Adjustable Shelf And Rod Bracket Assembly

Abstract

An adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly for use in mounting a shelf and a clothes-hanger rod on a wall includes two members having overlapping and interlocking front portions, which are adapted to be fastened to the shelf. One of the members is a strut having a rod-receiving hook. The two members are interlockable in two different positions. When interlocked in one of its positions, the bracket can be mounted flush against the wall, and when interlocked in its other position, the bracket can be mounted such that one of its members is attached to a molding on the wall.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 765,252, filed on Oct. 4, 1968, which application is now abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to adjustable bracket assemblies which are used for mounting both a shelf and a clothes-hanger rod on a wall.

One type of prior art shelf and rod bracket is a triangular-shaped bracket which has a hook portion in front for receiving the clothes-hanger rod and a rear portion which is adapted to be attached to the wall. The top portion of the bracket is horizontal for use in supporting the shelf. This type of bracket is not entirely satisfactory since it is constructed to be attached flush against the wall, and thus any irregularity, such as an offset molding or a hook strip, on the wall where the bracket is to be mounted, presents an obstacle to mounting the bracket on the wall.

In an attempt to overcome this problem, an adjustable three-piece shelf and rod bracket assembly has been used so that, if desired, one bracket member could be attached directly to a hook strip on the wall. This type of bracket assembly includes a top member which is detachably connected to a bottom cross bracket member having a hook for receiving the rod and a rear portion adapted to be fastened to a wall. The rear end of the top member is connected to the wall or a hook strip on the wall by means of an L-shaped bracket, which is adapted to be connected to the top member in either one of two positions. In one position, the top member can be attached directly to the wall and in the other position, the top member can be attached to a hook strip on the wall. In order to connect the bottom member to the top member, the front portion of the bottom member includes a pair of notches which receive a pair of ears on the top member. However, this type of bracket assembly has not been entirely satisfactory since, under a heavy load due to the rod and clothes supported thereby, the hook could bend backwardly out of supporting engagement with the ears of the bar, thereby causing the bracket assembly to become disassembled. Moreover, installation of the three-piece bracket assembly is not a simple procedure since the three members forming the bracket assembly are separate and must be fastened to the wall and the shelf in separate operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shelf and rod bracket assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf and rod bracket assembly which is adjustable to accommodate a hook strip on the wall and which does not tend to become disassembled under heavy loads.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly which is easy to install.

Briefly, the above and further objects may be realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a two-piece adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly which comprises two members having overlapping and interlocking portions which are both adapted to be fastened to the shelf so that the two-piece bracket assembly cannot become disassembled under heavy loads. The two members are interlockable in two different positions, whereby when interlocked in one of its positions, the bracket assembly can be mounted flush against the wall and when interlocked in its other position, the bracket assembly can be mounted such that one of its members can be attached to a hook strip on the wall. The two members are readily interlocked in a rigid manner prior to installation whereby the bracket assembly can be attached to the wall in a fast and easy manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of shelf and rod bracket assemblies which embody the principles of the present invention and which support both a shelf and a clotheshanger rod;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged front elevational view of a portion of one of the bracket assemblies of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the front portion of one of the brackets of FIG. 1 without the rod; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged side elevational view of one of the brackets of FIG. 1 showing the bracket in an adjusted position to accommodate a hook strip on the wall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a shelf 10 and a clotheshanger rod 12, which are mounted on a wall by means of a pair of shelf and rod bracket assemblies 14 embodying the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, two bracket assemblies 14 support both the shelf 10 and the rod 12, but it is to be understood that additional bracket assemblies may also be used when a longer shelf and rod are to be used. The brackets 14 generally comprise a top bracket member 16 and a bottom bracket member 18. The members 16 and 18 have overlapping and interlocking portions, which are adapted to be fastened to the shelf 10. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the foreward end of the bottom member 18 is formed into the shape of a hook 21 for receiving the rod 12. The top member 16 includes at its rear end a downwardly-bent flange portion 23, which is apertured and adapted to be fastened to the wall by suitable means such as by wood screws. Similarly, the rear end of the bottom member 18 is disposed at an angle relative to the member 16 and includes a downwardly-bent flange portion 25 which is also apertured and adapted to be fastened to the wall.

Considering now the shelf and rod bracket assembly 14 in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the member 16, which may be a metal stamping, is provided with a pair of forwardly-extending tongues 27 disposed along the side edges thereof which are used to interlock the members 16 and 18 together in a rigid manner during installation of the bracket. The tongues 27 each include an angularly bent intermediate portion 27a and a distal end portion 27b which is substantially parallel with the main body of the member 16. The bottom member 18 has an intermediate portion 18a which is adapted to abut with the adjacent portion 16a of the member 16 throughout a substantial distance and is provided along its side edges with two pairs of openings, such as the notches 29 and 33 for receiving the tongues 27 when the members 16 and 18 are assembled.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, when the tongues 27 of the top member 16 are interlocked with the bottom member 18 at its rearward most notches 29, the rear flange portion 23 of the member 16 is disposed in a common plane with the rear flange 25 so that the bracket assembly 14 can be fastened directly to the wall. As shown in FIG. 4, when the tongues 27 are interlocked with the member 18 in its forwardmost notches 33, the rear flange portion 23 is disposed in a plane which is disposed forwardly of the plane of the read flange portion 25 of the member 18 by a distance which is equal to the thickness of the hook strip 34. As a result, when the members 16 and 18 are thus interlocked, the flange portion 23 can be fastened to the hook strip 34, and the flange portion 25 can be fastened directly to the wall below the hook strip.

As best shown in FIG. 2, in order to fasten the overlapping intermediate portions 16a and 18a of the members 16 and 18 to the shelf 10, the portion 16a of the top bracket member 16 includes a hole 37, which is located between the forward end of the member 16 and the tongues 27, and which is aligned with a hole 39 in the portion 18a of the bottom bracket member 18 for receiving a wood screw 41 which is driven into the wooden shelf 10. When the member 16 is interlocked in its forward position with the member 18 as shown in FIG. 4, another hole 43 in the portion 16a of the member 16 is aligned with the hole 39 in the member 18 to receive the wood screw 41. The hole 43 is located to the rear of the tongues 27, and the distance between the center lines of the holes 43 and 37 is equal to the distance between the center lines of the notches 29 and 33 and is equal to the thickness of a standard hook strip. For the purpose of accommodating different-sized moldings or hook strips, an appropriate-sized shim (not shown) may be inserted between the molding and the flange 23.

In order to strengthen the member 18, an embossed rib 45 extends along the center portion of the bottom side of the bottom member 18 from the rear flange 25 to the top portion of hook portion 21. The rib 45 extends between the two pairs of notches 29 and 33 so that when the members 16 and 18 are interlocked, the tongues 27 are disposed on opposite sides of the rib 45. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hook portion 21 of the member 18 is provided with an abutment 47 so that the rod 12 can be snapped into position and held firmly in the hook 21 to prevent sideward movement of the rod 12. A hole 49 in the bottom portion of the hook 21 receives a wood screw 51, which extends therethrough to fasten the rod 12 to the hook 21 to retain the rod 12 therein. As best shown in FIG. 4, the top member 16 is also fastened to the shelf 10 by means of a wood screw 53 which extends through a hole in the rearward end portion of the member 16 and which is driven into the shelf 10.

In view of the foregoing description, it should now be apparent that there is provided in accordance with the present invention an adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly, which is structurally sound and which is easy to install. The bracket assembly of the present invention comprises two members having overlapping portions which are adjustably interlocked. The interlocked and overlapping portions of the members are adapted to be fastened to the shelf so that the bracket does not tend to become disassembled during use. The inventive two-piece bracket assembly is interlockable in two different positions to permit it to be mounted flush against the wall or to be mounted against a hook strip on the wall. Moreover, the interlocked bracket assembly can be readily installed by holding the entire bracket in one hand against the wall and then fastening it thereto by means of wood screws.

While the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly for mounting a shelf and a rod on a wall, comprising first and second interlockable brackets,

said first bracket having a U-shaped hook at one end for receiving said rod, an apertured vertical flange at the other end for attachment to said wall, and an intermediate portion including a horizontal portion adjacent to said hook and an angular portion connecting said horizontal portion to said flange,

said second bracket having an apertured vertical flange for attachment to said wall and a horizontal portion on which said shelf rests,

said horizontal portion of said second bracket resting on said horizontal portion of said first bracket and spacing said first bracket from said shelf,

said second bracket having depending tongue means,

said first bracket having two spaced apart openings for selectively receiving said tongue means whereby said vertical flanges are coplanar when said tongue means is received in one of said openings and said flange on said second bracket is disposed forwardly of said flange on said first bracket when said tongue means is received in the other of said openings,

said first bracket having a hole in said horizontal portion thereof, and

said second bracket being provided with a pair of holes located in the horizontal portion thereof and spaced apart by the distance between said tongue receiving openings in said first bracket so that the hole in said first bracket is aligned with one or the other of said holes in said second bracket when said tongue means is received in one or the other of said openings,

said tongue means including a pair of tongues depending from the side edges thereof, and

said openings including notches in the side edges of said first bracket.

2. An adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said depending tongues includes

a horizontal distal end portion, and

a reversely bent portion spacing said distal end portion from said horizontal portion of said second bracket by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said first bracket.

3. An adjustable shelf and rod bracket assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising

a shelf supported on said bracket assembly, and

a wood screw extending through the aligned ones of said holes in said first and second brackets and threadedly engaging said shelf thereby to fixedly secure said brackets together and to said shelf.