GB2181637A - Supporting post and bracket assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination of bracket support post and bracket is disclosed together with the support post and brackets per se. In the combination the support post comprises two or more spaced apart substantially upright and parallel slotted faces 1 and 2 the bracket 8 comprising an elongate arm 9 having at one end at least one support member, whereby in at least one position of bracket relative to post part of one support member can bear against a lateral slotwall in one slotted face, and part of the same or different support member can bear against a lateral slotwall in another slotted face of the post. With this arrangement loads applied to the support post by the bracket member in use may be applied in the vertical plane of first and second walls of the post to reduce or minimize loads acting at right angles to these faces. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Supporting post and bracket assemblies Thais invention is concerned with the combination of a supporting post and a bracket, intended principally forthe field of merchandise display and also supporting posts and brackets per se useful in this combination.

The use of slotted posts and brackets specially adapted therefor in the field of merchandise display is well known. Conventionally, supporting posts can be provided with a bracket memberwhich has upper and lower supporting formations forfitting into spaced apart slots in the same slotted surface. The relative position of the bracket with respect to the slotted face may bevariable by means of one of more slotted indentations in the bracket supporting formations. In such a conventional arrangementthe load taken by the bracket exerts a force upon the supporting post in a direction which is perpendicular thereto.This is because this conventional assembly acts as a cantilev erwhereby a load applied upon the front ofthe bracket results in an outward force being exerted perpendicu larlyto the slotted face by the upper supportformation and a corresponding inward force, also perpendicular to the slotted face bythe lower supportformation.

Theseforces can lead to undesirable splaying out of the walls defining the slots rendering the support post ineffective. The strength of this bracket location is dictated bythe distance betweenthetop and bottom supporting members of the bracket and consequently the pitch of the slots in the slotted surface. For maximum flexibility in usethe slot pitch shouid be kept to a minimum to providethe maximum degree of bracket heightvariation within a given length of post.

Agood post and bracket assembly ideallywould combine maximum bracket strength with minimum slot pitch whilst requiring only conventional materials and manufacturing processes.

An attempt two increase the strength of conventional post and bracket assemblies is described in European Patent No. 0004196. In this known assembly a rear buttress for a bracket is provided by a channel shaped indentation in the rearwail of a tubular post. This can provide additional strength by virtue of load taken up by the indentation in use. To a certain extent this reduces the twisting forces applied to the walls ofthe slotted surfaces.

It is from a consideration of the known post and bracketassemblies,andthedesireto provide an improved type of assembly, that has led to the development ithe present invention .

Accordingto a first aspect the present invention provides in combination a bracket support post comprising two or more spaced apart substantially upnghtand parallel slotted faces and a bracket comprising an elongate arm having at one end at least one support member, wherein in at least one position of bracket relative to post part of one support member can bear against a lateral slot wall in one slotted face and part of the same or different support member can bear against a lateral slot wall in another slotted face of the post.

Preferably, an upperpart,such as a surface or indentation, of a bracket support member can bear against an upperslotwall in a secondary (by which is meant an interior or otherwise hidden) slotted face and a lower part, such as surface or indentation, of the same ordifferent support membercan bear against a lowerslotwall in a primary (by which is meant an outermost or fro nt faci n g ) slotted face.

The invention further provides a bracket as defined in the first aspect, which is suitable for use in the said combination.

The invention also provides in a third aspect a bracket support post which is suitable for use in a combination according to the first aspect ofthe invention and which comprises a pairofflanged support post sections each comprising two spaced apart substantially upright slotted faces wherein the slots of each pair are in registry, the two sections being affixed whereby both flanges are parallel and the four slotted faces are parallel.

Optional and preferred features ofthe invention in all its aspects will become apparent from the following description of embodiments presented for illustration only and wherein: Figure 1 shows a section and elevation of a bracket support post, Figure 2 shows a section of a bracket support post according to the third aspect of the invention, Figure 3 shows a fu rtherform of post co rrespondi ng to Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a section of a combination according to the first aspect, Figure 5 shows sections and elevation of an alternative combination according to the first aspect, Figure 6 shows a furtherform of bracket and slotted post combination, and Figure7 shows another bracket and post.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a bracket support post comprises two spaced apart vertical slotted faces 1,2, wherein the slots 3 are arranged as a series of regularly spaced piercings in pre-pierced rolled steel sections. Aflange 4 extends from one ofthe slotted faces 2. As shown in the elevation, each slot 3 is defined by an upper lateral slot wall 6, a lower lateral slot wall 7 and two longitudinal slot walls 13.

Projections respectively 6a and 7a are provided to partition the slot into two segments, each ofwhich can receive a bracket. The said projections are, however, preferred but not essential.

Referring next to Fig u res 2 and 3, these respectively show pairs of bracket support posts corresponding to Figure 1 secured together in such a way that the flanges 4 are parallel as are the slotted faces 1, 2. They are conveniently secured by welding at locations 5 and it can be seenthatthe spacing between the interior slotted surfaces 2 is variable depending upon the relative position of the two individual support posts. Their relative position may dictate the overall depth of the combined assembly and accordingly its structural strength. The arrangements of Figures 2 and 3 can be used to support brackets at both ends of the support posts. Theflanges4orat least one of them, may also be provided with slots (not shown) for receiving further brackets 8. Theflanges 4 may alternatively or additionally be provided with apertures (notshown) for retaining cladding elements.

As shown in Figure 4the supporting post comprises a primary slotted surface 1 (which is outermost in the sense of being adjacent items that are to be supported bythe bracket 8) and secondary slotted surface 2. The bracket comprises elongate arm 9 integralwith bracket support member 10 which has an upper part 12, being part of its surface, which bears against an upper lateral slotwall 6; and a lower part 11, again being part of its surface, which bears against a lower lateralslotwall7 inanotherslottedface 1.The bracket is further provided with projection 13 and abutment 14 to prevent unwanted inward or outward movement of the bracket.

In common with other embodiments, the parts of the bracket support member exert a force, in use, on the slotted faces which has a major component in the plane ofthe slotted face. This force can be withstood more effectively than a twisting force in a direction perpendiculartothesaidface.

Referring nextto Figure 5, a bracket 8 is shown comprising an elongate arm 9 and a support member 10. The support member 10 has an indentation 11 which abuts and bears against a lower lateral slot wall of one slotted surface and a further indentation 12 which bears against an upper lateral slot wall in the interior slotted face. The loading exerted by a force applied to the end of the elongate arm 9 is thus spread between two different slotted surfaces and fu rthermorethe applied forces have components which act in the longitudinal direction ofthe slotted surfaces. In this embodimentthere is also a minorforce component in a direction perpendicularto the slotted surfaces but the major component is in the longitudinal direction as aforesaid.

The bracket support member 10 has additional indentations or surfaces gila, 1 a, 1 2a, which may be used to vary the position of the bracket relative to the supporting post.

Figure 6 illustrates a more heavy dutyform of bracket. The bracket comprises an elongate arm 9 and three integrally formed, spaced-apartsupport members 10; more or less support members could be used.

The uppermost support member 10 has a part 12 which bears against an upper lateral slotwall in the face 2where a majorcomponent offorce wilt be exerted in use. In the lowermost support member 10 a part 11 also exerts a major component of force in use.

The parts ancl2 are so arranged to actonthe respective slot walls so that the direction of action of the majorforce components are in the longitudinal directions, i.e. in the vertical planes ofthe support post slotted faces 2 or 1.

Somecomponanentsofforce mayactthrough supplementary parts 11 a and 1 2aofthe support members 10.

In the embodiment of Figure 6 the bracket comprises an elongate arm having at one end three support members at least one of which has a part which can bear against an upper lateral slot wall in a secondary slotted face and a differentsupportmemberhasa further partwhich can bear against a lower lateral slot wall in a primary slotted face.

Figure 7 shows a further modified bracket. The elongate arm 9 carries three integrally formed support members 10 and 1 Oa, the middle one 1 0a being optional. The upper and lower support members have indentations 11 which can bear against a lower lateral slotwallin primaryslottedface 1.The members 10 also have indentations 12 which can bear against lower lateral slot wall 7 in face 2. The support member 10a has parts 1 1a which can also bearagainsta lower lateral slot wall 7 in certain relative positions.

The invention thus provides a useful and versatile support post and/or bracket for e.g. displaying items in retail outlets wherein the loads are distributed vertically between two upright slotted faces and consequently disadvantageous twisting forces applied to the slot walls perpendicularto the slotted faces are reduced or minimized.

Claims (13)

1. The combination of a bracket support post comprising two or more spaced apart substantially upright and parallel slotted faces and a bracket comprising an elongate arm having at one end at least one support member,wherein in at leastone position of bracket relative to post part of one support member can bearagainsta lateral slotwall in oneslottedface and part ofthe same or different support member can bear against a lateral slot wall in another slotted face of the post.

2. Acombination as claimed in claim 1,wherein the upper part of a bracketsupport member can bear againstan upperslotwall in a secondary slotted face of the post and a lower part of the same or different support membercan bear against a lower slot wall in a primary slotted face of the support post.

3. Acombination asclaimed in claim 1 or2, wherein the said parts ofthe bracket support member(s) comprise indentations.

4. Abracketsuitableforacombination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support member(s) comprise(s) an integ rally formed extension of the elongate arm and include a projection and an abutment useful for positioning the bracket within the support post of such a combination.

5. A bracket as claimed in claim 4, comprising two or more spaced apart support members.

6. A bracket as claimed in claim 4 or 5 having one support member which comprises a plurality of indentationsonthe upper and lower surface thereof for varying the position ofthe bracket within the support post of such acombination.

7. A bracket as claimed in any one of claims 4to 6, comprising an elongate arm having at one end three support members, at least one of which has a part which can bear against an upper lateral slot wall in a secondary slotted face and a different support memberhas a further part which can bear against a lateral siotwali in a primaryslottedface.

8. Asupport post suitable for a combination as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a pair of flanged support post sections each comprising two spaced apart substantially upright slotted faces wherein the slots of each pair are in registry, the two sections being affixed whereby both flanges are parallel and the four slotted faces are parallel.

9. A support post as claimed in claim 8, wherein slots provided therein are separated by projections into two slot segments, each capable of receiving a bracket.

10. Support post as claimed in claim 8 or9, wherein the flanges or one of the flanges include slots for receiving further brackets and/or apertures for receiving cladding elements.

11. The combination of a bracket support post and bracket, substantially as herein described with referenceto and as illustrated in any one of Figures 4-9 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A bracket, useful in a combination as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 4to 9 ofthe accompanying drawings.

13. Asupportpostuseful inacombinationas claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.