Expandable support

Claim 2

A supporting structure presenting a relatively flat planar surface for supporting objects thereon, said structure comprising an elongated first member of U-shaped construction and an elongated second member of U-shaped construction engageable with said first member, in staggered juxtaposed relationship, said members being substantially rectangular when in said staggered juxtaposed relationship and providing an elongated aperture therebetween, each of said members having upwardly presented relatively flat cooperating supporting surfaces and each having relatively vertically struck portions which are abutable with each other when said members are located in said staggered relationship, said relatively flat upwardly presented surfaces forming a continuous upper planar surface capable of supporting an object disposed thereon when said members are located in said staggered relationship, securement means extendable between said first and second members for connecting said first and second members in said staggered juxtaposed relationship, mounting means operatively associated with said first and second members for mounting said first and second members in secured operative relationship to a fixed structural member.

Claim 3

The supporting structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said supporting structure further comprises oppositely disposed outwardly extending members capable of being mounted to a further structural member, said extending members capable of being mounted on said supporting structure in any of a plurality of extended positions.

Claim 4

The supporting structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the first and second members are constructed so as to provide an elongated rectangularly shaped aperture therebetween when engageable with each other, and that there is included opposite disposed adjustable outwardly extending members, each having a portion thereof attachable to at least one of said elongated first and second members.

Claim 5

The supporting structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said elongated first member extends beyond said elongated second member at one end thereof thereby forming an elongated open area opposite the supporting surface of said first member when said first and second members are juxtaposed in staggered relationship, said elongated second member also extending beyond said elongated first member at the other end thereof thereby forming an elongated open area opposite the supporting surface of said second member and being diagonally located with respect to said first named open area when said first and second members are juxtaposed in staggered relationship, and first and second extension means are provided for operative securement to said first and second members, each said extension means having a supporting surface which is coplanar to and forms a continuation of said above named supporting surfaces to fill in said open areas and thereby form a substantially rectangular continuous upper planar surface.

Claim 6

A supporting structure adapted for supported attachment to an existing structural member and capable of supporting objects thereon, said supporting structure comprising first and second cooperating members, each being U-shaped in construction and having spaced apart upper and lower walls with inwardly presented vertically located abutable margins and a vertically disposed connecting wall extending between each of said upper and lower walls, each of said upper walls having relatively flat upwardly presented planar surfaces, securement means extendable between said connecting walls to connect said first and second members together in staggered juxtaposed relationship so that portions of the vertically located abutable margins of the respective upper and lower walls abut each other and so that said upper walls are coplanar to form a somewhat continuous relatively flat planar surface for supporting objects disposed thereon, said first and second cooperating members being substantially rectangular in cross section when in said staggered juxtaposed relationship and providing an elongated aperture therebetween, and mounting means operatively associated with each of said cooperating members for mounting said first and second members in supported relationship to a fixed structural member when secured together in operative relationship to said fixed structural member, said mounting means presenting a surface which is conformable to and engageable with said fixed structural member.

Claim 7

A supporting structure adapted for supported attachment to an existing structural member and capable of supporting objects thereon, said supporting structure comprising first and second cooperating members, each being U-shaped in construction and having spaced apart upper and lower walls with inwardly presented vertically located abutable margins and a vertically disposed connecting wall extending between each of said upper and lower walls, each of said upper walls having relatively flat upwardly presented planar surfaces, securement means extendable between said connecting walls to connect said first and second members together in staggered juxtaposed relationship so that portions of the vertically located abutable margins of the respective upper and lower walls abut each other and so that said upper walls are coplanar to form a somewhat continuous relatively flat planar surface for supporting objects disposed thereon, said first and second cooperating members being substantially rectangular in cross section when in said staggered juxtaposed relationship and providing an elongated aperture therebetween, and mounting means operatively associated with each of said cooperating members for mounting said first and second members in supported relationship to a fixed structural member when secured together in operative relationship to said fixed structural member, said mounting means presenting a surface which is conformable to and engageable with said fixed structural member.

Claim 8

The supporting structure of claim 5 further characterized in said supporting structure further comprises oppositely disposed outwardly extending members capable of being mounted to a further structural member, said extEnding members capable of being mounted on said supporting structure if any of a plurality of extended positions.

Claim 9

The supporting structure of claim 23 further characterized in that said elongated first member extends beyond said elongated second member at one end thereof thereby forming an elongated open area opposite the supporting surface of said first member when said first and second members are juxtaposed in staggered relationship, said elongated second member also extending beyond said elongated first member at the other end thereof thereby forming an elongated open area opposite the supporting surface of said second member and being diagonally located with respect to said first named open area when said first and second members are juxtaposed in staggered relationship, and first and second extension means are provided for operative securement to said first and second members, each said extension means having a supporting surface which is coplanar to and form a continuation of said above named supporting surfaces to fill in said open areas and thereby form a substantially rectangular continuous upper planar surface.

Claim 10

The supporting structure of claim 7 further characterized in that each said extension means is provided with at least one element which extends into said elongated aperture when secured to one of said first and second members.

Claim 11

A supporting structure adapted for supported attachment to an existing fixed structural member and capable of supporting objects thereon, said supporting structure comprising a pair of cooperating substantially U-shaped members capable of being placed in staggered juxtaposed relationship, each of said substantially U-shaped members having spaced apart upper and lower walls and which are connected by a relatively flat vertical wall, each of said upper walls having relatively flat upwardly presented planar surfaces which are substantially coplanar to form a somewhat continuous relatively flat plan surface for supporting objects thereon when said cooperating U-shaped members are located in said staggered juxtaposed relationship, said U-shaped members also forming an elongated substantially rectangularly shaped aperture therebetween when in said juxtaposed staggered relationship, each of said relatively flat vertical walls having a plurality of apertures which are alignable for receiving locking means in any of said alignable apertures to secure said pair of cooperating U-shaped members together in said staggered relationship in such manner that each of said cooperating U-shaped members has a terminal portion extending beyond the other of said cooperating U-shaped members, and mounting means forming aligned openings in said upper and lower walls and being sized to snuggly receive said fixed structural member to thereby retentively hold said supporting structure on said fixed structural member.

Claim 12

A supporting structure adapted for supported attachment to an existing fixed structural member and capable of supporting objects thereon, said supporting structure comprising a pair of cooperating substantially U-shaped members capable of being placed in staggered juxtaposed relationship, each of said substantially U-shaped members having spaced apart upper and lower walls and which are connected by a relatively flat vertical wall, each of said upper walls having relatively flat upwardly presented planar surfaces which are substantially coplanar to form a somewhat continuous relatively flat plan surface for supporting objects thereon when said cooperating U-shaped members are located in said staggered juxtaposed relationship, said U-shaped members also forming an elongated substantially rectangularly shaped aperture therebetween when in said juxtaposed staggered relationship, each of said relatively flat vertical walls having a plurality of apertures which are alignable for receiving locking means in any of said alignable apertures to secure said pair of cooperating U-shaped members together in said staggered relationship in such manner that each of said cooperating U-shaped members has a terminal portion extending beyond the other of said cooperating U-shaped members, and mounting means forming aligned openings in said upper and lower walls and being sized to snuggly receive said fixed structural member to thereby retentively hold said supporting structure on said fixed structural member.

Claim 13

The supporting structure of claim 9 further characterized in that at least one extension member having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall is provided for attachment to one of said cooperating U-shaped members, said horizontal wall having a relatively flat top wall which is coplanar with the flat planar walls of said upper walls and which is of substantially the same size and shape of at least one of the terminal portions, said vertical wall having at least one aperture which is alignable with the aperture in at least one of said relatively flat vertical walls on said cooperating U-shaped members to receive said locking members and thereby secure said extension member to said supporting structure.

Claim 14

The supporting structure of claim 9 further characterized in that a pair of mounting brackets are provided for operative attachment to said supporting structure for mounting said supporting structure to at least one other fixed structural member, each said mounting bracket comprising an elongated arm extendable outwardly from said supporting structure and from opposite ends of said supporting structure, a mounting member on the outer end of each of said arms and having a surface somewhat conformable to said other fixed structural member, each of said elongated arms having at least one aperture alignable with the apertures in said relatively flat vertical walls on said cooperating U-shaped members to receive said locking means and thereby secure said mounting brackets to said supporting structure.