Modular rack conversion apparatus and method

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for a warehouse rack having front and rear uprights, the front uprights coupled together by front upper and lower lateral stretchers, the rear uprights coupled together by rear upper and lower lateral stretchers, the warehouse rack having a depth defined between the front and rear uprights of the warehouse rack;

• the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:
• a first upper front-rear stretcher supported by and extending between the upper front and upper rear lateral stretchers of the rack;
• a second upper front-rear stretcher laterally spaced from the first upper front-rear stretcher and supported by and extending between the upper front and upper rear lateral stretchers of the rack;
• a first lower front-rear stretcher supported by extending between the lower front and lower rear lateral stretchers of the rack;
• a second lower front-rear stretcher laterally spaced from the first lower front-rear stretcher and supported by and extending between the lower front and lower rear lateral stretchers of the rack, the upper and lower front-rear stretchers having a weight and carrying a load, the weight and load of the upper and lower front-rear stretchers carried at least in part by the front and rear lateral stretchers of the warehouse rack;
• and
• first and second secondary uprights supported by and extending between the first and second upper secondary front-rear stretchers and the first and second lower secondary front-rear stretchers, respectively.

A method of converting a warehouse rack into a merchandise storage and display rack, the method comprising:

• supporting a lower secondary front-rear stretcher upon lower front and rear lateral stretchers of the warehouse rack;
• supporting an upper secondary front-rear stretcher upon upper front and rear lateral stretchers of the warehouse rack;
• and
• placing a secondary upright in a position extending between and supported by the lower and upper secondary front-rear stretchers.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for installation in a warehouse rack having a plurality of uprights supported upon a surface, a plurality of lateral stretchers coupled to and extending between the plurality of uprights, and a plurality of front-rear stretchers coupled to and extending between the plurality of uprights, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first secondary front-rear stretcher supported by lateral stretchers of the warehouse rack at opposite ends of the first secondary front-rear stretcher;
• a second secondary front-rear stretcher located at a different elevation from the first secondary front-rear stretcher;
• and
• a secondary upright extending between the first and second secondary front-rear stretchers and supported by the first secondary front-rear stretcher, the first secondary front-rear stretcher also supporting a load of the second secondary front-rear stretcher.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for installation in a warehouse rack having a plurality of uprights supported upon a surface, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first front-rear stretcher coupled to and supported by uprights of the warehouse rack,
• a second front-rear stretcher supported upon the warehouse rack at a different elevation from the first front-rear stretcher;
• and
• a secondary upright extending between the first and second front-rear stretchers and supported by the first front-rear stretcher.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for a warehouse rack, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first front-rear stretcher supported by the rack;
• a second front-rear stretcher located at a different elevation than the first front-rear stretcher and supported by the rack;
• and
• a secondary upright supported by the first front-rear stretcher, wherein the secondary upright extends between and is coupled to the first and second front-rear stretchers.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for a warehouse rack having first and second front uprights and first and second rear uprights, the first front upright coupled to the second front upright by a front upper lateral stretcher and a front lower lateral stretcher, the first rear upright coupled to the second rear upright by a rear upper lateral stretcher and a rear lower lateral stretcher, the first front upright coupled to the first rear upright by a first side front-rear stretcher lying in a first vertical plane and the second front upright coupled to the second rear upright by a second side front-rear stretcher lying in a second vertical plane, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first secondary front-rear stretcher adapted to extend between the first front upright and the first rear upright of the rack, the first secondary front-rear stretcher lying in a third vertical plane adjacent the first vertical plane when coupled to the rack;
• a second secondary front-rear stretcher adapted to extend between the second front upright and the second rear upright of the rack, the secondary front-rear stretcher lying in a fourth vertical plane adjacent the second vertical plane when coupled to the rack;
• and
• at least one merchandise display and support element supported by the first and second secondary front-rear stretchers and located between the front uprights and the rear uprights when coupled to the rack, the merchandise display and support element being substantially vertically oriented.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for installation in a warehouse rack having a plurality of uprights supported upon a surface, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first front-rear stretcher adapted to be coupled to and supported by the uprights of the warehouse rack,
• a second front-rear stretcher adapted to be coupled to and supported by the uprights at a different elevation from the first front-rear stretcher;
• and
• a merchandise display and support element mounted to the first and second front-rear stretchers in a location between a front and a rear of the warehouse rack.

A warehouse rack conversion assembly for a warehouse rack, wherein the warehouse rack comprises a front defined by first and second vertical uprights connected together by a first lateral stretcher and a rear defined by third and fourth vertical uprights connected together by a second lateral stretcher, the front coupled to the rear by a first front-rear stretcher extending between the first and third vertical uprights and a second front-rear stretcher extending between the second and fourth vertical uprights, the warehouse rack conversion assembly comprising:

• a first secondary front-rear stretcher having a front end and rear end, the front end coupled to the front of the rack and the rear end coupled to the rear of the rack;
• a second secondary front-rear stretcher laterally spaced from the first secondary front-rear stretcher, the second secondary front-rear stretcher having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the second secondary front-rear stretcher coupled to the front of the rack and the rear end of the second secondary front-rear stretcher coupled to the rear of the rack;
• and
• a merchandise display and support element coupled to the first and second secondary front-rear stretchers at a location intermediate the front and rear ends of the first and second secondary front-rear stretchers.

A method of converting a warehouse rack into a merchandise storage and display rack, wherein the warehouse rack has a first side defined by a first front upright connected to a first rear upright by a first front-rear stretcher and a second side defined by a second front upright connected to a second rear upright by a second front-rear stretcher, the first side being connected to the second side by a pair of lower lateral stretchers and a pair of upper lateral stretchers, the method comprising:

• supporting a first lower secondary front-rear stretcher upon the first side;
• supporting a first upper secondary front-rear stretcher upon the first side, the first upper secondary front-rear support located at a greater height than the first lower secondary front-rear stretcher;
• supporting a second lower secondary front-rear stretcher on at least one of the pair of lower lateral stretchers and the second side;
• supporting a second upper secondary front-rear stretcher on at least one of the pair of upper lateral stretchers and the second side, the upper secondary front-rear stretchers located at a greater height than the lower secondary front-rear stretchers;
• and
• placing a merchandise display and support element in a position extending between the first side and the second side, the merchandise display and support element coupled to each secondary front-rear stretcher.