GB2184941A

GB2184941A - Bench support system

Info

Publication number: GB2184941A
Application number: GB08600029A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Charles Revell
Original assignee: CLOVIS LANDE ASSOCIATES Ltd
Current assignee: CLOVIS LANDE ASSOCIATES Ltd
Priority date: 1986-01-02
Filing date: 1986-01-02
Publication date: 1987-07-08
Also published as: GB8600029D0

Abstract

A bench support comprises a U-shaped member (10) having legs (12 and 13). A spigot (15) on the leg (13) is engageable with the tubular leg (12) of another support enabling a pattern of frames to be constructed with the bases (11) of alternate frames providing a worktop support and the bases of the other frames resting of the floor or ground. The spigot may carry a collar which may be adjusted to alter the penetration of the spigot into the socket end. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bench support system This invention relates to benches or tables and is particularly though notexciusively concerned with the benches used in commercial greenhouses to support the trays of plants and seedlings.

Such benches used in greenhouses must be robust, should have adjustable supports to compensate for the inevitable roughness of the greenhouse floor and should besimpleto assemble and dismantle. Such bench systems as are currently commercially available are not entirely satisfactory in meeting all these requirements.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide improved bench supports.

The present invention is a bench support comprising a U-shaped member having a base and two legs, one leg having a spigot projecting therefrom and the other leg being tubularto receive the spigot of an adjacent member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bench support according to the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a height adjustor used on the support of Fig.1; and Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates bench supports as shown in Fig. 1 assembled to support a bench.

Referring now to the drawings, a bench support comprises a U-shaped tube 10 having a base 11 and legs 12 and 13. Aspigot 15 welded into one leg 13 and projects from the leg, the projection in this embodiment being about 150 mm and the leg length being about 330 mm. The spigot 15 is dimensioned to be a close fit within thetube so that the spigot 15 of one support can be fitted into the leg 12 of a second support leaving the spigot of the second support free to enterthe leg 12 of a third support and so on.

Asupportframe asillustrated in Fig. 3 is built up on this basis. A support 20 is engaged with a support21 lying in a plane at right angles to the plane of the support 20, and the support 22 is engaged with the support 21 and lies in a plane paralleltothe plane of the support 20. Afurther support 23 engaged with the support 22 extends back across parallel to the support 21 and this pattern can be continued indefinitely in either direction, the bases of the supports 21 and 23 providing support for a bench surface and the bases of the supports 20 and 22 engagingthefloor.

To terminate a frame formed in this way, the third support 22a in thegroup 20ato 22a is simply swung back th rough 1 800 to provide a ground engagin≈base parallel to co-extensivewith the base of the support 20a.

It should be noted that while the planes of engaged supports are at right angles to each other this need not be so and by adjusting the angles between the supports one can adjust the width of the bench andthe ratio of load to area of ground engagement, i.e. the angle, can be increased for light bench loads or reduced for heavy loads.

Suitable means are provided for adjusting the heightofthebench orforaccommodating an uneven floor. Fig. 2 shows a very simple adjusting means comprising a collar30 onthespigotwhich,when secured to the spigot by means of a radially directed bolt 31 passing through the collar, limits the entry of the spigot 15 into the leg 12 of the next support and thus the height of the base 11 of the frame above the floor.

Modifications may be made to the embodiment described. The lengths of the legs 12 and 13 need not bethesame and thetubesfrom which theframes are made need not be of circular cross section, though clearly any non-circular cross section imposes limits on the choice of angle between the planes of adjacent frames.

CLAIMS:

1. A bench support comprising a U-shaped member having a base and two legs, one leg having a spigot projecting therefrom and the other leg being tubularto receive the spigot of an adjacent member.

2. A bench support as claimed in claim 1, including means to adjustthe penetration of a spigot into a tubular leg.

3. A bench support as claimed in claim 2, in which said means comprises a collar round the spigot and meansforsecuring the collartothespigot in anyone of a number of positions.

4. A bench support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.

5. A bench supportframe comprising at least four inter-engaged bench supports as claimed in any preceding claim, each support having at least one spigot'tubular leg engagement with an adjacent support.

6. A bench support frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 ofthe accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Bench support system This invention relates to benches or tables and is particularly though notexciusively concerned with the benches used in commercial greenhouses to support the trays of plants and seedlings. Such benches used in greenhouses must be robust, should have adjustable supports to compensate for the inevitable roughness of the greenhouse floor and should besimpleto assemble and dismantle. Such bench systems as are currently commercially available are not entirely satisfactory in meeting all these requirements. It is an object ofthe present invention to provide improved bench supports. The present invention is a bench support comprising a U-shaped member having a base and two legs, one leg having a spigot projecting therefrom and the other leg being tubularto receive the spigot of an adjacent member. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bench support according to the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a height adjustor used on the support of Fig.1; and Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates bench supports as shown in Fig. 1 assembled to support a bench. Referring now to the drawings, a bench support comprises a U-shaped tube 10 having a base 11 and legs 12 and 13. Aspigot 15 welded into one leg 13 and projects from the leg, the projection in this embodiment being about 150 mm and the leg length being about 330 mm. The spigot 15 is dimensioned to be a close fit within thetube so that the spigot 15 of one support can be fitted into the leg 12 of a second support leaving the spigot of the second support free to enterthe leg 12 of a third support and so on. Asupportframe asillustrated in Fig. 3 is built up on this basis. A support 20 is engaged with a support21 lying in a plane at right angles to the plane of the support 20, and the support 22 is engaged with the support 21 and lies in a plane paralleltothe plane of the support 20. Afurther support 23 engaged with the support 22 extends back across parallel to the support 21 and this pattern can be continued indefinitely in either direction, the bases of the supports 21 and 23 providing support for a bench surface and the bases of the supports 20 and 22 engagingthefloor. To terminate a frame formed in this way, the third support 22a in thegroup 20ato 22a is simply swung back th rough 1 800 to provide a ground engagin≈base parallel to co-extensivewith the base of the support 20a. It should be noted that while the planes of engaged supports are at right angles to each other this need not be so and by adjusting the angles between the supports one can adjust the width of the bench andthe ratio of load to area of ground engagement, i.e. the angle, can be increased for light bench loads or reduced for heavy loads. Suitable means are provided for adjusting the heightofthebench orforaccommodating an uneven floor. Fig. 2 shows a very simple adjusting means comprising a collar30 onthespigotwhich,when secured to the spigot by means of a radially directed bolt 31 passing through the collar, limits the entry of the spigot 15 into the leg 12 of the next support and thus the height of the base 11 of the frame above the floor. Modifications may be made to the embodiment described. The lengths of the legs 12 and 13 need not bethesame and thetubesfrom which theframes are made need not be of circular cross section, though clearly any non-circular cross section imposes limits on the choice of angle between the planes of adjacent frames. CLAIMS: