US3065860A - Shelf structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1962 H. F. SWANSON 3,065,860

SHELF STRUCTURE Filed Aug 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.4 10.5

INVENTOR. flerieizl 5100 607!) ATTOR NEYS Nov; 27, 1962 H. F. SWANSON 3,065,860

SHELF STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 26. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fiffiffij java/:6

ATTORNEYS 3,065,.flflfl Patented Nov. 27, 162

3,065,860 SHELF STRUCTURE Herbert F. Swanson, Belmont, Mass, assignor to Market Forge Company, Everett, Mass, a corporation of Massaehusetts Filed Aug. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 52,6376 13 Claims. (Cl. 211153) This invention relates to shelving and particularly to sheet metal shelving and has for its principal objects to provide improved corner leg brackets by means of which such shelving may be supported in parallel relation on legs and for adjustment of the spacing of the shelving. Other objects are to provide corner leg brackets which can be made up independently of the shelf panel itself, so that shelf lengths may be made up quickly and easily to order without requiring stocking of a larger number of sizes; to provide a corner leg bracket which may be attached to the shelving panel without fastening elements which may become loose and a lodging place for dirt and unsanitary; to provide a leg bracket which blends with the shelf panel so as to be attractive; and to provide a leg bracket which is designed for casting in quantity with an appreciable saving in cost of manufacture. Further objects are to provide corner brackets of such design as to resist displacement relative to their attaching flanges; a shelf which is of improved rigidity and stiifness; andv to provide an auxiliary back panel for the shelf.

As herein illustrated, the shelving comprises a sheet metal shelf panel having right angularly disposed flanges along its edges and corner brackets disposed at each corner of the panel, each bracket containing an opening perpendicular to the plane of the panel and having a pair of right angularly disposed arms engaged with the inner sides of the flanges at the corners. The legs correspondin vertical depth to the depth of the flanges and are retained in place with their upper edges abutting the undersides of the panel and portions of the lower edges of the flanges rolled inwardly beneath their lower edges. Optionally, the legs of the bracket have means interengageable with the flanges of the shelf to prevent displacement of the legs relative to the flanges when the latter have been rolled inwardly beneath their lower edges. Additionally, there may be reinforcing bars disposed lengthwise of the flanges with their edges retained between the panel and the lower edges of the flanges as are the legs of the corner brackets. A back panel of sheet metal is adapted to be disposed lengthwise of the shelf and has spaced parallel clamping means for engagement with the shelf to secure it thereto.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a corner portion of a shelf panel with the corner cut away for receiving a corner leg bracket;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the top side of a shelf panel showing the corner brackets incorporated therein;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom view of a portion of a shelf panel at one corner;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. Sis a section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the corner bracket removed from the shelf panel;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view at one end of a stand of shelves showing the end portions of two spaced parallel shelves disposed on a supporting leg;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a shelf panel at one corner showing the corner bracket with the locking ribbing and bosses incorporated therein;

FIG. 10 is a section on line 1i10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the shelf showing side and center reinforcing bars;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective showing a section of a side reinforcing bar;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary exploded perspective showing the interlocking arrangement of the center and side reinforcing bars; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective of a shelf back panel showing its attaching flanges.

Referring to the drawings, the shelves which are shown herein, are made up of sheet metal, preferably of an aluminized steel of any suitable length and width. Each shelf has a central flat panel 10 of substantially rectangular shape and right angularly disposed, downwardly extending end and side flanges 12 and 14 situated with their upper and lower edges above and below the panel. Substantially flat, inwardly and downwardly extending shoulders 16 connect the upper edges of the side flanges with the panel. The lower edges of the side flanges are provided with right-angularly disposed, inwardly projecting flanges 12a and 14a. The shoulders 16, commonly designated in the art by the term marine edges, serve to prevent spilled liquid from flowing over the edges of the shelves onto subjacent shelves. The side flanges constitute a peripheral skirt.

At each corner there is an opening formed by cutting a quarter circular section out of the top panel and the portions of the flanges 12 and 14 at the corner, as shown in FIG. 1. In each of these openings there is disposed a leg bracket 18 (FIG. 7) which has a vertically disposed leg opening 29 in it perpendicular to the plane of the top panel, the leg bracket filling the opening so that the completed shelf has smooth, attractively curved corners, as shown in in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown, the outer cylindrical surface 19 of the leg bracket is tangent to the outer surfaces of the flanges and the inner cylindrical surface fits precisely into the opening in the top panel.

Each corner leg bracket 18, as shown in FIG. 7, is a cylindrical casting 21 having integral with it right angularly disposed arms 22 and 24, which correspond in depth to the depth of the flanges 12 and 14 and which are adapted to lie inside of the flanges 12 and 14 with their upper edges 22a and 24a situated within the upwardly concave sides of the beads 16 along the edges (FIG. 4). The lower edges 22b and 24b are constrained by portions of the inwardly directed flanges 12a and 14a, rolled upwardly against the inner sides of the arms, as shown in FIG. 4. Beyond the ends of the arms the flanges 12a and 14a are left flat, as shown in FIG. 5. The upper edges 22a and 24a lie in a plane below the upper end 23 of the cylinder 21 by an amount which corresponds to the thickness of the panel 10 (FIG. 7), so that the upper surface of the beads 16 will lie flush with the upper surface of the corner bracket. Preferably the upper edges 22a and 24a are shaped, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, to provide a broad bearing surface substantially coextensive with the inner surface of the upwardly inclined shoulders 16. At the inner side of the cylinder there is a horizontally disposed flange 26 for engagement with the underside of the panel 10 and a boss 28 containing a threaded opening 30 for receiving a set screw, by means of which the corner bracket may be fixed to a supporting leg 32, such as shown in FIG. 8.

The legs at each corner bracket 18 may be modified in the original casting to include bosses 32 and ribs 33, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Openings 34 are provided along the edges of the panel, in the shoulders 16, as herein shown, to receive the corresponding bosses. The bosses and flanges 35 are rolled inwardly around the lower ends of the ribs 33, as shown in FIG. 10. The bosses and ribs, in conjunction, prevent lateral movement of the arms 22 and 2 4 with respect to the flanges l2 and 14.

For the purpose of stiffening the shelf, as a whole, side and end reinforcing bars 36a and 36b are disposed along the flanges 12 and 14 with their upper edges 37 situated within the upwardly convex sides of the shoulders 16. The lower edges 38 of the bars are constrained by the portions of the inwardly directed flanges 12a and 14a, which are rolled upwardly against the inner sides of the arms, as shown in FIG. 12.

A transverse reinforcing bar 39 may also be used, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, which is secured at its ends 40 to the side bars 36a by keys ways (slots) 41, located within the side bars. Only one such transverse bar is shown, however, as many may be used as is desirable to stiffen the shelf for the load which it will have to sustain.

A detachable back member 44 may also be provided for the shelf as shown in FIG. 14. The backing member has an upper flange 43 adapted to lie with its concave inner surface in contact with the outer surface of the upwardly inclined shoulder 16 connected by a vertical portion 42 to a vertically spaced lower flange 45 which is bent upwardly in a flat convex arch for yieldable engagement with the lower edge of the flange, thereby to clamp the back to the shelf.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shelf comprising a flat sheet metal panel having right-angularly disposed, downwardly extending flanges along its edges and cut-outs situated along portions of its edge flange for receiving leg-supporting brackets and a bracket disposed in each cut-out, each bracket containing a leg opening perpendicular to the plane of the panel, having an inner side which abuts the edge of the panel at the cut-out and an outer side which is flush with the outer surface of the flange at the point of junction therewith, and arms extending from the bracket beyond the cut-out along the inner side of the flange, with the upper edges abutting the underside of the panel and their lower edges confined by rolled-over portions of the lower edge of the flange.

2. A shelf comprising a flat metal panel having rightangularly disposed, downwardly extending flanges along its edges, cut-outs situated along portions of its edge flanges and a bracket situated at each cut-out, said bracket having a portion engaged with the edge of the cut-out and portions corresponding in depth to the flange having abutting engagement with the flanges, and arms extending therefrom along the inner sides of the flanges with the upper edges abutting the underside of the panel and the lower edges confined by rolled-over portions of the lower edges of the flanges.

3. A shelf comprising a flat sheet metal panel having right angularly disposed, downwardly extending flanges along its edges, quarter circular cut-outs at the corners, corner brackets disposed in the respective cut-outs at the corners, each bracket comprising a corner piece having an inner side which abuts the edge of the panel at the cut-out, and an outer side which is flush with the outer surfaces of the flanges at its point of junction therewith,

and right angularly disposed arms extending from the corner piece beyond the cut-out along the inner sides of the flanges, with their upper edges abutting the underside of the panel, and with their lower edges confined by portions of the flanges rolled inwardly and upwardly about them.

4. A shelf panel according to claim 3, wherein there is a vertically disposed rib at the inner side of each arm of the corner bracket and the rolled over portion of the lower edges of the flanges embrace the lower ends of the ribs.

5. A shelf panel according to claim 3, wherein there are upwardly projecting bosses on the upper edges of the arms and the panel has openings along its edges within which the bosses are engaged.

6. A shelf panel according to claim 3, wherein there is a vertically disposed web at the inner side of each arm of the corner bracket and an upwardly projecting boss at the top of each arm and wherein the lower edges of the flanges are rolled inwardly against the opposite sides of the ribs at their lower ends and the panel contains at its edges openings within which the bosses are engaged.

7. A shelf panel according to claim 3, wherein there are reinforcing bars disposed at the inner sides of the side and end flanges between the inner ends of the arms of the corner brackets with their upper edges adjacent the underside of the panel and their lower edges confined by the rolled over portions of the lower edges of the flanges.

8. A shelf panel according to claim 3, wherein there are longitudinal reinforcing bars disposed in the side flanges and a transverse reinforcing bar disposed between the side flanges with its ends engaged with the longi tudinal reinforcing bars.

9. A shelf comprising a flat sheet metal panel having an integral, perpendicularly disposed peripheral skirt and containing openings at each corner, said skirt having upper and lower edges situated above and below the plane of the panel, an inwardly and downwardly inclined shoulder connecting the upper edge of the skirt to the panel, a right-angularly disposed, inwardly extending flange at the lower edge of the skirt, and leg brackets secured to the panel at the openings for supporting the panel on leg posts, each bracket containing a vertically disposed hole in alignment with one of said panel openings for receiving a leg post, and a pair of integral arms, each arm having a flat side parallel to the axis of the leg hole corresponding substantially in depth to the skirt and contacting the inner surface thereof to support the bracket with the leg hole perpendicular to the panel, and having upper and lower edges for engagement, respectively, with the underside of the inwardly inclined shoulder and the upper side of the flange, and said flange having upwardly clinched portions substantially coextensive with the lower edges of the arms, operable, in conjunction with the inwardly and downwardly inclined shoulders at the upper edges of the arms, to hold the leg bracket anchored to the skirt.

10. A shelf comprising a flat sheet metal panel having right angularly disposed, downwardly extending flanges along its edges, cut-outs at the corners, corner brackets containing vertically disposed leg openings, each bracket comprising a corner piece having an outer side, portions of which lie respectively in the planes of each of the flanges at the corner, and an inner portion which fits into the cut-out, a flange on the inner portion at the underside of the panel engaging the panel marginally of the cutout, and right angularly disposed arms extending from the corner piece beyond the cut-out with their upper edges abutting the underside of the panel and their lower edges restrained by rolled-in portions of the lower edges of the flanges.

11. A sheet metal shelf panel having right angularly disposed flanges along its edges and an upwardly convex shoulder at the intersection of the edges of the panel with the side flanges, quarter circular openings at the corners,

corner brackets disposed in the openings containing perpendicularly disposed leg openings, each bracket comprising a cylindrical corner piece adapted to completely fill the cut-out and to round out the corner, and right angularly disposed arms engaged with the inner sides of the flanges at the corners, with their upper edges situated in the upwardly convex sides of the shoulders and their lower edges constrained by rolled-over portions of the lower edges of the flanges.

.12. A sheet metal shelf panel according to claim 11, wherein the upper edges of the arms have convex portions adapted to nest within the upwardly convex sides of the shoulders at the edges.

13. A sheet metal shelf panel according to claim 11,

wherein the corner brackets contain threaded openings 15 disposed radially with respect to the leg opening for receiving set screws, by means of which the brackets may be fixed to supporting legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,136,245 'Leland Apr. 20, 1915 1,171,064 OConnor Feb. 8, 1916 10 1,685,064 Fritz Sept. 18, 1928 1,962,396 Katz June 12, 1934 2,011,357 Ford Aug. 13, 1935 2,309,212 Reeves Jan. 26, 1943 2,633,996 Litchfield Apr. 7, 1953

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