GB2283904A - Mounting of members such as shelves - Google Patents

Abstract

A support 10 holds shelf 12 at two spaced points 54, 56, there being first means 42 for supporting the shelf at a first of the points and preventing movement of the shelf relative to the support in the direction passing through said points and second means such as the slot 18 for supporting the shelf at said second point but allowing movement of the shelf relative to the support said direction. Bolt head 54 is placed in slot 18 and the shelf pivoted so as to locate bolt head 56 in recess 44. The arrangement allows shelf expansion. <IMAGE>

Description

MOUNTING OF MEMBERS SUCH AS SHELVES The present invention relates to an article comprising two members, one of which is mounted upon another. The invention is particularly applicable to such articles wherein one member is mounted upon the other member at two spaced points and at least one of the members is subject to expansion or contraction, which is liable to stress at least one of the members and cause cracking or splitting thereof, in the direction passing through the two points.

The invention is especially, but not exclusively, applicable to articles of furniture comprising shelving mounted in a carcase and wherein the shelving and/or the carcase is of solid wood. It will be appreciated that a shelf in such an article necessarily has to be supported at more than one point across its width to prevent tilting of the shelf.

Devices are known by means of which a shelf may be mounted at an end thereof at two spaced points. However, such devices resist expansion and contraction of the shelf across its width.

Devices are also known by means of which a shelf could be mounted on a carcase at two spaced points at an end of the shelf so as to allow movement of the shelf in its entirety in the width direction of the shelf. However, such movement of the shelf in its entirety would not normally be desired.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an article comprising a first member and a second member to be mounted upon the first member at two spaced points, first means supporting the second member on the first member at a first of the points and preventing movement of the second member relative to the first member in the direction passing through said points and second means for supporting the second member at said second point but allowing movement of the second member relative to the first member in said direction.

Preferably both first and second means allow separation of the second member from the first member.

Preferably the first member is an upright member of a carcase of an article of furniture and the second member is a shelf.

The invention is further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1A is an end view of a shelf for an article of furniture according to the invention; Figure 1B is an inverted plan view of part of the article of furniture, a vertical part of a carcase of the article of furniture being shown in horizontal section; Figure 2 is a side view showing the shelf during the process of its attachment to and location in the carcase, the shelf being shown in section close to an end thereof; and Figures 3 and 4 are similar to Figures 1B and 2 respectively but shows the shelf attached to and located in the carcase.

Referring to the drawings an article of furniture comprises a carcase having a pair of spaced upright members 10, only one of which is shown in the drawings. Each member 10 is formed by a sheet or plank of solid wood with its grain running vertically. A shelf 12, also formed by a sheet or plank of solid wood, with its grain running along its length, is provided to extend horizontally between the upright members 10.

In each end surface of the shelf 12 (only one end of the shelf is shown in the drawings) there is cut a shallow groove 14 which extends forwardly from the rear edge 16 of the shelf and opens to the end of the shelf but not to the top and bottom surfaces of the shelf.

Each groove 14 accommodates a rapid release fastener 18. The fastener 18 consists of a metal plate shaped to provide spaced coplanar webs 20 and 21, shoulders 22 and 24 and a bridging web 26 parallel to the webs 20 and connected to the webs 20 through the shoulders 22 and 24. A keyhole-shaped slot 28 is formed in the web 20, the shoulder 22 and the web 26. The slot 28 has a relatively narrow portion 30 in the web 26 and a relatively wide, approximately circular portion 32 extending from the web 26 through the step 22 to the web 20.

The fastener 18 is secured in the rebate 14 by screws, indicated diagrammatically at 34, passing through holes 36 in the webs 20 and 21 and attaching the webs 20 and 21 to the shelf.

A circular section recess 38 is formed in each end of the shelf 12 towards its front edge 40. The recess opens from the underside of the shelf 12 and breaks through the end surface of the shelf.

A carcase fastener 42 is secured in the recess 38. The fastener 42 consists of a circular member 43 having a radially extending passageway 44 open to the side and to the lower surface of the member.

The passageway 44 accommodates at its inner end a barrel 45 rotatable about a vertical axis i.e. an axis normal to the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf 12. The barrel 45 has a lower portion of relatively small diameter and an upper cylindrical portion of relatively large diameter whereby the barrel is held captive in the circular member 43. The cylindrical portion has formed in its wall an aperture which opens to the lower edge of the wall and a slot, narrower than the aperture, which extends circumferentially from the aperture.

Initially the aperture is in alignment with the passageway 44.

Two blind bores 50 are formed in the upright member 10 of the carcase at the same horizontal level. A spreading dowel 52 is located in each bore 50 and the shank of a connecting bolt 54 is screwed into each dowel so as to leave a head 56 of the bolt spaced from the upright member 10. The diameter of the shanks of the bolts 54 is less than the width of the narrow portions 30 of the slots 28. The heads 56 of the bolts 54 have a diameter less than the width of the circular portions 32 of the slots 28 but greater than the width of the narrow portions 30 of the slots 28.

It will be understood that there are two bolts 54 (only one of which is shown) towards the rear of the respective upright members 10 and two bolts 54 (only one of which is shown) towards the front of the respective upright members 10. The former bolts are referred to below as the rear bolts 54 and the latter bolts are referred to below as the front bolts 54.

To mount the shelf 12 to the carcase the shelf is introduced between the upright members 10 of the carcase and, with the shelf held downwardly tilted as in Figure 2, the wide ends 32 of the slots 28 in the fasteners 18 are offered up to the heads 56 of two rear bolts 54 so that the heads 56 of the bolts enter the slots and the shelf is moved downwardly and backwardly in the direction of the straight arrow 60 in Figure 2 so that the shanks of the bolts enter the narrow portions of the respective slots with the heads of the bolts located between the respective bridging webs 26 and the bases of the grooves 14.

When the shelf has been pushed rearwardly so that the front ends of the slots have nearly reached the shanks of the bolts 54 then the shelf is pivoted downwardly, in the direction indicated by the curved arrow 62 in Figure 2, to cause the head 56 of each front bolt 54 to enter the passageway 44 in the respective fastener 42. With the barrel 45 in its vertical position, i.e. when the aperture in the cylindrical portion of the barrel is aligned with the passageway 44 of the fastener 42, the head 56 of the bolt enters into the interior of the barrel through the aperture. The shelf is then supported on the front and rear bolts 54. Movement of the shelf in its width direction is prevented by the front bolts 54 engaged in the fasteners 42. The barrel 45 of each fastener 42 is rotated by a fraction (e.g. half) of a revolution so that the shank of the respective bolt extends through the slot in the barrel whilst the head of the bolt is disposed within the interior of the cylindrical portion of the barrel.

The shelf 12 cannot then be lifted off the front bolts 54. The shelf 12 also cannot be lifted off the rear bolts 54. Accordingly the shelf is held firmly in position.

The shelf 16, being made of solid wood, tends invariably to expand and contract across its width with changes in humidity and/or temperature of the ambient air. If the shelf were fixed, both towards its front and its back, against movement in its width direction it would be liable to split. However, the shelf is only fixed towards its front, against movement in its width direction, by the front bolts 54. Towards its rear the shelf, although supported by the rear bolts 54, is free to move in its width direction, the rear bolts 54 sliding in the respective slots 28. Accordingly the shelf can freely expand and contract across its width and consequently the shelf is not liable to crack or split as a result of changes in temperature and/or humidity of the ambient air.

The shelf 12 can be removed from the carcase by reversing the steps described above.

Instead of being supported at both ends, as described above, the shelf 16 may be supported at only one end, in cantilever fashion, on a single upright member 10. In such a case, an additional support, on which the shelf can rest at least at a location remote from the upright member 10, may be provided at the rear of the shelf.

Claims (4)

1. An article comprising a first member and a second member to be mounted upon the first member at two spaced points, first means supporting the second member on the first member at a first of the points and preventing movement of the second member relative to the first member in the direction passing through said points and second means for supporting the second member at said second point but allowing movement of the second member relative to the first member in said direction.

2. An article according to claim 1, wherein both first and second means allow separation of the second member from the first member.

3. An article according to claim 2, wherein the first member is an upright member of a carcase of an article of furniture and the second member is a shelf.

4. An article substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.