US3460790A

US3460790A - Supporting unit

Info

Publication number: US3460790A
Application number: US641656A
Authority: US
Inventors: David W Baird
Original assignee: DAVID W BAIRD
Current assignee: DAVID W BAIRD
Priority date: 1967-05-26
Filing date: 1967-05-26
Publication date: 1969-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-12

Description

D. W. BAIRD SUPPORTING UNIT Filed May 26, 1967 X "R f l L J I a 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m/m /vrw? DAV/.0 M4 BA/AD Aug. 12,- 1969 0. w. BAIRD 3,460,790

SUPPORTING UNIT I Filed May 26, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DAV/0 n4 6/4/RD Aug. 12, 1969 D. w. BAIRD SUPPORTING UNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 26, 1967 INVENTOR. DA W0 W 8/1/20 United States Patent 3,460,790 SUPPORTING UNIT David W. Baird, 1954 Indianola Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43201 Filed May 26, 1967, Ser. No. 641,656 Int. Cl. A47f 7/00 US. Cl. 248-165 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bookshelf support or the like formed from a pair of identical blanks made of inexpensive material such as corrugated board. The device is characterized by each of the blanks comprising 'an end wall, a pair of side walls joined to said end wall along respective fold lines, a foldable end flap on each side Wall, and a slot in each side wall. The identical blanks then may be folded to fit together to form a strong but light support.

The present invention relates generally to supporting units and particularly to a novel bookshelf support or the like formed from a pair of identical novel blanks.

In general, the improved and novel blank is formed from inexpensive sheet material such as corrugated board and comprises an end wall, a pair of side walls joined to said end wall along respective fold lines, a foldable end flap on each side Wall, and a slot in each side wall. The identical blanks then may be folded to fit together to form a strong but light support.

The blanks thus constructed comprise rigid sturdy units which can be used to support book shelves or the like in spaced relationship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bookshelf support or the like which may be formed from identical blanks to provide a strong but light supporting unit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide novel blanks of simple design which form a novelly constructed supporting unit using inexpensive material such as a corrugated board or the like which may be die stamped and scored thereby reducing costs to a minimum.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive yet strong bookshelf support or the like which may be printed in a variety of colors and patterns to provide an attractive, pleasing appearance to the user.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bookshelf support or the like which may be fabricated in a simple, rapid manner without the aid of adhesives or the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bookshelf support constructed in a novel manner wherein a pair of corrugated identical blanks are adapted to fit into one another in an intersecting and reinforcing relationship to achieve a high degree of strength.

Further objects and advantages of the present inven tion will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a blank for a bookshelf or the like constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the blank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bookshelf support or the like illustrating a pair of blanks each identical to the blank shown in FIG. 1 and assembled in accordance with the present invention; and

,. ice

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bookshelf support shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the use of such a support with a pair of bookshelves.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a blank, indicated generally at 20 and preferably formed of corrugated board or the like, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Blank 20 may be inexpensively manufactured in volume by die stamping and scoring and includes an end wall 22 and a pair of side walls 24 provided with end flaps 26.

End wall 22 is defined Within a pair of fold lines formed by parallel grooves 28 to enable side Walls 24 to be folded inwardly toward one another.

Side walls 24 and end flaps 26 are delineated by another pair of fold lines 30 formed by a score to facilitate folding end flaps 26 outwardly away from one another.

Each side wall 24 also includes a slot 32 preferably disposed half-way between

fold lines

28 and 30.

Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 an identical pair of blanks 20 and 20A are shown folded and assembled in accordance with the present invention.

Side walls 24 and 24A have been folded along the respective fold lines 28 and 28A to form at least an acute angle with a respective end wall 22 or 22-A with a respective end flap 26 or 26-A converging toward one another in adjacent relationship.

Each end flap 26 and 26-A is folded along respective fold lines 30 and 30-A outwardly away from one another in a plane substantially parallel to the plane formed by a respective end wall 22 or 22-A.

In the embodiment shown, the respective slots 32 and 32A extend half-Way down from the border of respective side Walls 24 and 24-A. However, the depths of the slots could be varied to achieve the same result but then the blanks would not be identical and a different die would have to be used for each blank.

To assemble a bookshelf support from the blanks described above one blank slides into the other such that the end flaps 26 are adjacent to end wall 22-A and end flaps 26-A are adjacent to end wall 22.

Side walls 24 and 24-A intersect one another along the respective slots 32 and 32-A to form a complete assembly as illustrated in FIG. 4.

End walls 22 and 22-A are provided with extended lip portions 34 and 34-A which permit a bookshelf 36 to fit snuggly between opposite lip portions and to prevent the shelf from moving in a lateral direction.

It should be understood from the foregoing description that the supporting strength of the bookshelf support constructed in accordance with the present invention when using conventional corrugated board is high, approximately 300 pounds dead weight, relative to the; type of material used. Further, it is very light to handle and transport and may be made in 'a variety of colors and patterns to provide a very decorative and pleasing appearance.

It should also be pointed out that the identical blanks 20 and 20A are adapted to rapid inexpensive manufacture in volume and the assembly of a pair of blanks is accomplished in a simple manner.

It is important to point out that the design of the blanks provide for a reinforcing relationship to exist between each pair of blanks when a pair are assembled in the manner described herein to provide a stable, very sturdy, supporting unit of extremely low cost.

The dimensions B, C, and D shown in FIG. 1 may vary according to the dimensions of the bookshelf 36 for which they are intended. The dimension B is slightly greater than the width of the bookshelf 36 such that end walls 22 and 22-A fit snugly over the side of the bookshelf. The dimension D varies according to the height desired between shelves 36 and the dimension C need only be wide enough to provide a sufficient base for stability but may be varied over the required minimum to suit any design or appearance desired.

The dimension A preferably is substantially one-half the dimension C or slightly less such that end flaps 26 and 26A easily fit between side walls 24 and 24A and abut the end wall of the other blank 20 or 20-A. The end flaps then contribute the maximum in reinforcement of the end walls and the maximum supporting strength for a respective thickness and type of material is achieved. However, this dimension could be varied even to the point of omitting end flaps 26, but then the supporting strength and stability of the supporting unit is substantially reduced.

The depths of slots 32 and 32-A represented by the dimension E could also be varied from approximately one-half the dimension D and substantially no supporting strength would be lost. However, if the dimension E is changed from one-half of D, then the slots 32 and 32A can no longer be equal and the blanks 20 and 20-A cannot be formed in an identical manner. This would necessitate another die or possibly another step in the manufacture of the blanks and therefore would increase costs unnecessarily.

I claim:

1. A bookshelf supporting unit of the like comprising, in combination, a pair of identical blanks preformed from flat sheet-like material, each blank being folded to form an end wall and a pair of side walls adjoining said end wall at fold lines, each respective side wall of one of said blanks intersecting a respective side wall of the other of said blanks in reinforcing relationship along a respective slot with said blanks being disposed in opposite facing directions relative to one another, said side walls of each blank being convergent from their respective end wall to locations adjacent the opposite end wall.

2. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 1 wherein said slots are disposed substantially equidistant from the ends of said side walls.

3. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 1 wherein said side walls of each blank include end flaps that are substantially one-half as wide as said end wall.

4. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 1 wherein the top and bottom edges of said end walls include lip portions extending beyond the respective top and bottom edges of said side walls.

5. A bookshelf supporting unit or the like comprising, in combination, first and second p-re-formed blank portions, each including an end wall; a pair of side walls, each connected at one end to said end wall along a respective fold line and being folded inwardly toward one another to define an acute angle with said end wall, said side walls including outwardly folded end flaps and a slot extending parallel to said fold lines along said end wall; said first and second portions forming a support when joined together with the end flaps of said first portion adjacently disposed to the end wall of said second portion and the end flaps of said second portion adjacently disposed to the end wall of said first portion, each of said side walls of one of said portions intersecting with a respective side wall of the other portion along a respective slot.

6. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 5 wherein said slots are disposed substantially equidistant from the ends of said side walls.

7. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 5 wherein said end flaps are substantially one-half as wide as said end wall.

8. The bookshelf supporting unit defined in claim 5 wherein the top and bottom edges of said end walls include lip portions extending beyond the respective top and bottom edges of said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,979 11/1937 Rowe 297442 2,615,771 10/1952 Curtis 248- 2,707,514 5/1955 Smith 297442 2,806,514 9/1957 Smith 297-442 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.