Shelf anchor

There is disclosed a cantilever shelf support having a bracket with a laterally oriented throat to receive the rear portion of a shelf, the throat having a lower support platform, an upper overhang, and an inner end, a resilient insert in the throat, the insert having depending fingers resiliently flexible by an inserted shelf, a depending compression pad deeper in said throat than the fingers for supporting the inserted shelf, and a resilient skirt depending in front of the throat inner end for protective abutment with the rear edge of the shelf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to cantilever shelf brackets. 
Cantilever shelf brackets for supporting inserted shelf panels, usually of 
wood, have been known for many years. In recent years, these have taken 
the form of extruded aluminum devices capable of recieving the shelf panel 
in a wedging action, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,508,301 and 4,385,565. That 
is, the wood shelf panel of closely controlled thickness tolerance is 
placed under slightly deforming wedging stress during insertion, for 
secure retention of the assembled panel structure. The panel is inserted 
until the inner end abuts the inner end of the bracket throat. While this 
works very well for certain materials such as wood or particle board, it 
is not desirable to apply such stresses to certain other materials, 
particularly glass or marble. Breakage can result. This potential breakage 
problem is accentuated by the fact that glass panels for shelving tend to 
vary considerably in thickness. Therefore, a thicker panel either will not 
fit within the throat of the bracket, or, if sufficient force is applied 
to wedge it in place, the stress is immediately too great. If a thin panel 
is inserted, it is not securely retained. Furthermore, the potential of 
breakage resulting from this stress is increased if any scratching of the 
glass occurs. One signifiant cause of such scratching is the abutment 
engagement of the inner edge of the inserted shelf with the inner end of 
the bracket throat or of the bracket fastener as during insertion of the 
panel. Alternatively, scratching can occur during the wedging type 
insertion of the glass panel into the metal bracket. 
Aside from protecting glass and marble panels or the like from scratching, 
marring and localized stress, it is sometimes desirable to protect panels 
of fine wood and other materials during assembly of the shelving 
structure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of this invention is to provide a cantilever shelf bracket 
capable of recieving and retaining a shelf panel, even of glass or marble, 
without scratching, marring or application of localized stress to the 
panel upon assembly. The support bracket has a laterally oriented 
receiving throat containing a resilient insert which has depending 
flexible fingers capable of inward upward deflection in varying amounts 
upon insertion of a shelf panel. It can even accommodate and retain glass 
panels of varying thickness. The insert has an inner skirt in front of the 
inner end of the bracket throat for abutment by the inserted shelf panel 
inner edge and prevention of abutment of the shelf edge with the inner end 
of the metal bracket throat or of the bracket fastener. The insert 
preferably has a depending compression support bumper deeper in the throat 
than the fingers, but not as deep as the skirt. The bracket with insert 
will also accept panels of other materials such as wood. 
These and other related objects, advantages and features of this invention 
will become apparent upon review of the following specification in 
conjunction with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now specifically to the drawings, and the illustrative embodiment 
depicted therein, the shelf and bracket assembly 10 includes a bracket 
assembly 12 having a polymeric insert 14, and cooperative with the rear 
portion of a shelving panel 16 here shown to be of glass. Preferably the 
ends of the bracket are covered by a pair of end caps 18 (FIG. 4). 
The bracket 12 itself preferably comprises an elongated metal member formed 
as by extrusion of aluminum. Between the upper overhang portion and the 
lower platform portion of the bracket is a receiving throat. The lower 
portion is illustrated as basically triangular in configuration, having a 
vertical rear panel 20 for abutment with the wall, and an upper horizontal 
forwardly extending panel 22 forming an upper support platform 22' at the 
bottom of the throat 26 (FIG. 2). This bottom portion is preferably hollow 
and can be used for a wiring conduit or the like. 
The top portion of the bracket preferably has a diagonally upwardly 
rearwardly oriented fascia 28 for decorative purposes, and defines a 
hollow interior 30 shown to be triangular in configuration. In the 
embodiment depicted, it has one or more openings 32 in the bottom thereof, 
i.e., in the top of throat 26, for receipt of bayonet type fasteners or 
the equivalent on the upper portion of insert 14 for securement of the 
insert to the bracket. At the inner end of throat 26, i.e., adjacent the 
wall surface W to which the bracket is to be mounted, is a plurality of 
openings 36 (FIGS. 1 and 4) for insertions of threaded fasteners such as 
screws 38 or the like for securement of the bracket to the wall. 
The insert 14 is of a resilient polymeric material, preferably 
polyvinylchloride or the equivalent, formed as by extrusion in a long 
strip. Extending upwardly from this extrusion is depicted a bayonet type 
fastener 40 with opposite flexible ears to allow insertion through 
orifices 32, whereupon the ears expand to provide a snug fit of the insert 
against the top of the throat. This bayonet fastening means is not 
considered novel with applicant and is not part of the invention herein. 
Alternative fastening could be employed in lieu thereof, e.g., adhering or 
bonding of the insert to the bracket surface, with or without use of other 
types of integral or attached fasteners, etc. 
Depending downwardly from the forward portion of the insert are novel 
elongated flexible fingers 42 and 44 shown to be two in number in this 
illustrative embodiment. These depend from the horizontal body 46 of the 
insert, one finger at the front edge thereof and the other finger spaced 
therebehind. These fingers extend downwardly and rearwardly in their free 
form, in the preferred embodiment depicted, and are flexible in an arc, 
i.e., inwardly and upwardly, upon insertion of panel 16. The inherent 
resilience and memory of the polymer cause the deformed fingers to apply a 
downward retention force to the top surface of the panel. Any movement of 
the panel in the outward direction is frictionally resisted by the 
fingers. That is, the lower edge of the finger grips creates a linear 
force on the finger, tending to bow the finger down into greater 
engagement with the panel for increased resistance to removal of the 
panel. 
The amount of arcuate flexure of the fingers during panel insertion depends 
upon the thickness of the panel inserted. These fingers enable the bracket 
to accommodate panels of varying thickness, such that the normal tolerance 
variations in glass panel materials, for example, can be readily 
accommodated. 
Referring to FIG. 7, as panel 16 is inserted, supported by platform surface 
22', it first encounters the forward flexible finger 42 to deflect it 
rearwardly and upwardly. It subsequently encounters inner finger 44 and 
deflects it rearwardly and upwardly in like fashion. Further insertion of 
the panel, if it is of ordinary thickness, causes it to engage beneath the 
lower surface of a depending compression pad 48 integral with the insert 
body 46. This pad is rearward of the fingers and preferably extends the 
length of the insert. Rearwardly of this comression pad is a flexible 
depending apron 50 integral with the insert body. In its free form, it 
extends downwardly and forwardly at a small acute angle, protruding 
downward to the vicinity of the platform 22'. Complete insertion of panel 
16 flexes apron 50 toward the rear to a generally vertical orientation in 
abutment with the rear edge of panel 16 and shielding the panel edge from 
engagement with the metal inner end of throat 26 of the bracket or of 
engagement with threaded fastener screws 38. The soft polymeric material 
thereby protects the panel from scratching at this inner edge as well as 
along the top of the panel. 
If a panel of thicker dimension is inserted, (see FIG. 9), the panel 16' 
flexes the fingers, e.g. 42, further upwardly as depicted. Yet the insert 
accommodates it. The thickness of this shelf panel would be greater than 
the vertical spacing between pad 48 and platform 22' so that the inner 
edge of the shelf will simply abut the front face of the pad upon full 
insertion. 
The flexible fingers depend a fraction of the distance toward platform 22', 
i.e., to a position where the lower edges thereof are at a spacing above 
platform 22', less than the thickness of the panel to be inserted. The 
lower surface of compression pad 48 is at an elevation above the lower 
edge of the fingers so that it is spaced above platform 22' an amount 
slightly greater than the thickness of the panel to be inserted. These 
fingers, pad and apron preferably extend longitudinally the entire length 
of the insert, which preferably extends the entire length of the metal 
extrusion. Alternatively, the fingers and/or pad and/or apron could be in 
segments, at intervals, and the insert could be in segments, if desired. 
Normally the bracket extends the full length of the shelf. However, the 
bracket could also be in multiple parts of short sections, at spaced 
intervals, if desired. 
The end caps are preferably made of a polymeric material which is slightly 
resilient but generally rigid, e.g., an acetal material or the equivalent. 
These end caps have a throat 26' which is aligned with the larger throat 
26 of the bracket. The end caps may include suitable pegs 60 or the like 
for frictional engagement in openings in the ends of the bracket, e.g., in 
the apices of the triangular portions thereof, for retention. Alternative 
fastenings may be used. In some instances no end caps at all need be used. 
Preferably inner ends 26a of the throat can serve as an abutment surface 
for the inner edge of the shelving panel, if the panel has a length 
slightly greater than the length of the bracket. 
It is conceivable that certain minor variations in the construction 
depicted as illustrative may be made without departing from the inventive 
concept presented herein. Hence, the invention is intended to be limited 
only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent 
structures to those defined therein, rather than to the preferred 
embodiment depicted as illustrative.