EP2589315A1

EP2589315A1 - Storage rack

Info

Publication number: EP2589315A1
Application number: EP20110188091
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wouter Slob
Original assignee: Scambia Holdings Cyprus Ltd
Current assignee: Scambia Holdings Cyprus Ltd
Priority date: 2011-11-07
Filing date: 2011-11-07
Publication date: 2013-05-08

Abstract

A storage rack (1) comprises at least four upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) and at least one pair of beams (3), wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair has a first end portion (31) and a second end portion (32), the first end portions (31) and second end portions (32) being connected to the upright struts (2) in manner such that the beams (3) of each pair are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. Each of the beams (3) has at least one support surface (36, 37). In a first mounting position of the beams (3) the support surfaces (36) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane, and in a second mounting position of the beams (3) the support surfaces (37) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged inclined towards each other.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a storage rack, a storage rack system comprising at least two such storage racks and a method for assembling a storage rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Storage racks with upright struts, for example with four upright struts arranged at the corners of the rack, and with pairs of beams which are arranged horizontally parallel to each other are well-known. Each of the beams has a first end portion and a second end portion which are connected to the respective upright struts. For storing the goods, deck-like panels are placed on support surfaces provided by the horizontally arranged beams. The support surfaces of the respective pairs of beams are arranged in respective common horizontal planes at the respective vertical level where the pairs of beams are arranged.
A storage rack of this type is disclosed, for example, in US 5,749,482 . However, this rack is suitable for the storage of goods which are to be stored on the horizontal support surfaces of the panels. For goods which are to be stored in a different position, for example tyres, a separate storage rack of different type is required.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage rack which is suitable for the storage of goods which are to be stored in different positions, in particular for goods which are to be stored on horizontal support panels as well as for tyres.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The storage rack as specified in the independent claim overcomes this disadvantage. The storage rack according to the present invention comprises at least four upright struts and at least one pair of beams. Each of the beams of a pair has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portions and the second end portions are connected to the upright struts in manner such that the beams of each pair are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. Each of the beams has at least one support surface. In a first mounting position of the beams the support surfaces of the beams of each pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane, and in a second mounting position of the beams the support surfaces of the beams of each pair are arranged inclined towards each other.
The storage rack according to the invention provides two different types of support surfaces by mounting the beams of the storage rack to the upright struts in different mounting positions. In the first mounting position, the support surfaces of the beams of a pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane. In this first mounting position, panels can be placed on the support surfaces of the beams as this is conventional. In the second mounting position, the support surfaces of the beams are inclined towards each other. In this second mounting position of the beams of a pair, it is possible to store goods such as tyres. The tyres are supported by the inclined support surfaces of the beams. Accordingly, the rack of the instant invention is suitable for the storage of goods on horizontal panels in the conventional manner, and at the same time the rack is suitable also for the storage of goods such as tyres. The only thing to be done is to mount the respective beams of a pair in either the first mounting position or in the second mounting position to the upright struts. It is even possible to have "mixed" racks which are suitable for the storage of both types of goods in the same rack. This is possible by mounting one pair of beams to the upright struts at a first vertical level in the second mounting position in order to store tyres, and by mounting another pair of beams to the upright struts at a different vertical level in the first mounting position. Of course, the numbers of pairs can be increased by mounting further pairs of beams to the upright struts at further vertical levels in order to increase the storage capacity of the rack.
In accordance with a further aspect of the storage rack according to the invention, each of the beams of a pair has a first support surface supportingly arranged in the first mounting position of the beams. In addition, each of the beams of a pair also has a second support surface different from the first support surface, and this second support surface is supportingly arranged in the second mounting position of the beams. Accordingly, different support surfaces are provided on each of the beams. One of them - the first supporting surface - is supportingly arranged when the beams are mounted to the upright struts in the first mounting position. The first supporting surfaces then are arranged in a common horizontal plane, and panels can be arranged thereon as this is conventional. The other one of the support surfaces - the second support surface - is supportingly arranged when the beam is mounted to the upright struts in the second mounting position. The second supporting surfaces then are arranged inclined towards one another so as to be able to store tyres thereon. The provision of two independent support surfaces on the beams is advantageous in that each support surface can be configured independently from the other support surface so that the respective support surface can be particularly adapted for the intended purpose, that is to say either for supporting panels on which goods can be stored or for supporting tyres.
According to a further aspect of the storage rack according to the invention, in the first mounting position one of the beams of a pair is connected with its first end portion to a first upright strut and with its second end portion to a second upright strut. The other one of the beams of the pair is connected with its first end portion to a third upright strut and with its second end portion to a fourth upright strut. In the second mounting position one of the beams of a pair is connected with its first end portion to the second upright strut and with its second end portion to the first upright strut. The other one of the beams of the pair is connected with its first end portion to the fourth upright strut and with its second end portion to the third upright strut.
This aspect is advantageous in that in order to mount the respective beams of a pair in the first or second mounting position, respectively, it is only necessary to turn the beam and connect the first and second ends of the beams of a pair to the respective other upright strut.
According to a further aspect of the rack according to the present invention each beam has a cross-section which is substantially Omega-shaped. This shape of the beam allows to manufacture beams having a considerable length from a metal sheet material by rolling techniques which allows an easy and reliable manufacturing of the beams. At the same time the beams have the required rigidity and stiffness required to carry the loads without getting unduly deformed. This shape of the beam further provides for both a support surface for the panels as well as for the inclined support surface for supporting the tyres, depending on whether the beam is mounted to the upright struts in the first mounting position or in the second mounting position.
According to yet a further aspect of the rack according to the invention, in cross-section the beam comprises an end section which is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by an angle. This angle is preferably between about 20° to about 60° and is in particular about 40°. The terms "about" in this connection are to be understood such that the values associated with the respective term "about" are not to be regarded strictly. On the other hand, the terms "about" in connection with a specific value for an angle are to be understood as explicitly including and disclosing the exact value for the respective angle (so that the range of 20° to 60° is also intended to be disclosed). The end section of the beam including the angle with the horizontal plane represents the inclined supporting surface which is capable of supporting tyres when the beams are mounted to the upright struts in the second mounting position. And while this inclined end section is particularly advantageous in connection with the afore-mentioned Omega-shape of the beam, it is not limited to this shape of the beam.
According to still a further aspect of the rack of the present invention, each of the beams of a pair comprises at least one tab at the first end portion and at least one further tab at the second end portion. Each tab protrudes from the respective beam in a direction towards the respective upright strut and is connected to the respective upright strut. Such tabs can be manufacture by forming cuts into the sheet material of the beam at the locations where the tabs are to be formed and by subsequent forming of the tabs at the cut locations (for example by stamping). The tabs represent a means for forming a connection of the beams to the respective upright struts, they can engage into a suitably shaped aperture, slot or recess provided in the upright struts. The connection of the beams to the respective upright struts by means of a tab engaging into a suitably shaped aperture, slot or recess allows to easily mount the beam to the upright struts and at the same time to reliably connect the beams to the upright struts. While other means such as bolts and nuts for connecting the beams to the upright struts are generally possible, too, the connection via tabs engaging into suitably shaped apertures is preferred.
In accordance with a further aspect of the rack according to the present invention, each of the beams of a pair comprises two tabs at the first end portion and two further tabs at the second end portion. The two tabs at the respective end portion are connected to the respective upright strut. While generally one such tab is sufficient for the connection of the beam to the respective upright strut, the provision of two such tabs at each and portion of the beams provides for a very rigid and secure connection of the beam to the respective upright strut.
In accordance with a further aspect of the rack according to the invention, each tab comprises a portion being oriented in the longitudinal direction of the beam. The longitudinal orientation of the tab allows an easy insertion of the tab into a corresponding aperture, slot or recess provided in the upright struts so that the beams can be very easily connected to the upright struts during assembly of the rack.
While not being limited to these lengths, the beam preferably has a length in the range of about 500 mm to about 4000 mm, more preferably in the range of about 1000 mm to about 3000 mm. This range covers most of the practical applications of the rack according to the invention. Particularly suitable values for the length of the beams may be 1000 mm, 1460 mm, 1945 mm, 2350 mm or 2800 mm, without being limited to these values. In addition it is preferred that the beam is made of a reliable material having a thickness in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm, in particular of about 2.0 mm, and very particular the thickness is 1.75 mm. As already mentioned above, the term "about" in connection with a particular value for the length or the thickness is to be understood in the sense that the respective value is not strictly limited to the exact value, while on the other hand the exact value is intended to be included in the range and is also intended to be explicitly disclosed.
As already mentioned above, in accordance with another aspect of the rack according to the invention each upright strut comprises a plurality of apertures which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the upright strut. The apertures form a row of apertures and are allow for connection of the beams at different vertical levels. In case the beams are provided with tabs these can be easily inserted into the apertures provided in the upright struts thus connecting the beam to the upright struts at the desired vertical level.
In accordance with a further aspect of the rack according to the invention, each aperture of the plurality of apertures comprises an insertion section and a fixation section. This shape of the apertures including the two afore-mentioned sections allows for an easy insertion of the tabs into the respective apertures at the insertion section, and once inserted into the insertion section the tabs are moved to the fixation section of the apertures so as to come into fixed engagement with the upright struts. No connection tools such as screwdrivers or wrenches are needed for the fixation of the tabs in the apertures.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a storage rack system. The storage rack system comprises a storage rack as described above and at least one further storage rack as described above. The storage rack is connected to the at least one further storage rack. The storage rack and the further storage rack are connected such that both storage racks have at least one common upright strut to which at least one beam of the storage rack and at least one beam of the further storage rack are connected. The storage rack system thus has a modular construction in which further storage racks can be connected to an already assembled storage rack. Depending on how many upright struts are commonly used by the racks, rack systems are possible in which the racks are arranged at right angles relative to one another (only one upright strut being commonly used) and rack systems in which the racks are linearly arranged (two upright struts being commonly used). In any event, the modular construction of the rack system allows for an increase of the storage capacity of an already assembled rack by modularly attaching a further rack to the already assembled rack. Depending on the space available for attachment of a further rack, the further rack can be attached to obtain a right-angled configuration or a linear configuration of the rack system.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for assembling a storage rack. The method for assembling a storage rack according to the invention comprises the following steps:

providing at least four upright struts
providing at least one pair of beams, wherein each of the beams of a pair has a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portions and second end portions being connectable to the upright struts in manner such that the beams of each pair are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, wherein each of the beams has at least one support surface
selecting a mounting position from a first mounting position in which the support surfaces of the beams of each pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane and a second mounting position in which the support surfaces of the beams of each pair are arranged inclined towards each other, and
mounting the beams in the selected mounting position to the upright struts.

In accordance with the method according to the invention, upon assembly of the rack the user has to actively decide whether the beams are to be mounted in the first mounting position in which the support surfaces of the beams are arranged in a common horizontal plane so as to form support surfaces for panels, or whether the beams are to be mounted in the second mounting position where the support surfaces of the beams are arranged inclined towards each other so as to form support surfaces for supporting tyres. Both options are available.
According to a further aspect of the method according to the invention, the step of mounting comprises

mounting the beams of each pair in the first mounting position by connecting one of the beams of each pair in the first mounting position with its first end portion to a first upright strut and with its second end portion to a second upright strut and the other of the beams of the respective pair with its first end portion to a third upright strut and with its second end portion to a fourth upright strut, or
mounting the beams of each pair in the second mounting position by connecting one of the beams of a pair with its first end portion to the second upright strut and with its second end portion to the first upright strut and the other of the beams of the pair with its first end portion to the fourth upright strut and with its second end portion to the third upright strut.

This aspect corresponds essentially to the constructive aspect of the rack which allows the mounting of the beams to the upright struts in the first or second mounting position by simply connecting the respective end to the respective upright strut. Nothing is to be done other than that: Once the decision has been made whether the beams are to be mounted to the upright struts in the first mounting position or in the second mounting position, the respective ends of the beams must simply be connected to the corresponding upright struts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantageous aspect of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments of the invention with the aid of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1: is a perspective view of an embodiment of a storage rack according to the invention;
Fig. 2: is a cross-sectional view of a beam of the rack of Fig. 1 in a first mounting position;
Fig. 3: is a cross-sectional view of the beam of Fig. 2 in a second mounting position;
Fig. 4: is a perspective view of an end portion of the beam of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5: is a further perspective view of the beam of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6: is a perspective view of an end portion of the beam connected to an upright strut of the rack such that the beam is mounted in a first mounting position;
Fig. 7: is a perspective view of an end portion of the beam connected to an upright strut of the rack such that the beam is mounted in a second mounting position.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The embodiment of the storage rack 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises four upright struts 2, a first upright strut 21, a second upright strut 22, a third upright strut 23 and a fourth upright strut 24, which are arranged at the four corners of a rectangle. Four pairs of beams 3 are connected to the upright struts 2 at different vertical levels. In the embodiment of the storage rack shown in Fig. 1, the beams 3 of each of the four pairs are arranged at the same vertical level. Each of the beams 3 has a length 38 and a first end portion 31 shown in Fig. 1 at the left hand end of the beams 3 as well as a second end portion 32 shown in Fig. 1 at the right hand end of the beams 3. The first end portions 31 and the second end portions 32 of the beams 3 are connected to the upright struts 2 in a manner such that the beams 3 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, regardless of whether the beams 3 are mounted in a first mounting position or in a second mounting position. The first and second mounting positions of the beams 3 are explained below.
Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a beam 3 of a pair of beams in a first mounting position of the beam 3. As can be seen, in the first mounting position the support surface 36 of beam 3 is arranged horizontally. This applies similarly to the other beam 3 of the pair (not shown in Fig. 2) which is arranged at the same vertical level (see Fig. 1) so that the support surfaces of the two beams 3 of a pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane. A panel 5 is shown in Fig. 1 to rest on the support surfaces 36 of the beams 3. The goods can be stored on these panels 5 as this is well-known in the art.
Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a beam 3 of a pair of beams in the second mounting position of the beam 3. As can be seen, in the second mounting position a further support surface 37 of the beam 3 is arranged at an angle α relative to a horizontal plane. This applies similarly to the other beam 3 of the pair (not shown in Fig. 3) which is arranged at the same vertical level (see Fig. 1) so that the support surfaces 37 of the beams 3 of a pair are arranged inclined towards each other. A portion of a tyre 6 is shown in Fig. 3 for better understanding of how the support surfaces 37 of a pair of beams 3 act in supporting the tyre 6. As becomes clear from Fig. 3, while it is preferred that the beams 3 of a pair are arranged at the same vertical level this is not absolutely mandatory. For example, the beam at that side of the rack where the tyre 6 is to be taken out (for example at the front side in Fig. 1), the beam of a pair can be mounted at a slightly lower level than the other beam of the pair.
As can be seen from Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the beam 3 is provided with tabs 35 for connecting the beam 3 to the upright struts. As can further be seen from Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the beam 3 is substantially Omega-shaped (it has substantially the shape of the Greek letter "Q") which provides for a good stability of the beam against deformation when substantial loads are acting on the support surfaces 36 via the panels 5 or on the support surfaces 37, respectively. The angled end section of the Omega-shaped profile forms the second support surface 37. This second support surface is arranged at an angle α in the range of 20° to 60° relative to a horizontal plane, and in the embodiment shown this angle α is 40°.
As can also be seen From Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in order to change the mounting position of the beam 3 from the first mounting position (Fig. 2) to the second mounting position (Fig. 3) it is only necessary to rotate the beam 3 in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawings. This means, that after rotation of the beam 3 the first end portion 31 of the beam 3 is located at a position where the second end portion 32 was located before rotation of the beam 3, and vice versa.
Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show perspective views of the second end portion 32 of the beam 3 when the beam is in the second mounting position. The beam 3 is shown rotated relative to the beam 3 shown in Fig. 1 in which the first mounting position of the beams 3 is shown. Two tabs 35 are arranged at the second end portion 32, and while not shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 two such tabs are similarly arranged at the first end portion 31 of the beam 3. The tabs 35 protrude outwardly from the beam so that they can be connected to the respective upright strut. Each of the tabs 35 comprises a portion that extends in the longitudinal direction of the beam 3 in a manner such that the open ends of the tabs 35 arranged at the first end portion 31 and at the second end portion 32 are facing each other. For example, the tabs 35 can be manufactured by cutting the beam 3 at the location of the tabs and by a subsequent stamping process in which the material of the beam is stamped to form the tabs 35. As is explained below, with the aid of the tabs 35 the beams 3 can be easily connected to the upright struts 2.
Fig. 6 shows the first end portion 31 of the beam 3 when being connected to the first upright strut 21 (see Fig. 1) in a manner such that the beam 3 is mounted in the first mounting position. In this first mounting position of the beam 3 the horizontal support surface 36 faces upwardly and inwardly so that panels 5 (Fig. 1) can be place thereon. The tabs 35 (not shown in Fig. 6) are inserted and fixed in apertures 25 comprising an insertion section and a fixation section, as will be explained in more detail below.
Fig. 7 shows the first end portion 31 of the beam 3 when being connected to the second upright strut 22 in a manner such that the beam 3 is mounted in the second mounting position. In this second mounting position, the inclined supporting surface 37 faces upwardly and inwardly (towards the corresponding inclined supporting surface of the other beam of the pair). In Fig. 7, the tabs 35 are visible which are inserted into and fixed in the apertures 25 provided in the strut 22. The shape of the apertures 25 can be seen at the left hand side of strut 22, and they are provided in mirrored configuration on the right hand side of strut 22 where the tabs 35 are inserted. The apertures 25 comprise an insertion section 250 which is comparatively large to allow for an easy insertion of the tabs 35 when assembling the rack. Once the tabs 35 have been inserted into the insertion section 250, the beam 3 is moved downwardly (due to its weight) so that the tabs 35 clampingly engage the respective struts (in Fig. 7 strut 22) at the fixation section 251 of the respective apertures 25. This clamping engagement of the tabs 35 with the respective struts provides for a reliable fixation of the beams to the struts, and on the other hand it allows to comparatively easily disassemble the beams, for example in order to mount them in the respective other one of the first and second mounting positions, should this be desired.
The length 38 of the beams 3 (fig. 1) is generally variable. Preferred lengths are in the range of about 500 mm to about 4000 mm, more preferably in the range of about 1000 mm to about 3000 mm. This range covers most of the practical applications of the rack according to the invention. Particularly suitable values for the length of the beams may be 1000 mm, 1460 mm, 1945 mm, 2350 mm or 2800 mm, without being limited to these values. The thickness of the material, which is preferably a rollable material, is preferably in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm, more preferably the thickness is about 2 mm, and very particular the thickness is 1.75 mm.
As has already been mentioned further above, a storage rack system can be modularly built by connecting a storage rack 1 as described above to at least one further storage rack. Depending on the geometrical configuration (right-angled arrangement; linear arrangement) one or more of the upright struts are used as common (shared) struts. A strut which is suitable for being used as a common (shared) strut is shown in Fig. 7, there strut comprises apertures 25 for connecting the beams of a first rack and of a further rack.
While embodiments of the invention have been described many changes, variations or modifications are conceivable to a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments are not intended to limit the invention, but rather the present invention is intended to encompass such changes, variations or modifications. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Storage rack (1) comprising at least four upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) and at least one pair of beams (3), wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair has a first end portion (31) and a second end portion (32), the first end portions (31) and second end portions (32) being connected to the upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) in manner such that the beams (3) of each pair are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, each of the beams (3) having at least one support surface (36, 37), wherein in a first mounting position of the beams (3) the support surfaces (36) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane, and wherein in a second mounting position of the beams (3) the support surfaces (37) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged inclined towards each other.
Storage rack (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair has a first support surface (36) supportingly arranged in the first mounting position of the beams (3) and a second support surface (37) different from the first support surface (36), the second support surface (37) being supportingly arranged in the second mounting position.
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the first mounting position one of the beams (3) of a pair is connected with its first end portion (31) to a first upright strut (21) and with its second end portion (32) to a second upright strut (22) and the other of the beams (3) of the pair is connected with its first end portion (31) to a third upright strut (23) and with its second end portion (32) to a fourth upright strut (24), and wherein in the second mounting position one of the beams (3) of a pair is connected with its first end portion (31) to the second upright strut (22) and with its second end portion (32) to the first upright strut (21) and the other of the beams (3) of the pair is connected with its first end portion (31) to the fourth upright strut (24) and with its second end portion (32) to the third upright strut (23).
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each beam (3) has a cross-section which is substantially Omega-shaped.
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in cross-section each beam (3) comprises an end section which is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by an angle (α).
Storage rack (1) according to claim 5, wherein the angle (α) is between about 20° to about 60°, and is in particular about 40°.
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair comprises at least one tab (35) at the first end portion (31) and at least one further tab (35) at the second end portion (32), each tab (35) protruding from the respective beam (3) in a direction towards the respective upright strut (2; 21, 22, 23, 24)) and being connected to the respective upright strut (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) .
Storage rack according to claim 7, wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair comprises two tabs (35) at the first end portion (31) and two further tabs at the second end portion (32), the two tabs (35) at the respective end portion being connected to the respective upright strut (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) .
Storage rack (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein each tab (35) comprises a portion being oriented in the longitudinal direction of the beam (3).
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the beam (3) has a length (38) in the range of about 500 mm to about 4000 mm, and wherein the beam (3) is made of a rollable material having a thickness in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm.
Storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each upright strut (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) comprises a plurality of apertures (25) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the upright strut (2), the apertures (25) forming a row of apertures for connecting a said beam (3) at different vertical levels.
Storage rack (1) according to claim 11, wherein each aperture (25) of the plurality of apertures comprises an insertion section (250) and a fixation section (251).
Storage rack system comprising a storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and at least one further storage rack (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the storage rack (1) being connected to the at least one further storage rack (1), wherein the storage rack (1) and the further storage rack (1) are connected such that both storage racks have at least one common upright strut (2) to which at least one beam (3) of the storage rack (1) and at least one further beam (3) of the further storage rack (1) are connected.
Method for assembling a storage rack (1), comprising the steps of:
providing at least four upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24),

providing at least one pair of beams (3), wherein each of the beams (3) of a pair has a first end portion (31) and a second end portion (32), the first end portions (31) and second end portions (32) being connectable to the upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24) in manner such that the beams (3) of each pair are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, and wherein each of the beams (3) has at least one support surface (36, 37),

selecting a mounting position from a first mounting position in which the support surfaces (36) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged in a common horizontal plane and a second mounting position in which the support surfaces (37) of the beams (3) of each pair are arranged inclined towards each other, and

mounting the beams (3) in the selected mounting position to the upright struts (2; 21, 22, 23, 24).
Method according to claim 14, wherein the step of mounting the beams (3) in the selected mounting position comprises,
mounting the beams (3) of each pair in the first mounting position by connecting one of the beams (3) of each pair in the first mounting position with its first end portion (31) to a first upright strut (21) and with its second end portion (32) to a second upright strut (22) and the other of the beams (3) of the respective pair with its first end portion (31) to a third upright strut (23) and with its second end portion (32) to a fourth upright strut (24), or
mounting the beams (3) of each pair in the second mounting position by connecting one of the beams (3) of a pair with its first end portion (31) to the second upright strut (22) and with its second end portion (32) to the first upright strut (21) and the other of the beams (3) of the pair with its first end portion (31) to the fourth upright strut (24) and with its second end portion (32) to the third upright strut (23).