GB2125685A - Shelving - Google Patents

Abstract

Shelving includes at least one shelf (17) in combination with a number of parallel horizontal slats (11, 12, 13) spaced one above another. A shelf (17) has a rearwardly facing surface (18) which can bear against the top of the front face of a slat (12) and a forwards facing upstanding shoulder (22) which can bear against the lower part of the back face of a higher slat (11). A shelf can be easily fitted in the space between any two adjacent slats and automatically retained in place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Shelving This invention relates to shelving, and one object is to provide an arrangement enabling shelves to be easily fitted into position or removed, and possibly also allowing one or more shelves to be easilyfitted into a chosen one of a number of different positions.

According to the invention, shelving comprises parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another, and at leastone shelf having a depending back facing shoulder for abutting the front of the top of a lower slat, and an upstanding front facing shoulder for abutting the back of the bottom of a higherslat.

The upstanding frontfacing shoulder could be formed on a rearwardly extending tongue atthe back of the shelf and thinner than the rest of the shelf so that thetongue can be easily slid between the vertically spaced slats in an inclined position and then pivoted downwards until the shoulders engage the faces of the respective slats.

The slats are conveniently held in their vertically spaced positions on a backing oron a pair of battens with a thickness equal to or greaterthan the thickness ofthetonguesothatthe back or battens can be fastened againstawall, and there will be room for the tongueto engage atthe back of the higher slat.

In general a shelf will be deeperthan the space between the vertically spaced slats, although the back facing shoulder could be separately attached to a thinner shelf. Even the tongue or other component carrying the upstanding frontfacing shouldercould be eitherformed integrally with the shelf, or could bean attachment to it.

Conveniently, there are a number of parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another and carried on a pair of vertical battens, and then any one of a number of shelves can be fitted into any selected space between a pair of the slats.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing; in which FIGURE lisa rather diagrammatic perspective view of shelving in accordance with the invention, and FIGURE 2 is a cross section to an increased scale of the rear of a shelf engaged between a pair of slats.

Awallfittingcomprisesa numberof parallel horizontal slats 11,12,13... secured to a pair of vertical battens 14 and 15, with, in the example being described, a spacing of 16 mm at 16 between each pair of slats.

One or more shelves 17 can be fitted in the gaps 16 bytiltingthem rearwardly downwards sliding them into the gap, and then tilting them back to the horizontal as shown in FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 2 it can be seen that the shelf has a depending backfacing shoulder 18which abuts the front 19 of the top of a lower slat 12, and has at the end of a rearwardly extending tongue 21 an upstanding frontfacing shoulder 22 abutting the back of the bottom 23 of the higher slat 11.

The spacing between the shoulders 18 and 22 shown as a horizontal spacing in FIGURE 2 is just equal to the thickness of the slats 11 and 12, and the vertical spacing between the top oftheshelfat24 and the corner 25 at the top of the shoulder 18 isjust equal to the spacing between the slats 11 and 12, anclthat arrangement ensures that the shelf is hetd snugryand firmly in position. The tongue 21 is thin enough to enable itto be inserted into the gap 16.

The battens 14 and 15 are a littlethickerthan the tongue 21 where it defines the front facing shoulders 22, and those battens 14 and 15 are screwed to a horizontal bar27with an inclined lower face 28 corresponding to the upper inclined face 29 of a bar 31 which is secured by screws to awall 32.

Thus, once the bar 31 has been fixed to the wall, an assembly ofthe bar 27, the battens 14 and 15, and the slats can be hooked overthe bar 31 which carries the vertical loading. Thereafter shelves are inserted as required in spaces 16.

The various components are conveniently machined from solid timber, but of course they could be veneered boards, or mouldings, or in some other suitable form. Shelves 17 are very easy to fit in any selected slot 16, and yet the arrangement is very firm, and very pleasing to the eye.

CLAIMS (filed on 717l83) 1. Shelving comprising parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from anothertogetherwith at least one shelf having a depending backfacing shoulder for abutting the front of the top of a lowerslat and an upstandingfrontfacing shoulderforabutting the back ofthe bottom of a higher slat.

2. Shelving as claimed in Claim 1 in which the upstanding frontfacing shoulderisformed on a rearwardly extending tongue at the back of the shelf and thinnerthan the rest of the shelf.

3. Shelving as claimed in CLaim 1 or Claim 2 in which the slats are heldintheirverticallyspaced positions on a backing or on battens having thickness equal to or greaterthan the portion of the shelf provided with the upstanding front facing shoulder.

4. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the shelf is thicker than the space between the vertically spaced slats.

5. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the backfacing shoulderandlorthe frontfacing shoulder is on a component attached to the main body of the shelf.

6. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which there are more than two parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another and carried on vertical battens or other supports.

7. Shelving constructed and arrangedsubstantial ly as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Shelving This invention relates to shelving, and one object is to provide an arrangement enabling shelves to be easily fitted into position or removed, and possibly also allowing one or more shelves to be easilyfitted into a chosen one of a number of different positions. According to the invention, shelving comprises parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another, and at leastone shelf having a depending back facing shoulder for abutting the front of the top of a lower slat, and an upstanding front facing shoulder for abutting the back of the bottom of a higherslat. The upstanding frontfacing shoulder could be formed on a rearwardly extending tongue atthe back of the shelf and thinner than the rest of the shelf so that thetongue can be easily slid between the vertically spaced slats in an inclined position and then pivoted downwards until the shoulders engage the faces of the respective slats. The slats are conveniently held in their vertically spaced positions on a backing oron a pair of battens with a thickness equal to or greaterthan the thickness ofthetonguesothatthe back or battens can be fastened againstawall, and there will be room for the tongueto engage atthe back of the higher slat. In general a shelf will be deeperthan the space between the vertically spaced slats, although the back facing shoulder could be separately attached to a thinner shelf. Even the tongue or other component carrying the upstanding frontfacing shouldercould be eitherformed integrally with the shelf, or could bean attachment to it. Conveniently, there are a number of parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another and carried on a pair of vertical battens, and then any one of a number of shelves can be fitted into any selected space between a pair of the slats. The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing; in which FIGURE lisa rather diagrammatic perspective view of shelving in accordance with the invention, and FIGURE 2 is a cross section to an increased scale of the rear of a shelf engaged between a pair of slats. Awallfittingcomprisesa numberof parallel horizontal slats 11,12,13... secured to a pair of vertical battens 14 and 15, with, in the example being described, a spacing of 16 mm at 16 between each pair of slats. One or more shelves 17 can be fitted in the gaps 16 bytiltingthem rearwardly downwards sliding them into the gap, and then tilting them back to the horizontal as shown in FIGURE 2. In FIGURE 2 it can be seen that the shelf has a depending backfacing shoulder 18which abuts the front 19 of the top of a lower slat 12, and has at the end of a rearwardly extending tongue 21 an upstanding frontfacing shoulder 22 abutting the back of the bottom 23 of the higher slat 11. The spacing between the shoulders 18 and 22 shown as a horizontal spacing in FIGURE 2 is just equal to the thickness of the slats 11 and 12, and the vertical spacing between the top oftheshelfat24 and the corner 25 at the top of the shoulder 18 isjust equal to the spacing between the slats 11 and 12, anclthat arrangement ensures that the shelf is hetd snugryand firmly in position. The tongue 21 is thin enough to enable itto be inserted into the gap 16. The battens 14 and 15 are a littlethickerthan the tongue 21 where it defines the front facing shoulders 22, and those battens 14 and 15 are screwed to a horizontal bar27with an inclined lower face 28 corresponding to the upper inclined face 29 of a bar 31 which is secured by screws to awall 32. Thus, once the bar 31 has been fixed to the wall, an assembly ofthe bar 27, the battens 14 and 15, and the slats can be hooked overthe bar 31 which carries the vertical loading. Thereafter shelves are inserted as required in spaces 16. The various components are conveniently machined from solid timber, but of course they could be veneered boards, or mouldings, or in some other suitable form. Shelves 17 are very easy to fit in any selected slot 16, and yet the arrangement is very firm, and very pleasing to the eye. CLAIMS (filed on 717l83)

1. Shelving comprising parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from anothertogetherwith at least one shelf having a depending backfacing shoulder for abutting the front of the top of a lowerslat and an upstandingfrontfacing shoulderforabutting the back ofthe bottom of a higher slat.

2. Shelving as claimed in Claim 1 in which the upstanding frontfacing shoulderisformed on a rearwardly extending tongue at the back of the shelf and thinnerthan the rest of the shelf.

3. Shelving as claimed in CLaim 1 or Claim 2 in which the slats are heldintheirverticallyspaced positions on a backing or on battens having thickness equal to or greaterthan the portion of the shelf provided with the upstanding front facing shoulder.

4. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the shelf is thicker than the space between the vertically spaced slats.

5. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the backfacing shoulderandlorthe frontfacing shoulder is on a component attached to the main body of the shelf.

6. Shelving as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which there are more than two parallel horizontal slats vertically spaced one from another and carried on vertical battens or other supports.

7. Shelving constructed and arrangedsubstantial ly as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.