GB2333820A - Corner screw bracket positioned with adhesive - Google Patents

Abstract

A mounting block or bracket for shelves comprises a body 10, having orthogonal bores 14,16 for screws therethrough. At least one body face 12 is coated with an adhesive or tacky layer 17 to hold the block in place during driving of screws (21,24, Fig 2) through the bores 14,16. Alternatively, keying projections (57, Fig 6), grit, abrasive particles or other high friction material may be used instead of adhesive. Blocks with stepped (53) and intersecting (51,52) screw bores are also described. In a further embodiment, the block may be comprised of two parts (101, 112, Fig 12) fastened together by a screw (119).

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING BLOCKS This invention relates to improvements in mounting blocks particularly for mounting shelves and other horizontal members to vertical support members. Such blocks are sometimes referred to as "modesty blocks11.

Generally speaking, a typical shelf mounting block comprises a generally rectangular body of a suitable plastics material having a pair of parallel bores extending in a first direction and intended to receive screws for mounting the block on a vertical support member, such as a panel or frame member, and a further bore perpendicular to and located between the pair of parallel bores intended to receive a further screw from below for securing the shelf to the block. The bores are usually countersunk, but untapped, so that screws used are usually self tapping.

The usual procedure for mounting a shelf for example on a support member comprises first positioning the mounting block on the support members, then driving screws through the parallel bores into the support member. Next, the shelf is located on the upper surface provided by the mounting block and in abutment with the support member and a further screw is driven into the shelf from below through the further perpendicular bore.

In its essentials, this operation appears to be basic and simple, yet it is attended with difficulties due to the difficulty of accurately positioning the block, and keeping it in position during driving of the screws. This is partially due to the fact that the mounting block is usually made of a plastics material, and that the support member and shelf are usually plastic coated chipboard and consequently have low mutual friction. Consequently, the block is easily displaced from the intended fixing location by torque or lateral displacement when the screw is driven in, whether manually or using a power tool.

An object of the present invention is accordingly to provide an improved mounting block whereby any accidental displacement of the block between locating the block in a desired position and completion of driving of screws to secure the block in position can be reduced or substantially eliminated.

According to the invention, a mounting block comprises a body having at least two mutually orthogonal passages for screws, characterised in that at least one face of the body is provided with means for preventing slippage of the block.

In a preferred embodiment, the said at least one face of the body is coated with an adhesive or tacky substance which will help to retain the block in place when it has been located on a support surface. The adhesive or tacky substance is preferably covered with a protective peel-off cover until the block is required for use. This cover may extend beyond the edge of the block on at least one side.

In an alternative embodiment, at least two keying projections may be provided on the said at least one face of the body, to bite or key into a surface of the support member or shelf to thereby hinder mutual displacement of the surfaces. Grit or abrasive particles, or other high friction material may be provided on the said at least one face of the body.

The block may be provided with a pair of parallel bores for screws, which may open into the said at least one face of the body, and a further bore may pass through the body perpendicular to and between the parallel bores. In a variant, two single bores which are mutually perpendicular may be provided, as a second positioning screw may not be required for engagement with the support member due to the provision of adhesive or other means for holding the block in place during mounting.

Because insertion of screws into cardboard coated with for example melamine tends to produce a raised zone or burr around the point of entry of the screw, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bores provided through the body may be provided with a widened orifice in the face of the block contacting the part into which the screws are to enter.

In another embodiment, the mutually orthogonal bores for screws may instead of being offset, intersect. The bore for the screw which is to be driven first (e.g. into the support member) will in this case be deeply countersunk beyond the intersecting bore so that the first driven screw does not interfere with subsequent driving of the second screw. The body may have one, or two such pairs of intersecting bores.

A plurality of mounting blocks according to the invention may be mounted side by side on a strip of release film or paper covering an adhesive layer on the respective said one face of the block. Alternatively, the mounting blocks may be connected by snap-off connections, with or without a release strip. In another embodiment, the blocks may be mounted in batches on a display card.

Preferred embodiments of mounting block for example for mounting shelves or other horizontal members on support members will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of mounting block according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the block of Fig. 1 from the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a shelf-mounting joint made using the block of Fig. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of mounting block according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a similar view of a further embodiment of mounting block according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a mounting block having intersecting screw bores; Fig. 7 is a similar view of a block with two pairs of intersecting screw bores; Fig. 8 is a view of a plurality of mounting blocks according to the invention mounted on a backing strip; Fig. 9 is a similar view of a plurality of mounting blocks provided as a strip with snap-off connections; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a further block, modified with respect to Fig. 4; Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a block similar to Fig. 10, illustrating the use of an oversized cover sheet for an adhesive layer; Fig. 1 2 is a perspective view of a joint in the process of fabrication showing the use of a two-part block; Fig. 13 shows a prior art mounting block; and Figs. 14 and 15 are respectively a perspective and an end view of a block which is a variant of that shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of mounting block according to the invention comprises a generally rectangular body 10 of a suitable synthetic plastics material such as nylon which is capable of being drilled and otherwise machined. Body 10 has an upper surface 11, and a rear surface 12, and a front surface 1 3.

Two horizontal bores 14, 15 extend from the front surface 13 through the body 10 to the rear surface 12. A single vertical bore 16 extends through the body 10 to the upper surface 11 from the (not shown) lower surface of the body. Vertical bore 16 is provided centrally of the body with the horizontal bores 14, 15 equispaced to either side, and orthogonal to the bore 16.

Rear surface 12 is, in accordance with the invention, covered by a layer 17 of contact adhesive, and the upper surface 11 may also be covered by a layer 18 of the contact adhesive. The use of the block is illustrated in Fig. 3.

The desired location of the block 10 may first be marked by pencil on support member 20, and then the block is placed at the marked location, first exposing the adhesive layer 17 on rear surface 1 2 by peeling off any protective sheet. The adhesive has the effect of holding the block 10 in place whilst screws 21, 22 are driven through bores 14, 15 and into the support member 20 using a hand screw driver, or more preferably, a power tool.

The provision of the adhesive layer 17 not only enables the block 10 to be held against vertical slippage, but resists and serves to minimise rotation of the block due to torque arising during driving of the screws 21, 22.

After securement of the block 10 to the support member 20, a shelf 23 is placed on the upper face 11 of the block, and held against displacement by the adhesive layer 18 thereon while a fixing screw 24 is driven from below through the vertical bore 16 and into the shelf 23. The joint may be further secured by driving screws 25 through the support member 20 into the edge of the shelf 23.

Alternative embodiments are shown in Fig. 4 to 7. In Fig. 4, a mounting block 30 has a single countersunk horizontal bore 31 and a single countersunk vertical bore 32, the bores being equidistant from the centreline of the block. An adhesive layer 33 is provided on face 34 of the block 30.

In Fig. 5, a mounting block 40 has a pair of parallel horizontal bores 41, 42 and a single vertical bore 43, disposed as in Fig. 1 and 2. The bores are countersunk as usual but also are provided with widened or stepped openings 44, 45 in the contact face 46 which abuts the support member. K This enables the burr which is often thrown up where a screw enters a surface to be accommodated, allowing the face 46 to contact the support member properly without being deflected by the burr. The contact 46 is provided with an adhesive or tacky coating layer 47. A similar arrangement is provided with the vertical bore 43.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of mounting block, 50 where a horizontal bore 51 is intersected by a vertical bore 52. Bore 52 is countersunk at its lower end, and provided with a widened orifice 53 at its upper end, to accommodate any bore created by entry of a screw into the shelf. Bore 51 is similarly provided with a widened orifice 54 to accommodate any burr, but is deeply countersunk beyond the intersection with the bore 52, so that when a screw has first been driven home through horizontal bore 51, the intersection is not obstructed by the screw, so that the vertical screw can then be driven through vertical bore 52. The face 55 which contacts the support surface, and also the upper face 56 which contacts the shelf, is provided with a plurality of pips or small spikes 57 which engage with the surface to prevent slippage or other displacement, as an alternative to the use of an adhesive layer. Grit or other high friction material may also be used.

Fig. 7 differs from Fig. 6 in that two sets of intersecting horizontal bores 61, 62 and vertical bores 63, 64 each arranged according to the showing of Fig. 6. Either adhesive or projections may be used on the contacting surfaces.

Mounting blocks according to the invention may conveniently be displayed for sale mounted ready for use e.g. on a presentation card, or in strip form.

One strip form is illustrated in Fig. 8, where a plurality of blocks 10 are mounted end to end with their adhesive coated surfaces 12 covered by a strip of releasable covering material 70. The blocks can be removed in turn from the strip 70 ready for use.

In an alternative, shown in Fig. 9, block 10 are interconnected by plastic webs 71 into a strip having snap lines 72. The blocks are separated in turn from the strip for use by snapping on lines 72. The adhesive coated surfaces 12 of the blocks may be protected by separate pieces of covering material 70, or be peeled from a single strip of material 70 when the block is snapped off from the strip of blocks. In the case of single blocks, covering material may be provided on the adhesive coated face which extends beyond the edge or edges of the face, on at least one side thereof, to aid quick peeling of the cover from the adhesive. This is shown in Fig.

11.

Fig. 10 is a variant of the embodiment of Fig. 4, wherein the bore 31

is located on the centre lined of the block and the bore 32 offset, instead of each bore being equally offset to opposite sides of the centre line.

As already mentioned, Fig. 11 differs principally from Fig. 4 or 10 in that the adhesive layer 33 is covered with a protective releasable sheet 34 which extends beyond the edges of the block 30, on at least the sides shown, and preferably on all sides, so that the release sheet 34 can be easily grasped and peeled off without fumbling to try to separate the edge of the sheet 34 from the adhesive 33.

Fig. 12 shows a developed version of a mounting block according to the invention, which is made in two parts. A first part 101 is mounted on a support member 102, using a layer of contact adhesive 103 to hold it in place, to a pre-marked position line 104. The part 101 is secured to the member 102 by a pair of screws 105, 106 in respective bores 107, 108 in the block part 101. The pat101 also has an upper surface 109, with locating studs 110, 111 projecting from the surface 109.

A second part 112 is mounted below a shelf member 113, using a contact adhesive layer 114 to locate the part 11 2 whilst screws 11 5, 11 6 are driven through bores 117, 118. The bores 117, 118 have end parts which, after driving of screws 115, 116, receive the locating studs, when the shelf 113 is positioned in relation to the support member 102 and a further vertical joining screw 119 is driven through a vertical bore 1 20 in first part 101 into an aligned bore 121 in the second part 112.

Whilst involving two block mounting operations for each joint, this arrangement allows for accurate pre-positioning of the mounting block parts on both the support and shelf, so that the resulting joint is as exactly positioned as possible.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate a block which is a variation on Fig. 1, in that the block 10 has square end faces 19, and the exposed face exposing bores 14, 15 is strongly bowed to make the block wider than its height.

Fig. 13 shows a known mounting block of the kind referred to in the introduction to this description. Block 1 has no adhesive or other retaining means on faces 2, 3 abutting either support 4 or shelf 5, and the block is thus subject to displacement when the screws 6 and 7 are driven through the block.

The bores are centred as shown by the broken lines, but this creates a problem as the bore is too close to the upright for easy access for screwing. A solution is to move the vertical bore away from the support as in Fig. 14 by making the block wider than it is high. Instead of bowed, the face could be splayed, or the block simply made wider to allow for relocation of the bore.

Mounting blocks according to the invention can be used easily and quickly, as they can be located firmly and reliably in desired positioned so that quick and accurate work is possible. A skilled worker can, using blocks according to the invention carry out tasks involving the use of large numbers of blocks reliably achieving a good standard of workmanship which is not readily obtainable with available known blocks due to these being prone to slip and otherwise be displaced.

Claims (15)

1. CLAIMS 1. A mounting block comprising a body having at least two mutually orthogonal passages for screws, characterised in that at least one face of the body is provided with means for preventing slippage of the block.
2. 2. A block according to claim 1 wherein said at least one face of the body is coated with an adhesive or tacky substance which will help to retain the block in place when it has been located on a support surface.
3. 3. A block according to claim 2 wherein the adhesive or tacky substance is covered with a protective peel-off cover until required for use.
4. 4. A block according to claim 1 wherein the means for preventing slippage of the block comprises two or more keying projections provided on the said at least one face of the body.
5. 5. A block according to claim 1 wherein the means for preventing slippage of the block comprises a layer of grit or abrasive particles.
6. 6. A block according to any preceding claim wherein the block is provided with a pair of parallel bores for screws which open into said at least one face of the body and a further bore perpendicular to and between the parallel bores.
7. 7. A block according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the block is provided with two single bores which are mutually perpendicular.
8. 8. A block according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein each bore provided through the body is provided with a widened orifice opposite the end of the respective bore from which screw is inserted.
9. 9. A block according to any of claims 1 to 5 or 8 wherein mutually orthogonal bores for screws intersect, the bore for the screw which is to be driven first being deeply countersunk beyond the intersecting bore so that the first driven screw does not interfere with subsequent driving of the second screw.
10. 10. A block according to claim 9 wherein the body has two such pairs of intersecting bores.
11. 11. A block according to any preceding claim, mounted side by side on a strip of release film or paper with a plurality of similar or identical blocks.
12. 12. A block according to any of claims 1 to 10 connected to a plurality of similar or identical blocks via snap-off connections.
13. 13. A block according to claim 3 wherein said peel-off cover extends beyond the edge of the block to at least one side.
14. 14. A block according to claim 1 which is provided in two parts, a first part for pre-mounting on a support member, and a second part for premounting on a shelf member, each having a face provided with means for preventing slippage of the block for abutment with the respective shelf or support; the block parts having means for relative location and for uniting the blocks to provide a single block mounting said shelf on said support member.
15. 15. A mounting block substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.