US3358956A

US3358956A - Shele bracket structure

Info

Publication number: US3358956A
Application number: US488311A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lee E Thornton
Original assignee: Clark Equipment Co
Current assignee: Doosan Bobcat North America Inc
Priority date: 1965-09-20
Filing date: 1965-09-20
Publication date: 1967-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-19
Also published as: GB1086840A; DE1529739A1

Description

Dec. 19, 1967 1.. E. THORNTON 3,358,956

SHELF BRACKET STRUCTURE v Filed Sept 20, 1965 FIG. I

INVENTOR LEE E. THORNTON ATTORNEY United States Patent $358,956 SHELF BRACKET STRUCTURE Lee E. Thornton, Niles, Mich, assignor to Clark Equipment Company, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 488,311 4 Claims. (Cl. 248243) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shelf panel supported by two brackets each individually attached to slotted vertical uprights. A coil spring is attached to the end of each bracket. The free end of the coil is formed into a hook that fits over the outer edge of the shelf panel. The springs are extended to hook over the edge of the shelf panel to bias the anel backwardly and downwardly.

The present invention relates to a shelf bracket structure, and more particularly to a structure for demountable shelf panels.

In display shelving for stores, the shelves are often in the form of shelf panels demountably or removably supported on shelf brackets mounted on posts or uprights, that is, not secured by screws or other fasteners to the brackets. This allows simple and easy assembly and changing of shelving. Such shelves present a problem in securement of the panels, which heretofore have commonly been simply disposed or laid upon the brackets. The brackets accordingly have been formed of a length to extend outwardly beyond the forward edges of the shelf panels, and provided with upward projections to prevent outward or forward movement of the panels. The panels can readily be moved longitudinally or upwardly, or even be completely dislodged, by a relatively slight force. Thus accidental movement against the shelving by a customer or sales person, or original research into shelf construction by children, may result in spoiling a display effect, damaging or even destroying the displayed items or elements of the shelving, or personal injury. In addition, such shelving is subject to swaying because the brackets may swing to some extent in a horizontal plane. There is a further difliculty due to the fact that some merchandising accessories, such as merchandise dividers, are designed for attachment to the shelf panel by means of clips or like elements which extend about the rear edge thereof. Such clips or similar securing means engage against the back panels or like elements of support structure, so that the forward panel edge is located too far forward for retaining engagement by the upward end projections of the brackets. Either provision must be made for adjusting the length of the brackets, or the brackets changed. Some attempts have been made to meet the difliculties inherent in shelving of the type described, but none with any appreciable success.

The present invention provides a solution for all of these problems in a very simple and economical manner. Briefly, a knife bracket is provided with resilient means extensible in the plane of the bracket to engage with the shelf panel and bias it in the direction of the mounted end of the bracket, as well as apply a downward component of the biasing force. Specifically, the bracket of the invention is formed of a length less than the width of the panel to be supported, and has attached to its outer or forward end a coil spring which has a hook-like extension engageable over the forward edge portion of the panel upon stretching of the spring.

The panel is thus urged rearwardly or inwardly against the upright supporting structure on which the brackets are mounted, so as to minimize swaying of the shelving ice construction, and at the same time is urged downwardly against the panel so as to resist upward movement. The tensioned engagement with the forward or outer edge of the shelf panel provides frictional resistance to longitudinal movement of the panel, that is, movement transversely of the brackets, sufficient in most cases to prevent such movement, and in any case minimizing such movement under any given force. Another result is that the bracket adjusts to an increase in the effective width of the panel due to the mounting thereon of a merchandise divider or other accessory, it being only necessary to stretch the spring slightly more. Similarly, of course, the bracket adjusts to panels of different widths.

It is accordingly one of the objects of the invention to provide a shelf bracket structure by which movement of a shelf panel transversely of or upwardly from the bracket is strongly resisted if not completely prevented, by which the shelf is biased against upright supporting structure for the bracket so as to minimize swaying, and which adjusts to shelf panels of different widths or to a change in the effective width of the shelf panel, as by application thereto of a merchandising accessory. The objects of the invention also include the provision of a novel shelf support structure embodying the bracket of the invention, and a method of supporting a shelf panel in a novel and advantageous manner.

Other and further objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shelf bracket according to the present invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shelf structure incorporating a pair of brackets according to the invention securing a shelf panel in desired relation.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown one form of bracket provided in accordance with the invention, generally designated 10, comprising a bracket body 11 of the knife type, formed as a single thickness of sheet material having a straight upper edge portion extending forwardly from a rear or mounting edge providing a flat edge portion 12 of appreciable extent adapted to engage in vertical relation against the face of a suitable supporting member, such as one of the slotted uprights shown in FIG. 2. Hook-like projections 13 extend from the rear edge 12 for mounting on an upright support, as by engagement through suitable slots or similar apertures provided therein, and an additional projection or tang 14 may be provided to engage in another such aperture to provide for greater stability of the bracket. A coil spring 15 is provided with an eye or loop portion 16 at one end, and an integrally extending portion 17 at the other end, the extremity of which is formed into a hook portion 18. This hook portion is adapted to receive the forward edge of a shelf panel, as shown in FIG. 2, with the spring disposed below the panel, the upper end of the hook portion overlying the surface of the panel at the forward edge thereof. This upper end of the hook portion may, as shown in FIG. 2, be formed in a fiat eye or loop 19 to finish off the hook portion and increase the effective area bearing upon the panel. The eye or loop portion 16 is secured to the forward end of the bracket body 11 as by linked engagement with an aperture 20 provided in the body. Of course, an open-ended slot might be employed instead of the aperture 20, or other means might be employed for attaching the spring 15 to the bracket body 11.

In FIG. 2, a shelf panel 25, in this case shown as formed of glass, is illustrated as supported on a pair of brackets 10 according to the invention, each of the brackets being supported in one of a pair of upright members 30, shown in this case as of channel form with a series of vertically spaced slots 31 formed in the web thereof for receiving the

rear edge projections

13 and 14 of the bracket to mountthe bracket thereon at the level of any desired aperture, in a manner well known in the art. The upright structure in this case is illustrated as also including a plurality of vertical panels 32 each extending between a pair of uprights 30, and preferably flush with the forward surfaces thereof. These back panels may be of any suitable material, such as wood, plywood, hardboard, metal, plasterboard or the like. Of course, the uprights 30 may be employed alone as the upright structure, the back panels 32 being omitted.

A merchandise divider 35 is shown in FIG. 2 as applied to the shelf panel 25, the divider in this case comprising a wire or rod 36 formed into a number of reverse bends, and supported in a vertical plane by a pair of channel members 37 to which the opposite ends of the wire 36 are secured, as by welding. The channel elements 37 are arranged so as to open toward each other, and are engaged over opposite edge portions of the shelf panel 25, as is clear from the figure. A divider of this type may readily be adjusted to panels of different widths, by reason of the flexibility of the wire or rod of which it is formed. Of course, the divider might be formed of a sheet of metal, plastic, or other suitable material, foregoing the adjustability illustrated, or with other means provided to allow of adjustment to differing panel widths.

As will be apparent from FIG. 2, the springs 15 of the brackets 10 are stretched in order to have the hook portions 18 engage over the forward edge of the panel 25. The major component of the spring force is horizontal, in the rearward direction. The panel 25 is thus biased rearwardly or toward the upright structure provided by the uprights 30 and panels 32, and thus serves as a brace or rigidifying member to minimize sway of the shelf structure. A vertical component of the resilient force is also applied to the forward edge of the shelf panel, biasing the panel downwardly against the brackets. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the stabilizing or rigidifying effect of the shelf panel 25 on the shelf structure is reduced to a certain extent by the presence of a channel member 37 of the merchandise divider 35, extending about the rear edge of the shelf panel. The rear panel edge is thus spaced slightly from the upright structure by reason of the thickness of material of the channel member intervening between the back panel 32 and the rear edge of the shelf panel 25. The shelf panel nevertheless in effect engages against the support structure at two spaced points, and thus in large measure applies its stabilizing effect to the structure. The engagementof the shelf panel 25 with the support structure serves to hold the shelf panel 25 against transverse movement. It also serves to prevent longitudinal movement of the panel, or in other words movement transversely of the brackets 10, by reason of the friction between the forward panel edge and the hook portions, as well as between the rear edge of the panel and the upright structure. The use of the springs 15, extensible in the respective planes of the bracket bodies 11, also allows the brackets to accommodate to shelf panels 25 of different widths, as well as to a change in effective width of a shelf panel by reason of the engagement of channel members 37 or like members thereon.

The shelf panel may be of any of a number of different materials, such as wood, metal, hardboard, transparent or other plastic materials, and various composition materials, having the requisite properties, in addition to glass as shown, with substantially the same advantageous results explained hereinabove. Other modifications of the construction may of course be made without departing from the invention. Thus, if it is desired to support a shelf panel across its entire width, the bracket body 11 may be made of the corresponding length, and the spring 15 attached thereto rearwardly of its forward end to requ re expansion in order to engage the shelf panel and apply the resilient biasing force thereto. Other means than the hook portion 18 may be employed for engagement of the spring with the shelf panel, and other resilient or elastic means acting substantially in the plane of the bracket body may be employed in place of the coil spring 15. Still other changes and modifications might be made, depending upon the specific application of the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited otherwise than as required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shelf bracket for supporting a shelf panel, comprising an elongated bracket body adapted to extend transversely of the shelf panel and of a length less than the transverse dimensions of the panel, and a coil spring having one end attached to said bracket body and having at the other end a hook-like element integral with said.

spring for engaging, a panel edge portion to apply resilient force thereto in the vertical plane of the bracket.

2. A support structure for a shelf panel, comprising upright support means, a shelf bracket mounted on said support means and projecting outwardly therefrom a distance less than the transverse dimension of the panel for supportingly receiving the panel thereon, and a coil spring having one end attached to the outer end of said bracket and having at the other end a hook-like extension engageable over an edge of the panel in stressed condition of said spring to urge the panel downwardly toward the bracket and inwardly toward said upright support means and resist movement of the panel transversely of and upwardly from the bracket.

3. A support structure for a shelf panel, comprising upright support means, a shelf bracket mounted on said support means and projecting outwardly therefrom for supportingly receiving thereon a shelf panel with an edge portion directed outwardly of said support means, and resilient means attached to said bracket and said panel edge portion and tensioned in order to extend between the respective points of attachment to urge the panel downwardly toward the bracket and inwardly toward said upright support means and resist movement of the panel upwardly from and transversely of the bracket.

4. A shelf bracket for supporting a shelf panel, comprising an elongated bracket body adapted to extend transversely of a shelf panel, and resiliently elongatable metal means having one end attached to said bracket body and the other end removably attachable to a panel edge portion to apply resilient force thereto acting substantially in the vertical plane of the bracket with resultant resistance to panel movement transversely of and upwardly from the bracket, said elongatable means in unstressed condition being shorter than the distance between the points of attachment thereof to the bracket body and said edge portion, and means integral with said elongatable means for engagement with said panel edge portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,779,236 10/1930 Hoegger 248250 2,833,420 5/1958 Streater l08-144 2,933,195 4/1960 Radek 21l153 2,998,107 8/1961 Zimmerla- 52-36 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,021,549 12/1957 Germany.

937,111 9/ 1963 Great Britain.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SHELF BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING A SHELF PANEL, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BRACKET BODY ADAPTED TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OF THE SHELF PANEL AND OF A LENGTH LESS THAN THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS OF THE PANEL, AND A COIL SPRING HAVING ONE END ATTACHED TO SAID BRACKET BODY AND HAVING AT THE OTHER END A HOOK-LIKE ELEMENT INTEGRAL WITH SAID SPRING FOR ENGAGING A PANEL EDGE PORTION TO APPLY RESILIENT FORCE THERETO IN THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE BRACKET.