US1913988A - Shelf bracket - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 13, 1933 "i UNITEDS-TATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS M. KEEEFE, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0' J'. I. EUSTIS MANU-` `FACTURINGr COMPANY,` OF CAMBRIDGE, vMASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 'OF' MASSACHUSETTS SHELF BRACKET Application mea January 19, 1932.- serial No. 587,460.

This invention relates to brackets forsupporting shelves or other articles which the brackets are adapted to hold, and such bracket comprises a `very simple vcombination of a relatively few essential parts, for gripping or clamping a shelf or other article rigidly in the desired position. The preferred construction ofthe improved bracket presents a number of objects .andl advantages, but all of these may not necessarily be resorted to.k 1 v l By preference thespecific objects and advantages 'incident to the specifically lillustrated and described bracket are as follows:

The lparts of the bracket Lcoordinate 1n a positive manner to grip or hold ashelf, and such bracket is therefore not dependent upon spring tension in connectionwith any part thereof. One of the objects is to provide anl end piece for clamping orgripping the frontedge of a shelf, such end plece Vbeing adjustable to a. fixed position so that it will not vibrate and become loose. vrl"he assembly` of such specific bracket consists of three pieces only, `a main part or bracket proper which fastens to the Wall, an adjustable member and a lnut for adjusting such member, all Aconstructed and assembled in such way that no parts willl weaken or break. Also, the grip of the movable end piece is positive upon the shelf, with a tendency to lock lthe adjustingA nut when the nut is set. Y Further objects ofL the invention may be,

= j and preferably are, to so construct the bracketithat it is adapted to clampk rigidly in position shelves with either flator rounded edges, andit is notl :necessary to use4 shelves with yspecially beveled edges, these being 40' liable to chip and fracture quite easily;

and also to provide a simple construction which lends itself to economy in production and to vartistic or ornate lines.

With specific objects such as these lin view,

45. theinvention specifically consists of certain features of construction` and combinations of parts such as hereinafter .described and then claimed with reference to the vaccompanying `drawing illustrating onel embodiment of the invention, and wherein v Fig. l is a side elevation of the`v improved bracket with vfa cross-section of a shelf, the

end piece beingshownas moved to an outward position so as to permit the shelf to be rested upon the bracket; v

F ig. 2 is 'a sectional view, partly iny elevation, of the bracket, a shelf being shown as rigidly held by the bracket;

Fig. V3 is a top planvof the bracket, the end Vpiece being shown in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and I I Fig. 4 is a cross-section ofthe bracket, ony the line 1- 4, Fig. 3, as Vviewed in the direc# tion `of the arrows. l

Preferably all parts' of `the bracket are made ofmetal. The bracket proper 10,is

adapted to supporta glass shelfrll or other siredmanner, Vor by means of ani attachingdevice llsecured to the wall and to which the bracket proper 10 is rigidly attached by means of a set-screw'lf, following if4 desired. the invention forming the subject matter of a separate application.` f Y Y From thebase V12 out to the extreme outerV terminal Vofthe bracket its top surface15 is formed flat, so that the shelf 11 may Vproperly rest uponthebracket.l Just beyond the outer terminal of the bracket proper 10, and which .terminalvis preferably squared roff at right angles to. thelongitudinal axis lof the bracketL proper, there is located a movable end piece or fingerl 16 serving, as lgripping means to positively abut the frontl edge of the shelf.-r This end piece extends upwardly and is formed with an inner portion 1.7 which is squared off at its inner face seas to cor-l sok Vsides 'off the bracket.

SIL

tra@ is er the semis or cylindrical shape and smooth so 'as to 'fit slidinglyl into the correspondingly shaped bore 20, whichis also smooth.A The reduced4 extension 19 of the stem is spaced slightly away from the surface of the reduced ,rpor,l

tion 21 of the bore, preferably so as to avoid frictional engagement 'with such surface. Intermcdiately of the lengthlof the bore, the bracket proper 'is formed with an intersecting aperture 22 which 'opens out at both i An adjusting-nut 23 with a kn'u'rled 'edge' is arranged in the'aperture 2,2,` 'ts l'thread engaging with a screwthreaded length 24 of the stem. j.

Tt will 'beseen that 'thefopposite sides of the nut project slightly lfrom' the bracket proper so :that the salme may be rotated `by the fingers.l When the n'ut is rotated in 'one' direction, the end piece 16 is moved in a direction away from `the' 'outer terminal Vof the bracket proper, so that shelf or "article sjuch as the shelf 11 may be vvrested upon the flat upper Vsurface 'ofthe 'bracket proper, `as shown in Fig. 1. When the shelf is in'such positionit may now be rigidly 'clamped yin such position by turning the nut 23 in the opposite direction, thereby advancing the 40 end piecelb into firm `abutting and'positive tion.

abutting' contact with the front edge 'of the shelf, assuming that the'she'lf 'abuts the base member '12 atits 'rea"r"edge. The settingv home ofthe nut 23' during such fi'Xai-io'n 'will cause f fhejnut' 'at its'f'r'on't face "to bear 'firmly upon vthe front face 'ofthe Aapertuie 22, there# 'acting to ri'gidly'lo'ck A'the nut, fand lhence the *parts operated thereby inthe 'final posi- 'Such adjustments are'permitted by the :simple telescopic "connection ef 'the 4end piece 16 with the bracket proper A1:0.

Inasmuch as the adj'ujstingnu't is f free from frictional'engagement'with the front wallof rthe aperture l'22 when "the Vend piece isremoved A[outwardly from clamping pesition on the frontpeclge' of Ithe'sh'elf, it is desirable that 'simple means be provided rfor maintaining the-end piece 16 Iso as -rto point upwardly, thus requiring onlythe use l'offene handin 11turn-ing 'the nut"237and adjusting 'fthe end piece 41cutward-1y and i-awww, *Sach positioning *means is associated with 'the bracket #at 4V'a point between-the stem l18 and the outer (end of thefgripping piece 16 and cnsistsin *a te'les'copic connection l'between the inner portion 17 of the end piece and the adjacent terminal of the bracket proper. Such associated means preferably resides in a hole 25 which is formed in the bracket terminal, in between the fiat upper surface 15 of the bracket and the bore 20, together with a pin 26 which extends inwardly from the inner face of the portion 17 and is guided in the said hole 25. The two telescopic connections between the end piece and the bracketiproper are parallel. lT1Preferably the length of thepositioning 'pin' 26 'is more or less 'determined relatively to the length of thenportion 21 ofthe bore the bracket,- vv vhichextendsto-the rear of thevaper-ture 22.

Therefore, the length of the 26 ,is made lesstlian the length of the rear portion of the stem which is intersected by the nut 23,

.wfh'en'theyparts are 5 in gripping position.

Therefore, it will be seen that when the end piece 16 is adjustedtoftl're position shown in Fig. v1,'o`r even to such 'position as to disengage the pin` 26` from 'its hole, there will be a short "portion of the ste-1n exten-'ding rearwardly into the hole back 0`f the ape`rture 22. KIn 'actual practice lwith given prop'orftions between the shelf andthe `length of the bracket', the end piece will always be positioned in 2a direction to extend upwardly, assuming that -a range of adjustment is desired such as to care for slight variations which may 'be encountered Vin Vshelves 'which are supposed to befof the samewidths.

v In practice it is preferred lthat the base' 12 of the bracket fact Las the seat member against which the inner edge of a shelf may be clamped, and li'nsucfh case it lis preferred thaft the 'forward face of the basebe'prowided with 'a hump 427ih'a'vlin'g an 4inclined lulnder-I face 128 to' facilitate positioning the rear edge'of the shelf, and 'to actla's `vastop against the 'upward Iriioveme'nt of fthe' shelf "when it is positively 'clamped in pojsiti'on'. "lhere-n fore, to release "the s'helf-'fit is *essential to positively 'move Pthe endpiece 16 faway from it, by means ofthev adjustinginut23. t'willil furthermore -be 'seen 1that any pressure upward-ly against 'the shelf *will 'n ot release iit, becau'sefthe positive grip lmustffirst l'be overcome. y Y

Gb'viously, the invention fis susceptible to more or `vless f modification without departing NIO et proper and the projecting inner edge of the end-piece for maintaining the end-piece so as to extend in a given direction with respect to the bracket proper. Y

2. A supporting bracket, including the combination of 4a bracket proper having means for fixing it in supporting position, and having a rest surface, a movable endpiece angularly projecting therefrom beyond the rest surface for bearing at its inner edge on an article supported on the rest surface, means for positively adjusting the end-piece for such purpose, and means directly associated with the outer extremity of the bracket proper and the projecting inner edge of the end-piece for maintainingthe end-piece so as to extend in a given direction with respect to the bracket proper, such associated means comprising a telescopic connection located between the Irespective ends of the projecting end-piece.

3. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket proper having means for fixing it in supporting position, and having a rest surface, a movable endpiece angularly projecting therefrom beyond the rest surface, for bearing at its inner edge on an article supported on the rest surface, means for positively adjusting the end-piece for such purpose, the bracket proper having a hole inl its outer extremity and the end-piece having a pin extending inwardly from its projecting inner edge and guided in the hole, for maintaining the endpiece so as to extend in a given direction with respect to the bracket proper.

4. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket pro-per, provided with a bore extending through its outer end, a stem guided longitudinally in the bore and screw-threaded on its inner end, the bracket proper having lengthwise thereof a rest surface for an article, and having a side aperture extending from the bore at a pointbelow the rest surface and opposite the screw-thread, such aperture being located between the ends of such rest surface, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and threaded onto such screw-thread, and an end-piece located outside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle to the outer end of the stem, for positive engagement with the article supported on the rest surface of the bracket proper.

5. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket proper having an angularly projecting seat v member at its inner end and provided with ay smooth bore extending through its j outer end, a stem guided longitudinally in the bore and screwthreaded on its inner end, the bracket proper having lengthwise thereof a rest surface for `an article, and having a side aperture extending from the bore at a point below the rest surface and opposite the screw-- thread, suchaperture being located between such seat member and thee outer end of the bracket, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and `threaded onto suchy screw? thread, yand an end-piece located outside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle to the outer end of the stem, whereby turningV of the nut acts to cause the endpiece to positively clamp an article between the end-piece and seat member. l

6. A .supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket proper, provided with a smooth bore extending through its outer end, a stem guided longitudinally in the bore and screw-threaded on its inner end, the bracket proper having a side aperture extending from the bore at a point opposite the screw-thread, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and threaded onto such screw-thread, and an end-piece located outside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle to the outer end of the stem, for positive engagement with an article supported by the bracket proper, and means directly associated with the bracket proper and the end-piece and located between the stem and the outer surface of the bracket proper, for maintaining the end-piece so as to extend vin a given direction with respect to the bracket proper.

7. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket proper having an angularly projecting seat member at its inner end, and provided ywith a smooth cylindrical bore extending through its outer end and an aperture extending transversely through the bracket proper and intersecting the bore intermediately o-f its length to divide the bore into a rear portion and a.

forward portion, the bracket proper also having a rest surface for an article and ex- Ytending over the bore, a cylindrical stem in turning of the nut acts to clamp an articlev between the end-piece and seat member and to frictionally bind the nut against the for-v ward wall of the aperture.

v8. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracketv proper having a projecting seat member at its inner attachment end and provided with a bore extending through its opposite end, a stem guided 1*' longitudinally in and concealed in thebore,

and screw threaded on its inner end, the

bracket proper having a rest surface for an article and a side aperture extending from the bore at a point opposite the screw thread,

such aperture being located between such seat member and the outer end of the bracket, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and threaded onto such Screw thread, the nut slightly protruding laterally o' the bracket and below euch rest surface, and an end-.piece located outside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle from the outer end of Vthe stem, whereby the turning of the nut below fthe article acts to cause the end piece to positively clamp the article Lbetween the end piece and seat member.

THOMAS M. KEEFE.

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