WO1982000946A1

WO1982000946A1 - Improvements in or relating to shelving

Info

Publication number: WO1982000946A1
Application number: PCT/GB1981/000192
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gibson & Co Ltd Cleghorn
Original assignee: Wallace D
Priority date: 1980-09-20
Filing date: 1981-09-15
Publication date: 1982-04-01
Also published as: EP0060286A1; EP0060286B1

Abstract

A shelving bracket comprises an elongate base member (1) attachable in an upright position e.g. to a wall. A screw-operable clamping device (2) is mounted on the base member for sliding adjustment along same. Such device includes an arm (3) projecting from the base member to carry a shelf. The arm is rotatable to effect releasable clamping thereof in adjusted position.

Description

"Improvements in or relating to shelving"

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to shelving and is particularly concerned with shelving of the kind wherein a shelf is supported by a bracket comprising an elongate base member attached in upright position and at laterally spaced locations on an upright support e.g. a wall, and an arm projecting forwardly from the base member and carrying the shelf. Usually the base members of such shelving are hollow metal members having vertical series of slots in the front walls thereof, and the arms are of metal and have thereon hook formations removably engaging in any selected pair of horizontally aligned slots of the series to enable adjustment of the height of the shelf. With this hook- and-slot mounting of the arms, adjustment of the shelf level is difficult in that it necessitates the removal and remounting of the arms which when remounted tend to rock. Moreover, as the hook-and-slot mounting system involves the use of metallic base members and arms, such shelving is widely considered as unsuitable for domestic or display use, as slotted metal is generally associated with office and store shelving and so fails to enhance a home with furniture of say decorative hardwoods.

The object of the present invention is to provide shelving brackets which are steady in use, are easily adjusted, and are of neat and room-enhancing appearance. According to the present invention there is provided a shelving bracket comprising an elongate base member for attachment in an upright position to an upright support, and a screw-operable clamping device mounted on the base member for sliding adjustment along same and including an arm projecting from the base member to carry a shelf and rotatable to effect releasable clamping of the arm in adjusted position.

By providing for sliding adjustment of the arms, the need to remove and replace the arms is avoided. Moreover, with a sliding action for the arms instead of a hooking action, it becomes possible to use decorative hardwoods, such as afromosia, for the arms and support members, instead of the usual metal. Preferably, a through slot extends lengthwise of the base member and opens in a front surface of same, a groove wider than the slit extends lengthwise of the base member and is formed in the rear surface of same, and a screw-threaded pin extends rearwardly from the arm through the slit and has its rearward end threadedly received in a nut slidable in the groove. This inconspicuous slot is easily formed, as compared with the formation of the multiplicity of slots required in the usual metal base member, and does not detract from the appearance of the wood.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a shelving bracket;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the shelving bracket in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line III - III in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the shelving bracket in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A shelving bracket for attachment to a domestic wall is made of a suitable hardwood, e.g. afromosia timber, and consists of a rectangular-section base strip 1, and a pair of screw-operable clamping devices 2 disposed one above the other on the strip. The upper clamping device 2 is not shown but each one includes an arm 3 extending outwards from the base strip 1 at right angles thereto to carry a shelf (not shown).

The base strip 1 has in the rear face thereof spaced top and bottom longitudinal rectangular-section grooves 4 and 5 and top and bottom longitudinal through slots 6 and 7 extending from the bases of the grooves 4 and 5 to the front face 8 of the base strip 1. The upper groove 4 and slot 6 is only partly shown. The base strip 1 also has therein through openings 9 to enable attachment of the base strip 1 to the surface of a wall by suitable screws or other fastenings (not shown) which enter the wall. The screw clamping devices 2 co-operate with the respective groove-and-slot formations 4, 6 and 5,7 each screw clamping device including a centrally tapped rectangular plate 10 which is a friction fit in its groove 4,5 for easy sliding along its groove, and a screw-threaded pin 11 which has an inner end portion engaging the plate 10 and which extends through the slot 7 to project from the front face 8 of the base strip 1. The arm 3 of each device is in the form of a narrow wedge-shaped block extending outwards from the front face 8 of the base strip 1, with its inner end face 3A abutting said front face. Each clamping device also includes a transversely tapped cylinder 12 inset in a bore in the top of the arm 3 to form a nut lying flush with the top face 3B of the arm 3 and engaging the outer end portion of the pin 11 which extends through a bore 13 opening from the inner end fact 3A of the arm 3.

Each arm 3 is vertically adjustable on its base strip 1 simply by giving the arm a half-turn anticlockwise to release the clamping device 2, exerting upward or downward pressure to move the entire clamping device 2 slidingly along the strip 1 to the desired extent, and then giving the arm 3 a half-turn clockwise to tighten the clamping device 2 whereby the arm 3 is held in position to receive on its top face 3B a shelf (not shown), so that the shelf is supported at its ends by a pair of releasably clamped arms 3.

It will be appreciated that the strips 1 and arms 3 of the brackets can be made in various lengths to support different sizes of shelves for different uses.

Claims

1. A shelving bracket comprising an elongate base member for attachment in an upright position to an upright support, and a screw-operable clamping device mounted on the base member for sliding adjustment along same and including an arm projecting from the base member to carry a shelf and rotatable to effect releasable clamping of the arm in adjusted position.

2. A shelving bracket according to claim 1, wherein a through slot extends lengthwise of the base member and opens in a front surface of same, a groove wider than the slot extends lengthwise of the base member and is formed in the rear surface of same, and a screw-threaded pin extends rearwardly from the arm through the slot and has its rearward end threadedly received in a nut slidable in the groove.

3. A shelving bracket according to claim 2, wherein the forward end of the pin is threadedly received in a second nut captive within the arm.