first member, the first and second members each having a transversely-extending hole therein laterally spaced away from the hook portion, the holes being out of alignment with each other when the stop portions of the members rest against the upright but being brought into alignment with each other by relatively rotating the two members in a sense to press the stop portions of the member against the upright so that resilient deformation of the members and/or the upright occurs, and a bolt extending throughout the aligned holes.

Preferably, the bolt comprises a plain, headed pin. The pin may have its tip portion chamfered to assist in inserting the pin into the aligned holes.

The stop portion on each member may conveniently be provided on a part of the member which faces the upright immediately adjacent the hook portion of the member.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the bracket is disposed at or adjacent one end of the upright and provides a support for the upright on the ground. In this case, the bracket may be provided with feet for engaging the ground. The bracket may however alternatively or additionally carry a shelf, rail or like horizontally extending support members.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first bracket member in side elevation.

FIG. 2 shows a plan of the first bracket member.

FIG. 3 shows a second bracket member in side elevation.

FIG. 4 shows an inverted plan of the second bracket member, and

FIG. 5 shows the assembled structure, partly in section.

In this example, the invention is employed in forming a base having an upright connected to it and enabling the shelf structure to be free standing. The structure comprises a plurality of uprights spaced apart along the length of the shelving each upright having a base.

Referring now to the drawings each upright (FIG. 5) consists of a rectangular section tubular member 10, the two narrower sides 11 of which are provided at regular intervals along their length with pairs of slots 12, the slots of each pair being disposed side-by-side. A bracket 13 projects laterally from one of the sides 11 of the upright and comprises two members 14, 15. The upper member 14 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is made up from two similar plate elements which are disposed side-by-side and which are joggled together at 16 and secured together by spot-welding at positions 17 in the joggled part. The edge portions 18 of the two plate elements are inclined away from each other. At its edge adjacent the upright each plate element has a hook portion 19 and a stabilizing projection 20 both of which engage in slots in the upright. The neck 21 of the hook portion and the root part of the projection 20 each have a width such as to occupy substantially the full length of a slot in the upright. Just below the hook portion 19 each plate element has a small step in the edge adjacent the upright forming a stop portion 22. The distance by which the edge of the stop portion is offset laterally from the edge 19a of the hook portion which engages the inner surface of the upright is very slightly less than the thickness of the side 11 of the upright. Member 14 has a part cut away as shown at 14a near the hook portion 19 and is positioned on the upright by placing the tips of the two hook portions in a pair of the slots with the member inclined upwardly and rotating the member downwards, until the stop portion 22 engages the upright. When this occurs the edges of the member 11 below the stop portion are inclined at a small angle away from the upright by reason of the provision of the stop portion.

The lower member 15 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) is of U-section and, in position on the upright, its limbs embrace the bottom edge portions of the two plate elements of member 14. Each of the limbs has a hook portion 25 for engaging in a slot in the upright and, above the hook portion, a stop portion 26. As in the member 14, the lateral distance by which the stop portion is offset from that edge of the hook portion which engages the inner surface of the upright is slightly less than the thickness of the side 11 of the upright. Part of the member 15 is cut away as shown at 27 to enable the tips of the hook portions to be inserted into slots in the upright with the member inclined downwardly, the member being then rotated upwardly away from the upright and toward the member 14.

A pair of aligned holes 28 are provided in the two elements of member 14 and a similar pair of aligned holes 29 are provided in the two limbs of member 25. Holes 28 and 29 are so arranged in relation to each other that the holes 28, 29 are out of alignment when the stop portions 22, 26 merely touch the front face of the upright but can be brought into alignment by applying pressure to the two members so as to tend to rotate each about its hook portion to press the stop portion more firmly against the upright. This pressure tends to deform the side 11 of the upright resiliently in the region of each of the hook portions. When the holes 28, 29 are aligned a plain, headed pin 30 having a chamfered tip is pushed into the aligned holes and holds the assembly of the upright and members 14, 15 together. The bracket thus has triangulated connections with the upright and, owing to the state of strain of the components, there is no free movement of the bracket relative to the upright in a vertical plane. The connection is in fact prestressed and is consequently very firm even under load.

Feet 35 having screw-threaded stems 36 for adjustment are secured to the bottom of the upright and at the free end of the member 15 of the bracket. To receive the stems 36 a screwed socket 10a is provided at the bottom of the upright and, in member 15, a square nut 37 is held captive in aligned slots 37 a in the two limbs of the member and an aperture 38 is formed at the bottom of the member.

It will be understood that brackets 13 may be connected to both of the slotted sides 11 of the upright, and that brackets 13 may additionally or alternatively be connected to the tops of the uprights to support a canopy or shelving or at intermediate points to support shelving.

Trim strips may be secured to the bracket by attachment to the divergent free edge portions of member 14.

Claims

I claim:

1. A supporting structure for shelving, which structure comprises an upright having apertures spaced apart at regular intervals along its length, and a laterally projecting bracket which is mounted on the upright and which includes first and second laterally projecting members whereof the first member has a hook portion which is engaged in one of the apertures in the upright and which is disengageable by rotating the first member away from the second member and towards the upright, and has a stop portion which abuts the upright to limit rotation of the first member about its hook portion towards the second member, and whereof the second member has a hook portion which is engaged in one of the apertures in the upright and which is disengageable from the aperture by rotating the second member away from the first member and towards the upright, and has a stop portion which abuts the upright to limit rotation of the second member about its hook portion towards the first member, the first and second members each having a transversely-extending hole therein laterally spaced away from the hook portion, the holes being out of alignment with each other when the stop portions of the members rest against the upright but being brought into alignment with each other by relatively rotating the two members in a sense to press the stop portions of the member against the upright so that resilient deformation of the members and/or the upright occurs, and a bolt extending transversely to the first and second members through the aligned holes.

2. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said members has two parallel flanges and is U-shaped viewed towards the upright, and wherein the other member comprises two transversely spaced elements, a marginal portion of the latter member being flanked by said two flanges, the holes extending horizontally through the two flanges of said one member and through the spaced elements of said other member.

3. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket is disposed at or adjacent one end of the upright and provides a support for the upright on the ground.

4. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bracket is provided with feet for engaging the ground.

5. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop portion on each member is provided on a part of the member which faces the upright immediately adjacent the hook position of the member.

6. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket carries a horizontally extending support member.

7. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt comprises a plain, headed pin.