US2307233A

US2307233A - Sliding shelf support

Info

Publication number: US2307233A
Application number: US262468A
Authority: US
Inventors: Opgenorth John Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-03-17
Filing date: 1939-03-17
Publication date: 1943-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1960-01-05

Description

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING SHELF SUPPORT John Edward Opgenorth, Nashotah, Vis.

Application March 17, 1939, Serial No. 262,468

'(Cl. .2H-143) Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in shelf braces.

The object of my invention is to provide a shelf brace which will permit shelves, such as refrigerator shelves, to be pulled out to the full extentI of their depth and to be provided with a shelf brace which will hold the shelves in outright, horizontal position when fully withdrawn from the receptacle or refrigerator in which they are normally supported.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shelf brace which may take its position in alignment with the shelf for the bracing thereof when the shelf is slidably withdrawn from its normal position and which will fold automatically to permit the shelf to be returned completely to its normal position.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a refrigerator equipped with my shelves and shelf braces. f

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective in detail of the brace structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In refrigerator and other cabinets in which shelves are usually xedly supported, it would be a matter of much convenience if the shelves could be slidably pulled out of the cabinet substantially their entire length and I have provided brace structure to make this possib-le.

I provide a special brace for a shelf 5G which may be made of wire or any suitable material having side rails 5l and 52. At the rear corners of the shelf 50, I provide

pivotal brace members

510 and 520 mounted upon pivot pins 53 spaced somewhat from the corners 54 of the shelf and extending rearwardly of the shelf to a terminal block or hook 55. In this construction, the shelf may be mounted upon a supporting cleat or upon rollers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the shelf may be slidably moved from its normal position as shown in the lower shelf 56 to the position shown at 52 (Fig. 1). When the shelf is in the position shown at 56, the shelf brace is pivotally swung upwardly by reason of the camming action of the hook 55 upon a roller 51 positioned near the back of the interior of the box I0. When the shelf is rolled or slidably positioned as shown at 52 in Fig. 1, the brace 510 assumes the position shown in Fig. 3 and I provide a brace plate 58 to hold the brace 5H] in alignment with the rail 5I and, to prevent the shelf from being removed entirely from the box, I provide a brace roller 59 to engage the hook 55 and to thus, between roller 59 and the forward margin of the supporting roller 60 to hold the shelf in extended horizontal position.

I claim:

1. A shelf and shelf support for supporting the shelf for slidable movement to and from extended position, the shelf support being substantially co-extensive with the shelf, a brace roller above the shelf, and a brace hingedly connected with the shelf for limited arcuate movement through an are' of 90 degrees upwardly from a position in alignment with the shelf, said brace being shaped to engage the Ibrace roller when the shelf is in extended position, and a cam adjacent the shelf support in position to hingedly move the brace in the movement of the shelf from extended position whereby to arcuately move the brace upward into retracted position as the shelf moves from extended position.

2. In a cabinet provided with supports on opposite sides thereof for the support of a slidable shelf adapted to move upon said supports to and from extended position, said supports being wholly within the cabinet, a stop above the shelf and extending from the side wall of the cabinet, a hinged brace connected to the shelf adjacent the side thereof and provided with an upwardly extended end portion to engage said stop, said brace being provided with means extending therefrom whereby to engage a portion of said shelf and hold the hinged brace rigidly extended rearwardly from the shelf whereby to hold the shelf rigidly extended in supported position outside said cabinet and a cam adjacent the support to contact said brace as the shelf is returned from its extended position and to hingedly move said brace and permit the shelf to move to its extreme position in the cabinet.

3. A shelf and shelf support, a shelf brace having a terminal block, said brace being hingedly connected with the shelf for hinged movement about a pintle adjacent the rear margin of the shelf, said hinged movement being limited by means interengaging said shelf and said brace to permit movement of the brace only in an upward direction, a brace roller adjacent the forward margin of the shelf support and positioned to engage the terminal block whereby in the forward movement of the shelf upon the shelf support said terminal block is engaged by said brace roller and held in shelf-supporting position.

4. A shelf and shelf support to provide for movement of the shelf, a brace roller spaced from the shelf support in position to overlie the no1'- mal path of movement of the shelf, a brace for the shelf in hinged relation to the shelf and shaped with a hooked terminal to underlie and abut said brace roller when the shelf is substantially removed from shelf support, said brace being hinged for movement in upward direction i only when the shelf is replaced upon the shelf support whereby the rear end of the shelf may move to its extreme inward position with the brace upwardly extended therefrom.