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US 4,535,898 AGranted
Shelving
AssigneeLink 51 Limited
InventorsHarold Jones, David J. Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeLink 51 Limited
InventorsHarold Jones, David J. Bell
Estimating the term…
The invention is concerned with a shelving structure of the kind which is assembled from a number of vertical elements (struts) and interconnected horizontal elements (beams), and in particular to a shelf for such a shelving structure. Such shelves are conventionally formed from sheet metal, comprising a horizontal shelf panel and flanges extending vertically downwardly from the shelf panel on at least two sides thereof, each flange being folded backwardly on itself to increase the strength of the flange. In accordance with this invention, each flange is so folded as to provide a pocket in which an elongate reinforcing member is positioned, such reinforcing members engaging the underside of the shelf panel. In particular, each flange comprises a first portion extending downwardly from the panel, a second portion folded inwardly so as to extend towards the underside of the shelf panel generally parallel to, and spaced from the first portion, the reinforcing member being located between said first and second portions, transmitting load from the shelf by virtue of its engagement with the underside of the shelf and transmitting such load to an intermediate portion between said first and second portions.
In a shelf formed from sheet material and comprising a generally rectangular shelf panel and flanges integral with the panel which flanges extend from the panel along two parallel sides thereof, each flange comprising a first portion extending downwardly from the panel, a second portion folded inwardly so as to extend towards the underside of the shelf panel generally parallel to the first portion, the improvement wherein said second portion is spaced from said first portion, and on each of the said sides of the panel a non-integral reinforcing member is located between said first and second portions of the flange, which reinforcing member extends upwardly, and into engagement with, the underside of the shelf panel, an upper end of said reinforcing member extending in angular relationship to the upwardly extending portion thereof and being in juxtaposition with said underside of the shelf panel to support the corner between the panel and the first portion of the flange along substantially the whole of the length of said side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.