Racking structure and support member therefor

Abstract: A racking structure comprises vertical members or struts (6), a rectangular shelf (8) and four support members (10) by which the shelf may be mounted on the struts. Thus each strut (6) comprises spaced side walls (12) provided at regular spaced intervals with apertures or slots in each of which a support member (10) may be located. Each support member comprises a central portion (28) from one end of which a up-turned leg (30) is provided, whilst extending downwardly therefrom is a first supplementary leg (32), the distance between the inside face of the leg (30) and the outside face of the leg (32) being equal to the thickness of the wall (12). Extending from an opposite end of the portion (28) is a second supplementary leg (34), inclined to the central portion: when the support member (10) is inserted with its leg (30) located in one of the apertures (14) engaging the inner face (12 a ) of the wall immediately above the slot (14), the leg (32) engages the outer face (12 b ) of the wall immediately below the slot (14), whilst the leg (34) engages the face (12 b ) of the wall at a position spaced from the aperture (14). Extending upwardly from the central portion (28) is an engagement portion (36), one face (38) of which is inclined away from the first leg (30) over which an aperture (25) in the shelf may be located.

Description: This invention is concerned with improvements relating to racking structures, comprising a plurality of upright members or struts, at least one shelf, and a plurality of support members or clips adapted to be engaged within apertures of the struts and by which the shelf may be supported between the struts. Conventionally a racking structure "bay" comprises four struts disposed at the corners of a rectangle, and four clips adapted to be interfitted with the struts at selected horizontal positions to support the shelf in a horizontal plane. In practice each pair of struts may form the vertical support for two adjacent bays, and each bay may comprise a plurality of shelves, each supported by four clips. In addition bracing struts may be connected diagonally between adjacent struts to provide for rigidity of the structure. Difficulty is conventionally encountered in maximising the load bearing capability of the racking structure whilst maintaining ease of erection, and for providing the necessary rigidity without unduly adding to the number of components adequately to brace the structure. FR-A-2247883 discloses a display unit whose upright members carry shelf units which comprise plates each having two legs engaging a respective upright member at spaced regions. FR-A-2030248 discloses a support member for a racking structure comprising a plurality of upright members and at least one shelf, the support member comprising a central portion and two legs extending from one end of the central portion, the first leg being adapted to be inserted through an aperture of one of the upright members to engage the inner side of the upright member above the aperture, and the second leg being adapted to engage the upright member on the outer side thereof immediately beneath the aperture, and an engagement portion extending generally upwardly with respect to the central portion at a position spaced from the first leg to cooperate with a location aperture of the shelf, the engagement portion comprising an inclined face operative to draw the shelf towards the upright member as the shelf is lowered relative to the support member. In accordance with this invention a support member of the kind set out above is characterised in that the support member comprises a supplementary leg extending from the other end of the central portion to engage said outer side of the upright member at a position spaced from that at which the first leg engages the upright member, there being a region of non-engagement with said outer side between said second and supplementary legs. Preferably the inclined surface of the engagement portion terminates at its lower end with a non-inclined portion to locate the shelf positively in relation to the support member. According to this invention there is also provided a racking structure comprising a plurality of upright members, at least one shelf and a plurality of support members adapted to be engaged within apertures of the upright members and by which the shelf may be supported between the upright members, the shelf being provided at each corner region thereof with an aperture which may be positioned over a support member to locate the shelf in relation to the upright member, wherein the support members are as set out in the last preceding paragraph or the last preceding paragraph but one. Preferably the shelf is resiliently compressible against the outer side of the upright member when the shelf is mounted on the support member. There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a racking structure which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example. In the accompanying drawings: FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of part of the racking structure which is the preferred embodiment of this invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a support member of the preferred embodiment; and FIGURE 3 is a plan view of Figure 1. The racking structure which is the preferred embodiment of this invention will be described in relation to one bay only, comprising four vertical members or struts 6, a rectangular shelf 8, and four support members 10 by which the shelf may be mounted on the struts 6. However only one corner of the bay is shown in the drawings, and it is to be understood that each of the other corners is similar. Each strut 6 comprises (inter alia) spaced side walls 12 provided at regular spaced intervals with apertures or slots 14. The struts are erected at the corners of a rectangle of such a size to allow the shelf 8 to be located between inwardly-facing ones of the side walls 12. Each support member 10 is conveniently formed as a metal pressing, comprising a central portion 28 from one end of which an up-turned leg 30 is provided, whilst extending downwardly therefrom is a second leg 32, the distance between the inside face of the leg 30 and the outside face of the leg 32 being equal to the thickness of the wall 12. The leg 30 is so dimensioned so as to enable it to be inserted upwardly into a slot 14 into a position in which it engages the inner face 12 a of the wall 12 immediately above the slot 14, and the central portion 28 extends horizontally. In this position the leg 32 rests against the opposite (outer) face 12 b of the wall 12 immediately below the slot 14, holding the support member in its inserted position. Extending from an opposite end of the portion 28 is a supplementary leg 34, inclined to the central portion: when the support member is in its inserted position, an abutment face 35 of the leg 34 also engages the face 12 b of the wall 12, at a position spaced from the aperture 14. Upwardly extending from the central portion 28 is an engagement portion 36, one face 38 of which is inclined away from the first leg 30. The shelf 8 is preferably constructed of folded metal, comprising in addition to a top surface 9 a pair of longitudinal side walls 18 of box cross-section, and a pair of lateral side walls 20 provided with in-turned lips 22. A gap 24 is provided between the end faces of the longitudinal walls 18 and the lateral walls 20, providing sufficient room to enable the lateral walls to be deflected inwardly. Within the base of each longitudinal wall an aperture or slot 25 is provided, the four slots 25 being located generally at the corner regions on the shelf at positions such that, as the shelf is lowered towards four support members inserted into the four struts in a generally horizontal array, the four engagement portions 36 each enter one of the slots 25. The inclined cam faces 38 of the portions 36 engage the shelf and move the shelf, particularly the walls 20 thereof, and the struts 6, together, deforming the walls 20 by engagement with the outer faces 12 b of the walls 12. In this manner a tight fit between the shelf and all four of the struts of the bay is ensured. In addition transmission of load to the support members is provided from a region as close to the struts as possible, tending to reduce the bending loads on the support members. What bending load there is on the support members is taken in part by a tensile load in the regions of the face 12 a of the strut immediately above the slot 14, and in part by a compressive load by the second leg 32 on the face 12 b of the wall 12 immediately below the slot 14, and by the supplementary leg 34 acting as a flying buttress. In addition to the transmission of load, the leg 32 aids location of the support member in an aperture, and should a support member be displaced by an upward impact on the shelf, will tend to assist the return of the support member to a correct position.

Claims: A support member (10) for use with a racking structure comprising a plurality of upright members (6) and at least one shelf (8), the support member comprising a central portion (28) and two legs (30, 32) extending from one end of the central portion, the first leg (30) being adapted to be inserted through an aperture (14) of one of the upright members to engage the inner side (12 a ) of the member (6) above the aperture (14), and the second leg 32 being adapted to engage the upright member on the outer side (12 b ) thereof immediately beneath the aperture (14), and an engagement portion (36) extending generally upwardly with respect to the central portion (28) at a position spaced from the first leg (30) to cooperate with a location aperture (25) of the shelf, the engagement portion (36) comprising an inclined face (38) operative to draw the shelf towards the upright member (6) as the shelf is lowered relative to the support member (10); characterised in that the support member comprises a supplementary leg (34) extending from the other end of the central portion (28) to engage said outer side (12 b ) of the upright member (6) at a position spaced from that at which the second leg (32) engages the upright member (6), there being a region of non-engagement with said outer side (12 b ) between said second and supplementary legs (32 and 34). A support member according to Claim 1 wherein the inclined surface (38) terminates at its lower end with a non-inclined portion. A racking structure comprising a plurality of upright members (6), at least one shelf (8), and a plurality of support members (10) adapted to be engaged within apertures (14) of the upright members and by which the shelf (8) may be supported between the upright members, the shelf (8) being provided at each corner region thereof with an aperture (25) which may be positioned over a support member to locate the shelf in relation to the upright member (6), wherein the support members are in accordance with one of Claims 1 and 2. A racking structure according to Claim 3 wherein a side wall (20) of the shelf is resiliently compressible against the outer side (12 b ) of the upright member when the shelf is mounted on the support member (10).

Inventors: POYNER DONALD E, WILDE ROGER, POYNER, DONALD E., WILDE, ROGER
Applicants: LINK 51 LTD, LINK 51 LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A47B57
IPC codes: A47B57