Book end bracket and shelving system

A shelving assembly having vertical standards and brackets thereon suspending shelves therebetween by telescopic mounting connectors telescopically fitted into and projecting from openings as in reinforcing beams recessed into the bottom of the shelves. The mounting connectors extend into openings in the brackets. These openings are in alternate pairs to allow the shelf to be in either of two positions, preferably horizontal or tilted diagonally. The connectors have peripheral grooves configured to interengage with the plate type brackets, there being three such grooves so they can support one end of one shelf on a bracket or the adjacent ends of two shelves on a common bracket. Glass shelves can be mounted on these book end brackets using socket shelf mounts having a receiving socket in a body, an outer shelf support surface, and a resilient clip for attachment to the shelf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a shelving assembly employing vertical slotted 
standards and cantilever brackets attached thereto. These systems normally 
have each shelf resting on top of two or more brackets. Placing two 
shelves somewhat end-to-end requires at least four standards and four 
brackets in two spaced and separate side-by-side assemblies. It would be 
advantageous to have end-to-end shelves in one set, using a common 
bracket, and to have potential for different types of shelves, e.g., of 
wood, glass, etc. in the same set, mounted end-to-end in an aesthetically 
attractive arrangement. Moreover, it would be advantageous to enable one 
or more shelves to be optionally oriented in a slanted position for 
display of items or for standup activities such as reading or writing. 
Cantilever shelving systems are usually mounted in garages, recreation 
rooms and the like, but not in living rooms, dining rooms and offices 
where the setting is more dressy. It would also be desirable, therefore, 
to have a cantilever shelving system with flexibility of arrangement and 
using hardware that is either not visible or is stylish, so as to be 
readily useable in such settings. 
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
This application is related to copending application Ser. No. 07/381,149, 
filed July 14, 1989, entitled AESTHETIC SHELVING SYSTEM Ser. No. 
07/381,160, filed July 14, 1989, entitled SHELVING MOUNT SYSTEM; Ser. No. 
07/381,148, filed July 14, 1989, entitled INTERLOCK SHELVING BRACKET AND 
STANDARD COVER; Ser. No. 07/381,108, filed July 14, 1989, entitled BEAM 
AND TELESCOPIC CONNECTOR SHELVING SYSTEM; and Ser. No. 07/381,150, filed 
July 14, 1989, entitled PIN AND CLIP SHELF MOUNTING. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a novel system of cantilever shelving with 
the shelves being suspended between brackets by telescopic connectors, 
preferably mounting pins, that slidably extend telescopically into 
openings at the ends of the shelves. Each pair of pins can suspend one end 
of one shelf or both adjacent ends of two end-to-end shelves, whether of 
wood, glass or other material, on brackets, wherein adjacent shelves can 
be optionally placed horizontally or on a diagonal slope for display. The 
brackets have pairs of openings at varying angular relationships, each 
pair being spaced apart an amount equal to the spacing of the telescopic 
connectors on the shelves. The interfit of the mounting pins with the 
brackets effects lateral stability by locking the shelf and brackets 
against side shift, and inhibits accidental tilting of the shelves with 
force on the front edge of the shelf. 
These and other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent 
upon studying the following detailed description in conjunction with the 
drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is disclosed a set of 
three vertical slotted standards mounted to the wall as by screws (not 
shown) in parallel relationship to each other, three sets of brackets, 
with three plate brackets in each set, one set at each standard, and 
telescopic connectors supporting three pairs of shelves on the brackets. 
The complete assembly 10 is shown mounted to wall W to support a variety 
of shelving units in a set. Only three standards are needed to support one 
pair or several pairs of shelves with each pair of end-to-end shelves 
requiring only three brackets. These shelves may be positioned in a 
variety of end-to-end arrangements in an attractive, finished assembly. 
The three vertical standards 12, 12' and 12" are shown as basically 
U-shaped standards of conventional type, having a plurality of vertically 
elongated and vertically spaced slots with intermediate webs in its front 
face, shown in FIG. 2, in phantom in FIG. 11, and shown more specifically 
in copending application Ser. No. 07/381,149, filed July 14, 1989, 
entitled AESTHETIC SHELVING SYSTEM, incorporated by reference herein. The 
front face of each standard has these vertical slots for attachment of the 
cantilever brackets thereto. Spaced integral side faces of the standards 
have their rear edges abutting wall W. 
Extending over the length of each vertical standard is a dress and 
stabilizing cover 14, 14' and 14" respectively. This dress cover is 
preferably of the type taught in the above identified copending 
application. It includes a pair of legs which resiliently engage the side 
faces of the standards, and project forwardly in front of the standard an 
amount at least about the dimension of the standard thickness from its 
front face to the wall. Each of the dress covers includes an elongated 
vertical central space 14a, 14a' and 14a" respectively, each space defined 
by a pair of flanges which engage the opposite side faces of brackets 
inserted through this space and through the standard slots into engagement 
with the standard webs with hook type lugs. 
The top pair of shelves 16 and 16' are supported on three plate brackets 
18, 18' and 18". The top three brackets in the assembly in FIG. 1 are of 
the type shown at the top of FIG. 3. On the brackets of this type, there 
is at least a pair of lugs which extend rearwardly and downwardly from one 
end thereof comparable to the lower set of lugs on the bookcase bracket 
depicted in FIG. 11. For purposes of clarity, and to illustrate the 
versatility of the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a slightly different 
arrangement of shelving brackets and shelves than FIG. 1. Brackets 18, 18' 
and 18" have an upper surface configuration like that depicted in FIG. 10. 
More specifically, in at least two areas of this plate type metal bracket, 
the upper surface 18a has special recesses 18b and 18c which are generally 
V-shaped in configuration but preferably have an undercut area at 18b' and 
18c' sloping downwardly inwardly toward the end that is secured to the 
standard, i.e., the end with the lugs thereon, to form overhanging 
retention lips 18b" and 18c". The purpose of these lips will be explained 
hereinafter. Thus, the generally V-shaped pockets or recesses can be 
considered more specifically as having a y-shape. These pockets are spaced 
from each other an amount equal to the spacing of the openings and 
cooperative telescopic connectors on the shelves to be described 
hereinafter. 
Interconnecting the left end of shelf 16 with end bracket 18, the right end 
of shelf 16' with end bracket 18", and the adjacent right end of shelf 16 
and left end of shelf 16' with the middle or intermediate bracket 18', are 
a plurality of like telescopic connectors 20 preferably of the type 
depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. Optionally the type depicted in FIG. 8 or the 
equivalent can be employed. Each telescopic connector is preferably, 
therefore, a specially configurated pin which has an elongated cylindrical 
steel core 22 surrounded by an integral polymeric jacket 24. This 
polymeric jacket includes a central annular cavity 26 of sufficient width 
to receive and interfit with one of the plate type brackets, and a pair of 
annular cavities 26' toward the ends of the connector to optionally 
receive and interfit with a bracket in the manner to be explained 
hereinafter. Protruding circumferentially from both end portions of the 
body are resilient polymeric flexible annular fins 28 and 28', 
respectively. It will be noted that these fins protrude circumferentially 
further than the remaining body of the connector. The body is of a 
diameter just smaller than the orifice or opening into which it 
telescopically fits to readily slide into a desired position. The 
protruding fins peripherally engage the walls of the opening to be 
deformed thereby, for frictional retention characteristics. In the 
illustrative drawings, the right end of this telescopic connector is shown 
to be convexly rounded whereas the left end is shown to be flat. This is 
an optional feature. The flat end takes less space and allows another 
component to be placed closely thereto. These telescopic connectors 
interfit with orifices or openings in the ends of a shelf, such as 
reinforcing beams of a wood shelf, or in separate support socket mounts 42 
of the type in FIGS. 15-20 and preferably used with glass shelves. The 
connectors can interconnect with either the type of bracket depicted at 18 
(FIG. 3) or the special book end bracket in FIG. 11, as will be explained. 
An alternative telescopic pin connector is depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9. It 
includes a main body 120, preferably of steel, having a plurality of three 
annular grooves around its periphery, such grooves being 126 in the center 
thereof and 126' at the ends thereof. Any one of these three grooves is of 
a width slightly greater than the width of the plate brackets to receive 
and interengage with the brackets. Also, for a friction fit within the 
openings, i.e., in the beams 30 or in the socket mount 42, resilient rings 
128 as of rubber are placed in the selected groove or grooves. These rings 
as depicted more specifically in FIG. 9, preferably have a circular outer 
configuration and a polygonal, e.g., triangular, internal opening. 
Alternatively a simple conventional O-ring may be employed for this 
purpose. Thus in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 8, ring 128 is placed 
in the left hand groove to be inserted into a cavity. Either of the other 
two grooves can be employed to interengage a bracket. 
Shelves 16 and 16' are preferably of wood material and may be of pressed 
wood rather than finished lumber. Each of these shelves, as in FIGS. 4 and 
5, is shown to include a pair of parallel elongated reinforcing beams 30 
spaced from each other, extending lengthwise of the shelf, and recessed 
into a groove in the bottom of the shelf (FIG. 5). Each beam preferably 
comprises a tubular type member having an internal hollow area 30a and an 
elongated slot-like opening 30b at the bottom thereof straddled by a pair 
of edge flanges 30c. The peripheral configuration is preferably generally 
rectangular as depicted, although other configurations may be employed. 
This beam is open on its ends to form orifices, i.e. openings into which 
the telescopic connectors are inserted. More specifically, the generally 
cylindrical telescopic connector 20 has one end inserted into one end of a 
respective beam, with fin 28 being slightly larger in its diameter than 
the internal diameter or width of space 30a so that the fin is flexed back 
resiliently when the connector is inserted. This provides a frictional 
fit. The amount which the connector is inserted is determined by whether 
the connector is to be used to support one end of one shelf or two ends of 
two adjacent end-to-end shelves. Thus, to support the left end of shelf 16 
and the right end of shelf 16', two connectors are inserted into the 
respective shelf about two-thirds of the length of the connector, so that 
end groove 26' will interengage with the bracket by receiving the plate 
bracket. However, the opposite ends of the central pair of connectors for 
the right end of shelf 16 and the left end of shelf 16' are inserted only 
about one-half of the way into each of these two shelves, so that the 
central groove 26 of each connector pin interengages with a common bracket 
18' by receiving it. The telescopic connectors are interfitted with the 
recesses 18b and 18c (FIG. 10) of the brackets, and particularly the 
undercut portion 18c' thereof. The overlying lips 18b" and 18c" prevent 
the pins and thus the rear portion of the shelves from inadvertently being 
dislodged upwardly by downward vertical pressure on the front of the 
shelves. Likewise, the lips at the front recesses on the brackets prevent 
the shelves from being inadvertently dislodged by upward vertical force on 
the outer edge of the shelves. 
FIGS. 21 and 22 show the connections enlarged to assure complete 
understanding of this assembly operation. In FIG. 21 is depicted the left 
end of shelf 16 with connector 20 and bracket 18. In FIG. 22 is an 
enlarged view of shelves 16, 16', connector 20 and bracket 18'. The 
shelves are astraddle this central bracket. These can be put together in 
various combinations in the set. 
Particularly, in FIG. 1, the central pair of shelves illustrate how a glass 
shelf can be mounted side-by-side with, and at the same level as, a wood 
shelf, utilizing just three brackets and three standards. More 
specifically, wood shelf 36' is basically like shelf 16' thereabove and 
shown end-to-end with glass shelf 36, both mounted on three brackets 38, 
38' and 38" which are like brackets 18, 18' and 18" thereabove. Glass 
shelf 36 is supported on two pairs of socket mounts 40 and 40' which are 
alike except in mirror image position. 
Each of these socket mounts preferably comprises an integral polymeric 
structure composed of a main elongated body 42 (FIG. 15) defining an 
internal socket 42' (FIG. 18) and having an opening on one end to receive 
the telescopic connector pin. Preferably, this opening is generally 
cylindrical with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of a 
fin, e.g. 28 on pin connector, but also including a chordal flat 42a to 
bend a portion of the resilient fin for creating a friction fit. If 
desired, this chordal flat need not be used, but the diameter of cavity 
42' made slightly smaller than the diameter of the fin. However, it has 
been determined upon testing that, in such an instance, it is difficult at 
times to flex the fin into the opposite direction after insertion, thereby 
rendering removal difficult. On the upper surface of body 42 is a shelf 
support surface 44 parallel to the socket axis, and upon which the glass 
shelf rests. Generally parallel to this surface, but sloped slightly 
theretowards, and spaced therefrom, is a resilient clip formed of a first 
leg 46 joined at one end thereof by a second leg 48 to body 42. Leg 48 is 
at the end where the opening to cavity 42' is located. Because the outer 
free end of leg 46 is slightly closer to support surface 44 than the 
thickness of the shelf to be inserted, this leg must be deflected away 
from the body a small amount, against its inherent bias, when the shelf is 
inserted, thereby subsequently applying a resilient biasing pressure 
against the shelf to retain it against support surface 44. Thus, by 
inserting shelf 36 into the clips of the respective connectors 40 and 40', 
and then inserting the telescopic connector pins 20 into the outer ends of 
sockets 42', the shelf can be securely mounted on brackets 38 and 38'. In 
FIG. 1 as depicted, connector pin 20 is inserted about two-thirds of its 
length into the socket so that the outer exposed end has its groove 26' 
engaging with bracket 38. However, the connector pin for mount 40' is 
inserted approximately one-half of its length into the socket so that 
central groove 26 receives bracket 38', and the other end of connector 20 
is inserted about one-half of its length into the opening of beam 30 for 
wood shelf 36'. The opposite end of shelf 36' is supported in the same 
fashion as shelf 16' thereabove. 
FIG. 23 illustrates the details of a glass shelf with its socket mount, a 
wood shelf with a support beam and mounted end-to-end to the glass shelf, 
and common bracket therebetween. This is comparable to the middle pair of 
shelves in FIG. 1, but with the position of the two shelves reversed. 
Shelves 36 and 36' are supported in such fashion with the common mounting 
pins that their upper surfaces are substantially coplanar. The two 
adjacent ends of the shelf, therefore, are not only immediately adjacent 
each other, but also are aligned with each other. 
Also positioned on shelf 36' (FIG. 1) is a pair of book end supports 50 of 
the type shown in FIGS. 24-27 and also shown as the second from the bottom 
arrangement in FIG. 3. This book end support is shown to include a flat 
member configurated into an inverted generally U-shaped loop to form an 
upright retainer 50'. It also has a lower resilient U clip 52 which 
extends around the edge of a shelf, here shown to be the rear edge. This 
clip has a leg 56 under the shelf, resiliently biased toward the main body 
portion of the book end support. The unit depicted is a modified book end 
from that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,838. That is, leg 56 has a 
key or protrusion 54 on its upper surface, of a width slightly less than 
opening slot 30b (FIG. 5) in the bottom of the shelf beam, to fit therein. 
This elongated key 54 stabilizes the book end support against twisting on 
the shelf. Hence, upon installation, leg 56 is deflected from its at rest 
position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 24, against its inherent bias, to 
its extended installed position, and then snapped into position with key 
54 in slot 30b as shown in solid lines. 
The bottom pair of end-to-end shelves in FIG. 1 illustrates the capacity of 
having one shelf 66 in a tilted display position and the adjacent shelf 
66' in a horizontal orientation. Shelf 66 is shown mounted on two 
specially configurated book end brackets 70 of the type in FIGS. 3, 10, 11 
and 12. These book end brackets are formed of plate stock like the other 
brackets, but are configurated differently such that there is an 
upstanding, inverted, generally U-shaped portion and an integral, lower, 
horizontal base portion 70" terminating at the rear edge thereof (FIG. 11) 
in a pair of hook type lugs 72 to engage with the front panel of a slotted 
standard 12 shown in dotted lines. These lugs extend rearwardly and 
downwardly and are preferably of the type set forth in the above 
identified copending application, to engage behind webs between the slots 
of the standard. Also protruding rearwardly from upstanding portion 70' is 
a rear extension 70" parallel to the base of the book end bracket and 
having another pair of lugs 72' thereon for engaging another pair of slots 
in standard 12. 
This book end bracket is shown to have two pairs of openings, the openings 
in each pair being spaced an equal distance apart. Specifically, openings 
74 and 74' in the first pair are spaced a distance from each other equal 
to the spacing of the openings and telescopic connectors on the ends of 
the shelves. Opening 74 is intermediate the ends of the base of book end 
bracket 70 and opening 74' is out toward the outer edge thereof. A second 
pair of openings 76 and 76' are on a diagonal plane relative to each 
other, sloping downwardly and outwardly. They are spaced apart a distance 
equal to the distance between openings 74 and 74'. Conceivably openings 
74' and 76' could be the same opening, either of this same size or 
enlarged, to cooperate with the other openings 74 and 76. The purpose of 
these openings is to receive the ends of the telescopic connector pins 20 
in a manner that the annular groove on the pins receives the bracket 
portion at the bottom of the bracket opening, to interconnect. The 
diameter of the circular openings is slightly larger than the circular 
ends of the connector pins to be able to receive such and thereafter 
interengage at the lower edge of openings 74 etc. with the selected 
annular groove 26 or 26' of the connector pin 20. 
Of the two shelves at the bottom of FIG. 1, the shelf at the left, i.e., 
66, is shown slanted for a display arrangement as is the middle shelf 
depicted in FIG. 3. At the right side of the bottom of FIG. 1, shelf 66' 
is shown in the horizontal arrangement. This is also depicted second from 
the top in FIG. 3. The left slanted shelf 66 in FIG. 1 is supported on a 
pair of the special book end brackets 70 and 70', while the right 
horizontal shelf 66' is supported on the left side by book end bracket 70' 
and on the right side by a bracket 78 comparable to bracket 18. The sloped 
shelf 66 has a pair of telescopic pin connectors 20 engaged in openings 76 
and 76'. Shelf 66' has its pin connectors 20 in the two horizontal 
openings 74 and 74' at the centrally placed book end bracket 70'. 
A retention lip 80 is employed on the lower outer edge of sloped shelf 66 
to prevent articles from falling off the shelf. This retention lip 80 
(FIG. 1 at the lower left, FIG. 3 in the center, and shown in greater 
detail in FIGS. 13 and 14) is an elongated element, preferably extruded of 
a polymeric material. An upstanding, generally U-shaped inverted retainer 
80d protrudes above the edge of the shelf. An upper leg 80a engages the 
upper edge of the shelf, a vertical face 80b engages the front edge of the 
shelf, and a lower resilient leg 80c is integrally attached to the bottom 
of face 80b to engage the bottom edge of the shelf. In the free form of 
this unit 80, lower leg 80c is at an upwardly rearwardly oriented angle 
relative to leg 80a, but is resiliently deflectable away to a generally 
horizontal orientation parallel to leg 80a as shown in FIG. 14 when 
installed on the shelf. Thus, by pulling down on the lower edge and 
inserting shelf 66, the retention lip is resiliently gripped onto the 
front edge of the shelf. This gripping action is aided by the downwardly 
protruding elongated tooth 80e on leg 80a, and the upwardly engaging 
elongated tooth 80f on lower leg 80c. This member is shown to have an 
elongated ribbed surface on its exterior for decorative purposes. 
Obviously this could be smooth or of other surface configurations. 
Likewise, cover 14 previously described and the end caps 15 could have 
various decorative surface configurations as best suits the environment in 
which the apparatus is being installed. Similarly, a plurality of two 
decorative collars 17 are shown at the top in FIG. 3, and three such 
collars 17 at the bottom, for merely illustrative purposes. No collars 
need be used or a selected number inserted all as explained in the above 
identified copending application. 
From the illustrative embodiments depicted, it is apparent that a variety 
of shelving configurations of attractive nature can be readily assembled 
as desired for the particular use involved. Utilizing three standards and 
three brackets, any pair of shelves can be mounted end-to-end. If it is 
desired to have more end-to-end shelves, four or more standards could be 
employed. These shelves can be of wood, plastic or some other material 
having the end orifices receiving the telescopic connectors. The shelving 
is secure against vertical displacement by an inadvertent force applied 
thereto. It is also stable against lateral movement. The assembly is 
aesthetically appealing with practically no hardware visible. Hence, it 
can be employed in offices, in living rooms and in other areas, rather 
than just in garages, recreation rooms and the like where prior slotted 
standard hardware is typically found. Its assembly is simple, allowing 
customers with no particular mechanical experience or aptitude to readily 
assemble desired components in the final needed configurations. 
Those skilled in this art, when studying this disclosure, will readily see 
additional advantages to those specifically recited above. A variety of 
alterations could conceivably be applied to the preferred embodiments 
depicted, to suit a particular situation, and without departing from the 
unique concept presented. Hence, the invention is not intended to be 
limited to the specific preferred illustrative embodiments, but only by 
the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent structures 
to those defined therein.