Vertically slotted panel

Claim 1

In combination, (a) a panel and (b) a shelf support and clamp assembly, comprising: a panel having a top, bottom and side surfaces and a front main face and a rear main face, and comprising, an outer front skin, a first sheet of plywood adhered to the front skin, and a core of particle board adhered to the first sheet of plywood, and a second rear sheet of plywood adhered to the particle board, and said particle board being sandwiched between the plywood sheets, a plurality of spaced vertical slits of common size opening in the front face and extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, each of said slits defining a throat extending perpendicularly from the front face into the particle board and through the outer front skin and first sheet of plywood, said throat being of predetermined lateral dimension, said slit defining an enlarged pocket within the particle board extending laterally, perpendicularly to the throat and said pocket being bounded by a rear wall, side walls in opposing relation and a pair of coplanar front wall sections, each section extending from the throat and defining a lip on opposite sides of the throat, each lip being composed of a portion of the particle board, an outer plywood sheet and the outer skin, and said walls being parallel to one another, said side walls being spaced from one another a first predetermined distance and said front wall sections and rear walls being spaced from one another a second predetermined distance, a shelf support and clamp assembly, said clamp assembly including, an arm having an inner end and an outer end, said arm being of a predetermined length and height, said inner end being enlarged and defining a force distributing plate of predetermined height, width and thickness. said plate width being greater than the lateral dimension of said throat and overlaying the skin on said lips, and said plate being of a height greater than the height of the arm and said plate defining a zone above and below the arm overlaying the throat and lips, a countersunk hole in each plate zone, and a pair of screws, each comprising a threaded shank and head, each of said heads being tapered conically toward the shank and each head being sized to nest in one of said holes in nested relation, with the shank of each screw extending through one of the holes and through the throat and into the pocket when the head of each screw is in the countersunk hole, a pair of keeper bars in the pocket, each of said keeper bars being of a predetermined width less than the second predetermined distance between said rear wall and front wall sections and of a length greater than the distance between the side walls, and each of said keeper bars having a central internally threaded hole sized for and in threaded engagement with the threaded shank of each screw, whereby, when the screw is tightened, the width and thickness of the keeper bar will be turned into locking engagement with the side walls of the pocket and be captivated within the enlarged portion clamping the plate and self support in a preselected position with the shelf support extending generally perpendicular of the front main face of the panel.