Storage rack with improved beam-to-column connector

A novel connector for connecting a beam to a column in a storage rack is disclosed. A flanged member is fitted against the column, with a side flange disposed against a side wall of the column and with a front flange disposed against a front wall of the column. Hooks on the front flange are hooked into apertures of the front wall. An elongate, strip-like spring clip is clipped onto the side flange, which has a recess receiving a bent portion of the spring clip. Another portion is accommodated by a trough extending from the recess. A dimple formed on the spring clip extends into a slot of the side flange. A locking pin affixed to the spring clip extends through an aperture of the side flange and through one of an array of apertures of the side wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention pertains generally to storage racks, such as pallet racks, 
and particularly to an improved connector useful in a storage rack for 
connecting a beam to a column via a flanged member welded to one end of 
the beam and formed with hooks hooked into apertures of the column. The 
improved connector locks the flanged member to the column in an improved 
manner. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Commonly, in a storage rack, such as a pallet rack, a beam is connected to 
a column via a flanged member having a side flange welded to one end of 
the beam and having a front flange with a linear array of regularly spaced 
hooks. The flanged member is fitted against the column in an operative 
position with the side flange disposed against a side wall of the column, 
with the front flange disposed against a front wall of the column, and 
with each hook hooked into a respective one of a linear array of regularly 
spaced apertures of the front wall of the column. Commonly, moreover, the 
side wall of the column has a linear array of regularly spaced apertures, 
which differ in their shapes from the apertures of the front wall of the 
column. 
At an early date, it was realized by those skilled in the art that a 
locking device would have to be provided, which would restrain the flanged 
member against becoming dislodged accidentally from the operative position 
by an object, such as a pallet, if the object struck the beam or the 
flanged member as the object was being lifted near the flanged member. 
Prior locking devices of a type disclosed sketchily in Guiher U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,565,264 have been used widely for many years. 
A prior locking device of the type noted above comprises an elongate, 
strip-like, spring clip, which is attached to the side flange of a flanged 
member, and a locking pin, which is affixed to the spring clip near its 
distal end. The side flange is welded to one end of a beam. The spring 
clip has a hairpin bend where the spring clip is clipped over a back edge 
of the side flange. Near its proximal end, the spring clip is bent to form 
a flange, which fits into a slot of the side flange. The locking pin 
extends through an aperture of the side flange of the flanged member and 
through a selected aperture of the side wall of the column. Hooks on the 
front flange of the flanged member are hooked into apertures in the front 
wall of the column. The locking pin has a rounded corner defining a 
camming surface, which coacts with a rounded corner of the column where 
the side and front walls adjoin so that the locking pin extending through 
the aperture of the side flange of the flange member is inserted 
automatically into the selected aperture of the side wall of the column, 
upon manipulation of the beam to attach the beam to the column. 
Although the prior locking device described above has proved to be 
generally satisfactory, it has shortcomings. Because of the flange formed 
near the distal end, the spring clip is difficult to install without 
overstressing its hairpin bend. The spring clip can be accidentally 
dislodged if it is struck by an object moving past it. If the spring clip 
is dislodged, it may become ineffective to restrain the flanged member 
against becoming dislodged accidentally. 
There has been a need, to which this invention is addressed, for an 
improved connector for connecting a beam to a column via a flanged member 
integral with one end of the beam and formed with hooks hooked into 
apertures of the column and for locking the flanged member to the column. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention provides an improved connector for connecting a beam to a 
column, in a storage rack, in which the column has a front wall with a 
linear array of regularly spaced apertures and a side wall with a linear 
array of regularly spaced apertures. The improved connector comprises a 
flanged member and a locking device. The flanged member has a side flange 
integral with one end of the beam and a front flange with a linear array 
of regularly spaced hooks. The flanged member is fittable against the 
column in an operative position with the side flange disposed against the 
side wall of the column, with the front flange disposed against the front 
wall of the column, and with each hook hooked into one of the apertures of 
the front wall of the column. The locking device is designed to lock the 
flanged member to the column, in an improved manner, so as to restrain the 
flanged member against becoming dislodged accidentally from the operative 
position. 
The locking device comprises an elongate, strip-like, spring clip and a 
locking structure, such as a locking pin affixed thereto, near a distal 
end of the spring clip. A bent portion of the spring clip enables the 
spring clip to be clipped onto the side flange. The side flange, at a back 
edge, has a recess with a depth measured from the back edge and a length 
measured along the back edge. The bent portion noted above has a thickness 
not greater than the depth of the recess and a width equal approximately 
to but less than the length of the recess. The recess is adapted to 
receive the bent portion noted above so as to protect the spring clip 
against becoming dislodged accidentally by an object moving past the same 
portion. The locking structure is adapted to extend through an aperture of 
the side flange and through one of the apertures of the side wall of the 
column so as to lock the flanged member to the column in the operative 
position. 
Preferably, the side flange has a substantially uniform thickness near the 
back edge except for a thinner region extending inwardly from the recess. 
The thinner region defines a trough, which is adapted to accommodate a 
portion of the spring clip between a proximal end of the spring clip and 
the bent portion, so as to protect the spring clip against becoming 
dislodged accidentally by an object moving past the portion accommodated 
by the trough. Preferably, the side flange has a tab, which is disposed to 
protect the spring clip against becoming dislodged by an object moving 
past the distal end of the clip. In a preferred construction, the side 
flange has a slot spaced from the recess by the thinner region, and the 
spring clip is formed near the proximal end with a formation adapted to 
extend into the slot. Preferably, the formation is a dimple, which has a 
curved surface adapted to engage the side flange so as to facilitate 
clipping the spring clip onto the side flange at the recess. 
These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention are 
evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of this 
invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As shown in the drawings, a storage rack 10 constitutes a preferred 
embodiment of this invention. In the storage rack 10, a steel beam 12 of a 
known construction is connected to a steel column 14 of a known 
construction, at one end 16 of the beam 12, by an improved connector 18 
comprising a flanged member 20, which is connected to the column 14 in a 
known manner described below, and a locking device 22, which locks the 
flanged member 20 to the column 14 in an improved manner. The locking 
device 22 restrains the flanged member 20 against becoming dislodged 
accidentally. 
The column 14, which extends vertically when the storage rack 10 is 
erected, is fabricated from a steel plate so as to have a front wall 24, 
two side walls 26, 28, which extend backwardly from the front wall 24, and 
two back flanges 30, 32. The back flange 30 extends inwardly from the side 
wall 26. The back flange 32 extends inwardly from the side wall 28. The 
front wall 24 is provided with two parallel, linear arrays of regularly 
spaced, teardrop-shaped apertures 34, 36, the apertures 34 being mirror 
images of the apertures 36. The side wall 26 is provided with a linear 
array of regularly spaced, generally rectangular apertures 38, each 
aperture 38 corresponding to one of the apertures 34. The side wall 28 is 
provided with a linear array of similarly spaced, generally rectangular 
apertures 40 similar to the apertures 38, each aperture 40 corresponding 
to one of the apertures 36. 
The flanged member 20, which is fabricated from a steel plate, has a side 
flange 42, which is perpendicular to the beam 12 and which is integral 
with the end 16 of the beam 12, and a front flange 44, which has a linear 
array of regularly spaced hooks 46 (one shown) spaced from one another as 
the apertures 34 of the front wall 24 of the column 14 are spaced from one 
another. Preferably, as shown, the side flange 42 is welded to the end 16 
of the beam 12. The flanged member 20 is fitted against the column 14 in 
an operative position with the side flange 42 disposed against the side 
wall 26 of the column 14, with the front flange 44 disposed against the 
front wall 24 of the column 14, and with each hook 46 hooked into one of 
the apertures 34. Thus, the beam 12 is connected to the column 14, so as 
to extend horizontally from the column 14 when the storage rack 10 is 
erected. 
Constructional details of the beam 12 are not critical to this invention. A 
beam (not shown) similar to the beam 12 may be similarly connected to the 
column 14, via the apertures 36 of the front wall 24 of the column 14, so 
as to extend oppositely from the column 14. 
The locking device 22 comprises an elongate, strip-like, spring clip 50 and 
a locking pin 52 affixed to the spring clip 50 near a distal end 54 of the 
spring clip 50. The side flange 42, at a back edge 48, has a recess 56 
with a depth D measured from the back edge 48 and with a length L measured 
along the back edge 48. The spring clip 50 has a bent portion 58 with a 
hairpin bend enabling the spring clip 50 to be clipped onto the side 
flange 42. The spring clip 50, at the bent portion 58 and elsewhere, has a 
thickness T not greater than the depth D of the recess 56 and a width 
equal approximately to but less than the length L of the recess 56. 
Preferably, as shown, the thickness T is less than the depth D. Thus, when 
the spring clip 50 is clipped onto the side flange 42, the recess 56 
receives the bent portion 58 in such manner that no part of the bent 
portion 58 extends beyond such edge 48, so as to protect the spring clip 
50 against becoming dislodged accidentally by an object, such as a pallet 
P shown fragmentarily (in broken lines) in FIG. 2, if the object moves 
upwardly or downwardly past the bent portion 58. 
Near the back edge 48 and elsewhere, the side flange 42 has a substantially 
uniform thickness except for a substantially rectangular, thinner region 
60 extending inwardly from the recess 56. The thinner region 60, which is 
defined where the side flange 42 is depressed at one broad surface 62 
facing away from the beam 12, defines a trough 64. The trough 64 
accommodates a portion 66 of the spring clip 50 between a proximal end 68 
of the spring clip 50 and the bent portion 58 so as to protect the spring 
clip 50 against becoming dislodged accidentally by an object, such as the 
pallet P, if the object moves upwardly or downwardly past the portion 66 
accommodated by the trough 64. 
The side flange 42 has a slot 70, which is spaced from the recess 56 by the 
trough 64. Near the proximal end 68, the spring clip 50 is formed with a 
dimple 72, which is adapted to extend into the slot 70 when the spring 
clip 50 is clipped onto the side flange 42 with the bent portion 58 
received by the recess 56 and with the portion 66 accommodated by the 
trough 64. The dimple 72 has a convexly curved surface 74, which is 
adapted to engage the side flange 42, so as to facilitate clipping the 
spring clip 50 onto the side flange 42 without overstressing the bent 
portion 58. 
The side flange 42 has a generally rectangular aperture 76, which is spaced 
from the slot 70. The aperture 76 is disposed so as to be substantially 
aligned with one of the apertures 38 in the side wall 26 of the column 14 
when the beam 12 is connected to the column 14 via the flanged member 20. 
The distal end 54 of the spring clip 50 overlies the aperture 76 when the 
spring clip 50 is clipped over the back edge 48 of the side flange 42 with 
the bent portion 58 received by the recess 56 and with the portion 66 
accommodated by the trough 64. The side flange 42 is lanced, as shown, so 
as to have a tab 78 near the aperture 76, between the aperture 76 and the 
front flange 44. The tab 78 is bent outwardly, as shown, so as to face 
away from the column 14 when the flanged member 20 is fitted against the 
column 14. The tab 78 protects the spring clip 50 against becoming 
dislodged accidentally by an object, such as the pallet P, if the object 
moves past the distal end 54 of the spring clip 50. 
The locking pin 52 has an elongate body portion 80, which is shaped as a 
generally rectangular solid adapted to extend through the aperture 76 of 
the side flange 42, as well as through any of the apertures 38 of the side 
wall 26 of the column 14. The locking pin 52 has a cylindrical mounting 
portion 82, which is integral with the body portion 80. The mounting 
portion 82 is extended through a circular aperture (not shown) of the 
spring clip 50, near the distal end 54, and is peened so as to mount the 
locking pin 52 fixedly to the spring clip 50. The locking pin 52 has a 
transverse camming portion 84, which is integral with the body portion 80, 
and which has two opposite, rounded edges 86, 88. The rounded edge 86 is 
disposed toward the bent portion 58 of the spring clip 50. 
When the spring clip 50 is clipped over the back edge 48 of the side flange 
42 with the bent portion 58 received by the recess 56 and with the portion 
66 accommodated by the trough 64, the locking pin 52 extends through the 
aperture 76 of the side flange 42. When the beam 12 is manipulated so as 
to fit the flanged member 20 loosely against the column 14, the rounded 
edge 86 coacts with a rounded corner 90 of the column 14, where the front 
wall 24 and the side wall 26 adjoin, so as to cam the locking pin 52 
outwardly and to flex the spring clip 50 in such manner that the distal 
end 54 moves away from the side flange 42. Thereupon, as the flanged 
member 20 is moved so as to be snugly fitted against the column 14, the 
spring clip 50 flexes oppositely. Moreover, the rounded edge 88 coacts 
with one edge 92 of the aperture 38 aligned with the aperture 76, namely 
the edge nearer to the front flange 44, and with an adjacent edge 94 of 
the aperture 76 so as to cause the body portion 80 of the locking pin 52 
to be automatically inserted through the aperture 76 and through the 
aperture 38 aligned with the aperture 76. 
Thus, the locking device 22 locks the flanged member 20 to the column 14, 
in an improved manner, so as to restrain the flange member 20 against 
becoming dislodged accidentally from the operative position. The recess 56 
receiving the bent portion 58 protects the spring clip 50 against becoming 
dislodged accidentally by an object moving past the bent portion 58. The 
trough 64 accommodating the portion 66 of the spring clip 50 between the 
proximal end 68 and the bent portion 58 protects the spring clip 50 
against becoming dislodged by an object moving past the portion 66 
accommodated by the trough 64. The tab 78 protects the spring clip 50 
against becoming dislodged accidentally by an object moving past the 
distal end 54 of the spring clip 50. 
Various modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment described 
above without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.