U.S. patent number 3,767,059 [Application Number 05/248,085] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-23 for folding bed for a storage rack.
Invention is credited to Edward A. Seiz.
United States Patent |
3,767,059 |
Seiz |
October 23, 1973 |
FOLDING BED FOR A STORAGE RACK
Abstract
A folding bed is provided for use in supporting load materials
between parallel horizontal load-bearing elements in a storage
rack. The bed comprises a pair of elongated beams which are
disposed in spaced parallel relation, and a series of support
members span in spaced parallel relation between the beams. The
support members are pivotally fastened at their ends to the beams
so that the bed may be folded into a compact parallelogram-like
configuration for shipment. In one embodiment, the ends of the
beams are supported on arms extending outwardly from spaced
upstanding columns in a cantilever rack; in another embodiment, the
beams are supported along their lengths by underlying load-bearing
elements. An upstanding divider which is capable of being
releasably mounted onto the load beams by means of clips is also
provided.
Inventors: |
Seiz; Edward A. (Lansdale,
PA) |
Family
ID: |
22937615 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/248,085 |
Filed: |
April 27, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/149; 211/184;
211/191 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
43/00 (20130101); B65G 1/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
43/00 (20060101); B65G 1/02 (20060101); A47f
005/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/149,178R,177,148,176,184,43 ;108/67,112,52,108
;5/116,115,114,176R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Britts; Ramon S.
Claims
I claim:
1. A foldable support, comprising:
a pair of hollow elongated load beams disposed horizontally in
spaced parallel relation,
flange means extending longitudinally on each beam,
a series of support members spanning in spaced parallel relation
between said load beams with the end portions of each member
engaging the flange means of said beams,
means on said flange means and said end portions of said support
members pivotally mounting said members to pivot about vertical
axes relative to the beams,
ledge means extending longitudinally on said beams including
indentations extending into said beams from locations outboard of
the ends of said support members and terminating adjacent the
vertical medians of said beams to engage and support the end
portions of said support members in the zone of the vertical
medians of said load beams when said support members are disposed
transversely to said load beams,
said flange means including upper and lower flanges spaced
vertically from one another with said lower flange being separate
from said indentation and substantially coplanar therewith,
whereby the beams and support members may be folded into nested
relation with one another for shipment in a compact configuration
and may be disposed in a load-carrying configuration when the
support members are disposed at right angles to the load beams with
their end portions engaged with the ledge means so that loads
carried by the support members are transferred to the ledge means,
whereby torquing of the load beams about their longitudinal axes is
avoided.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said beam has a web with
horizontally and vertically disposed portions connecting said upper
flange and said indentation and defining a recess for receiving the
ends of said support members, said web having a downward offset
from its horizontal portion and said upper flange being turned from
said offset to dispose said upper flange below the horizontal
portion of said web.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said support
members has a substantially C-shaped transverse cross-section with
vertically-spaced flanges engaging the flanges of said load beams
and said pivot means including an aligned pair of bosses and
apertures connecting said support and load beam flanges.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said apertures are
aligned with one another and are formed in said flange means and
each of said bosses comprises curved ears struck from said support
members and having edges engaging in said apertures to prevent
substantial displacement of the support members relative to their
associated load beams while permitting relative pivotal movement
therebetween.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 including storage rack means for
supporting said foldable support when in said load-carrying
configuration.
6. A storage structure comprising: a foldable support and rack
means for supporting said foldable support, said foldable support
including a pair of elongated load beams disposed in spaced
parallel relation, flange means extending longitudinally in spaced
parallel relation on each beam, a series of support members
spanning in spaced parallel relation between said load beams with
the end of each member engaging between the flange means of said
beams, means on said flange means mounting said end portions of
said support members to pivot relative to the beams, a layer of
decking having an edge and carried on said support members, said
load beams each having a vertically-disposed portion projecting
upwardly beyond said edge to protect said edge against damage, and
including means to prevent inadvertent disengagement of said
support from said rack means, whereby the beams and support members
may be folded into nested relation with one another for shipment in
a compact configuration and may be disposed in a load-carrying
configuration when the support members are disposed at right angles
to the load beams.
7. A storage structure comprising: a foldable support and rack
means for supporting said foldable support, said foldable support
including a pair of elongated load beams disposed in spaced
parallel relation, flange means extending longitudinally in spaced
parallel relation on each beam, a series of support members
spanning in spaced parallel relation between said load beams with
the end portions of each member engaging between the flange means
of said beams, means on said flange means mounting said end
portions of said support members to pivot relative to the beams,
said rack means including a pair of arms each having an outturned
flange engaging and supporting the ends of said load beams and
extending transversely thereto, and means to prevent disengagement
of said support from said rack means, including an end plate
mounted on one end of each arm and disposed transversely to said
flange and an upturned tongue on said outturned flange at the other
end of said arm, whereby the support is secured against movement in
the rack means.
8. A storage structure comprising: a foldable support and rack
means for supporting said foldable support, said foldable support
including a pair of elongated load beams disposed in spaced
parallel relation, flange means extending longitudinally in spaced
parallel relation on each beam, a series of support members
spanning in spaced parallel relation between said load beams with
the end portions of each member engaging between the flange means
of said beams, means on said flange means mounting said end
portions of said support members to pivot relative to the beams,
said rack means including a pair of rack-elements underlying said
load beams to support said load beams along their lengths, means to
prevent disengagement of said support from said rack means
including a lip on each rack element engaging the bottom of its
associated load beam with said rack element projecting above said
lip and engaging an unconnected side of said associated beam,
whereby the support is secured against movement in the rack
means.
9. A foldable support, comprising
a pair of elongated load beams disposed horizontally in spaced
parallel relation,
flange means providing upper and lower flanges extending
longitudinally in spaced parallel relation on each beam,
a series of support members spanning in spaced parallel relation
between said load beams with each member having an end portion with
a flange engaging one of the flanges of said beam,
integral means struck from one of said flanges and an aperture in
the other flange engaged therewith receiving said integral means,
said integral means and aperture pivotally mounting said support
member to the beam,
each of said load beams having web means connecting said upper and
lower flanges and cooperating therewith to form a recess interiorly
of each beam for receiving the end portions of the support members
and protecting them from damage,
whereby the beams and support members may be folded into nested
relation with one another for shipment in a compact configuration
and may be disposed in a load-carrying configuration when the
support members are disposed at right angles to the load beams.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said integral means is
struck from said support member and said aperture is in one of said
beam flanges.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said integral
member-mounting means includes a series of apertures spaced apart
in said beam flanges with the apertures in the upper beam flange
being in vertical alignment with the apertures in the lower beam
flange, said integral means including a pair of vertically-aligned
bosses in the end portions of each of said support members, said
bosses engaging in selected ones of said apertures, whereby said
support members may be readily engaged with and disengaged from
said load beams.
12. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said load beams
include U-shaped members having horizontally-disposed legs defining
said flange means.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein each support member has
a cross-section with a horizontally-extending portion of a
dimension greater than the dimension of its portion extending
vertically between the flange means.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said support member has
a C-shaped cross-section with longitudinally-extending inturned
flanges terminating in spaced relation, and said pivot mounting
means includes an aperture in one of said flange means and a boss
in the horizontally-extending portion of the support member
pivotally engaging in said aperture.
15. In combination with a folding support having a pair of load
beams disposed in spaced parallel relation and a series of support
members spanning between said load beams and pivotally connected
thereto to permit said support to be collapsed into a compact
shipping configuration, a separate elongated base member extending
transversely to said beams, clip means rigidly connected adjacent
the ends of said base member and extending in opposite directions
from said base member along said beams, each of said beams having a
portion with at least one aperture and each of said clips having at
least one tongue engaging in said aperture when said clips are
operatively engaged with said beams, whereby said base member
prevents said beams from moving relative to one another.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein each of said beams has
a vertically-disposed portion with a bight located therebelow and
said base member overlies said beams, each of said clips includes a
latch projecting upwardly to engage in said bight portion, and
including partition means carried on said base member and
projecting upwardly therefrom, whereby planar articles may be
stacked on edge on the support and leaned against the partition.
Description
The present invention relates to storage structures, and more
particularly, the present invention relates to beds for supporing
load materials in storage racks and to dividers for separating load
materials stored in the racks.
At present, the load beds in some conventional storage structures
are provided by means of a series of support members which span in
parallel relation between major load beams in the structures. The
support members are usually fastened at their ends to the beams by
means of bolts or the like to prevent them from disengaging the
beams, or from becoming disarrayed thereon. Because the amount of
labor required to bolt the usually large number of support members
to the beams, conventional storage structures are not as readily
and inexpensively erected as desired.
If assembled at the factory to avoid the extra cost and
inconvenience of assembly at the site, the cost to ship the
structures from the factory to the place of erection is an
important factor in determining the ultimate cost of the rack to
the purchaser. The use of integrated box-shaped elements provides
structures having relatively high strength to weight ratios,
resulting in relatively low manufacturing costs. However, because
such structural elements have greater volume to weight ratios, it
is possible for a truck in which the elements are shipped to be at
its volumetric capacity while being well below its weight capacity.
Thus, more trucks, or a greater volumetric portion of a single
truck, is required to ship the integrated structural elements, and
the cost advantages realized by the use of shaped structural
elements tends to be offset, if not diminished, by increased
shipping costs.
In warehousing planar articles such as card tables and the like, it
is desirable for the articles to be stacked on edge in storage
racks in order to facilitate loading and unloading of the articles.
In addition, it is desirable for the articles to be inclined
between the dividers. Although there may be in existence racks
having welded or otherwise permanently secured dividers, there is
no known divider which is capable of being readily mounted onto and
dismounted from a storage rack with a minimum of skilled labor and
special tools. Accordingly, a divider which possesses these
features and which is economical to manufacture, yet rugged in
construction, is highly desirable.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present
invention to provide a novel bed for use in supporting load
materials in a storage rack.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for a
storage rack an improved load bed which may be erected in an
expeditious manner with a minimum of labor.
As another object, the present invention provides a unique load bed
which is capable of being folded into a compact configuration for
shipment and unfolded into a rigid and strong structure for use as
a support in a storage rack.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a
divider which is capable of being readily mounted onto and
dismounted from a storage rack with a minimum of skilled labor and
special tools.
More specifically, in the present invention, a folding bed is
provided for supporting load materials in a storage rack. The bed
comprises a pair of parallel load beams of one-piece rolled-metal
construction and a series of load-supporting members spanning in
parallel relation between the beams. Each load beam has
longitudinally-extending flange means which receives the ends of
the support members, and interengaging pairs of bosses and
apertures are provided in the flange means and the support members
to mount the ends of the members to pivot relative to the beams.
Each beam is shaped to provide an interior recess spaced from the
flange means for receiving the ends of the support members, and
each beam is shaped to have ledge means which underlies and engages
the undersides of the support members in the recess to support the
ends of the members inside the beams. With this structure, the bed
may be folded into a compact shipping configuration and may be
unfolded readily for mounting in a rack at the erection site.
A divider which is capable of being mounted onto the load beams
includes an upstanding partition and a pair of clips carried in
spaced relation at the base of the partition for releasably
engaging the load beams. The clips are elastically mounted onto the
partition and have latches which engage in bight portions on the
beams. The clip latches extend in opposite directions away from the
partition to enable the partition to resist loads normal to its
plane. In addition, there is provided tongue means on the clips
engaging in apertures in the beams to prevent displacement of the
clips along the beams.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention should become apparent from the following description
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of a cantilever-type storage
rack having a support bed embodying the present invention and a
divider associated with the support bed;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of the rack of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the portion enclosed by
broken lines of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of another type of storage rack
in which a modified embodiment of the support bed of FIG. 1 is
mounted;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG.
6;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a plan view similar to the view of FIG. 6 but
illustrating the support bed of FIG. 1 in its folded, shipping
configuration; and
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the bosses
providing a pivot connection between elements of the disclosed
support bed.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a
folding bed 10 embodying the present invention. As seen therein,
the bed 10 is in its unfolded configuration, and a deck D such as a
layer of plywood or the like rests on the bed 10 for supporting
load materials. In the present instance, the bed 10 is rectangular
and spans between parallel horizontally-disposed load-bearing
arm-like elements, such as the element 11 which extends widthwise
of the bed 10 at one end. The element 11 extends outwardly in
cantilever fashion from an upstanding column 20 in a storage
structure such as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,545,626 and
3,550,785. In these patented racks, a series of arms extend
outwardly at vertically-spaced intervals from their support column,
and adjacent columns in the storage structure are connected by
bracing. Although the present invention has particular utility in
conjunction with my patented cantilever racks, it should be
apparent that it is equally useful in other types of rack
structures where a flat bed is desired for supporting load
materials, such as in racks having parallel load-bearing elements
spanning between uprights.
According to the present invention, the bed 10 is capable of being
folded into a compact configuration (FIG. 9) for shipment from a
factory and is capable of being unfolded and mounted in a rack at
an erection site in an expeditious manner and with a minimum of
labor. To this end, the bed 10 comprises a pair of elongated load
beams 12,12 disposed in spaced parallel relation and a series of
channel-shaped support members 13,13 (FIG. 5) spanning in spaced
parallel relation transversely to and between the load beams 12,12.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ends of the load beams 12,12 are
supported on the cantilever element 11, and the element 11 is
shaped to securely fasten the bed 10 in the rack without the
necessity of employing separate fastening means. In the present
instance, the element 11 has an inverted U-shaped cross section
with outturned bottom flanges 11a,11a on which the ends of the
beams 12,12 rest. The flanges 11a,11a are spaced below the top 11b
of the element 11 a sufficient distance to cause a widthwise margin
of the decking D to rest on the top 11b of the element 11. The bed
10 is secured against outward lateral movement by means of a
vertically-disposed trapezoidal-shaped end plate 11c (FIGS. 2 and
3) fastened to the outer end of the element 11 and disposed
transversely to the flanges 11a,11a. The bed 10 is secured against
inward lateral movement by means of an upturned tongue 11d on the
inner ends of each outturned flange 11a. With this structure, the
bed 10 is securely fastened in the rack structure without the
necessity of separate fasteners.
In order to enable the bed 10 to be folded into its compact
shipping configuration, each support member 13 is pivotally
connected adjacent its ends to the load beams 12,12. In the present
instance, the pivotal connections are provided by means of a pair
of horizontally-extending upper and lower flanges 14a and 14b
respectively, which extend longitudinally on each beam 12 in
vertically-spaced relation and which engage the support members
13,13 therebetween. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of
vertically-aligned apertures 17a and 17b are provided in the
flanges 14a and 14b, respectively, and the apertures are engaged by
similarly-aligned bosses or so-called "rose-buds" 16a and 16b
located adjacent the ends of the support members 13,13. In the
illustrated embodiment, each boss, such as the upper boss 16a,
(FIG. 4) has ears struck upwardly from the support member 13 with
curved edges mating with the curved edges of the circular aperture
17a in the upper flange 14a. The boss 16a is identical to the boss
116a illustrated in FIG. 10, and as may be seen therein, each boss
has three ears 116' providing the curved edges. With this
structure, interengagement of the curved edges prevents lateral
movement of the support members 13,13 relative to the load beams
12,12 while providing a relatively low-friction pivot
connection.
The bed 10 is of strong but lightweight construction. To this end,
each load beam 12 is of hollow, one-piece, rolled-metal
construction and mounts the ends of the support members 13,13 in
its interior. The beam 12 is shaped in such a manner as to be
loaded in a zone at substantially its vertical median V and at
substantially its neutral bending axis N. As best seen in FIGS. 3
and 4, the beam 12 has an inwardly-extending indentation 18 which
forms an interior ledge for supporting the ends of the support
members 13,13. The indentation 18 extends leftward toward the
flanges 14a and 14b and slightly beyond the vertical median V of
the beam 12, and the indentation 18 is located in a horizontal
plane extending substantially through the neutral bending axis N of
the beam 12. The ends of the support members 13,13 extend into the
beam 12 from the flanges 14a and 14b to terminate at about the
vertical median V. Thus, when the bed 10 is being folded into or
unfolded from its shipping configuration the ends of the support
members 13,13 engage the ledge 18 through only the last few degrees
of relative pivotal movement. In this manner, frictional resistance
to folding and unfolding is reduced to a minimum. Moreover, the
ledge provided by the indentation 18 accepts substantially the
entire load carried by the support members 13,13 so that the
flanges 14a and 14b are virtually unstressed, and the beams 12,12
are not torqued on their longitudinal axes when the bed 10 is
loaded.
In order to ensure positive interengagement of the bosses 16a and
16b in the apertures 17a and 17b, each beam 12 has an inverted
L-shaped web with horizontally and vertically extending portions
19a and 19b, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the
portions 19a and 19b form a recess 21 for receiving the ends of the
support members 13,13 thereby protecting the ends from possible
damage both during shipment and when installed in a rack. The
horizontal portion 19a has a downward offset 19c, and the upper
flange 14a is turned outwardly from the offset 19c. The depth of
the offset is dimensioned to dispose the upper surface of the
decking D substantially coplanar with the horizontal portion 19a of
the beam-web. With this structure, the edge of the decking D is
protected against possible damage, for example, during loading and
unloading of the load materials by means of lift trucks.
The bed 10 is capable of being tailored to accept various load
materials and to suit various load conditions. To this end, the bed
10 is constructed in a manner which permits a greater or lesser
number of support members 13,13 to be mounted readily to the load
beams 12,12 depending on the desired load capacity of the bed 10.
For this purpose, as best seen in FIG. 1, the upper and lower
flanges 14a and 14b are provided with a series of apertures 17a and
17b, respectively, located at spaced intervals along the length of
the beam 12. Preferably, the apertures are spaced
relatively-closely at intervals of 3 to 6 inches. The support
members are of one-piece, rolled metal construction and have
C-shaped transverse cross-sections, and the bosses 16a and 16b are
punched therein. During manufacture, the load beams 12,12 are
supported in fixtures, and the flanges 14a and 14b are spread apart
for accepting the ends of the support members 13,13 and effecting
the required pivotal connections. However, should it be desirable
to increase the load capacity of the bed 10 at the erection site,
the flanges 14a and 14b may be spread apart and the support members
13,13 may be slipped between the flanges 14a and 14b for mounting
the additional support members.
A modified embodiment of the load-bed may be installed
satisfactorily in another type of rack, such as the rack
illustrated in FIG. 6 and 7. As best seen therein, the rack has a
pair of horizontally-disposed rack-elements 111,111, each of which
has a lip 111a,111a for supporting a load beam 112 along its entire
length. Preferably, the lip 111a is located below the top of the
rack element 111 a distance sufficient to cause the top of the deck
D to be disposed at or slightly below the top of the rack-element
111. Thus, each rack-element 111 projects above the lip 111a to
engage an unconnected side of the load beam 112 to provide a means
for preventing inadvertent disengagement of the bed 10 from the
rack.
In the illustrated embodiment, the load beam 112 includes a
U-shaped member having horizontally disposed legs defining upper
and lower flanges 114a and 114b, respectively. As in the
aforedescribed embodiment, the support members 113, 113 (FIG. 6)
extend widthwise of the bed 110, and engage at their ends between
the flanges 114a and 114b. As best seen in FIG. 8, the support
members are of one-piece, rolled-metal construction and have a
C-shaped cross-section with a horizontally-extending portion 113a
of a dimension greater than the dimension of its portions 113b,113b
extending vertically between the flanges 114a and 114b. The bottom
of the support member 113 has inturned flanges 113c,113c which are
coextensive in length therewith and which terminate in spaced
relation. Preferably, the support member 113 is installed with its
horizontal portion 113a engaging the underside of the upper flange
114a. As in the aforedescribed embodiment, pivotal mounting is
provided by means of a boss 116a (see FIG. 10) located in the
horizontal portion 113a and engaging in an aperture 117a in the
upper flange 114a. It is noted that in this embodiment, pairs of
aligned bosses and apertures are unnecessary since the horizontal
orientation of the support member 113 between the flanges 114a and
114b affords adequate resistance of the member to torquing on its
longitudinal axis.
As noted heretofore, it is desirable for planar articles such as
boxed card tables and the like to be stored on edge in a storage
rack. In order to maintain the articles in an upright position, it
is desirable to provide dividers against which the articles may be
inclined, and to provide storage flexibility, it is desirable for
the dividers to be readily moved into different positions on the
racks and to be readily mounted onto and dismounted from the
storage racks with a minimum of special tools or skilled labor.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a
divider 30 which possesses all of the aforementioned advantages. As
best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the divider 30 comprises upstanding
planar partition or barrier means 31 which intersects the bed at a
right angle, and clip means 32,32 carried in spaced relation on the
base of the partition 31 for releasably mounting the divider onto
the bed 10 of the illustrated storage rack. In the present
instance, the partition 31 includes a base member 33 extending
transversely to the load beams 12,12 and a series of upstanding
posts 34,34 welded or otherwise secured at their bottoms to the
base member 33. A rail 35 is secured across the tops of the posts.
For purposes of illustration, the posts 34,34 are vertically
foreshortened, it being understood that the posts can be of any
desired length commensurate with the spacing between adjacent
support beds in the rack. Thus, a relatively lightweight but strong
partition is provided.
The clips 32,32 securely fasten the partition 31 to the support bed
12 in a manner which enables the partition 31 to resist loads
applied normal to its plane. For this purpose, as best seen in
FIGS. 3 and 4, each load beam 12 is provided with a bight portion
19d which is located below the horizontal portion 19a of the
beam-web and inwardly of the plane of the vertical portion 19b of
the beam-web. The bight 19d is coextensive in length with the beam
12 and is formed by a downward concavity therein. Each clip 32 is
fabricated from a trapezoidal plate of spring-like material (FIG.
2) which has an inturned hook portion 32a overlying the horizontal
web 19a of the beam and an upturned latch portion 32b projecting
into the concavity provided by the bight 19c of the beam 12. The
hook 32a of the clip 32 is securely fastened to the underside of
the base member 33 as by welding, in a manner which provides an
elastic pivot connection to enable the spring clips 32,32 to be
spread apart for mounting and dismounting the divider 30. It is
noted that the latch 32b of each clip 32 extends in opposite
directions away from the partition 31, and the hook 32a of each
clip 32 extends similarly but to a lesser extent than the latch
32b. The interaction of the hook 32a and the latch 32b with their
respectively engaged portions of each load beam causes the
partition 31 to resist firmly loads applied normal to its plane by
providing reacting moments. As a result, relatively heavy storage
articles may be inclined against the divider with complete
safety.
In order to prevent the divider 30 from sliding along the load
beams when heavy articles are inclined against it, there is
provided means on each clip and means for preventing relative
movement therebetween. To this end, each load beam 12 is provided
with a series of apertures 12',12' extending in its vertical web
19b and along substantially the entire length of the beam. A tongue
36 is struck inwardly from the clip 32, and the tongue 36 extends
into a selected one of the apertures 12'. With this structure, the
tongue 36 engages the edge of the beam 12 around the aperture 12'
when a horizontal load is applied to the partition 31, thereby
preventing relative movement between the divider 30 and the support
bed. Moreover, it is noted that a clamping action is created by the
reaction of the hook 32a and latch 32b portions of the clip 32 on
each beam when a load is applied normal to the plane of the
partition. Thus, the divider 30 is securely fastened to the load
support without requiring bolts, rivets or like fasteners.
In order to mount the divider 30 onto the support bed, the divider
30 is positioned at approximately the desired location on the
support bed 10. The divider 30 is then displaced downwardly
relative to the bed 10, causing the clips 32,32 to spread apart.
When the hooks 32a,32a of the clips 32,32 bottom against the tops
of the load beams 12,12 the latches 32b,32b snap into engagement
with the bight portions 19d,19d of the beams 12,12. Simultaneously,
the tongues 36,36 engage in the apertures 12',12' in the beams.
It should be apparent that if it were desired to remove the divider
30 from the bed 10 or to move the divider 30 to a new position on
the bed 10, the lower portion of the clips 32,32 would be spread
apart, as by a screwdriver, to disengage the latches 32b,32b and
tongues 36,36, thereby affording ready movement of the divider 30
with respect to the support bed 10. Although the divider 30 has
particular utility with respect to the foldable support bed
disclosed herein, it should be apparent that the divider 30 may be
employed satisfactorily with any rack structure having a pair of
horizontally-disposed load beams.
In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that there has now
been provided an improved load-bed for use in a storage structure,
which load-bed is capable of being folded into a compact
configuration for shipment and is capable of being unfolded for
installation in a storage rack with a minimum of labor. A divider
has also been provided for use in conjunction with a load bed in a
storage structure to separate planar articles stacked on edge of
the load bed.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
described in detail, various modifications, alterations and changes
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *