US3691966A

US3691966A - Corner attachment for lightweight steel shelving

Info

Publication number: US3691966A
Application number: US109310A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irwin J Ferdinand; Irwin R Kulbersh; Gerald D Cassiere
Original assignee: Hirsh Co
Current assignee: Hirsh Co
Priority date: 1971-01-25
Filing date: 1971-01-25
Publication date: 1972-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-19

Abstract

Lightweight, easily assembled and dis-assembled knockdown shelving is described wherein particular shaped clip members are provided that snap-fit into the side and end flanges at the cutout corners of the shelves and present a notched opening adjacent the securement apertures of the shelving post that facilitate the insertion and reception therein of the securement means already located on a supporting post, such as a fastening screw or bolt. The clips not only provide a rigidifying support across the cutout corners of the shelves, but also an initial weight supporting level positioning of the shelf followed by the tensioning for direct weight supporting abutment of the flange edges against the sides of the post.

Description

Ferdinand et a1. 1

CORNER ATTACHMENT FOR LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL SHELVING Inventors: Irwin J. Ferdinand, Glencoe; Irwin R. Kulbersh, Morton Grove; Gerald D. Cassiere, Chicago, all of 111.

Assignee: The Hirsh Company, Skokie, 111.

Filed: Jan. 25, 1971 Appl. No.: 109,310

US. Cl ..108/144, 211/148 Int. Cl. ..A47b 9/00 Field of Search 108/144; 21 1/148; 287/20, 23 7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1966 Ferdinand et a1 ..108/144 11/1969 Ferdinand et a1 ..108/144 6/1965 Hamilton et al. ..211/148 X 2/1961 McPhee ..287/20 R 8/1950 Anderson ..108/144 12/1931 'Schofield ..211/134 8/1957 Smola et al.....'. ..211/148 [451 Sept.- 19, 1972 8/1966 Ornstein ..248/243 3,281,104 10/ l 966 Hamilton ..248/188 3,284,117 11/1966 Mee'han 108/144 X 3,306,466 2/1967 Liston ..211/147 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-Harbaugh & Thomas [5 7 ABSTRACT Lightweight, easily assembled and dis-assembled knockdown shelving is described wherein particular shaped clip members are provided that snap-fit into the side and end flanges at the cut-out corners of the shelves and present a notched opening adjacent the securement apertures of the shelving post that facilitate the insertion and reception therein of the securement means already located on a supporting post, such as a fastening screw or bolt. The clips not only provide a rigidifying support across the cut-out corners of the shelves, but also an initial weight sup porting level positioning of the shelf followed by the tensioning for direct weight supporting abutment of the flange edges against the sides of the post.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures P'A'TE'N'TEDsEP 19 I972 SHEEI 2 OF 2 INVENTORS.

4 r rneys IRWIN J. FERDINAND IRWIN R. KULBERSH GERALD D. CASS/5R5 CROSS REFERENCES This application relates to and is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,722 to Ferdinand et al.; U.S.

Pat. application Ser. No. 658,695 to Ferdinand et al.;

and US. Pat. No. 3,479,975 to Ferdinand et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the design of knockdown steel shelving consideration must be given to the cost of manufacture and ease of assembly, to the weight of the units, and to the danger of novices scratching finished surfaces in the assembly and later adjustments of shelf levels, as well as to the strength and rigidity of the assembled product. The structure which is the easiest to manufacture is not necessarily the least costly to use because of difficulties in assembly and damage to parts in the assembly which can result in customer dissatisfaction and loss of repeat sales. Where adjustability of the shelves and provision for releasably securing multiple shelves and shelving units are desirable, problems of ready accessibility to assembly elements, ease of change, post flexure and shelf structure including radius of gyration, rigidity, and the like, become serious considerations. Design appearance, ease of assembly, rigidity and lightness in weight are primary considerations.

It is known that desirable results can be obtained by using single corner posts which interconnect horizontally disposed and vertically spaced shelves. The slenderness ratio of the posts to the size of the shelf area is improved by the increase in the number of vertically spaced and also laterally located support points for contiguous shelves in a plurality of directions and levels for such a design. The mutual rigidity, squaring and cross bracing between posts by the shelves are essential considerations. From these considerations evolves improvements in the rolled-form of post construction to take advantage of greater strength against lateral deflection and axial compression. However, such arrangements make the installation of the shelves more difficult since, as a matter of appearance, the securement means is generally hidden under the shelves behind the shelf flanges and with progressive assembly accessibility decreases as the assembly nears completion. The clips may not remain attached to the shelf corner as the shelf flexes with handling or may be dislocated in the process of inserting the fastening screw therein. The level of the shelf cannot be easily coordinated with the actual securement since the latter operation requires close attention to the detail of registering the clip with the screw and the screw with the proper aperture in the post, all conducted in a normally out-ofsight corner. Also blindly locating the shelf, bracket and post hole for the screw engagement requires exact measurement or observation orientation and progressively leveling of all four corners of the shelf by sighting along the bottom or top side of the shelf which procedure is confronted with visual illusions that cause mistakes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention has as its objects the provision of lightweight knockdown steel shelving which combines appearance with functionality and overcomes the problems of combining rigidity and versatility for adjustment with minimal effort and no scratch damage to the parts. More particularly, the invention relates to the structures of the metal clips used to locate and hold the corners of knockdown shelving at an easily established absolute level and also lend themselves to assembly in any orientation of the posts, such as upright, horizontally or inclined. Thereby the easiest assembly routine for each assembler is available for accurate and quick assembly which is easily explained and understood from simple instructions.

In accordance with this invention, a clip for the corners of the metal shelves isprovided which has shelf flange engaging cleats that engage the flanges adjacent to the cut-out corners to pressure abut the flange ends against the posts in a weight supporting and rigidifying manner, and, provides an ease of assembly at a fastening aperture for quick alignment and engagement with the head of the fastening screw or bolt. In one embodiment, the clip has a flat body surface with an inverted keyhole opening to receive essentially in a horizontal direction the head of a screw already started a couple turns in a selected aperture of the post. In another embodiment the body of the clip has an inverted tool embossed keyhole opening having a 'vertically plumb screw receiving seat located in an inclined wall whereby the screw head is received and released for relative movement throughout a vertical quadrant, including vertical and horizontal direction. In both embodiments the shelf corner is lowered to advance the shank of the screw from' the large portion of the keyhole slot into the narrow portion of the slot where it is seated, it being possible to hold the post slightly away from the flange ends to permit this vertical movement without scratching the parts. Preferably four twists (half turns) of a screw driver locates the screw head in proper position to cooperate with the keyhole slot. A. pair of cleats engage and square up the depending shelf flanges at their corners so that the rectilinear shape of the corner fits flush against the walls of the post under non-slipping weight bearing pressure. These and other embodiments and advantages of the invention will become apparent as further described and defined hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective fragmentary view of a metal shelf assembly embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing one form of clip;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 to show the manner in which the clip engages the flanges;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the corner of a shelf cut away to show the clip therein;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the post, a corner of a shelf with the clip attached and the fastening screw ready for insertion through the clip and into the post;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a clip embodying this inventionhaving a square-shouldered slotted opening formed in the inclined wall thereof;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary partial sectional view of the clip of FIG. 1 engaging between the corner of a shelf and the wall of a post by means of a screw fastener;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clip and screw fastener assembly shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 8 showing the screw in loosened position and the shelf corner in a raised position thereover as it would be in assembly or disassembly; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view to show the inside of the clip shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the basic parts of the shelf assembly 10 are shown to include the plurality of supporting posts 12 attached to the spaced shelves 14, two of which are shown with a post at each corner. The posts 12 and shelves 14 are roll formed of finish-coated sheet metal in a manner known in the art. Each post is generally rectangular or square in cross-section and has a pair of

contiguous walls

16 and 18 which lie in intersecting planes and are generally at right angles to each other. The corner of the posts defined by these contiguous walls includes a work-hardened, narrow, diagonally disposed, externally concave longitudinal wall 20 which is provided with a number of longitudinally equally spaced apertures 22 therealong as more particularly described in Ferdinand et al. US. Pat. No.

3,479,975. The walls .16 and 18 are flat and nonapertured. The relative positioning of the apertures 22 in the work hardened walls 20 is best shown in FIG. 5.

The shelves 14 are preferably rectangular and have an upper planar surface or top portion 24 with continuous depending peripheral side flanges 26 and the end flanges 28. The side flanges 26 (see FIG. 4) are formed with the upturned rigidifying edge flange shoulder 30, the outside wall portion 32, the intumed bottom wall 34 and the upturned inner full height wall 36, the top edge 38 of which preferably registers along the inside corner of the shoulder 30.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the end flange 28 of the shelves provides a substantially .I-shaped configuration having an outer vertical wall portion 40 with the lower inwardly turned marginal flat edge wall 42. The inner edge of the bottom wall 42 is upturned to provide the inner flange wall 44 directed normal to the planar portion 24 and in a spaced parallel relationship with the outer wall portion 40;

The shoulder 30 prevents inward movement of the wall 36 under load conditions and provides a low rail to hold articles on the shelves. The end flanges 28 are not provided with an elevated shoulder above the planar portion 24 since it is often desirable to place several shelves or assemblies 10 into an end-to-end coplanar abutting relationship.

Each of the four corners of the shelves 10 is notched out to form the recessed opening 46 (FIGS. 3 and 4) defined by the terminal edge 48 of the box flange 26 and the terminal edge 50 of the L-shaped end flange 28. Each of the recessed openings receives the angular or corner wall portion 16-18 of a supporting post 12 with the

edges

48 and 50 in squared abuttingrelationships therewith as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom wall 34 of the side flange 26 is provided with the elongated aperture 52 therethrough and spaced from the cut-off edge 48. The bottom wall 42 of the side flange 28 has the elongated aperture 54 therethrough and spaced from the cut-off edge 50. Immediately above the aperture 52, the inner wall 36 of. the box or side flange 26 is provided with the rectangular cut-out opening 56 which extends to the top edge of this wall but does not extend to the cut-out edge 48 as indicated by the remaining wall portion 32 (FIG. 4).

Referring primarily to FIGS. 4 and 5, one form of the fastening clip member 60 of this invention is illustrated to include a generally planar wall portion 62 having-the top flange 64 and the rigidifying off-set or rolled wall portion 66 at the bottom and extending'across the base of the wall 62. The generally arcuate wall 66 has the integral bottom flange 68 depending therefrom in spaced parallel relationship with the top flange 64.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the wall portion 66 has the work hardened form lines 70 and 72 defining the inwardly directed intermediate off-set wall 74 along the top and the body of the bottom flange 68 is slightly wider than the top flange 64 so that their inner edges 76 and 78, respectively, are off-set in the opposite directions or outwardly toward the post 12 and not coplanar.

The top flange 64 has the flat pointed end 80 with the edges 82 at an angle of about 45 thereto so that the latter serves as a bearing surface against the inside corner 84 defined by the juncture of the top 24 of the shelf 14 and the wall 40 of the end flange 28 as shown in FIG. 5. The other end of the flange 64 has the flat, flared end 86 with an upturned edge flange 88, which is adapted to pass into the square opening 56 and extend upwardly into and engage against the underside of the wall 30 as shown in FIG. 5, and as more particularly described in Ferdinand et al, US. Pat. No. 3,255,722.

The flange 88 lies in a plane generally perpendicular. to

the plane of the edge 82 for a square corner. The angular relationship of the flange 88 and the edge 82 can be changed to conform with the angular relationship of i the

flanges

26 and 28.

The bottom flange 68 has the offset ends formed into the pair of upstanding flanges 90 and 92 each having an outwardly directed

tab

94 and 96, respectively, with a beveled top corner edge as indicated at 98 and 100. The

tabs

94 and 96 are not as wide as the flanges from which they depend so that the structure presents the cut-out

corners

102 and 104, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4, to receive the bottom walls of the flanges into which they engage.

The main wall 62 has an inverted keyhole or irregu lar opening defined by the lower circular opening 106 and the upper intersecting slot 108. The fastening screw 110 has the threaded shank 112 and the slotted head 1 14. The hole 106 is large enough to allow the entire screw to pass therethrough while the slotted opening 108 is more narrow than the head 114 so as to engage thereagainst as shown in FIG. 3 when the threaded shank is screwed into one of the bore holes 22 of a post.

The clip fasteners 60 are readily attachable to the four inside corners of a shelf 14 by placing the pointed end 80 of a clip into a corner 82 and the flange 88 into the opening 56 while pressing the two upstanding flanges 90 and 92 one after the other into the

slots

52 and 54 through the camming action of the .beveled edges 98 and 100 thereof acting against the outermost ends of these slots. To aid this snap-fit action, one of the two

flanges

26 or 28 may springinwardly slightly within the limits of the width of the slots while the pair of flanges 90 and 92 spring outwardly to a slightextent.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, the diagonal distance between the outermost ends of the

slots

52 and 54 at a shelf corner is slightly greater than the diagonal distance between the

tabs

94 and 96 but the slots are wider than the thickness of the metal of the tabs such that with one upstanding flange 90 or 92 in place with its tab caught over the end of a slot, the other can be forced into its slot by means of the camming action of the

beveled edge

98 or 100. This arrangement allows the use of lightweight and flexible metal such as aluminum or thinner steel stock in the fabrication of the shelves. The clip members are fabricated from thicker and relatively non-yielding sheet metal stock. Once in position, the clips are held by the shelf corners as shown in FIG. 5.

It is also apparent that since each of the end and side flanges has a pair of

slots

52 and 54 at the corner, the bottom flange 68 of all of the clips used for a given shelf are the same. The top portion of the clip for the front corner of a shelf, as illustrated in FIG. 4, will have the configuration shown in FIG. 4 while the clip fitting into the corner 116 (FIG. 1) (on the back side) will be reversed in that the flat tip' 80 will be on the left hand side of the clip (to engage the back end of the flange 28) and the upstanding flange 88 will be on the left hand end of the flange 64 in order to fit into the end of the box flange 26 which is provided at the rear edge of the shelf. In other words, the diagonally opposite clips are the same but the clips at the front and rear of the same end of a shelf have the flat tops 80 and flanges 88 reversed.

With the clip 60 inserted into each of the four corners of each shelf 14 that will be used, attachment of the shelves to the upright posts 12 is facilitated. Four posts 12 are positioned coextensively side by side and screws 110 are started several turns in the holes 22 at the selected shelf levels thereby assuring uniform shelf heights at each level. A post is then brought into close relation with the cut-out corner and a screw head 114 inserted into the hole 106. Preferably, the post is finger held with the thumb touching the shelf to keep it from scratchingthe post and the clip and shelf are moved down on the screw so that the slot 108 engages the shank. Thereupon the screw is tightened to draw the

ends

48 and 50 hard against the

walls

16 and 18 of the post. This is done at each of the four corners of the first shelf to hold all the posts in position. Thereafter all the shelves are likewise located in place and all the screws are tightened preferably as the last step.

Other assembly routines can be employed. For instance, a shelf can be attached to one pair of posts at a side or end as a sub-assembly and another sub-assembly formed with a second pair of posts with the second shelf at a different level, but it will be appreciated, all screws can be located at the proper level before any shelves are moved into place and the screw heads inserted in the clips before any tightening is begun, if desired. Sub-assemblies can then be brought together horizontally, if desired, the respective pairs of remaining started screws passing through the holes and then into the slotsand tightened. The versatility and assembly .ease is apparent to assure all shelves at the proper levels from the beginning to the completion.

In order to change the level of a shelf, it is only necessary to first remove the four screws to re-orient them at the new level. The screws can first be started (turned part way) into selected bore holes 22 on a pair of posts and with the clips attached the shelf can be held inclined initially and moved endwise to pass the heads 114 at one end of the shelf through the holes 106. The other end of the shelf is then lowered to its proper height and the remaining pair of screws can be started through the holes 106 at the other end. Then the shelf is lowered so that the narrow slots 108 are lowered behind the screw heads which are then tightened at the new level. 2

Referring to FIGS. 6 through 10, an alternate and further versatile form of fastening clip is shown having the body portion 122 incline approximately 15 from the vertical between the upper and lower substantially parallel

horizontal flanges

124 and 126. The top flange 124 has the flat end portion 128 with the edge 130 formed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the flange and with the similarly but opposite angled upstanding flange 132 at the other end. The top edge 134 of the flange 132 is substantially parallel to the flat sur face of the flange 124 from which it extends.

The lower flange 126 is provided with a stresshardened reinforcing vertically offset groove 134 on one side forming on offset embossment 136 on the other side and at its ends is provided with a pair of opposite inwardly directed

hooks

138 and 140 with the tip ends rounded as indicated at 142 and 144.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inner edge 146 of the flange 124 and the embossment 136 are substantially coplanar and substantially located inwardly of the vertical projection of the inclined portion 122. Centrally of the body portion there is provided the enlarged opening 150 of a keyhole slot which extends upwardly therefrom as a narrow slotted opening portion 152 thereabove. The narrow slot is formed with a flat U- shaped wall 154 therearound diagonally offset to lie in a vertical plane as formed in the body portion by stamping, whereby a work-hardened compound curved connecting wall 156 is formed surrounding more than half the circumference of the screw head 114. In this connection, the wall 154 defines a seating surface for engagement of the screw head shoulder when tightened and this surface is narrowed adjacent to the opening of the slot 152 as at 155 to snug and hold the screw head in place against downward movement when tightened but without materially interfering with its insertion and removal when loosened a turn. The wall 154, as noted, is substantially normal to the plane of the flange 124, that in turn is normal to the post to provide clamping of the flange ends horizontally against the post.

In accomplishing this with the slip 120, it is to be noted that the head 114 of the screw 110 can be moved through the inclined body portion 122 at the opening 150 vertically (FIG. 9) as well as horizontally (FIG. 7), and at any vertical angle therebetween for access and vertical movement of the shank 112 of the screw in the narrow portion 152 of the keyhole slot 150 for the assemblying or changing the level of the shelves.

For the securement of shelvesrby the clips when tightened, the inner edges 158 and 160 (FIG. of the hooks. 138 and 140, respectively, are angled toward ends of the flange 126 and form a narrow corner at the juncture with .the inneredge 162 of this lower flange. The flange 1 32 and the slanted edge 130 are reversed oron opposite ends of the flange 124 for these clips that fit into the corner of the shelf 14 at the same end of the shelf, thatis, diagonally opposite clips are identical.

The bottom flange 126 of the clip fastener 120 engages the

shelf flanges

26 and 28 in a different manner than the clip 60. ln this em'bodimentthe shelf 14 is modified to provide the slot 164 in the inner wall 36 of theside flange 26, under the opening 56 and spaced from the cut-out corner. The inner upstanding flange 44 of theend flange 28 carries the elongated slot 166 similarly positioned in relation to the cut-out corner. The

slots

164 and 166 are oriented in vertical planes instead of a ,horizontal plane.

. In orderto fasten the clip 120 into the inside corner of the shelf, the flange l24is positioned as indicated in FIG. 8 with the slanted edge 130 in the inside corner 84 and the upstanding flange 132 in the opening 56 and inserted into the raised flange 30. Then one of the hooks 1381or 140 is inserted into the

slot

164 or 166 and the remaining flange of the shelf is pinched inwardly slightly to allow the remaining hook to be engaged in the "remaining slot. Upon release of the finger pressure, the angular surfaces 158 and 160 cam against the end of the slots and pull or allow the flanges to assume their squared condition.

Insertion of the screw fastener 110 is readily accomplished since the U-shaped wall 154 is oriented in spaced, parallel and aligned relationship with the diagonal wall of the post 12 when the shelf corner is brought into juxtaposition therewith. Tightening of the screw 110 brings the cut-out corner edges 34 and 50 into square, abutting relationship with the right angle walls 16-18 of the post 12. Each corner of the shelf is thereby tightened to, a post in rigid weight-supporting relationship. In this embodiment removal of a shelf is also readily accomplished by loosening of the screw 110 as shown in FIG. 9 and simply raising the shelf and fastener (as indicated by the arrow) through the opening under the offset wall 152 which is large enough to clear the head 144 of the screw.

FIGS. 2 and 7 show the manner in which the top flanges of the clip fasteners of this invention engage the underside of the flat portion 24 of the shelf to provide rigidified weight-supporting relationship while at the same time the ends of these flanges cooperate with the shelf flanges at the top corners and the bottom slots to bring the cut-out corner into rigid abutting relationship with the support post. Moreover, the principles of the inventive concept are readily useful for several forms or applications wherein a shelf having a plurality of depending peripheral flanges, with a pair thereof defining a predetermined spaced corner relationship, is to be rigidly attached to a support column by means of a simple securing means having spaced protuberances more narrow than the diagonal distance across the corner whereby to to lock the flanges into abutting relationship with the support column. The construction herein disclosed and described may be utilized and adapted in whole or in part in various other shelving structures and specific embodiments known to one skilled in this art but not herein directly disclosed, whereby advantage is taken of the clip mounting and securement arrangement for the ease of manufacture and assembly to provide a clean and attractive appearance and time saving utility in metal shelving. 1

What is claimed is: 1. A metal shelving assembly including: I

a shelf member having'a planar top portion and a plurality of depending peripheral flanges;

a pair of said flanges being positioned in predeter minedintersecting planes at a corner of said shelf to define a vertically extending recessed cut-out corner opening;

said pair of flanges each having an inside wall provided with apertures spaced from said cut-out comer and each of said apertures having an upstanding edge nearest said cut-out corner;

a support column having a pair of side walls intersecting in planes substantially parallel to said recessed cut-out comer opening with an aperture at the corner juncture thereof;

headed fastening member having a shank and adapted to engage within said aperture of said supplrlart column in a first lateral supporting relations ip; clip means having a central wall member adapted to span between the inside walls of said pair of flanges in the plane of said upstanding edges of said apertures;

tab means extending from each side of said central wall member for engagement in supporting and aligning relationship within said apertures of said pair of shelf flanges and said central wall member having an inverted keyhole slot therein, the upper opening of which is adapted to engage around the shank portion 'of said fastening member and the lower, larger opening of which is oriented from the plane of said upper opening to pass over the head of said fastening member in its first lateral supporting position as said shelf corner and clip means are lowered thereover to hold said cut-out comer in an aligned relationship with said pair of sidewalls of said support column, whereby tightening of said fastening member within said aperture of said support column brings said tab means into engagement with the upstanding edges of said apertures in said flanges thereby forcing said cut-out corner into rigid, square-abutting relationship with said support column.

2. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which:

said central wall portion is inclined away from said cut-out corner recess at the bottom; and

the periphery of said small upper opening of said aperture is defined by a substantially flat embossment in said central wall portion the plane of which lies substantially perpendicular to the axis of said aperture in said support column.

3. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which:

said tab means include projecting tab members adapted to be engaged around said upstanding edges of said retaining apertures; and

at least two of said upstanding edges of said retaining apertures on opposite sides of said cut-out comer opening are spaced from each other a distance sufficiently greater than the effective distance between said tab members that the ends of said flanges retain said clip means therein against displacement forces and are drawn into engaging abuttment with the side walls of said support column upon tightening said fastening means.

4. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 3, in which:

said pair of flanges of said shelf member have flexible squared ends adapted to engage flush against the side walls of said support column;

said retaining apertures comprise elongated slots within said inner walls and spaced from said squared ends; and

said spaced tab members of said clip member comprise flat hook members adapted to engage in sequence within said retaining apertures with the hook portions thereof snap-fitting over the upstanding edges of said slots to retain said clip member thereon against displacement forces and in a position to draw said flanges into abutting relationship with the sides of said column upon tightening said fastening member.

5. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 3 in which:

said clip member is provided with a pair of upper and lower reinforcing flanges directed away from said cut-out corner recess; and

said spaced tab members are carried at the extended ends of the lowermost of said flanges.

6. A metal shelving assembly including:

a rectangular shelf member having a planar top portion, depending box side flanges and depending end flanges, each of which include an inner wall;

said shelf member having cut-out comers presenting squared ends of said flanges;

said inner walls of said shelf flanges at each comer having slots therein spaced from said squared ends; v

support columns for said shelf member each having a pair of side walls intersecting in planes conforming to the squared ends of said flanges and provided with an aperture at the juncture of said side walls adapted to receive the threaded shank end of a headed fastening screw member in supported relationship;

clip members for said shelf member adapted to span across and engage between a side and an end such that the inner edge of the bottom flange is spaced away from said cut-out corner a distance greater than the inner edge of said top flange;

an inverted key-slot opening in said intermediate wall member adapted to receive said fastening saf k eg l slot opening comprising an upper vertically oriented slot defined by a U-shaped embossed wall portion extending transverse the axis of the aperture in said support column;

said slot communicating with a lower opening in said inclined wall member having an effective diameter greater than the head of said screw and thereby being open on a vertical axis to receive the head of said screw member;

the extended ends of said top flange member having respective end means conforming to the contours of the inside junctures of said shelf flanges and the top planar portion thereof in a supporting and squaring relationship;

the extended ends of said bottom flange including flat hooks opening toward said cut-out corner and adapted to engage within the slots in said inner walls of said shelf flanges the effective distance between the ends of said hooks being less than the effective diagonal distance between the innermost ends of said slots whereby said clip member is retained against displacement forces during engagement with and disengagement from said fastening screw.

Claims

1. A metal shelving assembly including: a shelf member having a planar top portion and a plurality of depending peripheral flanges; a pair of said flanges being positioned in predetermined intersecting planes at a corner of said shelf to define a vertically extending recessed cut-out corner opening; said pair of flanges each having an inside wall provided with apertures spaced from said cut-out corner and each of said apertures having an upstanding edge nearest said cut-out corner; a support column having a pair of side walls intersecting in planes substantially parallel to said recessed cut-out corner opening with an aperture at the corner juncture thereof; a headed fastening member having a shank and adapted to engage within said aperture of said support column in a first lateral supporting relationship; clip means having a central wall member adapted to span between the inside walls of said pair of flanges in the plane of said upstanding edges of said apertures; tab means extending from each side of said central wall member for engagement in supporting and aligning relationship within said apertures of said pair of shelf flanges and said central wall member having an inverted key-hole slot therein, the upper opening of which is adapted to engage around the shank portion of said fastening member and the lower, larger opening of which is oriented from the plane of said upper opening to pass over the head of said fastening member in its first lateral supporting position as said shelf corner and clip means are lowered thereover to hold said cut-out corner in an aligned relationship with said pair of sidewalls of said support column, whereby tightening of said fastening member within said aperture of said support column brings said tab means into engagement with the upstanding edges of said apertures in said flanges thereby forcing said cut-out corner into rigid, square-abutting relationship with said support column.

2. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which: said central wall portion is inclined away from said cut-out corner recess at the bottom; and the periphery of said small upper opening of said aperture is defined by a substantially flat embossment in said central wall portion the plane of which lies sUbstantially perpendicular to the axis of said aperture in said support column.

3. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which: said tab means include projecting tab members adapted to be engaged around said upstanding edges of said retaining apertures; and at least two of said upstanding edges of said retaining apertures on opposite sides of said cut-out corner opening are spaced from each other a distance sufficiently greater than the effective distance between said tab members that the ends of said flanges retain said clip means therein against displacement forces and are drawn into engaging abuttment with the side walls of said support column upon tightening said fastening means.

4. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 3, in which: said pair of flanges of said shelf member have flexible squared ends adapted to engage flush against the side walls of said support column; said retaining apertures comprise elongated slots within said inner walls and spaced from said squared ends; and said spaced tab members of said clip member comprise flat hook members adapted to engage in sequence within said retaining apertures with the hook portions thereof snap-fitting over the upstanding edges of said slots to retain said clip member thereon against displacement forces and in a position to draw said flanges into abutting relationship with the sides of said column upon tightening said fastening member.

5. A metal shelving assembly in accordance with claim 3 in which: said clip member is provided with a pair of upper and lower reinforcing flanges directed away from said cut-out corner recess; and said spaced tab members are carried at the extended ends of the lowermost of said flanges.

6. A metal shelving assembly including: a rectangular shelf member having a planar top portion, depending box side flanges and depending end flanges, each of which include an inner wall; said shelf member having cut-out corners presenting squared ends of said flanges; said inner walls of said shelf flanges at each corner having slots therein spaced from said squared ends; support columns for said shelf member each having a pair of side walls intersecting in planes conforming to the squared ends of said flanges and provided with an aperture at the juncture of said side walls adapted to receive the threaded shank end of a headed fastening screw member in supported relationship; clip members for said shelf member adapted to span across and engage between a side and an end flange at each of said corners; said clip members each having an intermediate wall member with top and bottom elongated flange members directed from the said side thereof away from said cut-out corner and having extended ends beyond the sides of said intermediate wall member; said intermediate wall member being inclined and said top and bottom flange members being offset such that the inner edge of the bottom flange is spaced away from said cut-out corner a distance greater than the inner edge of said top flange; an inverted key-slot opening in said intermediate wall member adapted to receive said fastening screw; said key-slot opening comprising an upper vertically oriented slot defined by a U-shaped embossed wall portion extending transverse the axis of the aperture in said support column; said slot communicating with a lower opening in said inclined wall member having an effective diameter greater than the head of said screw and thereby being open on a vertical axis to receive the head of said screw member; the extended ends of said top flange member having respective end means conforming to the contours of the inside junctures of said shelf flanges and the top planar portion thereof in a supporting and squaring relationship; the extended ends of said bottom flange including flat hooks opening toward said cut-out corner and adapted to engage within the slots in said inner walls of said shelf flanges The effective distance between the ends of said hooks being less than the effective diagonal distance between the innermost ends of said slots whereby said clip member is retained against displacement forces during engagement with and disengagement from said fastening screw.