GB2084450A - Struts for shelving structures - Google Patents

Abstract

In a range of struts for a shelving structure, the largest strut comprises a front wall (6), first side wall portions (12) extending from the front wall (6) generally at right angles thereto, second side wall portions (22) spaced from the first side wall portions, and which extend in respective co-planar relationship therewith, the first and second side wall portions on each side of the strut being connected together by a central re-entrant wall portion (14, 16, 20), and the second sidewall portion having mutually inwardly facing rear wall portions (24). Apertures (18), through which bolts may be inserted, are provided at spaced intervals in the central wall portion (16). Other struts of the range, of smaller load bearing capabilities, have profiles which include the front wall (8), the first side wall portions (12), and at least part of the central wall portions (14, 16) in which the apertures (18) are provided, and comprise varying amount of the remainder of the central wall portion (20), second side wall portions (22), and rear wall portions (24). The range also comprises a connector member (30) which may be used to connect longitudinally adjacent struts together which is in general complementary to said basic profile, having exterior surfaces which are complementary to some at least of the interior surfaces common to all the struts in the range. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to shelving structures This invention is concerned with improvements relating to shelving structures, in particular to the production of struts for shelving structures.

In the manufacture of struts for shelving structures, it is conventional practice to provide a range of struts having differing load bearing capabilities, being for example of different crosssectional area and/or of different thickness material, so that a user of the struts may erect a structure to suit his particular requirements, whilst maintaining costs as iow as is practical.

When it is required that the racking structure be of a height greater than the length of the longest available strut, it is necessary to join two struts longitudinally, in a manner in which load is transmitted smoothly from one strut to another.

Conventionally used for this purpose is a strut joiner, which may be inserted within two adjacent struts, and secured thereto by bolts, the strut joiner holding the two struts in alignment and (in certain circumstances) transmitting or assisting in the transmission of bending moment from one strut to another.

Where the struts are of metal, conventionally they are manufactured by a forming (folding or rolling) operation from flat stock. In the manufacture of struts, it is of course desirable to utilise as little material as is possible, and for the strut of lowest load bearing capability in a range, there exists an optimum ratio of cross-sectional area bounded by the strut, to a thickness of metal.

Utilising for the strut of lowest load bearing capability a lighter gauge of metal and a larger cross-sectional area bounded by the strut would either reduce the load bearing capability, or would utilise more metal and hence increase the cost.

When a heavier gauge of metal is utilised for a strut of higher load bearing capability, the limitations of the metal forming operation require that the strut bounds a larger surface area.

Conventionally, therefore, the struts of different load bearing capabilities are of different crosssectional areas, and it is necessary to utilise particular strut joiners to connect longitudinally together the struts of the same load bearing capabilities. This increases the number of component parts of the range.

Additionally, difficulty is experienced where it is desired to join together two struts of different load bearing capabilities, as may be desired in a tall racking structure, where the load bearing requirement of the upper parts of the structure is less than the requirement at the lower part of the structure, since difficulty is experienced in providing abutting faces between two struts of different cross-sections as will transmit compressive loading from one strut to another, without tendency for the wall portions of the strut to buckle under load.

The problems are exacerbated, in struts for racking structures, by the desirability of uniformity of position of the front faces of the foremost struts, to provide the structure with a smooth front projection, and the requirement for an interior face of the strut to be open, by which diagonal bracing struts may be connected to laterally spaced struts.

According to this invention there is provided a strut for a shelving structure comprising a generally flat front face, first side wall portions extending from the front face on each side thereof generally at right angles thereto, second side wall portions spaced from the first side wall portions, extending in respective coplanar relationship therewith, the first and second side wall portions on each side of the strut being connected together by a central re-entrant wall portion, and terminal, mutually inwardly facing, rear wall portions extending from each of the second side wall portions generally at right angles thereto, apertures, through which bolts may be inserted, being provided at spaced intervals in the central wall portions.

Preferably the rear wall portions are spaced apart a distance somewhat more than the space between inner faces of the central wall portions.

Thus a connector member, which may be diagonal bracing member, may be inserted into the interior of the strut through the space between the rear wall portions and secured in position between the central wall portions, by for example passing bolts through the apertures therein, and through corresponding apertures in the connector member.

By the use of a profile of the kind set out in the last preceding paragraph but one, considerable versatility is provided for varying the load bearing capability, by variation of the thickness of the material (e.g. metal) of the strut: additionally however where the strut is to be used as part of a range of struts of widely differing load bearing capabilities, other struts of the range preferably have profiles which include said front face, said first side wall portions, and at least that part of the central wall portions in which said apertures are provided, and may comprise varying amounts of the remainder of the central portions, second side wall portions and rear wall portions, dependent upon the load bearing requirements of the strut.

Preferably in a range of struts of the kind set out in the last preceding paragraph, interior surfaces of at least the first side wall portions and part of the central, re-entrant wall portions are uniformly orientated with respect to a datum surface afforded by the front face of each strut. In this manner, different struts of the range may be connected together longitudinally by a connector member which bears against said interior surfaces, assuring good longitudinal transmission of forces and absorption of bending moments, irrespective of the particular profiles of the two struts and their relative load bearing capabilities.

According to this invention there is also provided a range of struts for a shelving structure, in which the strut of higher load bearing capability of the range has a profile which when viewed in cross-section comprises a front wall opposite side walls extending generally rearwardly from the front wall torward rear walls said rear walls terminating in mutually inwardly-facing side edges, wherein struts of smaller load-bearing capability of the range are in cross-section of generally similar profile, but in which said opposed side walls terminate at positions short of said side edges.

Preferably said side walls of the largest strut in the range comprise central portions displaced inwardly of a rectangular outline of the strut, the distance between which central portions being the smallest interior dimension of the strut profile, in which central portions apertures are provided, and wherein in said smaller struts, the sides terminate at positions spaced between said side edge positions and said central portions, such that all the struts in the range comprise such central portions.

By the use of such a common basic profile, all struts in the range may generally be of the same basic shape, permitting accurate alignment between adjacent longitudinal struts and good transmission of load from one strut to another, together with good visual aspects irrespective of the load-bearing capabilities of the struts.

Inasmuch as the range comprises a basic profile, preferably the range comprises connector members, which may be used to connect longitudinally adjacent struts together, which are in general complementary to said basic profile.

Thus, preferably said connector members comprise exterior surfaces which are complementary to some at least of the interior surfaces common to all the struts of the range.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a range of four struts, which is the preferred embodiment of this invention, said range additionally comprising a connector member whereby two struts of said range may be joined together longitudinally.

In the accompanying drawings: FIGURES 1 to 4 are cross sectional views of the struts of the range of successively lower load bearing capabilities; and FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a connector member of the range.

All the struts in the range which is the preferred embodiment of this invention are based on a common basic profile, said basic profile comprising a required portion and an optional portion. The basic profile is illustrated in Figure 1, being adopted by the strut of largest pad-bearing capability of the range, the part of the profile below the line A-A being the required portion, the part above said line being said optional portion. Additionally, struts in the range may be of a number of different lengths.

Thus, the strut illustrated in Figure 1 is elongate, being of uniform cross-section, comprising a front wall 6 affording a generally flat front face 8, and in which apertures 10 are provided at spaced intervals, in conventional manner. Extending from the front wall 6 on opposite sides thereof, are first side wall portions 12, 12, said portions 12 extending from the front wall 6 generally at right angles, and terminating at inwardly-inclined wall portions 14. Said wall portions 14 each extend to a centre wall 16, which is generally parallel to and spaced inwardly from the wall portions 12, in which centre wall apertures 1 7 are provided at spaced intervals, again in conventional manner.Each centre wall 1 6 extends to the line A-A, where it connects with an outwardly-inclined wall portion 20, which extends to a second side wall portion 22 which extends in coplanar relationship with the associated side wall portion 12. Extending from the rear of each side wall portion 20 is a terminal, rear wall portion 24, side edges 26 of said rear wall portions being spaced apart by a distance X.

When two struts of the profile illustrated in Figure 1 are connected together longitudinally, a connector member in the form of a strut joiner (illustrated in Figure 5) is utilised. The strut joiner comprises a generally flat front wail 30, first side wall portions 32 extending from the front wall generally at right angles thereto, said side wall portions 32 being provided with apertures 34 the spacing of which is similar to the spacing between the apertures 18, outwardly-inclined wall portions 36 extending from the wall portions 32, and second side wall portions 38 extending from said inclined wall portions 36.The dimensions of the strut joiner illustrated in Figure 5 are such that it may be inserted longitudinally into the strut illustrated in Figure 1 , to adopt the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, in which there is close abutting relationship, as follows: a) between the exterior surfaces 33 of the wall portions 32, and the interior surfaces 17 of the centre walls 16; b) between the exterior surfaces 35 of the outwardly-inclined wall portions 36, and the interior surfaces 1 5 of the inclined wall portions 14; c) between the exterior surfaces 39 of the side wall portions 38, and the interior surfaces 13 of the first side wall portions 12.

In this position, the apertures 34 of the strut joiner are in coaxial relationship with apertures 18 of the strut.

The strut illustrated in Figure 1 is of high load bearing capability, and is formed from metal of relatively thick section. The strut illustrated in Figure 2 (to which similar numerals have been applied for like parts, with the suffix a) is of slightly lower load bearing capability, being formed from metal of smaller thickness. Additionally however, whereas the side edges 26 of the strut illustrated in Figure 1 terminate at a spacing X, in the strut illustrated in Figure 2 said side edges 26a terminate at a greater distance Y. Thus, not only is the thickness of the metal utilised in the Figure 2 construction reduced, but additionally the total profile length is additionally reduced.

Similarly, the profile of the strut illustrated in Figure 3 is further reduced from that illustrated in Figure 1 , the strut terminating beyond the line A-A with the inclined wall portions 20b. Further, in the strut illustrated in Figure 4, the profile terminates at the line A-A with the centre walls 16c.

However in all the full struts of the range illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, from the datum line afforded by the flat face 8 of the strut, the interior surfaces 13, 1 5 and 1 7 are uniformly orientated.

Thus, two of any of the struts illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 may be placed in longitudinal alignment, and their respective faces 8, 13, 1 5, and 17 will be generally coplanar. Thus, not only may two such struts be connected together by the strut joiner illustrated in Figure 5, but additionally highly reliable transmission of longitudinal forces from one strut to another may be effected, with minimal risk of buckling of the side well portions.

Further, diagonal bracing members may be inserted between the centre walls 1 6 of any of the struts, to diagonally brace a shelving structure erected from the range comprising the full struts, including struts of similar load-bearing capability (and thus the similar profile end metal thickness) but at differing longitudinal extent.

Claims (12)

1. A strut for a shelving structure comprising a generally flat front face, first side wall portions extending from the front face on each side thereof generally at right angles thereto, second side wall portions spaced from the first side wall portions, extending in respective coplanar relationship therewith, the first and second side wall portions on each side of the strut being connected together by a central re-entrant wall portion, and terminal, mutually inwardly facing, rear wall portions extending from each of the second side wall portions generally at right angles thereto, apertures being provided at spaced intervals in the central wall portions.

2. A strut according to Claim 1 wherein the rear wall portions are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the space between inner faces of the central wall portions.

3. A range of struts of differing load bearing capabilities, said range including struts in accordance with Claim 1, other struts of the range having profiles which include said front face, said first side wall portions, and at least that part of the central wall portions in which said apertures are provided.

4. A range in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said profiles also comprise varying amounts of the remainder of the central wall portions, second side wall portions and rear wall portions, depending upon the load bearing capabilities of the strut.

5. A range in accordance with one of Claims 3 and 4 wherein interior surfaces of at least the first side wall portions and part of the central, reentrant wall portions are uniformly orientated with respect to a datum surface afforded by the front face of each strut.

6. A range of struts for a shelving structure, in which the strut of higher load bearing capability of the range has a profile which when viewed in cross-section comprises a front wall, opposite side walls extending generally rearwardly from the front wall towards rear walls, said rear walls terminating in mutually inwardly-facing side edges, wherein struts of smaller load-bearing capability of the range are in cross-section of generally similar profile, but in which said opposed side walls terminate at positions short of said side edges.

7. A range in accordance with Claim 6 wherein the side wall of the strut of highest load bearing capability in the range comprise central portions displaced inwardly of a rectangular outline of the strut, the distance between which central portions being the smallest interior dimension of the strut profile, in which central portions apertures are provided.

8. A range in accordance with Claim 7 wherein, in said struts of smaller load bearing capability, the opposed side walls terminate at positions spaced between said side edge positions and said central portions, such that all the struts in the range comprise such central portions.

9. A range in accordance with any one of Claims 3 to 8 comprising connector members which comprise exterior surfaces which are complementary to some at least of the interior surfaces common to all the struts of the range.

10. A strut for a shelving structure, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A range of struts of different load bearing capabilities for a shelving structure, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.