GB2116019A

GB2116019A - Shelf constructions

Info

Publication number: GB2116019A
Application number: GB08205849A
Authority: GB
Inventors: H Jones; D Bell
Original assignee: Link 51 Ltd
Current assignee: Link 51 Ltd
Priority date: 1982-02-27
Filing date: 1982-02-27
Publication date: 1983-09-21
Also published as: DK92983A; DK92983D0; US4535898A; GB2116019B; EP0087696A3; CA1197819A; EP0087696A2

Description

1 GB 2 116 019 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Improvements relating to shelving This invention is concenred with improvements relating to shelving, paricularly of the type utilised in shelving structures of the kind (hereinafter referred to as of the kind specified), assembled from preformed components.

Atypical shelving structure of the kind specified is assembled from a number of vertical elements (struts) and interconnected horizontal elements (beams) on which shelves are mounted. A shelf for such a shelving structure conventionally comprises a flat, generally rectangular shelf panel and flanges extending downwardly from the shelf panel around the four sides thereof, the flanges resting on horizontal componnets of the structure to provide support for the shelf.

Difficulty has been encountered in shelving structures of the kind specified in attempting to increase the strength of the shelves to enable them to be capable of supporting greater loading. For example, it has been suggested to fold an end portion of each of the flanges inwardly to lie closely against the inside face of the flange. In this manner, the tendency of the end of the flange to buckle is reduced.

Additionally, it is possible to form the shelf from metal sheet of thicker cross-section; however this adds greatly to the cost of the shelf, and it is uneconomic in that it is wasteful of metal.

A suggestion has been made, in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,512,268 to increase the strength of the shelf by folding a portion of the flange inwardly against the inside of the downwardly extending portion, and bending the flange over so that an edge portion bears closely against a marginal portion of the underside of the shelf panel.

This suggestion, while providing some increase to the strength of the shelf in a manner which is more economical than simply increasing the thickness of the metal sheet, suffers from the following disadvantages:

(a) the degree of increase in strength is limited by the tendency of the folded fange to unroll; (b) to increase the strength of the shelf further it is necessary to resort to increasing the thickness of the metal sheet from which the shelf is fabricated; (c) the system lacks versatility.

According to this invention, there is provided a shelf formed from metal sheet and comprising a shelf panel and flanges extending from the shelf panel on at leasttwo sides of the panel, wherein each flange is folded so as to provide a pocket, and a reinforcing member is positioned in each pocket to engage the underside of the shelf panel.

According to this invention, there is also provided a shelf formed from sheet material and comprising a shelf panel comprising at least one dependant flange comprising a first portion extending downwardly from the panel, and a second portion folded inwardly so as to extend towards the underside of the shelf panel generally parallel to, and spaced from the first portion, and a reinforcing member inserted between said first and second portions and which extends upwardly towards, and into engagement with, the underside of the shelf panel.

Preferably the flange comprises an intermediate portion between the first and second portions, on which the reinforcing member may seat, whereby downward force transmitted from the shelf panel to the reinforcing member may in turn be transmitted to the flange.

Said intermediate portion may be flat, but is preferably curved, that is providing a part-cylindrical engagement surface facing upwardly, towards the underside of the shelf panel and preferably the reinforcing member is provided with a similarly shaped engagement surface adapted to seat on said engagement surface.

Preferably therefore the reinforcing member comprises first and second portions folded one against the other with an intermediate portion interconnecting said first and second portions providing said engagement surface of the reinforcing member.

Preferably the reinforcing member also comprises a transverse portion lying generally in a plane extending at right angles to the plane in which the first portion (and also the second portion) extends, and which engages with the underside of the shelf panel.

Where the shelf panel is square, preferably such flanges and reinforcing members are provided on all four sides thereof.

However, where the shelf panel is not square, such flangs and reinforcing members may be provided on only two, conveniently the longer, sid)s of the shelf.

By the use of separately formed reinforcing mem- bers to increase the strength of the shelf, the reinforcing members may be formed, such as of folded metal, in a separate operation from that in which the remainder of the shelf is formed, and/or may conveniently be a metal of a different thickness and/or of different physical characteristics to that which constitutes the remainder of the shelf.

Thus the thickness and/or the material of the reinforcing members may be selected to provide the required degree of strength to the shelf.

Thus if desired, particularly where the shelf is not square, reinforcing members may be provided along the two longer sides may be of greater thickness than the reinforcing members provided along the two shorter sides.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings of a shelf which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, and which has been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the preferred embodiment; Figure2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line B-13 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a view of a metal sheet stamping from which the shelf, but not the reinforcing members thereof, is formed by a folding operation.

2 GB 2 116 019 A 2 In the formation of the shelf which is the preferred embodiment of this invention, a sheet 4 of metal, formed by a stamping operation, shown in Figure 4, is utilised, the sheet providing a central area 6, constituting a shelf panel, and four flanges 8, 8, 10, 10, the flanges 8 extending along the sides of the shelf panel of longer length and the flanges 10 extending along the sides thereof of shorter length.

The four flanges are folded to provided in each case a first portion 12 extending downwardly from the shelf panel 6, an intermediate portion of generally particular cross-section extending from the portion 12, and a second portion 14 extending from the portion 13 generally parallel to the portion 12 towards the underside of the shelf panel. However, whilst in the case of the flanges 8, 8 the portions 12 and 14 are spaced apart, in the case of the flanges 10, 10 the portions 12 and 14 are in abutting relationship. In Figure 4, the parts of the stamping which will provide said flanges and said flange portions are indicated bythe same numerals with an apostrophe.

The shelf also comprises two elongate reinforcing members 16, also formed by a folding operation carried out on a sheet of stamped metal.

Each reinforcing member 16 comprises a first portion 17, one end of which extends to an intermediate portion 18, and a second portion 19 extending from the intermediate portion. The opposite end of the first portion 17 extends to a terminal portion 20.

The shape and configuration of the reinforcing member 17 is such that it may be located in an upwardly open pocket 22 defined by the portions 12, 13 and 14 of the flange 8, in a manner such that the first portions 12 and 17, the intermediate portions 13 and 18, and the second portions 14 and 19 are in close fitting contact, and the terminal portion 20 engages with the underside of the shelf panel.

Most conveniently, the stampings from which the reinforcing members are to be formed are posi- tioned adjacent to the shelf 4 prior to it being folded to provide the shalf.

In this manner, load (indicated L in Figure 2) applied to the shelf panel may be transmitted to the terminal portion 20 of the reinforcing member, and applied to the flange bythe inter-engagement between the intermediate portion 18 and the intermediate portion 13.

In this manner, a greater load may be applied to the shelf panel with limited tendency forthe flange to buckle or unroll.

If desired, the reinforcing member 7 may be formed from sheet metal of greater thickness than that providing the remainder of the shelf, to increase the load bearing capability of the shelf.

Whereas in the preferred embodiment, reinforcing 120 members are not provided in the flanges extending along the sides of the shelf of smaller dimension, if desired such flanges may be formed in the same manner as the flanges on the longer sides, and similar reinforcing members may be utilised to support those flanges. If necessary, the reinforcing members provided on the flanges of shorter length may be formed from metal of smaller thickness than those along the sides of longer length.

If desired, bracing struts may be connected be- tween the flanges 8 to provide additional stiffness to the shelf.

Claims

CLAIMS (Filed on 24th February 1983)

1. A shelf formed from metal sheet and comprising a shelf panel and flanges extending from the panel on at leasttwo sides thereof, wherein each flange is folded so as to provide a pocket, and a reinforcing member is positioned in each pocket to engage the underside of the shelf panel.

2. A shelf formed from sheet material and cornprising a shelf panel and at least on dependant flange comprising a first portion extending downwardly from the panel, and second portion folded inwardly so as to extend towards the underside of the shelf panel generally parallel to the first portion, said second portion being spaced from said first portion, and a reinforcing member being located between said first and second portions and which extend upwardly towards, and into engagement with, the underside of the shelf panel.

3. A shelf according to Claim 2 wherein the flange comprises and intermediate portion between the first and second portions, on which the reinforcing member is seated.

4. A shelf according to Claim 3 wherein said intermediate portion is flat.

5. A shelf according to Claim 3 wherein said intermediate portion is curved, providing a partcylindrical engagement surface facing towards the underside of the shelf panel, and the reinforcing member is provided with a similarly shaped engagement surface adapated to seat on said engagement 100 surface.

6. Ashelf according to anyone of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the reinforcing member comprises first and second portions, folded one against the other with an intermediate portion inter-connecting said first and second portions, and provided said engagement surface of the reinforcing member.

7. A shelf according to anyone of the preceding Claims wherein the reinforcing member also cornprises a transverse portion lying generally in a plane extending at right angles to the plane in which the first portion extends, and which engages with an underside of the shelf panel.

8. A shelf according to anyone of the preceding Claims wherein the shelf panel is square, and is provided with such flanges and reinforcing members on all four side thereof.

9. A shelf according to anyone of the preceding Claims wherein reinforcing members of one thickness are provided along two sides of the shelf, and reinforcing members of a different thickness are provided along the other two sides of the shelf.

10. A shelf according to anyone of the preceding Claims wherein the reinforcing members are formed of metal of a different thickness andlor of different physical characteristics to that which constitutes the remainder of the shelf.

11. A shelf fora shelving structure, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with relevance to the accompanying draw- ings.

3 GB 2 116 019 A 3

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

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey, 19133. Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.