US3494480A

US3494480A - Reversible storage rack construction

Info

Publication number: US3494480A
Application number: US738903A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harrison H Cassel
Original assignee: Palmer Shile Co
Current assignee: BUCKHORN METAL PRODUCTS Inc A CORP OF NEVADA
Priority date: 1968-06-21
Filing date: 1968-06-21
Publication date: 1970-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-10
Also published as: FR2013354A1; ES167986Y; DE1927710A1; ES167986U; GB1206258A; SE344187B; CH495731A; JPS4924852B1; NL6909165A; BE734621A

Description

- H. H. CASSEL 3,494,480

1 REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACK CONSTRUCTION Feb. 10, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1968 4 INVENTOR. I /720713021 H/Zfjfd/ A rr N1)? Feb. 10, 1970 H. H. CASSEL REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1958 INVENTOR.

gar/71? [2511/ @VFM! fir diF/VI/f 3,494,480 REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACK CONSTRUCTION Harrison H. Cassel, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor to Palmer-Shile Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed June 21, 1968, Ser. No. 738,903 Int. Cl. A47g 29/00; A47f 5/00 US. Cl. 211-176 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable storage rack having slotted posts and beams with teeth at their ends fitting in the slots which wedge them against the post. Each slot flares both upwardly and downwardly so that the posts can be reversed if their lower ends are dented.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to adjustable beam type storage racks having posts or columns between which the beams extend, the beams being mountable in any of various vertically spaced positions, and when mounted, being wedged tightly against the columns by inter-engaging surfaces on the columns and beam ends. Such racks are used in industrial plants and are normally loaded by means of fork lift trucks which often strike the lower ends of the columns, denting and therefore weakening them. Since the lower ends carry the maximum load, the aforesaid weakening could necessitate replacement of the columns if danger of collapse exists.

Description of the prior art The present invention is an improvment on the adjustable storage rack construction shown in Patent No. 3,044,- 633, issued July 17, 1962 to E. A. Baker, Jr., et al. The construction shown in this patent sulfers from the aforesaid disadvantage, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage rack of this type in which the columns can be reversed when the lower ends are dented, so that the upper ends, which are still intact, can bear the heavier load and the wedging and other advantages of the construction will still be preserved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention the side walls of the pressed-out slots in the columns are provided with flares which extend in opposite directions, so that the teeth of the connecting members at the ends of the beams can be inserted in these slots in either direction and still obtain the wedging action. In other words, the slots are symmetrical about a horizontal axis. Thus, when the column is dented at its lower end, it may be reversed so that its original strength will be effectively restored without the necessity of replacing it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a section of an adjustable storage rack incorporating the construction of this invention;

3,494,480 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 "ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The adjustable storage rack is generally indicated at 11 and comprises a plurality of pairs of front and rear posts or

columns

12 and 13. Each pair of columns is connected by horizontal members 14 and diagonal braces 15. Each pair of adjacent front or rear columns is adapted to receive the L-shaped end connecting members 16 of a load carrying beam 17. The end connecting members 16 are mounted on the posts by means of a plurality of pressed-out slots 18 in vertically spaced relation on each column, which is of box-shaped cross section with a partially open side opposite the slots. These slots receive teeth 19 on end connecting members 16, as seen in FIG- URE 4. There are three teeth formed on each connecting member, these teeth being spaced apart the same distance as slots 18, which are formed in the central web 20 of each column.

The slots are open in both upward and downward directions and have side walls 21 which have a double flare. More particularly, the side walls 21 of each slot 18 are symmetrical about a horizontal axis and are flared in such a manner that when teeth 19 enter the slots, the surfaces 22 (FIGURE 4) of connecting member 16 will be tightly wedged against the adjacent side wall 23 of

column

12 or 13.

FIGURE 3 shows in solid lines a connecting member 16 which enters slots 18 in one direction and in phantom lines another connecting member 16 entering the slots from the opposite direction. Actually, the column 12 will be inverted when it is desired to place a connecting member 16 in the slots as shown in the phantom lines. This will be done when the lower end of a particular column becomes dented and thereby weakened, usually for the aforesaid reason.

It should be observed that slots 18 are wide enough to receive connecting members 16 from opposite sides so that beams 17 may be mounted in adjacent sections of the storage rack, as shown in FIGURE 1. The drawing also has a partial showing of safety locking tabs 24 which are the subject of a separate copending application.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable storage rack of the type having spaced columns of generally polygonal cross section each with a central web and side walls, and beams extending between said columns and secured thereto by connecting members having teeth which enter slots in said central webs the slot construction comprising a plurality of vertically spaced pressed-out channels forming slots in said central webs and which channels open upwardly and downwardly along an axis substantially parallel to the column, and side walls on each of said channels, at least one of the opposed side walls at each end of the channels diverging upwardly and downwardly respectively from the central portions thereof, whereby the connecting memher teeth entering said slots in either direction will be wedged tightly against a side wall of said column.

being symmetrical about a horizontal axis.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS /1962 Baker 211-176 7/1964 Skubic 211-182 XR US. Cl. X.R. 248224