Shelf support strip

Presented is a shelf support strip fabricated from a synthetic resinous material and comprising an elongated base member configured in channel form for strength and rigidity and having integrally formed with the web thereof a series of spaced reinforced projections flexible and resilient in their nature and configured to support a shelf disposed thereabove.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There has been a continuing need for a shelf support strip that is easily 
applied, is economically manufacturable and which permits the ready 
applicability of shelves thereon. The prior art is replete with many 
different types of shelf support brackets, hangers, strips and various 
other devices for supporting a shelf between two upright parallel end 
boards. So far as is known, none of these shelf support means are 
fabricated from a plastic or synthetic resinous material. Accordingly, one 
of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a shelf 
support strip or bracket that is wholly fabricated from a synthetic 
resinous material. 
Many conventional shelf support means utilize two or three different parts. 
One of such parts frequently takes the form of an elongated strip, pairs 
of which are securely fastened to opposite upstanding end boards in a 
shelf assembly, the elongated strips being apertured for application of a 
second member which is adjusted in height along the length of the strip so 
as to level the shelves. The shelf support member applied to the apertured 
strip constitutes a separate element and therefore is not integral with 
the strip on which it is supported and has the tendency to introduce a 
weak link into the shelf support system. Accordingly, another object of 
the invention is to provide a shelf support strip in which all parts 
thereof except the screw that attaches the strip to the shelf support end 
board is integral and formed in a single unit. 
Conventional shelf support brackets and strips utilize a movable or 
adjustable shelf hanger unit, generally applicable to an apertured strip 
so that the hanger unit may be adjusted in height depending upon the 
height of books, for instance, that might be stacked on a shelf. The 
present invention eliminates such extra and separate parts and provides a 
shelf support member integral with the shelf support base strip and formed 
in such a way that a shelf may be inserted below a shelf support unit or 
shell and may be raised upwardly so as to initially collapse the shelf 
support unit to permit passage of the shelf, and which then pops out and 
supports the shelf once the shelf has been properly positioned for such 
support. 
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of 
which with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description 
and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not 
limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, since it may be 
embodied in different forms within the scope of the appended claims. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In terms of broad inclusion, the shelf support strip of the invention 
comprises a channel-shaped member preferably injection-molded from a 
suitable synthetic resinous material and having a multiplicity of 
reinforcing ribs formed within the channel to lend strength to the web 
that extends integrally between the two side flanges of each channel. Also 
integrally formed at spaced intervals along the length of the 
injection-molded strip are apertures surrounded by integral cylindrical 
support post. At spaced intervals along the web of the channel, there are 
provided a multiplicity or series of shelf support units, each shelf 
support unit being integral with the web and being formed with a generally 
flat upper shelf support edge which projects from the surface of the web 
at right angles thereto, and which forms the top edge of a generally 
divergent or conically shaped body portion that merges with the surface of 
the web. The configuration of the channel is such as to provide rigidity 
for the strip, while the configuration and thickness of the shelf support 
unit or shell is controlled to provide collapsibility of the shelf support 
unit inwardly toward the surface of the web so that the end of the shelf 
may be squeezed past the collapsed shelf support unit in an upward 
direction until it is properly positioned for support on the top edge of 
the shelf support unit after it pops back into its normal position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In terms of greater detail, the shelf support strip of the invention 
comprises an elongated unit designated generally by the numeral 2, and 
including a web 3 integrally connected with a pair of side flanges 4 and 
6. Integrally formed at regular intervals on the inside surface 7 of the 
web are a plurality of reinforcing ribs 8 that extend integrally between 
the side flanges 4 and 6 at intervals along the web. Also formed 
integrally at spaced intervals along the length of the shelf support unit 
are cylindrical posts 9, each of which defines an aperture 12 through 
which an appropriate screw (not shown) may be inserted for attachment of 
the shelf support strip to a supporting bookcase member. 
On the exposed or facing surface 13 of the elongated shelf support strip 
there is provided a multiplicity or series of equally spaced integral 
projections 14 having the general configuration of one-half of an inverted 
hollow cone, the apex end 16 of the hollow inverted half cone being 
integral with the web 3, the integrality continuing upwardly from the apex 
end 16 of the hollow half conical shell to the base edge or end 17 which 
lies perpendicular to the front surface 13 of the elongated shelf support 
strip 2. The web under the inverted hollow cone is apertured as shown, the 
half cone being integral to the web along the edge of the aperture. 
It should be noted that the half cone-like integral shell member 14 
projects from the surface 13 for a distance approximately equal to the 
height of the flanges 4 and 6, and that the upper edge 17 of the half 
conical shell 14 is somewhat thinner than the shell at the integral apex 
end 16, the increasing thickness from the upper edge 17 to the apex end 16 
being a gradually increasing characteristic to lend strength to the 
structure. For additional strength, while permitting the characteristic of 
collapsibility to the projecting member 14, there is provided an elongated 
strengthening rib 18 formed integrally within the half conical shell and 
positioned as illustrated in FIG. 4 along the median line of the half 
conical shell and projecting inwardly from the inner surface 19 of the 
half conical shell. The integral rib 18 extends downwardly to almost the 
apex end of the half conical shell as illustrated. 
Preferably, the elongated shelf support strips 2 are fabricated in 2 or 3 
foot lengths. It sometimes becomes necessary for two such lengths of shelf 
support strips to be joined one to the other so as to form a continuous 
elongated strip having a length equal to a multiple of one of the strips. 
To accommodate such interlocking relationship reference is made to FIG. 9 
in which it is seen that one end of each strip is formed with an aperture 
21 formed by elimination of the web 3 at this point, side flanges 4 and 6 
being formed with opposite mutually reaching projections 22 as illustrated 
in FIG. 9, the inner edges of the projections 22 being spaced apart to 
provide a throat 23. The opposite end of this strip, illustrated in the 
drawings by showing the complimentary end of an adjacent associated strip, 
is formed with a lug 24 adapted to fit snuggly in the aperture 21, the lug 
24 being formed by a continuation of the web as illustrated, with recesses 
26 formed to accommodate the inwardly extending lugs 22. When the two ends 
of the adjacent strips are interlocked, it will be noted that the neck 
portion 27 formed as a continuation of the web 3 and formed integrally 
with the lug 24 will lie in the neck opening 23 of the associated shelf 
support strip while the lugs 22 will lie in the recesses 26, thus 
interlocking the two strips end-to-end. 
To attach the shelf support strip, or pairs of them, within a bookcase for 
instance, reference is made to FIG. 8 where there is shown a bookcase 
designated generally by the numberal 28, the bookcase having a back wall 
29 and end or side walls 31, a top wall 32, and a bottom wall 33. Suitably 
secured within this enclosure, preferably on each side or end wall of the 
bookcase, are a pair of shelf support strips 2, spaced apart laterally as 
shown, so that shelves 34 shown in broken lines in the figure may be 
supported on the inwardly projecting shelf support half conical shells 14 
as previously discussed. Each of the strips is suitable secured to the 
side or end walls of the bookcase by an appropriate fastening device 36 
which may be a bolt or screw extending through the opening 12 in the 
strip. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7, to apply a shelf 34 between laterally 
spaced pairs of the shelf support strips, the shelf 34 is inserted between 
the facing surfaces 13 of the opposed strips, and is then pushed upwardly 
as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 7 in the direction of the arrows. Upward 
motion of the shelf causes the end of the shelf to impinge against the 
surface of the projecting half conical shell 14 and in effect "cams" the 
half conical shell so that it collapses into the configuration illustrated 
in FIG. 7, thus permitting the end of the shelf to squeeze past the 
normally projecting shelf support shell 14 until it assumes the proper 
position as illustrated in FIG. 5 above the underlying and now normally 
projecting shelf support unit which has popped out of its collapsed 
position as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 5 and in full lines in 
FIG. 7 after passage of the shelf. With the shelf in place as illustrated 
in FIGS. 5,7, and 8, downward pressure on the shelf imposes a downward 
thrust on the upper edge 17 of the half conical shell, the downward thrust 
being transmitted through the half conical shell into the web 3 so as to 
adequately support the shelf thereon.