AN ARRANGEMENT FOR DISPLACEABLE SUPPORTING ARTICLES OF FURNITURE

Abstract: There is described an arrangement for movably and guidingly supporting articles or furniture, such as enclosed shelving systems, cabinets, cupboards and like articles. The arrangement includes a carriage (2) which is provided with guide wheels (8) and runners (6) and which is intended to be placed beneath the article of furniture to be supported. The arrangement further comprises at least two mutually parallel rails (3, 4) which are placed on a floor surface or like supporting surface and which co-act with the wheels and runners on the carriage (2) in moving and guiding the article of furniture carried thereby. The rails comprise a respective profiled section which presents a horizontal surface which is intended to be located at a desired height or level above the floor or like surface and to co-act with the carriage runners (6), and which presents two flank surfaces (7) which slope outwardly from the region of the horizontal surface (5) down towards the floor or like surface and which co-act with the carriage guide wheels (8). These flank surfaces also serve as drive-over ramps and stumble guards. Each rail section is preferably open towards the floor and has arranged internally therein devices which bear supportingly against the floor and which are effective in adjusting the level or the rail in relation to the floor surface.

Description: An arrangement for displaceable supporting articles of furniture. The present invention relates to an arrangement which is intended for displaceably supporting and guiding articles of furniture such as enclosed shelving systems, cabinets, cupboards and like articles, and which is of the kind which comprises a carriage which is equipped with run¬ ners and guide wheels and which is intended to be placed beneath the article of furniture concerned, and which fur¬ ther comprises at least two mutually parallel rails which are placed on the floor or like support surface for co-ac¬ tion with the carriage wheels and runners. Such furniture carrying arrangements are used to enable available spaces to be used more effectively, inter alia in offices, libraries, office records locations, and storerooms, and may, for instance, have .the form ,pf rail mounted shelving-systems which can be moved between diffe¬ rent positions on said rails, e.g. so-called compact shelv¬ ing systems or compact storage systems. One drawback with present day systems of this kind is, inter alia, that the work involved in fitting the rails to the floor of a building is relatively complicated and expensive. The reason for this is because the rails must either be sunk into the floor or the floor surface located between the rails must be built-up, so as not to prevent the passage,for instance of other wheeled carriages across the rails. Rails which are left proud on the floor surface also pre¬ sent a stumbling hazard, since they can be readily tripped over or stumbled on. When a space between the rails is built up, e.g. with an intermediate floor section, it is necessary to fit ramps to the outer rails, so as to enable carriages to be moved across the rails, and also to elimi¬ nate the risk of stumbling over rails which are proud, i.e protrude above the surface of the floor. The channels or recesses formed in the floor for accommodating the rails also form not-readily cleaned dirt or dust traps. This also applies to the guide tracks in the actual rails themselves when using rails of the kind normally required for the guide wheels of known arrangements. A further drawback with known arrangements of this kind is that the rails used therewith cannot be adjusted heightwise, e.g. to compensate for irregularities in the floor surface. Instead, it is necessary to pack the rails with inserts or shins of suitable thickness, which among other things further complicates the task of fitting the rails to the floor and aligning the rails. The result also detracts from the desired aesthetic appearance and hence the aforesaid intermediate flooring is also utilized to hide the support surface. The main object of the present invention is to pro¬ vide an arrangement for displaceably installing articles of furniture with which, inter alia, the aforesaid drawbacks are at least substantially overcome. This object is achie¬ ved with a rail system which consists of a rigid unitary structure which can be placed readily ir. an desired posi¬ tion on the floor or corresponding support surface and sub¬ sequently moved therefrom if required. The rails used here¬ with have an aesthetic form which will effectively guide therealong the carriage carrying said article of furniture and which eliminates the need for intermediate flooring. In accordance with the invention an arrangement of the kind mentioned in the introduction is characterized in that rails comprise a profiled section which presents a horizontal surface for co-action with the carriage runners at ε desi¬ red distance above the floor surface ancf twc flank surfaces which slope outwardly from the regicn of the horizontal surface down towards said floor surface and which cc-act with the carriage guide-wheels, these inclined flank sur¬ faces also serving as ranps which facilitate movement of objects across the rails and eliminate stumbling hazards, hereinafter referred to as cross-over ramps and stumble guards. A carriage which is guided for movement on such rails can be easily moved therealong and is suitably con¬ structed to carry the article of furniture concerned. The carriage guide wheels are preferably arranged to run on the mutually facing, inner flank surfaces of a rail pair and preferably rotate about axes which extend substan¬ tially parallel with said flank surfaces. In order to enable adjustments to be made to the vertical height of the rails above the floor surface, so as to compensate for irregularities in the floor surface, each rail preferably consists of an open profiled section having arranged internally thereof devices which support against the floor surface and which enable the height of respective rails to be adjusted. In this regard the arrangement pre¬ ferably includes an elongated support plate which is inten¬ ded to lie against the floor surface and which has verti¬ cally adjustable, upstanding rail support devices provided thereon. According to one preferred embodiment each adjust¬ ment device includes a screw component which is in screw- thread engagement with a barrel-nut component, wherein either the nut or the screw component is attached to the plate and the other component co-acts with the rail in a manner to adjust the vertical height thereof above the floor. The adjustment component which co-acts with the rail to adjust its vertical height is conveniently rotatable and is guided in the rail so as to raise or lower the rail in response to the direction in which said component is rota¬ ted. The rail will also conveniently have provided therein an aperture through which said component can be reached for the purpose of rotating the same. The rail adjusting device described above thus affords the important advantage of enabling the height of the rail above the floor surface to be adjusted as and when desired, thus even subsequent to fitting the rail, without needing to dismantle the entire rail system. In order to enable the rail system to be readily placed on the floor surface, the rails of each rail pair are preferably interconnected by transverse spacer members. The carriage may comprise a frame structure con¬ structed from box-beams having runners which are sunk or let partially into two mutually opposing side beams, and in which a guide wheel is conveniently placed adjacent each runner and journalled in adjustable bracket structures which are attached to the carriage and which extend obli¬ quely down towards and essentially parallel with the res¬ pective flank surfaces of the rails. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an enclosed shelving system movably mounted on a rail system constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a front view which illustrates the carriage carrying the shelving system of Figure' 1 and associated rails; Figure 3 is a horizontal view of a carriage and an associated rail system according to the invention; and Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3. Figure 1 illustrates an enclosed or compact shelving system 1 placed on a carriage 2 which can be moved along two rails 3 and 4. The rails comprise profiled sections which are open towards the floor surface or like support surface and which present an upper horizontal surface 5 for co-action with runners 6 journalled on the carriage 2, and flank surfaces 7 which slope outwardly down towards the floor surface and which co-act guidingly with guide wheels (not visible in Figure 1) running ■ on the inwardly facing surfaces of respective rails. The rails 3 and 4 may have a very low vertical extension, or height, which in conjunc¬ tion with the inclined flank surfaces 7 provides a rail structure which can be placed directly on the surface of the floor or like support surface without obstructing the passage of other wheeled carriages or presenting a serious stumbling hazard. Figure 2 is a front view of the carriage 2 which has arranged along side edges thereof two U-shaped channels for supporting the side walls of the enclosed shelving system illustrated in Figure 1. The carriage runners 6 run on the upper horizontal surfaces of the floor rails, whereas the guide wheels 8 mounted on the underside of the carriage co-act guidingly with the inwardly facing flank surfaces 7 of respective rails. The guide wheels 8 are journalled on bracket structures 9 which project outwardly at right ang¬ les, or substantially at right angles to the flank surfaces 7, so that the wheels will rotate about axes which extend parallel or substantially parallel with the flank surfaces 7. The bracket structures 9 are adjustably mounted on the carriage 8, in the illustrating embodiment with the aid of bolts which are accommodated in elongated slots or like apertures which will permit positional adjustments to be made to said brackets. A carriage which is supported in this manner can be readily moved along the rails with all movement of the carriage precisely controlled. Thus, there is no tendency of the enclosed shelving system to stick.or jam on the rails. Arranged between the floor surface and the rails are suitable devices for adjusting the height or level of the rails above the floor, these adjustment devices being described hereinafter in greater detail with reference to Figure 4. Figure 3 is a horizontal, schematic view of the carriage 2. The illustrated carriage comprises a box-beam frame structure, in which the guide wheels 6 are let parti- ally into two mutually opposing side beams of the frame. As will be seen, each runner 6 has a guide wheel 8 located adjacent thereto, the runners and wheels being shown here in broken lines. The reference 10 identifies slot-like apertures provided in both the bracket structures and in the carriage beams so as to enable adjustments to be made to the settings of the guide wheels. The rails 3,4 of each pair of rails are interconnec¬ ted by transverse spacer members in the form of flat irons_ 11, which hold the rails in an exactly parallel and rigid relationship and enable the rail construction to be placed loosely, in the form of a structural unit, on the floor surface and subsequently re-located thereon if so desired. The reference 12 in Figure 3 identifies apertures through which adjustment means for adjusting the height of the rails relative to the floor surface can be reached with an appropriate tool. The reference 13 identifies suitable end stops for the carriage 2. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3 and illustrates the carriage 2 and one runner 6 which is let into one side beam 14 of the carriage struc¬ ture. The downwardly facing defining surface of the beam 14 has formed therein an elongated opening through which the runner 6 can engage the horizontal surface of its assocai- ted rail. The Figure shows the mutual co-action betwen the runner 6 and the horizontal surface 5 and between the guide wheel 8 and the inclined flank surface 7 of the rail. In order to adjust the height of the rail in rela¬ tion to the supporting floor surface, e.g. to compensate for irregularities in the floor, the rail of the illustra¬ ted embodiment includes an elongated support plate 15 which is intended to lie in abutment with the floor and on which upstanding screws 16 are arranged at equidistances apart. The screws 16 co-act with barrel nuts 17 which are guided for rotation in a transverse spacer plate 18 arranged in the rail. The barrel nuts 17 have a head portion 19 which can be brought into supportive co-action with the upper horizontal surface 5 of the rail such as to raise the rail or optionally, in conjunction with the spacer plate 18, to lower said rail. The nut 19 can be rotated with the aid of a suitable tool, e.g. a hexagonal spanner or Allen key inserted through the aperture 12 in the rail. This construction enables the level of the horizon¬ tal surfaces of respective rails relative to the floor sur¬ face to be adjusted readily, subsequent to placing the rail on said surface, and also enables subsequent adjustments to be made if so required. The spacer plate 18 will also sta¬ bilize the rails in a manner which will allow the flank surfaces to serve as ramps which facilitate the passage of other wheeled carriages or the like across the rails, i.e. drive-over ramps, even when a rail is lifted slightly away from the floor. Thus, no additional, obstructive or distur¬ bing inserts are required to lift the rails of the inven¬ tive arrangement and any gaps or joins between the flank surfaces of the rails and the floor can be filled or cove¬ red with a plastic jointing compound. This will provide an impervious covering against the ingress of dirt, dust, etc., and affords a beneficial arrangement which locks dif¬ ficultly cleaned spaces in which dust can collect. The embodiment described in the aforegoing is a pre¬ ferred embodiment which exemplifies the general concept of the invention. The arrangement can be operated manually and also with the aid of hand-operated or motor-driven crank devi ces in a conventional manner. The illustrated arrangement can also be modified without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the following claims. For example the devices used to adjust the level of the rails in rela¬ tion to the floor surface may have a different construction to that described and illustrated, and the illustrated adjustment devices may be attached differently to the manner shown. For example, the positions of the nuts and sleeves may be reversed. Other easily adjustable devices capable o adjusting the height of the rails above the floor surface

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An arrangement for mutually supporting and guiding articles of furniture, such as enclosed shelving systems, cabinets, and like articles, said arrangement comprising a carriage (2) which is provided with runners and with guide wheels and which is intended to be positioned beneath the article to be carried thereby, and further comprising at least two mutually parallel rails (3j4) which are intended to be placed on a floor or like surface for co-action with the runners and guide wheels of said carriage, characteri¬ zed in that the rails comprise profiled sections which present a horizontal surface (5) for co-action with the runners (6) of the carriage (2) at a desired height above the floor or like surface, and two inclined flank surfaces (7) which slope outwardly from said horizontal surface (5) down towards the floor or like surface and which cc-act with the guide wheels (8) of said carriage, said flank sur¬ faces also being intended to serve as drive-over ranps and as stumble guards. 2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the carriage guide wheels (8) are caused tc co-act with the mutually facing flank surfaces (7) of a pair of rails (3,4). 3- An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the carriage guide wheels (8) are journalled fcr rotation about axes which extend substantially parallel with said flank surfaces (7). 4. An arrangement according to any of Claims 1-3, cha¬ racterized in that each rail (3,4) comprises a profiled section which is open towards the floor or like surface an which includes within said open section adjustment means (15, 16, 17) which are intended to bear supportingly against said floor or like surface for the purpose of adjusting the vertical height level of the rail in relation to the floor or like surface. 5. An arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the adjustment means comprise an elongated support plate (15) for abutment with the floor or like surface and upstanding devices (16,17) which extend vertically from the plate (15) and which can be adjusted to desired heights above said plate. 6.- An arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that each adjustment means includes a screw component (16) and a barrel-nut component (17) in screw engagement with said screw component, wherein either the screw or the barrel-nut component is attached to the support plate (15) and the other component co-acts with the rail (3,4), 7. An arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that the component (17) of the adjustment means which co-acts with the rail (3,4) is rotatable and is so guided in the rail as to lift or lower the rail in response to the direction of rotation of said component; and in that the rail has provided therein an aperture (12) through which said component can be reached for rotation. 8. An arrangement according to any of Claims 1-7, cha¬ racterized in that the two rails (3,4) are interconnected by means of transverse spacer members (11) such as to en¬ able the arrangement to be placed as a unit in any desired position on the floor or like structure. 9. An arrangement according to any of Claims 1-8, cha¬ racterized in that the carriage (2) comprises a frame structure constructed from box beams (14); and in that runners (6) are let partially into two mutually opposing beams of said frame structure. 10. An arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that one guide wheel (8) is located adjacent each runner (6); and in that the guide wheels are journalled in bracket structures (9) which are adjustably mounted on the carriage and which incline downwardly towards and are substantially perpendicular to respective flank surfaces (7) of the rails (3,4).

Inventors: EKLUND ANTE, SEGERPALM HANS, EKLUND, ANTE, SEGERPALM, HANS
Applicants: SWEDE SPACE DESIGN AB
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A47B53
IPC codes: A47B53