Floor and ceiling mounting for rack and shelving system

Claim 2

For use in a storage space providing a floor and a ceiling, a rack system comprising a plurality of vertically extending standards, a baseplate for connecting each standard to such a floor and supporting it thereon, and a ceiling plate for connecting each standard to such a ceiling, said base and ceiling plates being provided in pairs to be fastened, respectively, to such floor and ceiling in vertical registry, each baseplate providing upwardly extending rigid means for engaging the lower end of one of said standards, and each ceiling plate providing downwardly extending rigid means for engaging the upper end of one of said standards, said downwardly extending means of each ceiling plate being proportioned and designed to guide the standard connected thereto for generally vertical reciprocation only by an amount greater than the height of said upwardly extending means of the baseplate disposed therebelow and equal to or leas than the difference between the length of the standard and the vertical distance between the plates and positively to restrain the upper end of the standard from moving laterally, said upwardly extending means of each baseplate being proportioned and designed to guide the standard connected thereto for generally vertical reciprocation only and positively to restrain the lower end of the standard from moving laterally when said lower end is engaged therewith, whereby, each standard can be connected to a pair of said plates by engaging the upper end of said standard with the downwardly extending means of the ceiling plate, lifting the standard vertically upwardly and, then lowering the lower end of said standard into secure engagement with the upwardly extending means of the baseplate, the engagement of the lower end of said standard with said upwardly extending means being maintained by gravity.

Claim 3

The rack system of claim 1 in which each of said standards includes a main body portion, each upwardly extending means includes means defining upwardly opening means for receiving the lower end of a main body portion, and each downwardly extending means includes means defining a downwardly opening means for telescopically receiving the upper end of a main body portion.

Claim 4

For use in a storage space providing a floor and a ceiling, a rack system comprising a plurality of vertically extending standards, a baseplate for connecting each standard to such a floor and supporting it thereon, and a ceiling plate for connecting each standard to such a ceiling, said base and ceiling plates being provided in pairs to be fastened, respectively, to such floor and ceiling in vertical registry, each baseplate providing upwardly extending means for engaging the lower end of one of said standards, and each ceiling plate providing downwardly extending means for engaging the upper end of one of said standards, said downwardly extending means of each ceiling plate being proportioned and designed to guide the standard connected thereto for generally vertical reciprocation by an amount greater than the height of said upwardly extending means of the baseplate disposed therebelow and equal to or less than the difference between the length of the standard and the vertical distance between the plates, whereby, each standard can be connected to a pair of said plates by engaging the upper end of said standard with the downwardly extending means of the ceiling plate, lifting the standard vertically upwardly and, then lowering the lower end of said standard into secure engagement with the upwardly extending means of the baseplate, each standard including an elongated member having a generally C-shaped cross section providing a longitudinally extending main body portion and first and second parallel and longitudinally extending flange portions extending therefrom and providing generally parallel, oppositely facing outer surfaces, said main body portion providing a generally flat, longitudinally extending back surface generally perpendicular to said outer surface and first and second generally flat, longitudinally extending front surfaces generally parallel to said back surface, said first front surface and the outer surface of said first flange intersecting to provide a first corner and said second front surface and the outer surface of said second flange intersecting to provide a second corner, the downwardly extending means of each ceiling plate including a first downwardly extending projection for engaging said first corners, a second downwardly extending projection for engaging said second corners, and a third downwardly extending projection for engaging said back surfaces, and the upwardly extending means of each baseplate including a first upwardly extending projection for engaging said first corners, a second upwardly extending projection for engaging said second corners, and a third upwardly extending projection for engaging said back surfaces.

Claim 5

For use in a storage space providing a floor and a ceiling, a rack system comprising a plurality of vertically extending standards, a baseplate for connecting each standard to such a floor and supporting it thereon, and a ceiling plate for connecting each standard to such a ceiling, said base and ceiling plates being provided in pairs to be fastened, respectively, to such floor and ceiling in vertical registry, each baseplate providing upwardly extending means for engaging the lower end of one of said standards, and each ceiling plate providing downwardly extending means for engaging the upper end of one of said standards, said downwardly extending means of each ceiling plate being proportioned and designed to guide the standard connected thereto for generally vertical reciprocation by an amount greater than the height of said upwardly extending means of the baseplate disposed therebelow and equal to or less than the difference between the length of the standard and the vertical distance between the plates, whereby, each standard can be connected to a pair of said plates by engaging the upper end of said standard with the downwardly extending means of the ceiling plate, lifting the standard vertically upwardly and, then lowering the lower end of said standard into secure engagement with the upwardly extending means of the baseplate, each standard including an elongated member having a generally C-shaped cross section providing a longitudinally extending main body portion and first and second parallel and longitudinally extending flange portions extending therefrom and providing generally parallel, oppositely facing outer surfaces, said main body portion providing a generally flat, longitudinally extending back surface generally perpendicular to said outer surface and first and second generally flat, longitudinally extending front surfaces generally parallel to said back surface, said first front surface and the outer surface of said first flange intersecting to provide a first corner and said second front surface and the outer surface of said second flange intersecting to provide a second corner, the downwardly extending means of each ceiling plate including a first downwardly extending projection for engaging said first corners, a second downwardly extending projection for engaging said second corners, and a third downwardly extending projection for engaging said back surfaces, and the upwardly extending means of each baseplate including a first upwardly extending projection for engaging said first corners, a second upwardly extending projection for engaging said second corners, and a third upwardly extending projection for engaging said back surfaces.

Claim 6

The rack system of claim 3 in which said first, second and third downwardly extending projections are laterally and Downwardly extending flanges with said first and second downwardly extending projections being parallel to and spaced forwardly of said third downwardly extending projection, and in which said first, second and third upwardly extending projections are laterally and upwardly extending flanges with said first and second upwardly extending projections being parallel to and spaced forwardly of said third upwardly extending projection.

Claim 7

The rack system of claim 4 in which said first and second downwardly extending projections are equidistantly spaced from said third downwardly extending projection, and in which said first and second upwardly extending projections are equidistantly spaced from said third downwardly extending projection.

Claim 8

The rack system of claim 5 in which the distance between said first and second downwardly extending projections and said third downwardly extending projection is slightly greater than the distance between the back surface and the front surfaces of the standard engaged thereby, and in which the distance between said first and second upwardly extending projections and said third upwardly extending projection is slightly greater than the distance between the back surface and the front surfaces of the standard engaged thereby.

Claim 9

The rack system of claim 6 in which the distance between the inner edges of said first and second downwardly extending projections and the distance between the inner edges of said first and second upwardly extending projections is slightly greater than the distance between the outer surfaces of one of the standards engaged thereby.