GB2298356A

GB2298356A - Continuously adjustable shelf brackets

Info

Publication number: GB2298356A
Application number: GB9515194A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gideon Zeffertt
Original assignee: QED ORIGINALS CLOSE CORP; REGENT BAKER
Current assignee: QED ORIGINALS CLOSE CORP; REGENT BAKER
Priority date: 1995-02-24
Filing date: 1995-07-25
Publication date: 1996-09-04
Also published as: ZA951559B; GB9515194D0

Abstract

The bracket is secured to a support rail by an anchor plate frictionally and slidably engaging a slot in the rail. A two part rail may be used having an outer rebate for engaging the bracket. A fixing bolt screwed into the anchor is drawn into the bracket by engagement with a fastener with an eccentric surface. Rotation of the latter draws the bracket and anchor towards each other and hence into clamping engagement with the rails.

Description

SHELVING SYSTEM This invention relates to a shelving system.

The invention is concerned with a shelving system which can be supplied in knocked down form, making it suitable for the do-it-yourself market, and which can be made from wood, although this is mentioned as a nonlimiting objective.

The invention provides, in the first instance, a shelving system which includes elongate support rail means, means for attaching the support rails means to supporting structure, an anchor member which is engaged with the support rail means and which is slidable relatively thereto substantially in the longitudinal direction of the support rail means, at least one bracket, and means for fixing the bracket and the anchor member to the support rail means.

The support rail means may include two elongate support rails which in use are spaced from one another substantially parallel to one another.

The attaching member may extend between the two support rails and include a formation for securing the rails to the supporting structure. The rails may thereby be urged into frictional engagement with the structure.

The support rails may include longitudinally extending recessed formations and the attaching member may be engaged with the formations and may be movable relatively thereto.

The anchor member may also be engaged with the recessed formations.

The bracket fixing means may include a first component on the anchor member, and a second component on the bracket which is engageable with the first component, one of the components being movable relatively to the other component thereby to lock the anchor member and the bracket frictionally to the support rails.

The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an exploded perspective view illustrating a portion of a shelving system according to the invention.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two elongate support rails 10 and 12 respectively, two attaching or bridging members 14 and 16 respectively, an anchor member 18, a bracket 20, and a fixing device 22 which includes three components namely a nut 24 which is mounted to and held captive by the anchor 18, a fixing bolt 26 and an element 28 which is rotatably mounted in a hole 30 in the bracket.

The support rails 10 and 12 are substantially identical and, in this example, are made from wood. Each rail includes a longitudinally extending channel formation 32, and rebate 34 on a front face of the rail.

The members 14 and 16 are, in this example, also made of wood. the members are dimensioned so that they are insertable relatively tightly, yet with a sliding fit, in the channel formations 32 of the rails. Each member has a centrally located fixing hole 36.

The anchor member 18 is also engageable in a sliding manner with the channel formations 32 and the nut 24 is centrally positioned in the anchor member.

The bracket 20 has a passage 38, indicated by means of dotted lines, which extends from a rear edge of the bracket to the hole 30.

The fixing bolt 26 has a threaded end 40 which is engageable with the nut 24 and, on an opposing side of the bolt, a shank 42 which terminates in a head 44.

The element 28 is circular in cross-section and includes a cross formation 46 which can be engaged by means of a suitable screwdriver. A slot 48 is formed through a side of the element and extends to a curved offcentre and eccentric inner surface 50.

The various components of the shelving system are normally sold and dealt with in a knocked-down form. The length of the rails 10 and 12 may vary according to requirement. The rails may be cut in situ to a required length or, where necessary, a number rails may be aligned longitudinally with each other over an extended distance. For this purpose adjacent rails are readily aligned by positioning a bridging member 14 in the channels 32 so that a portion of the member extends beyond the ends of the rails and is therefore engageable with channel formations of similar rails.

The members 14 and 16 are attached to supporting structure, such as a wall, by means of plugs placed in holes in the wall and screws which pass through the holes 36 into the plugs. When the screws are tightened the members 14 and 16 are urged towards the wall and, as the members are engaged with the channels 32, the rails 10 and 12 are thereby urged into frictional engagement with the wall.

The anchor member 18 is slidable in the rails between the members 14 and 16. The threaded end 40 of the fixing bolt 26 is engaged with the nut 24. The shank 42 is passed through the passage 38 and the head 44 is engaged with the slot 48 of the element 28 which is rotatably located in the hole 30. The bracket and the anchor member are slid along the rails 10 and 12 to a desired position and a screwdriver is then engaged with the formation 46. By rotating the element 28 the eccentric inner surface 50 is brcught into increasingly tighter engagement with the head 44 and the fixing bolt 26 is thereby drawn further into the passage 38. The end result is that the anchor member 18 is drawn towards the bracket 20 and, in the process, these two components are frictionally clamped to the rails 10 and 12.The bracket fits between the rebates 34 of the rails and the opposed rebates provide lateral support and guiding surfaces for the bracket.

The advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the various components of the shelving system are easily assembled when required and in that the position of the bracket relatively to the support rails is continuously adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the rails.

Two sets of the components illustrated in the attached drawing are used, side by side, to provide supports for two in-line brackets. A shelf can then be placed on the brackets.

If the shelving system is to carry substantial weight then the number of the members 14 and 16 can be increased. It is apparent that a number of the brackets can engage with the support rails.

The bracket 20 can also be braced by means of a strut, not shown, which extends from an outer end of the bracket downwardly towards the rails 10 and 12. The lower end of the strut may be attached to a second anchor member which is engaged with, and attached to, the rails in a manner similar to that described hereinbefore.

Claims

1. A shelving system which includes elongate support rail means, means for attaching the support rail means to supporting structure, an anchor member which is engaged with the support rail means and which is slidable relatively thereto substantially in the longitudinal direction of the support rail means, at least one bracket, and means for fixing the bracket and the anchor member to the support rail means.

2. A shelving system according to claim 1 wherein the support rail means includes two elongate support rails, and the attaching means includes at least one attaching member which is engaged with the support rails and which spaces the support rails from each other.

3. A shelving system according to claim 2 wherein the attaching member includes a formation whereby the attaching member is attachable to the said supporting structure.

4. A shelving system according to claim 3 wherein the said formation is positioned between the two support rails and, when the attaching member is attached to the said supporting structure, the support rails are thereby urged into frictional engagement with the supporting structure.

5. A shelving system according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the attaching means includes two of the attaching members which are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the support rails and which position the support rails spaced apart from, and substantially parallel to, each other.

6. A shelving system according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein each support rail includes a longitudinally extending recessed formation, the support rails are positioned so that the recessed formations oppose each other, and the attaching member is engaged with the recessed formations and is movable relatively to the support rails in the longitudinal direction thereof.

7. A shelving system according to claim 6 wherein the anchor member is engaged with the recessed formations and is movable relatively to the support rails in the longitudinal direction thereof.

8. A shelving system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the bracket fixing means includes a first component on the anchor member, and a second component on the bracket which is engageable with the first component, one of the components being movable relatively to the other component thereby to lock the anchor member and the bracket frictionally to the support rail means.

9. A shelving system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. A shelving system which includes two elongate support rails which are spaced from and parallel to each other and which have opposing longitudinally extending channels, at least one attaching member which is engaged with the channels and which includes a fixing formation, for attaching the member to supporting structure, at least one anchor member which is slidably engaged with the channels, a bracket, and a fixing device which is engaged with the bracket and with the anchor member and which when actuated frictionally engages the bracket and the anchor member with the support rails thereby preventing relative movement between the bracket and anchor member, and the support rails.

10. A shelving system which includes a support rail, a bracket slidably movable relatively to the support rail, and a fixing device which is engaged with the rail and the bracket and which, when actuated, frictionally engages the bracket with the rail, preventing further relative movement.

11. A shelving system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A shelving system which includes elongate support rail means, means for attaching the support rail means to a supporting structure in use, an anchor member which is engaged with the support rail means and which is slidable relatively thereto substantially in the longitudinal direction of the support rail means, at least one bracket for supporting a shelf in use, and bracket fixing means for fixing the bracket and the anchor member to the support rail means, the bracket fixing means including a first component on the anchor member, and a second component rotatably mounted in the bracket which is engagable with the first component, the second component being movable relatively to the first component, wherein the second component comprises an eccentric surface engagable with the first component to draw together the anchor member and the bracket by rotation of the second component thereby to lock the anchor member and the bracket frictionally to the support rail means.

8. A shelving system which includes two elongate support rails which are spaced from and parallel to each other and which have opposing longitudinally extending channels, at least one attaching member which is engaged with the channels and which includes a fixing formation, for attaching the member to supporting structure, at least one anchor member which is slidably engaged with the channels, a bracket, and a fixing device which is engaged with the bracket and with the anchor member and which when actuated frictionally engages the bracket and the anchor member with the support rails thereby preventing relative movement between the bracket and anchor member, and the support rails.