Support structure for furniture, shelves or the like

Claim 1

A support structure for furniture or the like comprising at least one vertical column and at least one crossbar releasably connected to said column, said column comprising at least two tubular column sections, each having one end face abutting against a corresponding end face of an adjacent column section and an opposite end face, a tension member extending through said tubular column sections and engaging the inner surfaces thereof to maintain said sections axially aligned with each other, and a pair of end members respectively engaging said opposite end faces of said column sections and connected to said tension member for maintaining the one end face of one column section in tight abutment with the one end face of the other column section, one of said tubular column sections constituting a coupling member and being provided with laterally extending coupling means to which the crossbar is releasably connected; and cooperating means on said coupling member and said tension member for preventing turning of said members relative to each other while permitting axial movement relative to each other, said cooperating means comprising a plurality of radially projecting and longitudinally extending ribs on said tension member and at least one longitudinally extending groove in said coupling member in which one of said ribs is engaged.