US3056507A - Adjustable shelving - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 2, 1962 G. R. SQUIRES, JR., ETAL 3,056,507

ADJUSTABLE SHELVING Filed Dec. 1, 1960 INVENTORS 650265 E. 5001255 JP.

RA w J Mu 5 ilnited rates Patent 3,056,507 ADJUSTABLE SHELVING George R. fliguires, .11., Rurnson, and Richard W. Squires, Hopatcong, N31, assignors to Dover Maid Industries, Inc., a corporation of New .iersey Filed Dec. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 72,977 9 Ciaims. (Cl. 211136) The present invention relates to adjustable shelving.

There are advantages to be gained by an arrangement of shelving by which different spacing may the provided between shelves. Such flexibility permits more efficient use of shelf space and increases the use to which the shelves may be put.

Efliciency and utility may be further increased if the shelving can also be adjusted as to over all height. Such an additional adjustment tends to improve the appearance of the shelving as well.

In providing for the additional flexibility it is important not to sacrifice sturdiness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved shelving adjustable in spacing and over all height without sacrificing sturdiness and appearance.

According to this invention sheet metal shelves having perpendicular flanges stopping short of the corners are supported by telescoping angle members. A fastening means is provided in the form of a screw and winged washer which fits inside the shelf flanges and in cooperation with the screw supports the shelving and fastens the telescoping sections of the corner posts. The fastening means is arranged to provide an effective mechanical joint assuring maximum sturdiness with neatness of appearance.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will become apparent after a reading of the following specification when considered in connection with the attached drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the adjustable shelving constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the telescoping feature of the corner posts.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the arrangement for fastening the shelves to the corner posts.

FIGURE 4 shows in detail a member for fastening the shelving securely to the wall.

FIGURE 5 shows in detail the beveled end of the shelving brace.

Throughout the various figures of the drawing the same number will be employed to designate like elements.

Turning now in detail to FIGURE 1 there is shown an assembled adjustable shelf consisting of a plurality of shelves 11 supported by four telescoping corner posts 13. The shelves 11 are made of sheet metal. The shelves 11 have a flat or planar section 15 with flanges 17 extending about the edges of the planar section 15. The flanges 17 are perpendicular to the planar section 15. The flanges 17 may also have an inward extension to still further increase the rigidity of the shelves 11 without requiring that the shelves 11 be made of a heavy gauge sheet metal.

The corner posts 13 consists of upper angle member 19 and lower angle member 21. Lower angle member 21 is modified by the addition of a flange 23 which extends around the edges of the upper angle member 21. The flanges 23 may take a re-entrant or U shape or may be rolled. The flanges 23 extend the full length of the lower angle member 21. The flanges 23 are arranged to receive the edges 24 of the upper angle member 19 to form a telescoping association between angle members 19 and 21.

The corners of angle members 19 and 21 are flattened at 25 and 26. A series of holes 27 are spaced along the flat portions 25 and 26 throughout the entire length of 3,356,567 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 the angle members 10 and 21. The spacing between the holes is uniform and is the same in both the upper and lower angle members 19 and 21. The distribution of holes 27 is arranged such that hole is located near the ends of the angle members 19 and 21. By placing a hole 27 near the top and bottom of the corner posts 13, one of the shelves 11 may be positioned at the very top of the corner posts 13 to provide a neat appearance.

Turning now in detail to FIGURE 3 there is shown in cross section an arrangement according to the present invention for fastening the shelves to the corner posts. The cross section is taken at the point in the corner post where the telescoping angle members overlap. The corner of the shelf 11 is cut away in the drawing to show the shelf flanges 17. Shelf flanges 17 may have an inward extension 29 to increase rigidity of the shelf 11. The shelf flange 17 and its extension 29 stop short of the corners of the shelves 11 by an amount which in combination with a cut off corner of the planar surface provides a flattened corner for the shelves 111. The flattened corner for the shelves 11 corresponds to the flattened corner of the uper and lower angle members 19 and 21 forming the corner posts 13.

The corner posts 13 and the shelves 11 are fastened together securely by a screw 31 and a Winged washer 33. Winged washer 33 may take the form of a short section of angle iron with a flattened corner having a hole 34. The flattened corner of the winged washer 33 is similar in shape and size to the flattened corner of the angle members 19 and 21. The width of the winged Washer 33 may correspond to the width of the vertical section of flange 17.

It will be seen therefore that when the angle members 19 and 21, the flanges 17 and the winged washer 33 are compressed together there is provided a secure fastening between the shelves 11 and the corner posts 13. Since the shelf flanges 17 stop short of the corner there exists an opening 35 between the angle member 21 and the winged washer 33. The opening 35 permits a more secure fastening of the various components since the fastening does not bind at the flattened corner but binds along the flanges 17.

An improved joint may be obtained by having the relative angle between the angle members 19 and 21 and the winged washer 33 such that the extremities of the angle members 19 and 21 and the winged washer 33 engage the flange 17 before that portion of the angle members 19 and 21 and winged washer 33 adjacent the flattened corners. For example, the angle of the angle members 19 and 21 may be slightly less than degrees, while the angle of the winged washer 33 is greater than 90 degrees. Or, for example, the angle members 19 and 21 may be exactly 90 degrees and the winged washer 33 greater than 90 degrees.

Turning now to FIGURE 4 there is shown a top view of fastening plate member 37 which is employed to fasten the shelving to the wall 39. Member 37 consists of a flat piece of heavy gauge metal. Member 37 is shaped so that it may be located so as to point outward or inward from the rear corner posts 13. Member 37 is fastened to the outside of corner posts 13. Alternate positions of the upper section 19 of the corner posts 13 are shown in dotted lines. Plate member 37 is fastened to wall 39 with screws 41.

Still another feature of the fastening plate member 37 is that the rear of the shelving can be fastened tight against the wall or the shelving may be spaced slightly from the wall. A close inspection of FIGURE 4 of the drawing illustrates that if the fastening plate member 37 extends outward from the shelving as shown in the upper part of the figure, the upper angle member 19 of the corner post will be flush against the wall. However, as shown in the lower part of the figure, if the fastening plate member 37 extends inwardly from the upper angle member ice 19 of the corner posts a bevel 43 in the fastening plate member 37 provides a spacing between the upper angle member 19 and the wall 39.

Since the shelving is generally shipped and marketed in a knocked down condition, the purchaser may decide whether he desires a slight spacing from the wall, perhaps to overcome surface irregularities, or whether a flush mounting is desired.

The description and the illustration in FIGURE 3 of the drawing are directed to the shelf fastening at a location where both the upper and lower angle members 39 and 21 are telescoped together. It will be understood that the same illustration of FIGURE 3 and the descrip tion thereof are applicable where the shelves 1]. are fastened to only the upper or the lower angle members of the corner posts 13.

in order to still further strengthen the shelving there are provided corner braces 45. (See FIGURE l). The corner braces 45 extend diagonally across the upper rear corners of the shelving. The corner braces consist of strap metal having holes 47 in their ends and bevels 49 to fit the ends of the braces 45 snugly against the flattened corners of the corner posts 13. The fastenings as shown in FIGURE 3 may also include the ends of the corner braces &5, or the braces may be fastened at any location along the corner posts 13.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Adjustable metal shelving comprising in combination sheet metal shelves each having peripheral perpendicular flanges stopping short of the shelf corners, corner posts each consisting of a first and second angular shaped member, the first of said angular shaped members having a pair of outwardly extending reverse flanges at its edges, the reverse flanges engaging the edges of the second angular shaped member in a telescoping manner, said angular shaped members having flattened corners, a series of holes in said flattened corners, the series of holes having similar spacing in both the first and second angular shaped members, means for fastening said shelves to said corner posts comprising a winged member engaging the inside of the flanges of said shelf, a bolt fastening the flanges of said shelf between said winged member and said corner posts, at least one of said bolts in each corner of the metal shelving also fastening the first and second angular shaped member together.

2. The adjustable shelving as set forth in claim 1 and wherein diagonal bracing is provided, said diagonal bracing comprising strap members having bevelled ends which fit against the flattened corners of said angle members, and are fastened to said angle members with the screws that fasten said shelves and corner posts.

3. The adjustable shelving as set forth in claim 1 and wherein there are provided plate members to fasten the shelving against a wall, said plate members having a bevelled end which is arranged to fit against and is clamped to the flattened corners of said corner posts.

4. The adjustable shelving as set forth in claim 3 and wherein said plate member has a bevel at each end, one of said bevel being offset to provide spacing of the shelving from the wall.

5. Adjustable metal shelving comprising a plurality of sheet metal shelves, said shelves having a planar portion surrounded by a perpendicular flange, the corners of said shelves cut off to flatten the corners of the planar portion of said shelf and limit the extension of the flanges short of the corners to form a groove in the flanges of predetermined size, corner posts for said shelving comprising a pair of angle members, one of the angle members having longitudinal flanges folding outwardly and around the edges of the other angle member to form a telescoping corner post, the corner of each of the angle members being flattened to correspond with the flattened corners of the planar section of the metal shelves, a series of holes positioned along the flattened corners of both of said angle members, the spacing of the holes being uniform and similar in both angle members, and means for fastening the shelves to the corner posts comprising an angular bracket substantially corresponding in width to the width of the flange of said shelves and having a flattened corner corresponding substantially to the flattened corners of said angle members, a screw for clamping the flanges of the shelves and the angle member of the corner post having the longitudinal flanges between said angular bracket and the other angle member not having the flanges thereby fastening the shelves and fastening the telescoping corner posts.

6. Adjustable shelving comprising in combination a plurality of shelves of sheet metal having a planar section, each shelf having circumferential flanges extending downwardly, the lower edges of said flanges turned inwardly to form a flange extension parallel with said planar section, corner posts each consisting of a pair of cooperating members angular in cross section, one member having a longitudinal flange extending outwardly around each edge of the other member for support in a telescoping manner, means for fastening said shelves to said corner posts comprising a washer having flanges extending at substantially right angles to each other, a screw for clamping the corner of a shelf between said corner post and the flanges of said washer, and to fasten a pair of cooperating members forming a corner post.

7. Adjustable shelving comprising in combination a plurality of shelves having flat portions, flanges extending perpendicularly from the edge of said flat portions, said flanges having extensions parallel to said flat portions, said flanges also terminating short of the corners to provide an opening having predetermined width, corner posts to support said shelves comprising inner and outer angle members, reversely bent flanges along the edges of the inner angle member engaging the outer angle member to provide a telescoping corner post, the corners of said angle members being flattened, the flattened corners including a series of holes having like longitudinal separation in said telescoping sections, and fastening means comprising a nut, bolt, and modified washer, the modified washer having a flat portion and wings, said wings engaging the inner surface of the flanges when the outer, inner angle members, the shelf flanges and modified washer are compressed by said nut and bolt, said predetermined width opening in the corners of said shelves, the width of the flattened corners of said angle members and the width of the flat portion of the modified washer being substantially equal.

8. Adjustable metal shelving comprising telescoping angular corner posts supporting a plurality of sheet metal shelves, said sheet metal shelve having vertical flanges stopping short of the corner to form a groove in the flanges at the corners, said corner posts comprising a pair of angle members, the inner angle member having lateral extensions outside and around the lateral edges of the outer angle members to provide the telescoping association of the angle members, the corners of said angle members being flattened, a series of holes along the flattened corners, the spacing of the holes being uniform and corresponding in both said angle members, means to fasten said shelves to said corner posts comprising a winged member and a screw, said winged member to engage the inside of the flanges of said shelf, said screw compressing the flanges of said shelf and the inner angle member of said corner post between said winged member and the outer angle member of said corner post, the relative angle of said winged member with respect to said angle members being slightly dilferent in a manner to cause the transverse extremities of the angle member and the extremities of said winged member to engage the flanges of said shelves on clamping before the engagement of the flanges of said shelves by the remainder of the winged members and angle members to form a rigid fastening without warping said shelves.

9. Adjustable shelving comprising a plurality of sheet metal shelves and associated telescoping corner posts, said shelves having a flat portion and re-entrant flanges at the edges of the shelves, the corners of the shelves being removed to provide an opening at each corner, the flanges stopping short of the corners to form slots, said telescoping corner posts comprising a pair of angle members, the inside angle members having longitudinal re-entrant flanges along its edges which engage the edges of the outer angle member in a telescoping manner, said inside angle members having flattened corners to correspond to the fllattened corners of said outer angle members, the flattened corners of said angle members having a series of holes having uniform spacing and means for fastening the shelving and corner posts comprising angle strips fitting within the re-entrant flanges of said shelves, a screw for clamping the corner of said shelves between said angle strips and said corner posts and to fasten together the telescoping angle members of said corner posts, the angle of said angle strips being slightly greater than 90 degrees, the angle of said angle members being slightly less than 90 degrees to provide a firm fastening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,031,123 Kane July 2, 1912 1,603,742 Broderick Oct. 19, 1926 1,854,777 Bales April 19, 1932 2,645,538 Segal July 14, 1953 2,670,935 Arnold March 2, 1954 2,939,589 Handler June 7, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 705,152 Great Britain March 10, 1954

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