GB1599950A

GB1599950A - Shelving units

Info

Publication number: GB1599950A
Application number: GB1326678A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Fritz Schaefer GmbH
Current assignee: Fritz Schaefer GmbH
Priority date: 1977-04-15
Filing date: 1978-04-05
Publication date: 1981-10-07
Also published as: ATA203178A; FR2387003A1; AT367624B; DE7711771U1; FR2387003B3

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO SHELVING UNITS (71) We, FRITZ SCHAFER GES ELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, a German company of Salchendorf bei Neunkirchen, Kreis Siegen, Fritz Schafer-Strasse 20, 5908 Neunkirchen, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement::- The invention concerns a modular subassembly for constructing shelving units, racks, or the like, comprising a baseplate and two side walls, and possibly also shelves which can be suspended between the two side walls, these components being formed from sheet metal or other dimensionally-stable sheet-like material and being provided with edge reinforcements (formed from the said sheetlike material by suitably shaping the latter e.g. by bending them), at least the edge reinforcements of the front and rear vertical edges and the lower horizontal edge of each side wall comprising a strip of material transverse to the plane of the wall and a further strip of material which adjoins this strip of material and which extends parallel to and at a distance from the plane of the wall, the further strips of material directed parallel to the wall plane having a pattern of slots for suspending the shelves.

Various designs of modular subassemblies for shelving units, racks, or the like are known in the prior art. In a known form of construction a baseplate is securely attached to two side walls to form a basic U-shaped subassembly. Through the mutual superposition of a number of such subassemblies stable shelving units can be formed in which the base of each subassembly constitutes, at the same time, the top of the subassembly lying immediately below it. By the exercise of some care it is then possible to nest a number of such subassemblies, one in the other, so as to form packages, for transportation, which are relatively easy to handle.However, through thus nesting the subassemblies in one another a relatively large space remains within the packages thus formed for transportation, which space cannot be fully used forthe accessories, such as shelves or the like, belonging to the shelving units.

It has already been proposed, so that compact subassemblies can be formed for storage and transportation purposes, to structurally separate the side walls and the baseplate from one another, so that these parts can be laid flat on one another, and thus form compact assemblies for transportation.

A drawback associated with such subassemblies is that their parts can only be securely attached to one another by means of coupling parts which are complicated to handle, these coupling parts lying in the inside of the shelving units.

An aim of the invention is to remove these drawbacks. An object underlying the invention is, therefore, the provision of a modular suS assembly for shelving units, racks, or the like of the generic type referred to, which subassembly does not require the use of separate coupling elements and in which, after the shelving units have been assembled together, these coupling parts are received, in fully concealed manner, within the cross-sectional profile of the baseplate and/or of the side walls.

According to the invention we provide a modular subassembly for constructing shelving units, racks or the like, comprising a baseplate and two side walls, these elements being formed of sheet-metal or other dimensionally stable sheet-like material and being provided with edge reinforcements; at least the edge reinforcements of the front and rear vertical edges and the lower horizontal edge of each side wall comprising a strip of material transverse to the plane of the wall and a further strip of material which adjoins this transverse strip of material and extends parallel to and at a distance from the plane of the wall, the said further strips of material which form part of the reinforcements of the vertical edges being formed with a pattern of slots for the suspension of shelves or the like and also being formed with a vertical slot close to their lower ends; while the baseplate is provided, at the ends of those reinforcements which delimit the longitudinal front and rear edges, with locating tongues which fit into respective said vertical slots; the arrangement being such that the under surface of the baseplate is supported, adjacent its transverse edges, on the terminal edge of the said further strips of material of the lower horizontal edge reinforcements of the side walls when the tongues are located in the vertical slots.

These provisions not only conceal the connecting points, but also ensure that the side walls and the baseplate will be securely attached to one another.

According to a further feature of the invention the locating tongues preferably extend from cutout portions of the corners of the baseplate, the shape of which cutout portions complements the contour of the upright edge reinforcements of the side walls. The locating tongues may each be constituted by a flange of a respective multiply-angled insert, which inserts are attached adjacent the corner cutout portions in the edge reinforcements of the baseplate; this attachment may be effected for example by welding.

The vertical slots in the edge reinforcements of the side walls may also be reinforced by respective multiply-angled inserts fixed, e.g.

by welding, within the edge reinforcements.

It is further proposed, according to a further preferred feature of the invention, for the purpose of enabling shelving units to be formed which have a number of mutually laterally juxtaposed compartments, that the major side wall surfaces, in the vicinity of their upright edge reinforcements, be also formed with a pattern of slots serving for the suspension therein of shelves or the like.

If the side walls are provided with further slots in the strips of material, directed transversely of the plane of the wall, of the lower horizontal edge reinforcements, while the upper horizontal transverse edges of the walls carry further locating tongues which are positioned in complementary fashion to the further slots, then it is a simple matter to securely mutually superpose a number of subassemblies, each of which is composed of a baseplate and of two side walls.

Finally, it may be particularly advantageous, according to a further preferred feature of the invention, if the first mentioned locating tongues are each provided, at their lower edge, with a retaining notch, in which a complementary retaining projection in the respective vertical slot of the side walls can engage.

A detailed description will now be given by way of example, of one form of the invention with reference to the drawing, in.

which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of the components, which are essential to the invention, of a modular subassembly for shelving units or the like, Figure 2 is an exploded view, on an enlarged scale, of the part, ringed round in Figure 1 and designated by II, of a baseplate and of a side wall, Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through the part visible in Figure 1 of a shelving unit, in the assembled condition, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a shelf carrier used for suspending shelves or racks on the side wall.

The subassembly, visible in Figure 1, for shelving units or the like consists of a baseplate 1 and of two structurally identical side walls, which can be combined with the baseplate 1 to form a substantially U-shaped subassembly.

Both the baseplate 1 and also the side walls 2 are made from sheet metal or some other dimensionally stable sheet-like material. Baseplate 1 is formed, at its front and rear longitudinal edges, with downwardly-angled edge reinforcements 3, which at least consist of a strip of material 4 which is directed transversely of the plane of the base and of a strip of material 5 which is spaced from the strip 4 and extends parallel with the plane of the base. By way of contrast, the reinforcement of the transverse edges of the baseplate 1 only comprises one narrow bent-over portion 6, which is directed at a right angle to the plane of the base.

Present at each corner of the baseplate 1 is a corner cutaway portion 7, having edges 7' and 7" extending at right angles to each other. The edges 7' of the cutaway portions extend parallel to the reinforced longitudinal edges of the baseplate 1, whereas the edges 7" extend parallel to the transverse edges of the baseplate 1. About half-way along the edge 7" of each cutaway corner portion 7, the baseplate 1 is equipped with a locating tongue 8, which extends parallel to the longitudinal edges of the baseplate 1, the major surfaces of the locating tongue 8 extending transverse to the plane of the baseplate 1 and parallel to the strip 4 of material of the edge reinforce ment 3. The height of the locating tongues 8 equals the width of the strip 4 of the material of the edge reinforcement 3, and thus lies fully within the heightwise dimension of the baseplate 1.

The locating tongue 8 is constituted by a flange of a multi-angled insert 9, which is fixed, by spot-welding, for example to the underface of the baseplate 1 and to the rear face of the angled strip 4 of the material.

Both upright edges of the side walls 2 have edge reinforcements 10, each of which comprises a strip 11 of material, which is bent over to form a strip extending at a right angle to the plane of the wall, and a further strip 12 of material which extends parallel to the plane of-the wall and is spaced from the latter. Strip 12 may be adjoined by a further strip 13 of material which extends parallel to the edge strip 11 at a right angle to the plane of the wall.

As is clear from Figure 2, a pattern of slots 14 is arranged in the strip 12 of material of the upright edge reinforcements 10, and a corresponding pattern of slots 15 is also present in the side wall 2 itself. At the lower end of the edge reinforcement 10, the strip 12 of this edge reinforcement 10 is provided with an elongate vertical opening or slot 16, whose shape is accommodated to the cross section of the locating tongues 8.

A multi-angled insert 17 is received in the interior of the edge reinforcement 10 and is so attached, by spot-welding, to this edge reinforcement 10 or to the side wall 2, that a bifurcate shank 18 stiffens the lower part of the opening 16. In the shank 19 of the insert 17 lying opposite the bifurcate shank 18 are further slots 20 which register with two slots 15 of the pattern of slots formed in the side wall 2.

The lower transverse edge of the side wall 2 is also provided with an edge reinforcement 21, which is constituted by a strip 22 of material, which is directed transversely of the plane of the wall, and by a strip 23 of material which is spaced from the plane of the wall and extends parallel to the latter. At least two slots 24 are present in the strip 22 of this edge reinforcement 21 and, when a number of subassemblies are mutually superposed, each of these subassemblies consisting of a baseplate 1 and of two side walls 2, slots 24 form locating slots for receiving locating tongues 25, which are formed on the upper transverse edges of the side walls 2.

When the baseplate 1 is assembled together with two side walls 2, each locating tongue 8 engages in an opening 16, the undersurface of the baseplate 1 being supported, adjacent the bent-over portions 6 present on its transverse edge, on the upper edge of the strip 23 of material of the edge reinforcement 21.

So that, when the baseplate 1 is being assembled together with the side walls 2, the bent-over portion 6 on the transverse edge of the baseplate 1 can be guided over and beyond the upper edge of the strip 23 of material, it is appropriate to so position the locating tongues on the baseplate 1 that the free transverse edge of these locating tongues is set back a short distance relative to the bent-over portion 6. Accordingly, the locating tongues 8 only engage in the openings 16 in the upright edge reinforcement 10 of the side walls 2 after the bent-over portions 6 of the baseplate 1 have already engaged over the upper edge of the strip 23 of material.

In many instances it may also be advisable to provide the locating tongues 8, at their lower edge, with a retaining notch 26, and to assign the opening 16 in the side wall a complementary retaining portion in the form of a proiection 27. However, the opening 16 in the edge reinforcement 10 of the side walls 2 must then have a heightwise dimension which is upwardly increased by the depth of the retaining notch 26 or of the complementary retaining projection 27. After the locating tongue 8 has then been inserted into the open ing 16, the baseplate 1 can be lowered a distance such that the retaining notch 26 of the locating tongue 8 engages over the com plementary retaining projection 27 of the open ing 16, and establishes a form-locking connection with it.

It is clear from Figure 3 that shelves or racks 28 can be introduced between the side walls 2 at a distance above the baseplate 1.

With this in view, the shelf carriers 29 shown in Figure 4 are inserted either in the pattern 14 of slots or in the pattern 15 of slots, the shelves or racks 28 being in their turn secured or anchored on these shelf-carriers 29.

It is also possible to suspend a platform 30, at the same heightwise level as the baseplate 1, on the outside of the side walls 2. For this purpose shelf carriers 29 can also suspended in the slots 20, lying behind the slots 15, of the insert 17. It should be mentioned that, after the baseplate 1 and the side walls 2 have been assembled together, the attachment points are completely hidden, and that the transverse edges, or the bent-over portions 6 present on these transverse edges, snugly abut against the inner surface of the side walls 2.

In this way there is formed a smooth stacking surface which leads as far as the inner surfaces of the side walls 2, as the upper horizontal shank of the insert 17 lies, in the interior of the edge reinforcement 20, at the same plane as that of the base surface. Thus, the forma tion of undesirable dirt traps in the corners is countered in a simple manner.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A modular subassembly for constructing shelving units, racks or the like, comprising a baseplate and two side walls, these elements being formed of sheet-metal or other dimensionally stable sheet-like material and being provided with edge reinforcements; at least the edge reinforcements of the front and rear vertical edges and the lower horizontal edge of each side wall comprising a strip of material transverse to the plane of the wall and a further strip of material which adjoins this transverse strip of material and extends parallel to and at a distance from the plane of the wall, the said further strips of material which form part of the reinforcements of the vertical edges being formed with a pattern of slots for the suspension of shelves or the like and also being formed with a vertical slot dose to their lower ends; while the baseplate is provided, at the ends of those reinforcements which delimit the longitudinal front and rear edges, with locating tongues which fit into respective said vertical

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. strip 13 of material which extends parallel to the edge strip 11 at a right angle to the plane of the wall. As is clear from Figure 2, a pattern of slots 14 is arranged in the strip 12 of material of the upright edge reinforcements 10, and a corresponding pattern of slots 15 is also present in the side wall 2 itself. At the lower end of the edge reinforcement 10, the strip 12 of this edge reinforcement 10 is provided with an elongate vertical opening or slot 16, whose shape is accommodated to the cross section of the locating tongues 8. A multi-angled insert 17 is received in the interior of the edge reinforcement 10 and is so attached, by spot-welding, to this edge reinforcement 10 or to the side wall 2, that a bifurcate shank 18 stiffens the lower part of the opening 16. In the shank 19 of the insert 17 lying opposite the bifurcate shank 18 are further slots 20 which register with two slots 15 of the pattern of slots formed in the side wall 2. The lower transverse edge of the side wall 2 is also provided with an edge reinforcement 21, which is constituted by a strip 22 of material, which is directed transversely of the plane of the wall, and by a strip 23 of material which is spaced from the plane of the wall and extends parallel to the latter. At least two slots 24 are present in the strip 22 of this edge reinforcement 21 and, when a number of subassemblies are mutually superposed, each of these subassemblies consisting of a baseplate 1 and of two side walls 2, slots 24 form locating slots for receiving locating tongues 25, which are formed on the upper transverse edges of the side walls 2. When the baseplate 1 is assembled together with two side walls 2, each locating tongue 8 engages in an opening 16, the undersurface of the baseplate 1 being supported, adjacent the bent-over portions 6 present on its transverse edge, on the upper edge of the strip 23 of material of the edge reinforcement 21. So that, when the baseplate 1 is being assembled together with the side walls 2, the bent-over portion 6 on the transverse edge of the baseplate 1 can be guided over and beyond the upper edge of the strip 23 of material, it is appropriate to so position the locating tongues on the baseplate 1 that the free transverse edge of these locating tongues is set back a short distance relative to the bent-over portion 6. Accordingly, the locating tongues 8 only engage in the openings 16 in the upright edge reinforcement 10 of the side walls 2 after the bent-over portions 6 of the baseplate 1 have already engaged over the upper edge of the strip 23 of material. In many instances it may also be advisable to provide the locating tongues 8, at their lower edge, with a retaining notch 26, and to assign the opening 16 in the side wall a complementary retaining portion in the form of a proiection 27. However, the opening 16 in the edge reinforcement 10 of the side walls 2 must then have a heightwise dimension which is upwardly increased by the depth of the retaining notch 26 or of the complementary retaining projection 27. After the locating tongue 8 has then been inserted into the open ing 16, the baseplate 1 can be lowered a distance such that the retaining notch 26 of the locating tongue 8 engages over the com plementary retaining projection 27 of the open ing 16, and establishes a form-locking connection with it. It is clear from Figure 3 that shelves or racks 28 can be introduced between the side walls 2 at a distance above the baseplate 1. With this in view, the shelf carriers 29 shown in Figure 4 are inserted either in the pattern 14 of slots or in the pattern 15 of slots, the shelves or racks 28 being in their turn secured or anchored on these shelf-carriers 29. It is also possible to suspend a platform 30, at the same heightwise level as the baseplate 1, on the outside of the side walls 2. For this purpose shelf carriers 29 can also suspended in the slots 20, lying behind the slots 15, of the insert 17. It should be mentioned that, after the baseplate 1 and the side walls 2 have been assembled together, the attachment points are completely hidden, and that the transverse edges, or the bent-over portions 6 present on these transverse edges, snugly abut against the inner surface of the side walls 2. In this way there is formed a smooth stacking surface which leads as far as the inner surfaces of the side walls 2, as the upper horizontal shank of the insert 17 lies, in the interior of the edge reinforcement 20, at the same plane as that of the base surface. Thus, the forma tion of undesirable dirt traps in the corners is countered in a simple manner. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A modular subassembly for constructing shelving units, racks or the like, comprising a baseplate and two side walls, these elements being formed of sheet-metal or other dimensionally stable sheet-like material and being provided with edge reinforcements; at least the edge reinforcements of the front and rear vertical edges and the lower horizontal edge of each side wall comprising a strip of material transverse to the plane of the wall and a further strip of material which adjoins this transverse strip of material and extends parallel to and at a distance from the plane of the wall, the said further strips of material which form part of the reinforcements of the vertical edges being formed with a pattern of slots for the suspension of shelves or the like and also being formed with a vertical slot dose to their lower ends; while the baseplate is provided, at the ends of those reinforcements which delimit the longitudinal front and rear edges, with locating tongues which fit into respective said vertical

slots; the arrangement being such that the under surface of the baseplate is supported, adjacent its transverse edges, on the terminal edge of the said further strips of material of the lower horizontal edge reinforcements of the side walls when the tongues are located in the vertical slots.

2. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the locating tongues extend from cut out portions at the corners of the baseplate, the shape of which cutout portions complements the contour of the upright edge reinforcement of the side walls.

3. A subassembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locating tongues are each constituted by a flange of a respective multiplyangled insert, which inserts are attached, for example by welding, adjacent the cutout corner portions in the edge reinforcement of the baseplate.

4. A subassembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said vertical slots in the edge reinforcements of the side walls are reinforced by respective multiply-angled inserts, which are fixed, for example by welding, within the edge reinforcements.

5. A subassembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the major side wall surfaces, in the vicinity of their upright edge reinforcements, are also formed with a pattern of slots for the suspension of shelves or the like.

6. A subassembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side walls are provided with further slots in the strips of material directed transversely of the plane of the wall of the lower horizontal edge reinforcements, while the upper horizontal transverse edges of the walls carry further locating tongues which are positioned in complementary fashion to the further slots.

7. A subassembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first mentioned locating tongues are each provided at their lower edge with a retaining notch in which a complementary retaining projection, present in the respective vertical slot of the side walls can engage.

8. A subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims including one or more shelves.

9. A modular subassembly for constructing shelving units, racks or the like, substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings and described herein with reference thereto.

10. Shelving comprising one or more subassemblies according to any one of the preceding claims.