US1831550A - Bracket - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1o, 1931. A, VANERVELD 1,831,550

BRACKET Filed Feb. 17. 1930 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED sTaTl-:s

PATENT OFFICE y I ANTHONY VANDERVELD,O F GRAND RAPIDS., MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS STORE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF GRAND F MICHIGAN RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION BRACKET application mea February 17, 1930.v semi No. 428,997.

This invention relatesto brackets, and particularl to brackets of the type known as adjusta le shelf brackets, which may be used in many places but which in practice are eX- tensively used in supporting shelves in show cases, cabinets and other articles of store furniture. The brackets of thisV kind are adjustable by shifting the same to dierent positions in the lengths of vertical supporting posts which carry them and from whichthey project'horizontally, and when connected to the supports at any 'particulary places it is desirable that each bracket be secured to its post or other support therefor so that it will not accidentally or otherwise Y disengage therefrom.

It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a novel construction of shelf bracket and a novelmeans for securing it adjustably to a. vertically positioned supporting post to which it may be connected, at any one of a largev number of spaced apart points inthe 'length of the post, means being used to securely clamp the bracket to the post after it is once located in place thereon so as to positively prevent disengagement of the bracket fromthe post until desired and only after lthe clamping securing means has been operatedto disengage from the post. Other objects and-purposes of the invention are to provideV a constructionhaving the advantages noted which is simple and easy to manufactureand'assemble and one which may be produced at low cost.

Understanding of the invention for the attainment of the ends stated, as well as many others not at this time specifically enumerated, may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which, j

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the bracket of my invention connected toV a post, shown fragmentarily, and supporting ashelf which is indicated in section. Y

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation and section showing the endk of the bracket which is engaged with the post clamped thereto by means of my invention, the post being lshown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation andsection of the post engaging end of the bracket,

the clamping device and the means for operating the same being shown in vertical section.y 'i a Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe structure shown 1n Fig. 2. v e l Fig. 5l is a vertical section on the plane of line'5--5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective viewy showing the post and the post engaging end of the bracket separated therefrom.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction illustrated, a bracket arm 1 is made of flat metal, which arm in use is positioned in a vertical plane extending laterally from its post. Said bracket arm is ordinarily lprovided at its free end with an upwardly extending lip 2 to prevent the shelf, indicated at 3, from moving 'off the bracket-beyond the Vfree end thereof. The bracket arm is of greatest height atV the end where itis to engage with the supporting post. v

The supporting post may beof channel form having a face web 4 from which spaced fianges 5 extend at right angles, the web 4 being' provided witha series of spaced apart elongated vertical slots 6, best shown inFig. 6, the 4width of which is but slightly greater than the thickness of the metal fromV which the bracket arm is made. l Y

The bracket arm 1, at its upper side and adjacent its post engaging end, has a shallow elongated recess 7 therein and directly at the end it is formed with two verticallyspaced hooks 8 which are ofk a shape that they may pass readily through the slotsl 6, lwhereupon the arm as a whole may be moved downwardly a distance v'equal to the depth of the slots 8a between the hooks and the end of the bracket arm.A Thev bracket arm, adjacent its post engaging end and near the lower edge thereof, has an irregularly shaped opening 9 therethrough which, as shown inFig. 3, is narrowed at its upper end, has a substantially vertical side 10 and a lower horizontal side il leading outward to the edge of the bracket f arm, while at its upper side it is of a curved form, indicated at 12, and also leading as indicated at 13 to the outer edge of the metal from which the arm is formed, the two edges 11 and 13 dening an entrance slot into said CAI S necting section 14 as shown in F ig. 2.

opening.

A clamping member is located over and embraces the bracket arm adjacent the post engaging end thereof. It is formed from a single piece of metal bent U-shape and including an upper connecting section 14 which is of a width at one end where it is to engage the post substantially equal to the width ofthe web l and is narrower at the other end see Fig. 6). The edges of the part 14 are bent inwardly and then eX- tended downwardly to make parallel legs 15. This clamping member may be yplaced over the bracket arm l with one of the legs at each side thereof, the recess 7 receiving the upper connecting part- 14 and said clamping member is pivotallv connected to the arm by means of a pivot 16 which passes through the legs 15 and the bracket arm 1, the pivot being a short distance below the upper conlhe lower ends of the legs 15 described extend to and slightly below the opening 9 in the bracket arm4 previously described.

An operating member for the clamping device is mounted on the bracket arm and comprises a U-shaped member made of a single piece of flat metal having a connect-ing section 17 from which legs 18 extend at right angles and parallel to each other.V The conf" necting portion 17 of the operating member is located in the opening 9 and the legs 18 are spaced far enough apart that when turned to upper position, as shown in Fig. 2, the legs 15 of the clamping member are between the sides of the bracket arm 1 and the legs 18 of the clamp operating member.

In attaching the shelf supportingl bracket to the supporting post the hooks 8 are passed through any two adjacent slots 6 in the web el, the operating member being in horizontal position as indicated in ig. 6. This is the same position as shown in Fig. 3 and it will be noted that the part 17 at its upper edge is loca ed in the upper narrower portion of the opening 9. After the bracket has been positioned on the post, the clamp operating member is turned from the horizontal position, shownin Fi 6, to the vertical position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the clamping member is turned about its pivot 16 due to the lower end of the part 17 (as shown in Fig. 3) coming against the edges of the legs 15 and causing them to be moved in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby bringing the edge cf tie wider end of the part 141 against the outer face of the web of the pos This causes a bite of the .met-al of the part 1d against the metal web 4 of the post thereby holding the clamp securely in connection with the post and positively preventing' any upward moveinto substantially ment of the clamp or the bracket arm 1 to which it is attached.

The wider end of the part 14: is downwardly dished as indicated at 14a so that it will come against the upper edge of the bracket arm l, within the recess 7 before the operating member 18 has been turned fully to the position shown in Fig. 2. The legs 15 of the Y clamping member have a sufficient measure of flexibility, however, that the same will spring'a short distance toV permit turning the clamping member to its proper position and will thereafter bear on the part 17 of the clamping member with pressure sufficient to hold the operating member securely in its operative position shown in Fig. 2. .j

The parts from which the-bracket construction and thesupporting postare made are readily manufactured from flat metal by means of dies very expeditiously and at low cost. The assembly is simple, it consisting merely of introducing the cross connecting portion 17 of the clamp operating member into the opening 9 turning it to the position shown in F ig. 6, then placing the clamping member over the bracket arm and inserting the pivot 16 in place and riveting over the end of the pivot.

With this construction a secure connection of a shelf supporting bracket to its supporting post may be had yet the bracket may be adj usted to different positions in the length of the post.. The slotted openings 6 in the post are reduced to a minimum in width and there is no necessity of using a key-hole or key slot as have been used frequently heretofore. The narrower slots present a greater improved appearance. vThe clamping member and the operating member therefor are located in an inconspicuous place and do not detract in any measure from the appearance of the structure. .The release of a bracket from its post for adjustment is exceptionally quick and easyand is effected without the use of tools of any description. These features combine to make the invention one of considerable practical merit and advantage. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered* comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim: I 1. In a construction of the class described, a vertical supporting post having slotstherein, abracket arm having means at one end to enter said slots whereby the bracket arm may be engaged with or disengaged from vthe post, clamping means mounted on saidv arm and positioned in front of the post and above the engaged slot and movable to engage and clam-p against the post to hold the arm against movement with respect to the post, means mounted on the bracket arm-for operating said clamping means to thereby move it either to an operative clamping position or to release it from engagement with the post.

" for engaging with the clamping means to turn it to position to engage against the face of the post in which said slots are made.

3. In combination, a vertical post having a plurality of narrow elongated slots therein spaced from each other and located in vertical alignment, a bracket arm made from Hat metal, downwardly extending hook members at one end ofthe arm to pass through said slots in the post and engage with the post, a U-shaped member located over said bracket arm adjacent its post engaging end having depending legs extending `downwardly at n each side of the post, means pivotally mounting said clamping member on said bracket arm adjacent the upper edge of the arm, and means movably mounted on the bracket arm adjacent the lower ends of the legs of thev clamping member for turning the clamping member into operative position to engage against said post.

4. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 3, said operatin member comprising a U-shaped stirrup o metal passing through an opening in the bracket arm and adapted to be turned from horizontal to vertical position and vice versa to move the clamping member to operative clamping position and to release it from said position. n

5. In a construction of the class described, a vertical post of Hat metal having a plurality of narrow elongated slots therein, said slots being located in vertical alignment and spaced apart, a bracket arm of 'lat metal formed at one end with means to enter said slots and engage with the post, a clamping member formed from a single piece of metal bent into substantially U-shape and located over the bracket arm adjacent its post engaging end, means for pivotally mounting the clamping member on said arm near the upper edge thereof, said arm having an opening near its post engaging end and near its lower edge, and an operating member Vformed from a single piece of metal bent into U-shape extending through said opening to engage with the depending leg portions of said clamping member whereby on turning the and a curved upper edge whereby the open-` ing is of substantially triangular shape and the part of the operating member extending therethrough has a width whereby it engages against the curved edge of said opening when iu horizontal position and bears against the vertical edge of said opening when turned toward vertical position to thereby turn the clamping member about its pivot, the depending legs of said clamping member being suiciently resilient to yield upon the'clamping member engaging with the post before the operating member has been turned fully to vertical position.

In testimony whereof I aix m si ANTHONY VANDE LD.

operating member upwardly the clamping member is brought into operative clamping engagement against said post.

6. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 5, saidopening in the bracket arm having a substantially vertical inner edge, a horizontal lower edgeature.

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