Shelving system

Claim 2

A free standing shelf system, comprising in combination: a plurality of shelves having passages through end portions thereof; a plurality of spindles for supporting said shelves in spaced relation, said spindles having fastening elements extendible through said passages for axially interconnecting adjacent pair of spindles with a shelf sandwiched therebetween; interlocking tongue and groove portions on an opposed shelf surface and spindle end, said tongue and groove portions being laterally adjacent the corresponding spindle fastening element and shelf passage for positively preventing lateral shifting of said shelf with respect to the spindles sandwiching same therebetween; at least one of said shelves comprising a pair of substantially coplanar end abutting shelf segments, said passages of such shelf segments including substantially hemicircular opening portions which extend through said shelf segments at the abutting ends thereof and which open endwise of the abutting ends of said shelf segments in opposed diametrically aligned relation with each other for defining circumferentially closed openings when said shelf segments are in aligned end abutting relation with each other and for receiving therethrough the fastening element of one of said sandwiching spindles, the tongue and groove portions of one of said sandwiching spindles and of said shelf segment at said opening coacting when the fastening elements of the adjacent spindles are interengaged, so as to interlock said abutting shelf segments against lateral shifting away from each other.

Claim 3

A free standing shelf system, comprising in combination: a plurality of shelves having passages through end portions thereof; a plurality of spindles for supporting said shelves in spaced relation, said spindles having fastening elements extendible through said passages for axially interconnecting adjacent pair of spindles with a shelf sandwiched therebetween; interlocking tongue and groove portions on an opposed shelf surface and spindle end, said tongue and groove portions being laterally adjacent the corresponding spindle fastening element and shelf passage for positively preventing lateral shifting of said shelf with respect to the spindles sandwiching same therebetween; at Least some of said shelves having free end portions and at least some of said shelves comprising plural segments having abutting type end portions, each abutting end portion being adapted to end abut another abutting type end portion of another shelf segment arranged in substantially coplanar relation therewith, said passages of said free end portions being longitudinally spaced from the corresponding end edge of the corresponding shelf and comprising circumferentially continuous first openings through said shelf adapted to receive fastening elements of axially opposed spindles therethrough, said axially opposed spindles extending in opposite directions from said shelf in sandwiching relation therewith and adjacent said end edge of said shelf, the passages of said abutting type end portions being circumferentially discontinuous and defining partial openings which open laterally through the end edges of said abutting type end portions, the partial openings of abutting type end portions which are disposed in aligned end abutting relationship being opposed and defining circumferentially continuous second openings, the fastening elements of said spindles comprising an internally threaded opening at one end of each said spindle and an axially extended externally threaded male fastening element at the other end of each said spindle, said male fastening element being snugly receivable through one of said shelf openings for threadedly engaging the threaded opening at the end of an opposed further spindle for forcibly engaging the shelf portions adjacent said opening therebetween, said tongue comprising an annular boss on one of the opposed spindle ends and said groove comprising an annular groove in the shelf surface opposed to said one spindle end and adapted to snugly receive said annular boss therewithin, each of said abutting type end portions having a part of said annular groove therein adjacent a corresponding partial opening for defining a circumferentially complete groove when two said abutting type end portions are in end abutting relation whereby engagement of said boss on said spindle with said groove portions of said abutting type end portions prevents lateral separation of the latter.

Claim 4

A free standing shelf system, comprising in combination: a plurality of shelves having passages through end portions thereof; a plurality of spindles for supporting said shelves in spaced relation, said spindles having fastening elements extendible through said passages for axially interconnecting adjacent pair of spindles with a shelf sandwiched therebetween; interlocking tongue and groove portions on an opposed shelf surface and spindle end, said tongue and groove portions being laterally adjacent the corresponding spindle fastening element and shelf passage for positively preventing lateral shifting of said shelf with respect to the spindles sandwiching same therebetween; at Least some of said shelves having free end portions and at least some of said shelves comprising plural segments having abutting type end portions, each abutting end portion being adapted to end abut another abutting type end portion of another shelf segment arranged in substantially coplanar relation therewith, said passages of said free end portions being longitudinally spaced from the corresponding end edge of the corresponding shelf and comprising circumferentially continuous first openings through said shelf adapted to receive fastening elements of axially opposed spindles therethrough, said axially opposed spindles extending in opposite directions from said shelf in sandwiching relation therewith and adjacent said end edge of said shelf, the passages of said abutting type end portions being circumferentially discontinuous and defining partial openings which open laterally through the end edges of said abutting type end portions, the partial openings of abutting type end portions which are disposed in aligned end abutting relationship being opposed and defining circumferentially continuous second openings, the fastening elements of said spindles comprising an internally threaded opening at one end of each said spindle and an axially extended externally threaded male fastening element at the other end of each said spindle, said male fastening element being snugly receivable through one of said shelf openings for threadedly engaging the threaded opening at the end of an opposed further spindle for forcibly engaging the shelf portions adjacent said opening therebetween, said tongue comprising an annular boss on one of the opposed spindle ends and said groove comprising an annular groove in the shelf surface opposed to said one spindle end and adapted to snugly receive said annular boss therewithin, each of said abutting type end portions having a part of said annular groove therein adjacent a corresponding partial opening for defining a circumferentially complete groove when two said abutting type end portions are in end abutting relation whereby engagement of said boss on said spindle with said groove portions of said abutting type end portions prevents lateral separation of the latter.

Claim 5

A free standing shelf system comprising in combination: a plurality of shelves having passages axially through end portions thereof, the passages in opposed ends of a longitudinally aligned pair of shelves opening endwise of said shelves and defining a radially closed passage upon end abutment of said aligned shelves; a plurality of spindles each having a pair of opposite ends and a corresponding pair of complementary fastening elements at and extending coaxially of said ends, said ends defining radial end faces extending radially outwardly from the corresponding fastening element to the periphery of the spindle, adjacent complementary fastening elements of aligned upper and lower spindles being interengagable through the closed passage defined by end abutting shelves, the top and bottom lateral faces of said end abutting shelves being snugly sandwiched by the opposed radial end faces of said upper and lower spindles, respectively, for vertically supporting said end abutting shelves; an annular and axially outwardly extending boss defining a concentric tongue on one spindle radial end face, said boss being radially spaced from at least one of said fastening element and spindle periphery, leaving exposed at least one radially extending annular portion of said radial end face in bearing contact with the opposed lateral shelf face, and a pair of end opening grooves in ones of said lateral shelf faces, said grooves being concentric with said radially open passages and defining a closed annular groove around said closed passage with said shelves in said end abutting relation, said annular groove being of cross-section substantially complementary to said boss and snugly laterally receiving the latter and preventing relative lateral shifting of said end abutting shelves.

Claim 6

A free standing shelf system comprising in combination: a plurality of shelves having passages axially through end portions thereof, the passages in opposed ends of a longitudinally aligned pair of shelves opening endwise of said shelves and defining a radially closed passage upon end abutment of said aligned shelves; a plurality of spindles each having a pair of opposite ends and a corresponding pair of complementary fastening elements at and extending coaxially of said ends, said ends defining radial end faces extending radially outwardly from the corresponding fastening element to the periphery of the spindle, adjacent complementary fastening elements of aligned upper and lower spindles being interengagable through the closed passage defined by end abutting shelves, the top and bottom lateral faces of said end abutting shelves being snugly sandwiched by the opposed radial end faces of said upper and lower spindles, respectively, for vertically supporting said end abutting shelves; an annular and axially outwardly extending boss defining a concentric tongue on one spindle radial end face, said boss being radially spaced from at least one of said fastening element and spindle periphery, leaving exposed at least one radially extending annular portion of said radial end face in bearing contact with the opposed lateral shelf face, and a pair of end opening grooves in ones of said lateral shelf faces, said grooves being concentric with said radially open passages and defining a closed annular groove around said closed passage with said shelves in said end abutting relation, said annular groove being of cross-section substantially complementary to said boss and snugly laterally receiving the latter and preventing relative lateral shifting of said end abutting shelves.

Claim 7

The shelf system of claim 3, in which said spindle fastening elements comprise a threaded male element at one end of each said spindle and a threaded opening at the other end of each said spindle, said annular boss extending only from said other end, in coaxially spaced and surrounding relation with said threaded opening.

Claim 8

The shelf system of claim 3, in which said spindle has a tapered opening extending coaxially therethrough, said tapered opening being internally threaded at one end of said spindle to define a female fastening element, a coaxial and threaded male fastening element extending from the other end of said spindle, the smallest diameter portion of said tapered opening extending through said male fastening element, said boss being coaxial with and spaced radially outward of said internally threaded end of said opening.

Claim 9

The shelf system of claim 3, in which said annular boss is of substantially hemicircular cross section, the opposed groove in the lateral face of said shelf being of cross-section substantially corresponding to said boss and sized to snugly laterally receive said boss, said groove surrounding and being radially spaced from said passage.

Claim 10

The shelf system of claim 3 in which said boss is radially spaced from both said fastening element and said spindle periphery, leaving exposed radially spaced, concentric inner and outer radially extending portions of said radial end face for axially supporting contact with said lateral shelf face.

Claim 11

The shelf system of claim 7 in which the other radial end face of said spindle and the other lateral surface of said shelf are planar.

Claim 12

The shelf system of claim 8 in which a male fastening element extends from said planar other end face of each spindle, and said planar other shelf face is the bottom face of the shelf, and a female fastening element is provided on the tongued end of each spindle and the grooved face of each shelf is the upper face thereof.

Claim 13

The shelf system of claim 3 in which fastening elements of the opposed ends of said upper and lower spindles are threadedly engagable upon relative rotation of said upper and lower spindles, said passages and grooves being spaced inboard from the longitudinal edges of said shelves, said closed passages, boss and annular groove being circular for permitting such relative spindle rotation.

Claim 14

The shelf system of claim 4, in which said threaded opening is formed centrally and integrally in said other spindle end and is opposed to the corresponding annular groove in the adjacent shelves, said threaded male element being formed centrally and integrally on said one end of said spindle for insertion through the radially closed passage in adjacent shelves and into threaded engagement with the other end of another spindle.