US4237798A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjustable shelving
Assignee: Metro Industries Inc
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Filing: 1979-04-04
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Granted: 1980-12-09
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Expires: 1999-04-04
Abstract
Abstract A flat shelf having truncated corners with a corner connector disposed against each truncated corner. The corner connectors tightly clamp onto corner support posts to retain the shelf in an elevated position. Each corner connector includes a brace member having a recess at its rear end for receiving one truncated corner, and a base wall within the recess for abutting against the truncated corner. A receiving pocket is provided at the front of the brace member for receiving the legs of a U-shaped clamp. The upper and lower walls of the brace member include aligned arcuate seats, which in conjunction with a bight portion of the clamp, define a sleeve which is tightenable around its associated corner support post. Bolts are inserted through the truncated corners to tighten the clamps around the corner support posts and securely retain the corner connectors against the truncated corners to thereby provide substantially closed crevice-free corner connectors.
Inventors
- 👤 John H. Welsch
- 👤 Charles W. Nicely
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:45
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47B; A47B57/00; A47B57/06; A47B57/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
245 words
Shelving comprising: a flat shelf member having downwardly depending corner portions; a corner connector at each corner portion, each connector comprising a brace member having a base wall disposed with a rear surface against an outside surface of the corner portion and a receiving pocket provided in a front surface of said brace member, said receiving pocket being defined by at least upper and lower walls of said brace member, aligned arcuate seats provided in said upper and lower walls, and a U-shaped clamp having a bight portion and spaced apart legs to be received in said pocket, said bight portion together with said aligned arcuate seats defining a sleeve for fitting around a corner support post; fastening means for tightening said legs of said U-shaped clamp into said pocket of said brace member to clamp the sleeve about the post and for tightening said brace member in abutment against the corner portion of the shelf member to retain the shelf member in position on the post; said base wall defining a rear wall of said receiving pocket, and said legs of said clamp having terminal faces which face the rear wall of the receiving pocket; and said corner portion and said base wall having aligned clearance holes, said terminal faces having threaded holes aligned with said clearance holes, said fastening means including bolts insertable from an inside surface of said corner portion through said clearance holes and into said threaded holes of said legs.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
245 words
Shelving comprising: a flat shelf member having downwardly depending corner portions; a corner connector at each corner portion, each connector comprising a brace member having a base wall disposed with a rear surface against an outside surface of the corner portion and a receiving pocket provided in a front surface of said brace member, said receiving pocket being defined by at least upper and lower walls of said brace member, aligned arcuate seats provided in said upper and lower walls, and a U-shaped clamp having a bight portion and spaced apart legs to be received in said pocket, said bight portion together with said aligned arcuate seats defining a sleeve for fitting around a corner support post; fastening means for tightening said legs of said U-shaped clamp into said pocket of said brace member to clamp the sleeve about the post and for tightening said brace member in abutment against the corner portion of the shelf member to retain the shelf member in position on the post; said base wall defining a rear wall of said receiving pocket, and said legs of said clamp having terminal faces which face the rear wall of the receiving pocket; and said corner portion and said base wall having aligned clearance holes, said terminal faces having threaded holes aligned with said clearance holes, said fastening means including bolts insertable from an inside surface of said corner portion through said clearance holes and into said threaded holes of said legs.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
Shelving as in claim 1, wherein said brace member further comprises a peripheral lip surrounding said base wall to define a recess for receiving said corner portion of the shelf member therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
Shelving as in claim 1, wherein said flat shelf member has truncated corners and said corner portions each extend across a truncated corner of said shelf member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
Shelving as in claim 3, wherein said upper and lower walls of said brace member are substantially horizontal, and wherein said receiving pocket is further defined by angled sidewalls of said brace member interconnecting said upper and lower walls, whereby said corner connector provides a substantially right angle corner onto the truncated corner of the shelf member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
Shelving as in claim 3, wherein said flat shelf member includes downwardly depending skirt portions, said corner portions providing a continuous interconnection between the skirt portions, and further including an inwardly directed flange at a lower edge of each skirt portion, each said flange terminating in a spaced relationship from said corner portions to thereby permit connection of said corner connectors to the corner portions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
Shelving as in claim 1, and further comprising corner support posts having a plurality of vertically spaced apart indentations, and wherein at least one of said clamp and said brace member includes an outwardly extending projection engageable within any one of the indentations for defining selectable vertical positions of the shelf member along the corner posts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
Shelving as in claim 6, wherein said indentations are annular grooves provided about the posts, and wherein said projection includes an arcuate rib provided on an inside surface of said bight portion of said U-shaped clamp.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
Shelving as in claim 6, wherein said posts include indented surfaces provided on one side thereof, and wherein each of said indentations is a channel disposed in a chordwise direction across each indented surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Shelving as in claim 8, wherein said projection includes a chordally oriented rib provided on an inside surface of said bight portion of the U-shaped clamp.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
Shelving as in claim 8, wherein said projection includes a rib extending from said rear wall of the receiving pocket, said rib having a semicircular cross sectional shape.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
Shelving as in claim 6, wherein said indentations are detents provided in a vertical alignment along the posts.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Shelving as in claim 11, wherein said projection includes a semispherical dimple provided on an inside surface of the bight portion of the U-shaped clamp.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
Shelving as in claim 11, wherein said projection includes a semispherical dimple provided on said rear wall of the receiving pocket.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
Shelving as in claim 6, wherein said indentations are provided on both diametrically opposed sides of the posts, and wherein both said clamp and brace member include outwardly extending projections respectively engageable in the indentations on opposed sides of the post.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
214 words
Shelving comprising: a flat shelf member having downwardly depending corner portions; a corner connector at each corner portion, each connector comprising a brace member having a base wall disposed with a rear surface against an outside surface of the corner portion and a receiving pocket provided in a front surface of said brace member, said receiving pocket being defined by at least upper and lower walls of said brace member, aligned arcuate seats provided in said upper and lower walls, and a U-shaped clamp having a bight portion and spaced apart legs to be received in said pocket, said bight portion together with said aligned arcuate seats defining a sleeve for fitting around a corner support post; fastening means for tightening said legs of said U-shaped clamp into said pocket of said brace member to clamp the sleeve about the post and for tightening said brace member in abutment against the corner portion of the shelf member to retain the shelf member in position on the post; an upper wall of said U-shaped clamp and the upper wall of said brace member being respectively substantially flat; and a height and a width of said clamp substantially corresponding to a height and a width of the receiving pocket to thereby provide a substantially crevice-free structure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
214 words
Shelving comprising: a flat shelf member having downwardly depending corner portions; a corner connector at each corner portion, each connector comprising a brace member having a base wall disposed with a rear surface against an outside surface of the corner portion and a receiving pocket provided in a front surface of said brace member, said receiving pocket being defined by at least upper and lower walls of said brace member, aligned arcuate seats provided in said upper and lower walls, and a U-shaped clamp having a bight portion and spaced apart legs to be received in said pocket, said bight portion together with said aligned arcuate seats defining a sleeve for fitting around a corner support post; fastening means for tightening said legs of said U-shaped clamp into said pocket of said brace member to clamp the sleeve about the post and for tightening said brace member in abutment against the corner portion of the shelf member to retain the shelf member in position on the post; an upper wall of said U-shaped clamp and the upper wall of said brace member being respectively substantially flat; and a height and a width of said clamp substantially corresponding to a height and a width of the receiving pocket to thereby provide a substantially crevice-free structure.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
Shelving as in claim 15, wherein said brace member further comprises a peripheral lip surrounding said base wall to define a recess for receiving said corner portion of the shelf member therein.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
Shelving as in claim 15, and further comprising corner support posts having a plurality of vertically spaced apart indentations, and wherein at least one of said clamp and said brace member includes an outwardly extending projection engageable within any one of the indentations for defining selectable vertical positions of the shelf member along the corner posts.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
Shelving as in claim 17, wherein said indentations are annular grooves provided about the posts, and wherein said projection includes an arcuate rib provided on an inside surface of said bight portion of said U-shaped clamp.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
Shelving as in claim 17, wherein said posts include indented surfaces provided on one side thereof, and wherein each of said indentations is a channel disposed in a chordwise direction across each indented surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
Shelving as in claim 19, wherein said projection includes a chordally oriented rib provided on an inside surface of said bight portion of the U-shaped clamp.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
Shelving as in claim 19, wherein said projection includes a rib extending from a rear wall of the receiving pocket, said rib having a semicircular cross sectional shape.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
Shelving as in claim 17, wherein said indentations are detents provided in a vertical alignment along the posts.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
Shelving as in claim 22, wherein said projection includes a semispherical dimple provided on an inside surface of the bight portion of the U-shaped clamp.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
Shelving as in claim 22, wherein said projection includes a semispherical dimple provided on a rear wall of the receiving pocket.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
Shelving as in claim 17, wherein said indentations are provided on both diametrically opposed sides of the posts, and wherein both said clamp and brace member include outwardly extending projections respectively engageable in the indentations on opposed sides of the post.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-12-09 | 1984-06-09 | 1984-12-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-12-09 | 1988-06-09 | 1988-12-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-12-09 | 1992-06-09 | 1992-12-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |