Wedgable storage rack

A storage rack having specially configured wedging connector assemblies secured to the ends of horizontal load-carrying beams that fit onto upright posts to detachably connect and wedgingly secure the beams to the posts. In the preferred form, each post has a recessed front wall that defines a plurality of finger-receiving openings. Each of the openings has at least one inclined wedging surface that provides tighter engagement of the connector assembly at the end of each load-carrying beam with its associated upright post in response to the downward force exerted by the beam and its load. In order to minimize longitudinal and lateral shifting of the beams under load or upon accidental forklift impact, each of the wedging connector assemblies has a plurality of hook-shaped fingers with inclined camming portions that cammingly engage and securely wedge against the wedging surfaces of the posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to storage racks, and more particularly, to a 
storage rack that can be readily and securely assembled without the use of 
supplemental fasteners. 
Over the years a variety of different types of storage racks have been 
developed. One type of storage rack is the "permanent" or "stationary" 
storage rack, in which horizontal beams are welded, bolted or otherwise 
permanently secured to upright posts. Assembly of these permanent type 
storage racks is often difficult, tedious and cumbersome. Moreover, these 
permanent storage racks cannot be readily collapsed for storage. 
Another type of storage rack is the "knockdown" or "collapsible" storage 
rack in which horizontal beams are removably connected to upright posts 
for selective connection and disconnection. Knockdown storage racks have 
upright posts, which are typically rectangular in shape or channel-shaped. 
Usually, the front face of each of the upright posts includes at least one 
and often two rows of vertically spaced apertures for receiving lug-type 
connectors extending from the flanged end plates of the horizontal beams 
to connect the beams to the posts. 
One type of connector, which is particularly advantageous with perforated 
posts, that is, posts having a multitude of apertures or slots, is the 
hook-type connector shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,760,650, 3,490,604 and 
3,871,525, which is sold by Unarco Industries, Inc. under the trademark 
Safety Wedge Lock. 
One problem with some of the Knockdown storage racks is that they have a 
tendency to wobble and shift in both the lateral or longitudinal 
directions under load, such as when the storage rack is accidentally 
struck by a forklift truck. This problem occurs because knockdown storage 
racks do not usually have a rigid interconnection between the horizontal 
beams and the posts in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. 
Excessive shifting may cause damage to the goods stored on the rack, and 
may present a safety harard to personnel working in the area. 
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved knockdown storage rack 
that overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An improved knockdown storage rack is provided that can be readily 
assembled and disassembled without the use of supplemental fasteners or 
the like, and which minimizes shifting and wobbling under load. 
Each upright post of the storage rack has a front face portion that faces 
laterally outward away from the interior of the storage rack and a pair of 
end face portions which are connected to the front face portion. In the 
preferred form, the front face portion includes a recessed front wall that 
is spaced laterally inward from the intersections of the end face portions 
and the front face portion, and which defines a plurality of 
finger-receiving openings. Advantageously, each of the finger-receiving 
openings has at least one inclined side, and preferably a pair of upwardly 
diverging sides, that provides wedging surfaces sloping downwardly and 
away from their adjacent end face portions to wedgingly receive horizontal 
load-carrying beam assemblies. In the preferred form, each of the 
finger-receiving openings is trapezoidal. 
Each of the horizontal beam assemblies includes an elongated load-carrying 
beam that extends generally horizontally in the longitudinal direction. A 
specially configured wedging connector assembly is secured to each end of 
the load-carrying beam to detachably connect and wedgingly secure the beam 
to one of the posts. In the preferred embodiment, the wedging connector 
assembly is generally J-shaped in cross section, as viewed from either the 
top or bottom, and has an elongated abutment plate that lies generally 
transverse to the longitudinal direction of the beam to abuttingly engage 
and bear against one of the end face portions of the post. The wedging 
connector assembly also has as arm plate that extends arcuately from the 
elongated abutment plate and a plurality of downwardly extending 
hook-shaped camming fingers that extend laterally inwardly from the arm 
plate to engage the finger-receiving openings for generally preventing 
substantial downward movement of the beam under load. 
Each of the hook-shaped fingers has a camming portion positioned 
substantially parallel to a corresponding wedging surface of one of the 
finger-receiving openings. When assembled, the camming portion cammingly 
engages and interlockingly wedges against the wedging surface so as to 
substantially prevent longitudinal and lateral shifting and wobbling of 
the beam under load and upon forklift impact. In the illustrative 
embodiment the camming portion is inclined downwardly in the longitudinal 
direction away from the elongated abutment plate and is positioned at an 
angle of inclination relative to the arm plate. 
In order to clampingly and compressively embrace the post and assure a 
rigid wedging interconnection between the beam and post, the distance 
between the elongated abutment plate and any given location on the camming 
portion of one of the hook-shaped camming fingers, when the wedging 
connector assembly is detached from the post, is normally less than the 
longitudinal distance between the end face portion of the post and the 
corresponding wedging surface of the finger-receiving openings at the 
location of the wedging surface corresponding to the given location on the 
camming portion, and the wedging connector assembly is expandable under 
the combined weight of the beam and its load to clampingly embrace and 
wedgingly engage the post. 
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following 
description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a wedgable, knockdown and collapsible 
storage rack 10 which can be readily and easily assembled without the use 
of supplemental fasteners, such as bolts, screws, etc. The storage rack 10 
is particularly useful for supporting load-carrying pallets, which are 
inserted and removed from the storage rack 10 via a forklift truck. The 
storage rack 10 can also be useful for carrying other articles and loads. 
In the illustrative embodiment the storage rack 10 has a pair of adjacent 
storage rack sections or modules 12 and 13 (FIG. 1), which are securely 
connected in an end-to-end array via wedging connector assemblies 14. 
Additional storage rack sections or modules can be attached with use of 
the wedging connector assemblies 14. 
Storage rack 10 has a plurality of generally horizontal load-carrying beam 
assemblies or support bar assemblies 16 (FIG. 1) which are connectable to 
a plurality of upright apertured posts 18 of upright frames 19. Each 
horizontal load-carrying beam assembly 16 includes an elongated generally 
horizontal load-carrying beam 20 extending in the longitudinal direction, 
such as beam 20a and beam 20b, and has a pair of symmetrical wedging 
connector assemblies 14 secured to the opposite ends of the beam 20 for 
snap-fittingly interlocking engagement with posts 18 so as to detachably 
connect and wedgingly secure the beam 20 to the post 18 substantially 
without longitudinal and lateral shifting and wobbling of the beam 20 
under load and upon accidental forklift impact. In the preferred 
embodiment, the beam assemblies 16 and posts 18 are made of metal, such as 
steel. Other types of metal can also be used. 
In FIG. 1 adjacent horizontal beams 20a and 20b are horizontally aligned 
with each other and are rigidly connected to an intermediate post 18a by 
symmetrical (mirror image) wedging connector assemblies 14a and 14b, 
respectively. 
Each upright frame 19 (FIG. 1) has a plurality of horizontal crossbars 22, 
extending transversely in the lateral direction between and 
interconnecting posts 18, and has one or more diagonal braces 24 
connecting the crossbars 22 to provide additional lateral support for the 
storage rack 10. In some circumstances it may also be desirable to mount 
supplementary horizontal crossbars, or a metal deck or fork entry bars, 
upon the beams 20 to provide further support for the load. 
In the preferred embodiment, the beams 20 are tubular and have a generally 
rectangular cross-sectional configuration. While beams 20 such as just 
described are preferred, in some circumstances it may be desirable to use 
solid beams, composite beams, or beams having other cross-sectional 
configurations and shapes, such as open-sided beam or cylindrical beams. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, symmetrical wedging connector assemblies 14a and 
14b are generally J-shaped in cross-section with wedging connector 
assembly 14a being generally J-shaped in cross-section as viewed in bottom 
plan view and wedging connector assembly 14b being generally J-shaped in 
cross-section as viewed in top plan view. In the preferred form, wedging 
connector assemblies 14 are made of spring steel or other resilient metal 
with a hardness less than the hardness of the post 18 so as to be capable 
of flexing longitudinally to an expanded position when connected to posts 
18. 
As shown in FIGS. 2-6, post 18 is tubular with a front face portion 26, a 
back face portion 28 and end face portions 30 and 32. Front face portion 
26 faces laterally outward away from the interior of the storage rack 10 
and is generally tooth-shaped. Back face portion 28 faces laterally inward 
toward the interior of the storage rack 10. End face portions 30 and 32 
are longitudinally opposed to each other and are positioned generally 
parallel to each other. End face portions 30 and 32 extend between and 
connect the front face portion 26 to the back face portion 28. In the 
illustrative embodiment, the front face portion 26 and the end face 
portions 30 and 32 are generally planar or flat and the back face portion 
28 is generally perpendicular to the end face portions 30 and 32, although 
in some circumstances it may be desirable that the front face portion and 
the end face portions be curved or have some other configuration. 
Each of the end face portions 30 and 32 (FIG. 4) face generally in the 
longitudinal direction, with left-hand end face portion 30 facing 
generally toward beam 20a and right-hand end face portion 32 facing 
generally toward beam 20b (see FIG. 1). End face portions 30 and 32 
intersect the front face portion 26 at junctions to form rounded U-shaped 
load-bearing corners 34 and 36, respectively. In the illustrative 
embodiment, each of the end face portions 30 and 32 span a lateral length 
(width) slightly greater than the width of its attached beam 20a or 20b as 
viewed in top plan view. In some circumstances, it may be desirable to use 
end face portions having a different lateral length. 
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, front face portion 26 has a recessed 
apertured front wall 38 that is spaced laterally inward of the corners 34 
and 36 and has a pair of outwardly diverging side walls 39 and 40 that 
connect the recessed front wall 38 to the corners 34 and 36. In the 
illustrative embodiment, the front wall 38 and side walls 39 and 40 are 
generally planar or flat. The intersection of the front wall 38 and side 
walls 39 and 40 form rounded corners to reduce stress. The front wall 38 
is generally perpendicular to the end face portions 30 and 32 and spans a 
distance in the longitudinal direction substantially less than the minimum 
distance between the end face portions 30 and 32. 
In order to facilitate a wedging rigid connection between the upright posts 
18 and beam assemblies 16, the front wall 38 defines a plurality of 
generally trapezoidal-shaped finger-receiving openings or apertures 42 
(FIGS. 2 and 3) that are positioned in general vertical alignment with 
each other. Each of the trapezoidal-shaped openings 42 has upwardly 
diverging inclined sides 42a and 42b, extending between and connecting the 
bottom 42c and top 42d of the finger-receiving opening 42. Top 42d is 
longer than bottom 42c. Inclined sides 42a and 42b are positioned at an 
obtuse angle of inclination relative to the bottom 42c for providing 
wedging surfaces 42a and 42b adjacent side walls 39 and 40, respectively. 
Wedging surfaces 42a and 42b slope downwardly and away from end face 
portions 30 and 32, respectively. In the illustrative embodiment the 
wedging surfaces 42a and 42b are positioned at an obtuse angle of 
inclination of about 961/2 degrees relative to the bottom 42c. While this 
angle of inclination is preferred, other angles can be used, if desired. 
In the illustrative embodiment, sides 42a and 42b, bottom 42c, and top 42d 
are generally planar or straight. In some circumstances, however, it may 
be desirable that the sides, bottom and top of the finger-receiving 
openings be curved or have a different configuration or shape. 
In the illustrative embodiment, each of the posts 18 has trapezoidal-shaped 
knockouts, tabs or punchings 46 that are frangibly connected to the posts 
18. (See FIG. 2). The knockouts 46 when pushed inwardly into the interior 
of the post 18 form the trapezoidal-shaped openings 42. In some 
circumstances the knockouts 46 when pushed inwardly can remain detachably 
connected to the post 18 so as not to interfere with the assembly and 
connection of wedging connector assemblies 14. In other circumstances it 
may be preferred to break off the knockouts 46 so that they fall and 
collect in the bottom of the interior of the post 18. 
Preferably, a desired number of knockouts 46 are pushed inwardly into the 
interior of posts 18 to form the desired number of trapezoidal openings 42 
at the plant before the posts are shipped to the installation site. For 
example, knockouts spaced on three inch centers could be selectively 
pushed inward. 
Generally T-shaped wedging plugs or anti-debris accumulating plugs 47 (FIG. 
3) made of plastic or other material are wedgingly inserted in the post 
openings 42 after the wedging connector assemblies 14 have been installed 
and connected to the posts 18 to fill any gaps or space in the post 
openings 42 not occupied by the wedging connector assemblies 14. The plugs 
47 serve to plug up the openings 42 to prevent accumulation of comestible 
material and other debris within the interior of the post, which might 
otherwise attract vermin, insects etc. and present an unsanitary and 
unacceptable condition. The plugs 47, therefore, help provide a clean 
sanitary storage rack 10 which is particularly advantageous to the food 
industry such as for warehouses storing food products. 
Structurally, each wedging connector assembly 14a and 14b (FIG. 4) has an 
elongated abutment plate 48a or 48b which is firmly connected and secured, 
such as by welding, to the beam 20a or 20b, from which it extends. When 
storage rack 10 is assembled, elongated abutment plates 48a and 48b are 
positioned generally parallel to each other and extend in the lateral 
direction. In the illustrative embodiment, elongated abutment plates 48a 
and 48b are generally planar or flat and are shaped complementary to the 
end face portions 30 and 32 of the post 18. In the preferred embodiment, 
elongated abutment plates 48a and 48b are of a size to abuttingly engage 
and bear against most of the lateral length of end face portions 30 and 
32, respectively, as viewed in top plan view. In some circumstances, 
however, it may be desirable to have smaller abutment plates which do not 
abuttingly engage and bear against most of the lateral length of the end 
face portions 30 and 32. Furthermore, in those circumstances where it is 
desirable to use posts having curved end face portions, elongated abutment 
plates should have a similar complementary configuration. 
Each of the wedging connector assemblies 14a and 14b also have an arm plate 
50a or 50b (FIG. 4) which extends at an angle relative to its associated 
elongated abutment plate 48a or 48b. In the illustrative embodiment, the 
arm plates 50a and 50b are generally planar or straight and are 
substantially shorter than the elongated abutment plates 48a and 48b. When 
the storage rack 10 is assembled, arm plates 50a and 50b are spaced 
closely adjacent and generally parallel to the side walls 39 and 40, 
respectively. A generally U-shaped, rounded connecting portion (bight) 52a 
or 52b integrally connects the arm plate 50a or 50b to the elongated 
abutment plate 48a or 48b. In the illustrative embodiment, each arm plate 
50a and 50b is inclined at an angle of about 20 degrees relative to its 
attached elongated abutment plate 48a or 48b. While this angle of 
inclination is preferred, other angles can be used, if desired. In some 
circumstances, it may be desirable to use arcuate arm plates. 
As shown in FIGS. 2-6, a set of downwardly extending hook-shaped camming 
fingers 54a or 54b extend laterally inward from the innermost edge 49a or 
49b of arm plate 50a or 50b. Preferably, the hook-shaped camming fingers 
of each set are positioned in general vertical alignment with each other 
and are in registration with the trapezoidal-shaped finger-receiving 
openings 42 to engage the trapezoidal-shaped openings 42. In the 
illustrative embodiment, each of the wedging connector assemblies 14a and 
14b has three hook-shaped camming fingers 54a and 54b (FIG. 3), although 
in some circumstances it may be desirable to have more or fewer 
hook-shaped camming fingers. 
Each of the fingers 54a and 54b has an inverted generally U-shaped crotch 
56 (FIGS. 5 and 6) along its underside, located adjacent the arm plate 50a 
or 50b, to hook upon and be supported by the bottom 42c of a 
finger-receiving opening 42. When storage rack 10 is assembled, crotch 56 
generally prevents substantial downward movement of its attached beam 20a 
or 20b. The top side of each finger 54a and 54b has a rounded knuckle 58 
(FIGS. 5 and 6) positioned laterally inward of the crotch 56. A fingertip 
60 integrally extends generally downward from the knuckle 58. The 
underside 62 of each fingertip 60 is curved or arcuate with a convex 
configuration that faces generally laterally outward to facilitate entry 
of the fingers 54a and 54b on the bottom 42c of the openings 42. 
In order to facilitate ease of entry of the fingers 54a and 54b and the top 
42d of the openings 42, each fingertip 60 has an inclined upper edge 64 
sloping laterally inwardly and downwardly. In the illustrative embodiment 
the leading face 66 of each fingertip 60 is vertical. 
Advantageously, each of the hook-shaped fingers 54a and 54b has a camming 
portion 68 (FIG. 3) that generally faces its attached elongated abutment 
plate 48a or 48b. In the preferred embodiment, the camming portions 68a of 
the left-hand wedging connector assembly 14a (FIGS. 3 and 4) are 
positioned substantially parallel to the left-hand wedging surfaces 42a, 
and the camming portion 68b of the right-hand wedging connector assembly 
14b are positioned generally parallel to the right-hand wedging surfaces 
42b. Each camming portion 68a and 68b is inclined at an angle of 
inclination relative to its attached arm plate 50a or 50b as well as to a 
vertical plane, such as vertical portions 30 and 32 (FIGS. 2 and 4) of the 
post 18. In the illustrative embodiment, each of the camming portions 68a 
and 68b is twisted at about a 61/2 degree angle relative to a vertical 
plane. While this angle of inclination is preferred, other angles of 
inclination can be used, if desired. 
When assembled and connected, camming portions 68a and 68b cammingly engage 
and interlockingly wedge against the wedging surfaces 42a and 42b, 
respectively. The amount of wedging increases (until U-shaped crotches 56 
of fingers 54 are fully sealed against the associated bottoms 42c of 
finger-receiving openings 42) as heavier loads are placed upon the beams 
20, i.e., the beams 20a and 20b move slightly downward with increased load 
to increase the wedging interconnection and resistance to separation 
between the camming portions 68a and 68b and the wedging surfaces 42a and 
42b. 
In order to clampingly embrace and wedgingly engage the posts 18, each of 
the wedging connector assemblies 14 is constructed and arranged to span a 
minimum longitudinal distance, between the elongated abutment plate 48a or 
48b and any given location on the camming portion 68a or 68b of one of the 
hook-shaped camming fingers 54a or 54b when the wedging connector assembly 
14a or 14b is detached and spaced away from the post 18, that is normally 
less than the longitudinal span or distance between the end face portion 
30 or 32 of the post 18 and the corresponding wedging surface 42a or 42b 
of the trapezoidal-shaped finger-receiving openings 42 at the location on 
the wedging surface 42a or 42b that corresponds to the above location on 
the camming portion 68a or 68b. When connected to the posts 18, the 
wedging connector assemblies 14 expand to a distance slightly greater than 
the longitudinal span between the end face portion 30 or 32 and the 
wedging surfaces 42a or 42b, respectively, under the combined weight of 
the beam 20a or 20b and its load. 
In order to obtain the desired interconnection, the ratio of the lateral 
distance or span X (FIG. 4) between the inward or vertical edge 51a or 51b 
of the arm plates 50a and 50b and the U-shaped connecting portion 52a or 
52b, to the lateral distance or span between the inward end or vertical 
edge 49a or 49b of the elongated abutment plate 48a or 48b and the 
U-shaped connection portion 52a or 52b, respectively, is in the range of 
from about 1:4 to about 1:2. One preferred ratio is about 1:3. Most 
preferably, the ratio is about 1:2. 
To assemble the storage rack 10, each beam 20 is sequentially raised to the 
desired height where the hook-shaped camming fingers 54a and 54b are 
inserted into the trapezoidal-shaped openings 42. Thereafter, the beam 
assemblies 16 are moved slightly downward to effect wedging between the 
camming portions 68a or 68b and the wedging surfaces 42a or 42b. The 
wedging action will increase or deepen, as the beam 20 moves downwardly 
with increased load, until fingers 54 are fully seated in openings 42. 
In order to remove or detach the beam assemblies 16 from the posts 18, the 
above procedure should be reversed. 
The beam assemblies 16 can be raised or lowered to different heights by (a) 
pushing in knockouts 46 to form the post openings 42 at the desired 
heights, (b) detaching the beam assemblies 18 to be raised or lowered, and 
(c) connecting the hooked-shaped camming fingers 54a and 54b of the beam's 
wedging connector assemblies 14 to the desired post openings in the manner 
described above. Trapezoidal-shaped wedging plugs or anti-debris 
accumulating plugs 70 (FIG. 2) made of plastic or other material can be 
wedgingly inserted in any open slots to prevent accumulation of comestible 
material and other debris. These features help provide for an adjustable, 
clean and sanitary storage rack 10. 
Some of the many advantages of the above wedging interconnection are the 
tightness of its fit and its ability to effectively resist vertical and 
horizontal rotation--as well as longitudinal, lateral and vertical 
shifting--of the beam. This is attributable to the combined effect of the 
lateral offset of the recessed front wall of the post, the compressive 
engagement between the elongated abutment plate of the wedging connector 
assembly and the end face portion of the post, the wedging line contact in 
the longitudinal and vertical directions between the camming portions of 
the hook-shaped camming fingers and the wedging surfaces of the 
finger-receiving apertures (in contrast to vertical point contact between 
standard hook-shaped fingers and the bottom edge of slots in conventional 
non-wedging posts), and the overall interrelationship between the 
structural elements of the post and the wedging connector assembly. 
It is believed that, because of the narrow span of the recessed front wall 
of the post, a thinner gauge material can be used for the post than in 
conventional storage racks and still effectively resist the moment and 
bending forces of the beam that tend to push the beam laterally outward 
(forward). 
The preceding detailed description has been given for ease of understanding 
only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as 
modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.