CA1049451A - Support systems for articles of furniture - Google Patents
Support systems for articles of furnitureInfo
- Publication number
- CA1049451A CA1049451A CA256,162A CA256162A CA1049451A CA 1049451 A CA1049451 A CA 1049451A CA 256162 A CA256162 A CA 256162A CA 1049451 A CA1049451 A CA 1049451A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- upright
- bracket
- recess
- support
- furniture
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Abstract
Title "Support System for Articles of Furniture"
Abstract of the Disclosure A support system for articles of furniture, such as shelves, which system comprises uprights each of which has a recess throughout substantially all of its length, the recess opening onto the front of the upright and the opening being flanked at at least one edge by a re-entrant lip, the system also com-prising single-limbed brackets with the limb of each bracket having an upper rim constructed for hooking co-operation with one of the re-entrant lips and a lower region whose back is arranged to abut against the forwardly facing rear surface of the recess in the corresponding upright, each bracket also comprising a support which projects forwardly from the upright to which that bracket is operatively connected at any chosen level in the use of the system.
Abstract of the Disclosure A support system for articles of furniture, such as shelves, which system comprises uprights each of which has a recess throughout substantially all of its length, the recess opening onto the front of the upright and the opening being flanked at at least one edge by a re-entrant lip, the system also com-prising single-limbed brackets with the limb of each bracket having an upper rim constructed for hooking co-operation with one of the re-entrant lips and a lower region whose back is arranged to abut against the forwardly facing rear surface of the recess in the corresponding upright, each bracket also comprising a support which projects forwardly from the upright to which that bracket is operatively connected at any chosen level in the use of the system.
Description
~ 94S~L
This invention relates to support systems for articles of furniture.
Many furniture support systems are known and the majority of modern systenls comprise a plurality of uprights or standards and a plurality of brackets that can be re:Leasably connected -to the uprights or standards at selected horizontal levels in such a ~lay that, when so connected, surfaces of the brackets are contained in horizontal planes, or planes that are inclined to the horizontal ; by a few degrees, to support metallic, wooden or other shelves, cabinets and like articles of furniture from beneath. The brackets usually comprise simple means ~o enable the shelves, cabinets or other articles of furniture to be releasably fastened thereto and many of the modern systems enable each bracket to be disposed at any chosen one of an infinite number of horizontal levels relative to the upright or standard with which it co-operates, the form of frictional connection between each bracket and its co-operating ; upright or standard being such that, when it is loaded from above by a shelf or other article of furniture and also by any items placed on or in that article of furniture, the bracket does not tend to be displaced downwardly along the upright or standard.
Some systems are also known in which each bracket can only occupy any chosen one of a plurality of regularly spaced apart locations that are at corresponding horizontal levels along the uprights or standards. With such a construction, each bracket is positively retalned against being displaced downwardly along its co-operating upright or standard when it is loaded from above but, of course, ~
arrangements of this kind do not have the degree of flexibility that ~ -is inherent in systems in which the brackets can be pLaced at an lninite number of different levels on the uprights or standards.
It is an object of the present invention to pr~vide a support system for articles of furniture in which both the upright~
~ 2 -~ 1~4g~
or standards and the brackets are of a very simple and inexp~nsive construction which neverthel~ss giv~ a strong and reliable support to shelvin~, cabinets and other articles of furniture when they are in use.
According to the in~rention, there is provided a support system for articles of furniture which system comprises at least one upright shaped to define along substantially the whole of its length a recess which includes a rear wall having a forwardly facincJ :
substantially planar and rigid surface throughout substantially the whole of its width and side walls which open onto the front of the upright, the opening of the recess being flankecL at at least one edge by a re-entrant lip turned back by substantially 180~, and which system also comprlses at least one bracket comprising a single limb constructed and arranged for entry in said recess, the bracket limb comprising a turned back upright engaging portion which is turned back by substantially 180 and which includes an upper ri.m that hooks beind said re-entrant lip and has a free edge which, in use, extends substantially vertically and engages the concave surface of the lip, and a flat formed on a lower re~ion Z0 o said turned back upright engaging portion that abuts against the said forwardly facing substantially planar and rigid surface of the rear wall of the recess at points defining .a finite trans-versely and vertically extending area, said bracket also comprising a support portion which projects forwardly from the upright when the bracket is operatively connected to the upright.
For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into efect, reference will noW be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawin~s, in which:
Figure 1 is a pexspective view o~ ~n upright or standard and a single~ bed bracket of a support system for articles o furniture in accordancç with the invention in a disconnect~d ~ 3 - .
: - .; , :
~L~49~S~
condition, and Figure 2 is a perpendicular cross-section thr~uc~h an alternative form of upright or standard that may form a part of a system ln accordance with the invention.
ReEerring to Figure 1 of the drawings, that Figure illustrates an upright or standard that is generally indicated by the references 1 and a bracket that is generally indicated by the reference 19. The upright or standar~ 1 is formed through~
out substantially the whole of its vertical length (it may be closed at at least one of its ends, if desired) with a recess 3 which opens onto the front of the upright or standard 1 to form a mouth 4. The two opposite edges of the opening of the recess that is afforded by the mouth 4 are flanked by corresponding re-entrant lips S whose shapes can be seen best in Figure 2 o~ the drawings to which further reference will he made below. It will . be seen from the drawings that the extreme free edges of the lips 5 are turned back hy substantially 180 so as to be directed rearwardly into the recess 3 towards the back of the latter, said back preferably being substantially planar, as shown, across the width of the recess. The upright or standard 1 is preferably :.
formed from a rigid material such as metal, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the formation.conveniently, but not essentially, being effected by extrusion. In this connection, it will be noted . that the internal shape of the recess 3 is particularly simple being merely rectangular in cross-section except at the open front of that cross-section where the moutn 4 is formed with the re-entrant lips 5.
The bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings is pr~ferably formed from the same metallio material as is the upright.or standard 1 but, in the case of the bracket 19, it is stamped or punched from sheet metal and is .
~ ~ 4 -~'.'.'~ .
~.
- ~L04g45~
bent to shape. The bracket l9 is of basically trian~ular con-figuration ancl comprises a flat upper support 17 which will project forwardly from the upright or standard l when the bracket 19 is operatively connected to that uprigh-t or st:andard. In the parti- :
cular embodiment which is being described, the supPort 17 will be substantially horizontally disposed under the circumstanc~s which have just bee~ mentionecl. The support 17 is formed, towards the . end thereof that will be furthest from the upright or standard 1 when the bracket 19 is in use, with a keyhole-shaped slot 18 that may be employed in releasably connecting the bottom of an over-lying shelf, cabinet or other article of furniture to said support. ~:
.~ The bracket l9 comprises a sinyle limb 20 that will be vertically disposed in thé use of the bracket and an uppermost edge region of which is perpendicularly bent over to form the l support 17. One end of the limb 20 is constructed and arranged ......... for entry in the recess 3 of the upright or standard l and is . formed with an end portion 21 which portion 21 is, in fact, bent over through 180 about an axis that is inclined hy a. few degrees .:
.~ to the vertical relative to the remainder of the limb 20. An . .:
. upper rim 22 of the portion 21 has a substantially vertically disposed and forwardly directed free edge andis arranged ~or hooking co-operation with one of the re-entrant lips 5 of the upright or standard.l so that said free edge engages the concave surface of that lip whilst the back o~ a lower region 23 of the portion 21 is cut, filed machined or otherwise formed as a flat, i.e., a portion having points lyin~ in a vertical plane which define a finite transversely and ~ertically extending area, that is . intended to abut strictly vextically against the forwardly facing : .
sur~ace of the rear of the recess 3 when the upright or standard 1 3a is also strictly vertically disposedc The substantially vertical flat that is comprised by the lower region 23 of the li.mb portion 21 .. l ; - ~ 5 -` ~'' . . ".. ,.. ~
1~49gL5~
is, in fact, foxmed by removing material from the r~arwardly facin~ convex surface o.~ the 180 bend which interconnects the planar part of the end portion 21 and the planar limb 20, proper.
The bracket 19 that i5 illustrated in Figure ]. of the drawings is connected to the upright or stand~rd 1 merely by entering the end of the limb 20 that comprlses the portion 21 into the recess 3. The upper rim 22 is then brought into hoo~ing engagement with the appropriate re-entrant lip 5 which, in the example illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, will be the left-hand lip 5 as seen in that Figure. Establishing the hooking engage-ment will involve turning the bracket 19 downwardly through a few degrees about an imaginary substantially horizontal axis that per-pendicularly interconnects the two limbs of the upright or standard 1 so that the flat at the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 will come into abutting engagement against the forwardly .:
facing surface of the rear of the recess 3 at substantially the :.
same time as the leading substantiall~ vertical edge of the upper rim 22 comes into hooking engagement with the co-operating and similarly disposed re-entrant lip 5. The frictional co-operation between the rim 22 and the lip 5 of the upri~ht or standard 1 is such that the metal of the bracket 19 and/or of the upright or -~
1 would bend or break due to overloading before a weight carried by the support 17 of said bracket would cause that bracket to slide downwardly along the co-operating limb of the upright or standard 1~ ~evertheless, the bracket 19 can readily be moved upwardly ox downwardly along the upright or standard 1 to a new horizontal levèl merely by gripping its outer end, tilting it upwardly through a few.degrees about an imaginary horizontal axis relative to the upright or standard 1 and simultaneously pushing it towards the interior o.~ the recess 3 to break the hooking engagement between the upper rim 22 and the co-operating re-entrant lip 5. Once this has been done, the bracket 19 is free of positive engagement with the upright or standard 1 and can be raised or lowered to the desired , 1~9~5~
,.~
new level without difficulty.
The bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings is only one example of a number of different single-limbed brackets that may be constructed for use in a system in accordance with the invention. Firstly, it will be reali~ed that a bracket of symmetrically opposite construction to the ' bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 could readily be employed. The upper rim 22 of the end portion 21 oE such a bracket would, of course, co-operate with the right-hand, rather than the' left-hand, re-entrant lip 5 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings and it will be noted that two such left-hand and right-hand brackets can be used alongside one another at the same, or or substantially the same, horizontal level, it still beinq possible to install and/or remove one of those brackets without '' ~' havinq to interfere with the other neiyhboring bracket in any way.
In the illustrated bracket 19, its support 17 is formed at the -' top.thereof but this is by no means essential and both left-hand . and right-hand brackets may be formed at the bottom with supports '.
that are equivalent to the illustrated support 17. It is not .
necessary to illustrate a bracket of this kind since the end por-tion thereof will be identical to the described and illustrated end portion 21 whilst its single limb will be effectively inverted ' as compared with the illustrated limb 20 and wiIl thus ha~e a . ~ substantially horizontal lower edge formed with a perpendicularly . bent-over support that corresponds to the support 17 and an out-wardly and downwardly inclined upper edge. However, to ensure that the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 of such a bracket will always reliably abut against the forwardly facing J surface of'the back of the recess 3 of the co-operating upright or standard 1, a small substantially semicircular'recess is pre-ferabIy formed in the inner end of the support that corresponds ~: ~ 7~
~49~S~l to the support 17, said recess heing in register with the co-operating re-entrant lip 5 in the use of the bracket so that said end of the support shall always remain clear of contact with said lip 5. It iwll be realised that, if contact between th~
support and the lip 5 were to be made at this point, it would interfere with the frictional enyagement o the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 with the upright or standard 1.
The illustrated bracket 19 has an overall front to rear length of substantially 31.5 centimetres but, clearly, this is not essential and both longer and shorter ~rackets may be provided for co-operation with articles of furniture of different kinds.
Purely as one example, shorter brackets with overall lengths of substantially 8.5 centimetres may be provided, such brackets being furnished with supports in both left-handed and right-handed form with those supports at either their tops or their bottoms.
Brackets of this kind may additionally, or as an alternative, be formed with means for the connection thereto of projections at the sides of articles of furniture, such as cabinets.
The illustrated upright or standard 1 may be fastened in its position of use in any convenient manner. For example, the back of its recess 3 may be formed at more or less regular intervals ; with countersunk holes for cooperation with the heads of wood screws or machine screws. The heads of such screws are, of course, readily accessible to a screwdriver through the mouth 4 of the ; recess 3~ Figure 2 of the drawings shows a modification in which a double upright or standard 15 is provided. The backs or bases of the two uprights or standards of this double unit 15 are integrally ; interconnected by a strong vertical rib 16 which may9 if desired, be formed at regular intervals along its length with vertical slots . 30 ~not shown) to save material and weight and to assist in fastening.
'.' _ 8 I
~ 4~45~L
It will be appreciated that the double upright or standard 15 of Figure 2 of the drawings can be formed by the extrusion of aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like just as easily as can the sinqle upriqht or standard 1. Other multiple upriqhts or standard.s can, of course, also be provided and, in this connection, it is noted that a single upri~ht or standard having only one of the re-entrant lips ~ would co-operate entirely satisfactorily wi-th a single-limbed bracket such as the bracket 17 of Figure 1. An upright or standard of this kind could have the configuration of either the right-hand, or the left-hand, hal~ of the illustrated upright or standard 1, its recess then being afforded by the sub-stantially right-angled space that is enclosed between the limb having the re-entrant lip 5 and a limb corresponding to the rear o~ the illustrated upright or standard 1. Multiple units could comprise three, four, or even more such uprights or standards appropriately interconnected by ribs. It is noted here that, althouqh an integral construction will usually be most convenient, it is not essential that the rear of the upright or standard should be inteqral with its one or two lip-carrying limbs.
It will be appreciated that, when a support equivalent to one of the support 17 is formed at the bottom of the bra~ket 19, said support is usable to sustain one end of a shelf from beneath whilst the upriqht limb of the bracket to whiich said support is . connected will extend upwardly above that shelf at one end thereof.
.1 The limb in question will thus function as a "book-end'l for a row :.~ of books placed on the shelf or as a divider between items such .} as box files and the like. Although not forming part of the present invention, it is noted that the uprights or standards 1 or 15 can be used in carrying quite heavy cabinets and like art:icles of furniture by employing suspension clip5 each of which comprises a hooking rim constructed for hookinq engagement with one of th.e ~:; . ,.
~- _ g -.
,~ ''' ~i ~L09L9~Sl re-entrant lips 5 and a machine screw which can be tightened 50 as very firmly to retain the clip at a chosen level along the lip 5 concerned. The clips incorporate upward].y facing recesses which will co-operate with appropriately positioned openings in cabinets and like articles of furniture so tha-t the system which has been described can include such clips and is then capable of supporting shelves, light cabinets, heavy cabinets, book and magazine racks, storage racks, radio, phonograph and television set plinths, work boxes, desk units and a variety of other articles of home and/or office furniture, such articles bein~ formed wholly or principally from wood and/or wholly or principally from metal and/or synthetiC
; plastics materials.
. ,.
- ~0 -,~
'~ . ' , . .. .
This invention relates to support systems for articles of furniture.
Many furniture support systems are known and the majority of modern systenls comprise a plurality of uprights or standards and a plurality of brackets that can be re:Leasably connected -to the uprights or standards at selected horizontal levels in such a ~lay that, when so connected, surfaces of the brackets are contained in horizontal planes, or planes that are inclined to the horizontal ; by a few degrees, to support metallic, wooden or other shelves, cabinets and like articles of furniture from beneath. The brackets usually comprise simple means ~o enable the shelves, cabinets or other articles of furniture to be releasably fastened thereto and many of the modern systems enable each bracket to be disposed at any chosen one of an infinite number of horizontal levels relative to the upright or standard with which it co-operates, the form of frictional connection between each bracket and its co-operating ; upright or standard being such that, when it is loaded from above by a shelf or other article of furniture and also by any items placed on or in that article of furniture, the bracket does not tend to be displaced downwardly along the upright or standard.
Some systems are also known in which each bracket can only occupy any chosen one of a plurality of regularly spaced apart locations that are at corresponding horizontal levels along the uprights or standards. With such a construction, each bracket is positively retalned against being displaced downwardly along its co-operating upright or standard when it is loaded from above but, of course, ~
arrangements of this kind do not have the degree of flexibility that ~ -is inherent in systems in which the brackets can be pLaced at an lninite number of different levels on the uprights or standards.
It is an object of the present invention to pr~vide a support system for articles of furniture in which both the upright~
~ 2 -~ 1~4g~
or standards and the brackets are of a very simple and inexp~nsive construction which neverthel~ss giv~ a strong and reliable support to shelvin~, cabinets and other articles of furniture when they are in use.
According to the in~rention, there is provided a support system for articles of furniture which system comprises at least one upright shaped to define along substantially the whole of its length a recess which includes a rear wall having a forwardly facincJ :
substantially planar and rigid surface throughout substantially the whole of its width and side walls which open onto the front of the upright, the opening of the recess being flankecL at at least one edge by a re-entrant lip turned back by substantially 180~, and which system also comprlses at least one bracket comprising a single limb constructed and arranged for entry in said recess, the bracket limb comprising a turned back upright engaging portion which is turned back by substantially 180 and which includes an upper ri.m that hooks beind said re-entrant lip and has a free edge which, in use, extends substantially vertically and engages the concave surface of the lip, and a flat formed on a lower re~ion Z0 o said turned back upright engaging portion that abuts against the said forwardly facing substantially planar and rigid surface of the rear wall of the recess at points defining .a finite trans-versely and vertically extending area, said bracket also comprising a support portion which projects forwardly from the upright when the bracket is operatively connected to the upright.
For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into efect, reference will noW be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawin~s, in which:
Figure 1 is a pexspective view o~ ~n upright or standard and a single~ bed bracket of a support system for articles o furniture in accordancç with the invention in a disconnect~d ~ 3 - .
: - .; , :
~L~49~S~
condition, and Figure 2 is a perpendicular cross-section thr~uc~h an alternative form of upright or standard that may form a part of a system ln accordance with the invention.
ReEerring to Figure 1 of the drawings, that Figure illustrates an upright or standard that is generally indicated by the references 1 and a bracket that is generally indicated by the reference 19. The upright or standar~ 1 is formed through~
out substantially the whole of its vertical length (it may be closed at at least one of its ends, if desired) with a recess 3 which opens onto the front of the upright or standard 1 to form a mouth 4. The two opposite edges of the opening of the recess that is afforded by the mouth 4 are flanked by corresponding re-entrant lips S whose shapes can be seen best in Figure 2 o~ the drawings to which further reference will he made below. It will . be seen from the drawings that the extreme free edges of the lips 5 are turned back hy substantially 180 so as to be directed rearwardly into the recess 3 towards the back of the latter, said back preferably being substantially planar, as shown, across the width of the recess. The upright or standard 1 is preferably :.
formed from a rigid material such as metal, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the formation.conveniently, but not essentially, being effected by extrusion. In this connection, it will be noted . that the internal shape of the recess 3 is particularly simple being merely rectangular in cross-section except at the open front of that cross-section where the moutn 4 is formed with the re-entrant lips 5.
The bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings is pr~ferably formed from the same metallio material as is the upright.or standard 1 but, in the case of the bracket 19, it is stamped or punched from sheet metal and is .
~ ~ 4 -~'.'.'~ .
~.
- ~L04g45~
bent to shape. The bracket l9 is of basically trian~ular con-figuration ancl comprises a flat upper support 17 which will project forwardly from the upright or standard l when the bracket 19 is operatively connected to that uprigh-t or st:andard. In the parti- :
cular embodiment which is being described, the supPort 17 will be substantially horizontally disposed under the circumstanc~s which have just bee~ mentionecl. The support 17 is formed, towards the . end thereof that will be furthest from the upright or standard 1 when the bracket 19 is in use, with a keyhole-shaped slot 18 that may be employed in releasably connecting the bottom of an over-lying shelf, cabinet or other article of furniture to said support. ~:
.~ The bracket l9 comprises a sinyle limb 20 that will be vertically disposed in thé use of the bracket and an uppermost edge region of which is perpendicularly bent over to form the l support 17. One end of the limb 20 is constructed and arranged ......... for entry in the recess 3 of the upright or standard l and is . formed with an end portion 21 which portion 21 is, in fact, bent over through 180 about an axis that is inclined hy a. few degrees .:
.~ to the vertical relative to the remainder of the limb 20. An . .:
. upper rim 22 of the portion 21 has a substantially vertically disposed and forwardly directed free edge andis arranged ~or hooking co-operation with one of the re-entrant lips 5 of the upright or standard.l so that said free edge engages the concave surface of that lip whilst the back o~ a lower region 23 of the portion 21 is cut, filed machined or otherwise formed as a flat, i.e., a portion having points lyin~ in a vertical plane which define a finite transversely and ~ertically extending area, that is . intended to abut strictly vextically against the forwardly facing : .
sur~ace of the rear of the recess 3 when the upright or standard 1 3a is also strictly vertically disposedc The substantially vertical flat that is comprised by the lower region 23 of the li.mb portion 21 .. l ; - ~ 5 -` ~'' . . ".. ,.. ~
1~49gL5~
is, in fact, foxmed by removing material from the r~arwardly facin~ convex surface o.~ the 180 bend which interconnects the planar part of the end portion 21 and the planar limb 20, proper.
The bracket 19 that i5 illustrated in Figure ]. of the drawings is connected to the upright or stand~rd 1 merely by entering the end of the limb 20 that comprlses the portion 21 into the recess 3. The upper rim 22 is then brought into hoo~ing engagement with the appropriate re-entrant lip 5 which, in the example illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, will be the left-hand lip 5 as seen in that Figure. Establishing the hooking engage-ment will involve turning the bracket 19 downwardly through a few degrees about an imaginary substantially horizontal axis that per-pendicularly interconnects the two limbs of the upright or standard 1 so that the flat at the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 will come into abutting engagement against the forwardly .:
facing surface of the rear of the recess 3 at substantially the :.
same time as the leading substantiall~ vertical edge of the upper rim 22 comes into hooking engagement with the co-operating and similarly disposed re-entrant lip 5. The frictional co-operation between the rim 22 and the lip 5 of the upri~ht or standard 1 is such that the metal of the bracket 19 and/or of the upright or -~
1 would bend or break due to overloading before a weight carried by the support 17 of said bracket would cause that bracket to slide downwardly along the co-operating limb of the upright or standard 1~ ~evertheless, the bracket 19 can readily be moved upwardly ox downwardly along the upright or standard 1 to a new horizontal levèl merely by gripping its outer end, tilting it upwardly through a few.degrees about an imaginary horizontal axis relative to the upright or standard 1 and simultaneously pushing it towards the interior o.~ the recess 3 to break the hooking engagement between the upper rim 22 and the co-operating re-entrant lip 5. Once this has been done, the bracket 19 is free of positive engagement with the upright or standard 1 and can be raised or lowered to the desired , 1~9~5~
,.~
new level without difficulty.
The bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings is only one example of a number of different single-limbed brackets that may be constructed for use in a system in accordance with the invention. Firstly, it will be reali~ed that a bracket of symmetrically opposite construction to the ' bracket 19 that is illustrated in Figure 1 could readily be employed. The upper rim 22 of the end portion 21 oE such a bracket would, of course, co-operate with the right-hand, rather than the' left-hand, re-entrant lip 5 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings and it will be noted that two such left-hand and right-hand brackets can be used alongside one another at the same, or or substantially the same, horizontal level, it still beinq possible to install and/or remove one of those brackets without '' ~' havinq to interfere with the other neiyhboring bracket in any way.
In the illustrated bracket 19, its support 17 is formed at the -' top.thereof but this is by no means essential and both left-hand . and right-hand brackets may be formed at the bottom with supports '.
that are equivalent to the illustrated support 17. It is not .
necessary to illustrate a bracket of this kind since the end por-tion thereof will be identical to the described and illustrated end portion 21 whilst its single limb will be effectively inverted ' as compared with the illustrated limb 20 and wiIl thus ha~e a . ~ substantially horizontal lower edge formed with a perpendicularly . bent-over support that corresponds to the support 17 and an out-wardly and downwardly inclined upper edge. However, to ensure that the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 of such a bracket will always reliably abut against the forwardly facing J surface of'the back of the recess 3 of the co-operating upright or standard 1, a small substantially semicircular'recess is pre-ferabIy formed in the inner end of the support that corresponds ~: ~ 7~
~49~S~l to the support 17, said recess heing in register with the co-operating re-entrant lip 5 in the use of the bracket so that said end of the support shall always remain clear of contact with said lip 5. It iwll be realised that, if contact between th~
support and the lip 5 were to be made at this point, it would interfere with the frictional enyagement o the back of the lower region 23 of the end portion 21 with the upright or standard 1.
The illustrated bracket 19 has an overall front to rear length of substantially 31.5 centimetres but, clearly, this is not essential and both longer and shorter ~rackets may be provided for co-operation with articles of furniture of different kinds.
Purely as one example, shorter brackets with overall lengths of substantially 8.5 centimetres may be provided, such brackets being furnished with supports in both left-handed and right-handed form with those supports at either their tops or their bottoms.
Brackets of this kind may additionally, or as an alternative, be formed with means for the connection thereto of projections at the sides of articles of furniture, such as cabinets.
The illustrated upright or standard 1 may be fastened in its position of use in any convenient manner. For example, the back of its recess 3 may be formed at more or less regular intervals ; with countersunk holes for cooperation with the heads of wood screws or machine screws. The heads of such screws are, of course, readily accessible to a screwdriver through the mouth 4 of the ; recess 3~ Figure 2 of the drawings shows a modification in which a double upright or standard 15 is provided. The backs or bases of the two uprights or standards of this double unit 15 are integrally ; interconnected by a strong vertical rib 16 which may9 if desired, be formed at regular intervals along its length with vertical slots . 30 ~not shown) to save material and weight and to assist in fastening.
'.' _ 8 I
~ 4~45~L
It will be appreciated that the double upright or standard 15 of Figure 2 of the drawings can be formed by the extrusion of aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like just as easily as can the sinqle upriqht or standard 1. Other multiple upriqhts or standard.s can, of course, also be provided and, in this connection, it is noted that a single upri~ht or standard having only one of the re-entrant lips ~ would co-operate entirely satisfactorily wi-th a single-limbed bracket such as the bracket 17 of Figure 1. An upright or standard of this kind could have the configuration of either the right-hand, or the left-hand, hal~ of the illustrated upright or standard 1, its recess then being afforded by the sub-stantially right-angled space that is enclosed between the limb having the re-entrant lip 5 and a limb corresponding to the rear o~ the illustrated upright or standard 1. Multiple units could comprise three, four, or even more such uprights or standards appropriately interconnected by ribs. It is noted here that, althouqh an integral construction will usually be most convenient, it is not essential that the rear of the upright or standard should be inteqral with its one or two lip-carrying limbs.
It will be appreciated that, when a support equivalent to one of the support 17 is formed at the bottom of the bra~ket 19, said support is usable to sustain one end of a shelf from beneath whilst the upriqht limb of the bracket to whiich said support is . connected will extend upwardly above that shelf at one end thereof.
.1 The limb in question will thus function as a "book-end'l for a row :.~ of books placed on the shelf or as a divider between items such .} as box files and the like. Although not forming part of the present invention, it is noted that the uprights or standards 1 or 15 can be used in carrying quite heavy cabinets and like art:icles of furniture by employing suspension clip5 each of which comprises a hooking rim constructed for hookinq engagement with one of th.e ~:; . ,.
~- _ g -.
,~ ''' ~i ~L09L9~Sl re-entrant lips 5 and a machine screw which can be tightened 50 as very firmly to retain the clip at a chosen level along the lip 5 concerned. The clips incorporate upward].y facing recesses which will co-operate with appropriately positioned openings in cabinets and like articles of furniture so tha-t the system which has been described can include such clips and is then capable of supporting shelves, light cabinets, heavy cabinets, book and magazine racks, storage racks, radio, phonograph and television set plinths, work boxes, desk units and a variety of other articles of home and/or office furniture, such articles bein~ formed wholly or principally from wood and/or wholly or principally from metal and/or synthetiC
; plastics materials.
. ,.
- ~0 -,~
'~ . ' , . .. .
Claims (6)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A support system for articles of furniture which system comprises at least one upright shaped to define along sub-stantially the whole of its length a recess which includes a rear wall having a forwardly facing sybstantially planar and rigid surface throughout substantially the whole of its width and side walls which open onto the front of the upright, the opening of the recess being flanked at at least one edge by a re-entrant lip turned bu substantially 180°, and which system also comprises at least one bracket comprising a single limb constructed and arranged for entry in said recess, the bracket limb comprising a turned back upright engaging portion which is turned back by substantially 180° and which includes an upper rim that hooks be-hind said re-entrant lip and has a-free edge which, in use, extends substantially vertically and engages the concave surface of the lip, and a flat formed on a lower region of said turned back up-right engaging portion that abuts against the said forwardly facing substantially planar and rigid surface of the rear wall of the recess at points defining a finite transversely and vertically ex-tending area, said bracket also comprising a support portion which projects forwardly from the upright when the bracket is operatively connected to the upright.
2. A support system according to Claim 1, wherein the upright defines said recess so as to be rectangular in cross-section except at the front thereof where the opening of the recess is flanked by two said re-entrant lips.
3. A support system according to Claim 1, wherein the said flat at the back of the lower region of said limb is formed as a vertical cut through the otherwise convex curved surface of the substantially 180° turned back back of the limb.
4. A support system according to Claim 1, wherein the support of said bracket which projects forwardly from the upright when the bracket is operatively connected to the upright comprises means for releasably fastening an article of furniture thereto.
5. A support system according to Claim 1, wherein the upright is in the form of a multiple unit comprising at least two uprights whose backs are interconnected by at least one verti-cal rib.
6. A support system according to Claim 1, said flat being formed as a transversely extending flat rib.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA256,162A CA1049451A (en) | 1976-07-02 | 1976-07-02 | Support systems for articles of furniture |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA256,162A CA1049451A (en) | 1976-07-02 | 1976-07-02 | Support systems for articles of furniture |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1049451A true CA1049451A (en) | 1979-02-27 |
Family
ID=4106341
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA256,162A Expired CA1049451A (en) | 1976-07-02 | 1976-07-02 | Support systems for articles of furniture |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1049451A (en) |
-
1976
- 1976-07-02 CA CA256,162A patent/CA1049451A/en not_active Expired
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4103855A (en) | Support systems for articles of furniture | |
| CA1173406A (en) | Screw and bolt tray displayer | |
| US4560072A (en) | Display and storage rack | |
| US4653818A (en) | Apparatus for organizing storage containers in a cabinet | |
| US5871115A (en) | Article supporting and dispensing apparatus | |
| US4905847A (en) | Display shelf system | |
| US5464103A (en) | Display rack | |
| US4776469A (en) | Rack for storing lids | |
| US7523833B2 (en) | Rotary shoe storage device | |
| US20040007549A1 (en) | Wire basket construction for storage rack | |
| CA1059069A (en) | Plastic shelf unit | |
| US5027955A (en) | Storage rack for discs, cassettes and the like | |
| US6042207A (en) | Reconfigurable interior structure for safes and the like | |
| US4949853A (en) | Convertible desktop organizer | |
| GB2125372A (en) | Baskets | |
| US4693380A (en) | Rack support | |
| US4861122A (en) | Storage cabinet | |
| US4673152A (en) | Record album display and support system | |
| US4162014A (en) | Vertical file construction | |
| US4062452A (en) | Document filing apparatus | |
| US3858725A (en) | Tennis equipment rack | |
| US5123549A (en) | Paper management apparatus | |
| US4784446A (en) | Tool cabinet | |
| US5641074A (en) | Modular storage unit | |
| WO1995012998A1 (en) | Simplified filing system |