Means For Removable Attachment Of A Load Supporting Assembly To A Surface

Abstract

The horizontal position of a load supporting assembly such as a grill or a firebox may be selectively adjusted by means of a pair of brackets provided with a number of elongated notches spaced along their lengths. Each bracket is also provided with an indentation between each adjacent pair of notches. The load supporting assembly has a pair of spaced apart transverse bars extending along one side thereof and the indentation and a part of the notch are shaped to conform to the outside walls of the bars. The brackets are spaced apart on a surface such as an inner wall of a fireplace and the load supporting assembly is connected thereto by moving one bar into notches at the same elevation of the brackets. The assembly is allowed to rotate under its own weight about the bar so that the other bar moves into contact with the indentations immediately beneath the notches.

Description

This invention relates to supporting frames and is particularly directed to attachment means permitting selective horizontal positioning of a load-supporting assembly to a fixed surface.

Attachment means such as studs are commonly provided in the inner side walls of a fireplace to support a grill. Many such studs are normally provided to permit selective horizontal positioning of a grill. Four studs at least are required to properly support the grill in a horizontal position, two at each inner side wall of the fireplace.

Such studs are undesirable for a number of reasons. They are subject to breakage and give to a fireplace a cluttered unattractive appearance. Furthermore, the grill readily separates from the studs when struck from below. Thus, the grill must be handled carefully to prevent food on the grill from falling into the fire.

As an alternative to studs, pairs of runners are frequently fastened to the inner side walls of a fireplace. Charred material however, frequently becomes bonded to the runners and a grill cannot rest firmly on such runners, but will rock in use. Also, if studs or runners are employed, the fireplace must have side walls to which studs or runner may be affixed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby a load-supporting assembly may be connected at a plurality of selective horizontal positions to a surface of a fireplace or other surface, which means is sturdy of construction, unobtrusive and holds the assembly firmly to the surface even when struck from below.

Another object is to provide means, the usefulness of which is not greatly impaired by material charred to its surfaces.

It is another and more specific object to provide attachment means suitable for use in a fireplace having either irregularly shaped side walls or no side walls at all.

These objects may be accomplished by the combination of a pair of brackets spaced apart from one another and adapted to be positioned vertically upon a planar surface, each said bracket having an elongated web and a flange extending outwardly from said web and terminating at an elongated free edge, said flange having a plurality of notches disposed along the length thereof, each said notch being defined in part by a pair of spaced apart edges, the lower-most of which, when said bracket is positioned on the planar surface, extending downwardly from said free edge toward said web and terminating at a bottom edge, said flange further having a plurality of spaced apart indentations, each of which being spaced apart and between an adjacent pair of said notches; and a load-supporting assembly having a pair of spaced apart transverse members extending along one edge thereof, said assembly adapted to be removably connected to said brackets such that one said transverse member is seated in the bottom edge of any one said notch in each said bracket and the other said transverse member is seated in the indentation immediately beneath said one notch in each said bracket said bottom edge and said indentation conforming in shape to those parts of said transverse members seated thereon.

A fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the brackets and load-supporting assembly of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the parts illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partly cut away side view of the parts illustrated in FIG. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawing.

With reference first to FIG. 1, the invention is shown incorporated in a load-supporting assembly or grill 10 and brackets 12a and 12b. Grill 10 includes a front transverse bar 14 and parallel side bars 16a and 16b. A plurality of spaced apart rods 18 are supported by side bars 16a and 16b and are arranged parallel to one another and to front bar 14.

Side bars 16 each extend rearwardly and connect with a rear transverse bar 20 which extends parallel to front bar 14 and inter-connects the two side bars 16a and 16b. Side bars 16a and 16b each terminates at the rear in an upwardly extending limb 22a and 22b respectively, and the upper end of the limb is integral with a transverse member 24 which extends between and inter-connects limbs 22a and 22b.

As shown, brackets 12a and 12b are arranged parallel to one another and are connected to the rear planar surface 26 of a fireplace. Preferably, the upper ends of brackets 12 are inter-connected by an elongated member 28 bolted at several locations along its length to surface 26. A bolt 29 is threadably received in an aperture formed in the lower end of each bracket 12 and contacts surface 26 so that the brackets may be positioned vertically whatever the slope of surface 26 may be.

With reference to FIG. 2, each bracket 12 is made up of an outer and inner flange 30 and 32 and a web 34 extending between the two flanges. Outer flange 30 is inclined at an angle of approximately 45.degree. to the plane of web 34 and serves, in the manner described below, as a guide when load-supporting assembly 10 is connected to the brackets.

A number of notches indicated generally 36, is formed along the length of inner flange 32 of each bracket. Each notch is defined in part by a pair of spaced apart upper and lower edges 38 and 40 which extend inwardly toward web 34 and in a generally downward direction when bracket 12 is connected to the fireplace as shown. Upper edge 38 terminates at web 34 while lower edge 40 terminates at a rounded bottom edge 42.

A plurality of indentations 44 are cut along the length of inner flange 32. Each indentation 44 is spaced apart and between an adjacent pair of notches 36. In contrast to the notches, the indentation extend into flange 32 only a small distance and are completely defined by a curved surface.

The distance between bottom edge 42 of notch 36 and indentation 44, measured along the surface of flange 32, is the same as the distance between parallel transverse bars 20 and 24, measured on a line normal to both bars. Thus when assembly 10 is connected to bracket 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2, transverse bar 24 contacts bottom edge 42 and bar 20 contacts the edge defining indentation 44. Both bottom edge 42 and the defining edge of indentation 44 are shaped to conform to the shape of the portion of bars 20 and 24 in contact therewith, thus when the assembly is connected as shown, bars 20 and 24 are firmly seated in the respective notches and indentations and the assembly is immovable with respect to the bracket.

With reference to FIG. 3, which shows a side view of bracket 12b with flange 30 removed and a portion of assembly 10, assembly 10 is connected to bracket 12 by tilting front bar 14 upwardly with respect to rear bar 20 and feeding bar 24 downwardly and inwardly along the space between edges 38 and 40. When bar 24 reaches the end of notch 36, it will move downwardly and into contact with bottom edge 42. When the front bar 14 is permitted to move downwardly under its own weight, rear bar 20 will move into contact with the defining edge of indentation 44 and the assembly will be maintained firmly in contact with bracket 12.

The design of the brackets and assembly is such as to substantially eliminate the possibility of accidental separation of the assembly from the bracket. The upper portion of the defining edge of indentation 44 resists upward movement by a vertically upward force applied to the assembly. The front edge of edge 42 which contacts bar 24 prevents movement by a horizontally outward force applied to the assembly. The assembly can only be separated from the bracket by first rotating the assembly upwardly about bar 24, secondly, lifting the assembly so that bar 24 clears the front edges 42 of the bracket and finally moving the assembly forward to withdraw bar 42 from notches 36.

Outer flange 30 of each bracket 12 serves as a guide to facilitate attachment of assembly 10 to the brackets since the flanges prevent bar 24 from being moved into bottom edges 42 of both brackets 12 unless the assembly is correctly centered with respect to brackets 12a and 12b.

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a pair of brackets spaced apart from one another and adapted to be positioned vertically upon a planar surface, each said bracket having an elongated web and a flange extending outwardly from said web and terminating at an elongated free edge, said flange having a plurality of notches disposed along the length thereof, each said notch extending from said free edge to said web and being defined in part by a pair of spaced apart edges, the lowermost of which, when said bracket is positioned on the planar surface, extending downwardly from said free edge toward said web and terminating at a bottom edge which extends to said web, said flange further having a plurality of spaced apart indentations, each of which being spaced apart and between an adjacent pair of said notches and extending from said free edge toward said web; and a load-supporting assembly having a pair of spaced apart transverse members extending along one edge thereof, one said member terminating at each end in a first limb portion which extends from said one member to a second limb portion, said second portion extending generally normally from said first limb portion to said other member, said assembly adapted to be removably connected to said brackets such that said one transverse member is seated in the bottom edge of any one said notch in each said bracket and said other transverse member is seated in the indentation immediately beneath said one notch in each said bracket, and said first limb portions contact along their lengths said web, said indentation extending no farther into said flange than to accommodate a portion only of the cross section of said second member seated therein, said bottom edge and said indentation conforming in shape to those parts of said transverse members seated thereon.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said bracket is provided with a second flange spaced apart from said flange provided with notches and indentations, said second flange being inclined at an angle of about 45.degree. relative to said web, said transverse members being accommodated between said second flanges when said assembly is connected to said brackets.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said bracket is fixed at a point in proximity to one end thereof to said surface and in proximity to the other end of each said bracket an aperture is formed in which is rotatably accommodated a bolt whereby the distance between said other end and said planar surface may be varied.

4. In combination, a pair of brackets spaced apart from one another and adapted to be positioned vertically upon a planar surface, each said bracket having an elongated web and a flange extending outwardly from said web and terminating at an elongated free edge, said flange having a plurality of notches disposed along the length thereof, each said notch being defined in part by a pair of spaced apart edges, the lowermost of which, when said bracket is positioned on the planar surface, extending downwardly from said free edge toward said web and terminating at a bottom edge, said flange further having a plurality of spaced apart indentations, each of which being spaced apart and between an adjacent pair of said notches; and a load-supporting assembly having a pair of spaced apart transverse members extending along one edge thereof, said assembly adapted to be removably connected to said brackets such that one said transverse member is seated in the bottom edge of any one said notch in each said bracket and the other said transverse member is seated in the indentation immediately beneath said one notch in each said bracket said bottom edge and said indentation conforming in shape to those parts of said transverse members seated thereon; each said bracket further being provided with a second flange spaced apart from said flange provided with notches and indentations, said second flange being inclined at an angle of about 45.degree. relative to said web, said transverse members being accommodated between said second flanges when said assembly is connected to said brackets.