US3300170A

US3300170A - Shelf construction with adjustable bracket

Info

Publication number: US3300170A
Application number: US450810A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raffa Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-26
Filing date: 1965-04-26
Publication date: 1967-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-24

Description

C. RAFFA SHELF CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE BRACKET Jan. 24, 1967 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1965 INVENTOR. CHARLES RAF/A BY W ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1967 c. RAFFA SHELF CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE BRACKET Filed April 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAP/54 INVENTOR.

CHARLES United States Patent 3,300,170 SHELF CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE BRACKET Charles Bath, 4701 Avenue K, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234 Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No, 450,810 6 Claims. (Cl. 24s-242) This invention relates generally to shelf hardware, and is especially concerned with a unique standard and bracket construction.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide shelf hardware including a standard and bracket, wherein the bracket is selectively adjustable to afford a relatively great number of supporting positions for a shelf.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide shelf hard-ware wherein a bracket is readily adjustable to a substantial number of different predetermined inclinations.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide shelf hardware wherein a shelf suppoiting bracket is very conveniently adjustable to a range of langular positions in a predetermined inclination.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide unique improvements in shelf hardware, including a shelf bracket and standard having an extremely simple construction, conveniently adjustable throughout a wide range of positions, which is durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangemerits of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims,

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view showing a standard and bracket assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and illustrating in phantom an alternate angular bracket position at the same predetermined inclination.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIGURE 3 showing an alternative predetermined inclination of bracket.

FIGURE 5 is an additional sectional elevational view similar to FIGURE 3 showing a further alternative bracket position with the bracket inverted.

FIGURE 6 is another sectional elevational view similar to FIGURE 3 showing still a further predetermined inclination of bracket with the bracket inverted.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURES 13 thereof, an upright or standard, generally designated 10, is of tubular or hollow construction and suitably fixed in its upstanding position. Projecting laterally from the standard 10 is a bracket, generally designated 11.

The standard 10 may be of generally rectangular, hollow tubular construction including a pair of generally

vertical side walls

13 and 14 intersecting or meeting along a vertically extending corner 15. The complete tubular standard 10 may include additional

vertical side walls

16 and 17 respectively parallel to the side walls 13 "ice and 14. If desired, a panel-receiving channel 18 may be secured along the side wall 16.

At vertically spaced locations along the standard 10 there is provided a series or row of through openings or slots 20. The slots 20 are vertically elongate and in vertically spaced, aligned relation with each other, all being located along and opening through the wall intersection or corner 15. More particularly, the vertically elongate slots 20 each open through the standard corner 15 and extend ciroumferentially slightly beyond the corner, so that opposite sides of each slot 20 face inward through and normal to respective

standard walls

13 and 14, as at 21 and 22, best seen in FIGURE 2.

The bracket 11 may advantageously be fabricated of relatively stiff sheet or plate material, including a laterally elongate, normally vertically disposed body 25. The body 25 of bracket 11 is of outwardly tapering configuration, as between outwardly converging normally upper edge 26 and normally lower edge 27 Coplanar with the bracket body 25 and projecting from the larger, inner end thereof, are a pair of vertically spaced, upper and lower lugs or

ears

30 and 31. The upper ear 30 is proximate to and below the upper edge 26, while the lower ear 31 is proximate to and above the lower edge 27.

As may be seen in FIGURE 3, the upper and lower lugs or cars 30 and '31 are each formed with a lower cutout or notch, as at 32 and 33, respectively. The

notches

32 and 33 may be generally rectangular and in substantial alignment with each other, generally normal to the upper bracket edge 26.

It will be observed that the vertical extent of the lugs or

ears

30 and 31, as well as the vertical spacing therebetween, is such as to permit simultaneous movement of the upper and lower lugs inward and outward through a pair of adjacent vertically spaced slots 20. Further, the

lower notches

32 and 33 are adapted to respectively receive the lower edges of a pair of adjacent slots 20' with the lugs inserted through the slots, the condition of FIGURE 3. As the

notches

32 and 33 are substantially aligned, generally normal to the bracket edge 26, the reception in such notches of the lower edges of receiving slots 20 serves to support the bracket 11 with its upper edge substantially horizontal, the condition shown in FIGURE 3.

It will be further observed that the notches 32 and 3-3 are of a width greater than the thickness of the standard walls, thereby affording a slight degree of play without binding.

In the solid-line condition of FIGURE 2, the

lugs

30 and 31 are in facing engagement with the inner surface of wall 13 of the standard, the lugs extending through the side portions 22 of the slots 20, and the bracket body 25 projecting outward from the standard generally normal to the wall 14. However, by the configuration of the slots 20, to extend slightly beyond the corner 15, and by the loose receiving fit of

notches

32 and 33 with the lower edges of the slots, the bracket 11 is swingable to the phantom position of FIGURE 2. In this position the

lugs

30 and 31 are in facing engagement with the inner surface of standard wall 14, extending outward through the side portions 21 of respective slots 20, with the bracket body 25 projecting outward from the standard 10 generally normal to the wall 13. Of course, in addition to the solidand dot-and-dash out-line position shown in FIGURE 4, the bracket 11 may be selectively located at any position of its angular swinging movement between the extreme, illustrated positions.

In addition to the

lower edge notches

32 and 33 of

lugs

30 and 31, the upper and lower lugs are respectively formed with a pair of

upper edge notches

35 and 36.

It will be observed that the

notches

35 and 36 are offset from or out of'alignment-with eachsother, the latter being inward of the former. Further, the upper edge notch 35 is generally adjacent to the lower edge notch 33, but extends at an angle thereto. The upper edge notch 35 is generally adjacent to the lower edge notch 33, but offset therefrom and of a flaring configuration.

In addition, a lower edge of lower lug 31 is provided with a second notch 37, spaced inward from the notch 33. The notch 37 may be of generally triangular configuration, Opening both downward and inward from the lug 31. An upper edge notch 38, also of triangular configuration, is provided on the upper edge of upper lug 30, spaced inward from the upper edge notch 35 and opening both upwardly and inwardly from the latter lug.

In FIGURE 4 is shown an alternative position of the bracket 11 wherein the upper, shelf-supporting bracket edge 26 is disposed at an inclination to the horizontal. In this position, the lower notch 32 of upper lug 30 recei'ves the lower edge of its adjacent slot 20, while the inner lower edge notch 37 of lower lug 31 receives the lower edge of its adjacent slot 20. This condition is facilitated by the width of notch 32 affording a degree of swingability to the bracket about a horizontal axis.

A further alternative position is shown-in FIGURE 5, with the bracket 11 in an inverted condition, the bracket edge 26 lowermost and bracket edge 27 uppermost. this condition, the now lower edge notch 36 of now upper lug 31 receives the lower edge of an upper slot 20, while now lower notch 38 of now lower lug 30 receives the lower edge of a lower slot 20. The bracket edge 27 may support a shelf, or the like, in its illustrated inclination.

The inverted condition of bracket 11 is further illustrated in FIGURE 6, but with the now lower notch 35 of now lower lug 30 receiving the lower edge of a lower slot 20. The lug 31 in the position of FIGURE 6 is substantially the same as shown in the position of FIGURE 5, but at a slightly different angular relationship, as permitted by the flaring configuration of notch 36. In the condition of FIGURE 6, it will be apparent that the now upper edge 27 of bracket 11 is retained at still another angular disposition for supporting a shelf or the like.

Of course, in all the above dispositions of bracket inclination, the bracket is swingable about a generally vertical axis substantially at the corner 15 and selectively locata-ble in any position of its swinging movement.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a shelf bracket and standard construction which fully accomplish their intended objects and are well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, installation and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shelf construction, the combination comprising a hollow standard having a pair of vertically spaced slots, and a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced lugs removably insertable in said slots, said lugs having lower notches removably receiving the lower edges of said slots when said lugs are engaged in said slots to retain said bracket with its supporting upper edge in one predetermined inclination, and said lugs having upper notches removably receiving the lower slot edges when said bracket is inverted and said lugs are inserted in said slots to retain the bracket with its formerly lower edge in an upper supporting position of another predetermined inclination.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in com-bination with an additional lower notch on at least one of said lugs and selectively receiving the lower edge of the adjacent slot for retaining said bracket in an additional predetermined inclination.

3. The combination according to claim 1, the upper and lower edges of said bracket being inclined relative to each other to provide said predetermined inclinations.

4. The combination according to claim 1, said upper and lower notches being offset to provide said predetermined inclinations.

5. The combination according to claim 1, said standard comprising a pair of generally upright intersecting walls, and said slots being located at the meeting corner of said walls, whereby said bracket is swingable between positions with said lugs engaging a selected one of said walls.

6. The combination according to claim 2, said standard comprising a pair of generally upright intersecting walls, and said slots being located at the meeting corner of said walls, whereby said bracket is swingable between extreme :positions with said lugs engaging the interiors of said walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,280 1/1910 Lindberg 248-242 2,788,949 4/1957 Gurries 248242 2,971,658 2/1961 DAltrui 2ll176 3,194,407 7/1965 DAltrui 2ll148 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. W. D. 'LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.