US 5,452,812 AGranted

Shelving system

AssigneeSycamore Systems, Inc.

InventorsKent E. Niequist, Joseph J. Ferraro, Dale W. Voelz

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Open frame shelving includes upright posts including corner posts and center posts, single-depth and double-depth shelves, horizontal shelf supports and backstops. The corner posts have open, box-like, transverse cross sections with rectangular vertically spaced slots in the end walls thereof and with tapered, vertically spaced slots in the spaced inner walls thereof. Each shelf support has tabs at the opposite ends thereof projecting perpendicular to the axis and engageable in the tapered slots of the corner posts. Backstops extend parallel to the shelf supports and have tabs at their opposite ends engageable in the rectangular slots in the corner posts or in similar slots in the center posts. Single-depth shelves are supported between a shelf support and a backstop, and double-depth shelves are supported between two shelf supports, and may be provided with a reinforcing bar extending between the shelf supports. The arrangement permits a double-depth, double-entry configuration with single-depth shelves at staggered levels and double-depth shelves, and with unobstructed pass through on the double-depth shelves.

Claims21

Dependent claims

Shelving in a rectangular configuration having front and back sides and opposed ends, said shelving comprising:

a plurality of upright posts each having vertically spaced slots, said posts including four corner posts respectively disposed at the corners of the configuration and two center posts respectively disposed substantially midway between the corner posts at the opposed ends of the configuration, a plurality of first shelves each having a front-to-back depth approximately equal to the distance between a corner post and a center post at the same end of the configuration, a plurality of second shelves each having a front-to-back depth approximately equal to the distance between corner posts at the same end of the configuration, first horizontal support members for interconnecting corner posts along the same side of the configuration and each including first tab members engageable in slots of said corner posts for selective mounting at any of a plurality of vertical levels, second horizontal support members for interconnecting said center posts and each including second tab members engageable in slots of said center posts for selective mounting at any of the plurality of vertical levels, each of said first shelves being supportable between one of said first shelf support members and one of said second shelf support members, each of said second shelves being supportable between two of said first shelf support members respectively disposed at the front and back sides of the configuration, and reinforcing members supported by said posts and disposed to inhibit buckling of said second shelves, each of said first horizontal support members and said reinforcing members cooperating with a second shelf supported thereby so as not to extend substantially above or below said shelf, thereby avoiding obstruction of said second shelf or any underlying shelf.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.