Abstract:
A cargo shield assembly having rigid members mountable to the vertical uprights of a pallet rack. The assembly having a wire mesh panel movable in a vertical direction. The panels are connected to rods extending along the lateral ends of the panel, and the rods are movably connected to the rigid members. The cargo shield assembly has a locking mechanism to maintain the panel in an upward position and a stop member to limit the travel of the panel in both an upward and a downward motion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a shield assembly for a shelf rack, particularly for use on a shelf in a store or warehouse. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many merchandise stores, and especially large warehousing retailers, store their articles for sale on large shelf racks which may include pallets of items for display and storage. Many of these pallets of items are positioned on upper shelves by means of forklifts. For the protection of its customers, it is imperative that items from these upper shelves do not accidently drop from these upper heights. Safety systems have been provided in the past to minimize safety risks and minimize risks to the customer. Many of these safety systems include the use of a net to secure the articles on the upper shelves. The net systems are generally made of a flexible material that can easily retract. However, the net system does not provide adequate strength for larger and heavier articles. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a safety system where the panel is made from a stronger material than netting but also provides accessibility to the articles located on the upper shelves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A safety cargo shield system is provided for connection to a shelf rack having vertical uprights and horizontal shelving therebetween for the placement of articles. The shield assembly includes upright members securely connected to the vertical uprights of the shelf rack. A wire mesh panel is connected to rigid rods at its lateral ends. The rigid rods and wire mesh panel are movably connected between a pair of the upright members so that the wire mesh panel can move between an up position to protect articles from falling from the horizontal shelving and a down position to allow for access to the articles stored on the horizontal shelving. 
     Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cargo shield assembly for a pallet rack according to the present invention with an optional retractable safety cord mechanism, showing one cargo shield in a raised position and in another cargo shield in a lowered position; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the cargo shield shown in the raised position without the optional retractable safety cord mechanism; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the circled area in FIG. 2 showing a connection assembly of the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 2, showing a locking mechanism of the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a side elevational view of the cargo shield in the raised position; 
     FIG. 5 b  is a side elevational view of the cargo shield in the lowered position; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled area in FIG. 5 a  showing the connection assembly of the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the circled area in FIG. 5 a  showing the locking mechanism of the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a side rail used for the cargo shield assembly in the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the side rail shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an S-strap collar used in the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a two-eyed strap collar used in the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the extension post having the retractable safety cord mechanism used in the cargo shield assembly; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the mounting brackets shown in FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a retaining hitch used in the cargo shield assembly. 
     FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of a mounting pin used in the cargo shield assembly; and 
     FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the mounting pin taken along lines  16 — 16  of FIG.  15 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, a cargo shield assembly generally denoted as  10  provides a safety cargo shield for a conventional pallet rack  12  typically used in storage, warehouse and merchandise facilities. The pallet rack  12  generally includes vertical uprights  14  and horizontal rack decking or shelving  16  for placement of the stored articles  18 . The cargo shield assembly  10  of the present invention is particularly beneficial for articles  18  stored on the uppermost horizontal shelf  16   a . Because of their height and because the uppermost shelving  16   a  is not surrounded by the vertical uprights  14 , articles located on the uppermost shelving  16   a  are the most apt to cause injury should they inadvertently fall off of the shelving  16   a.    
     The cargo shield assembly  10  is adapted for mounting to the vertical rack uprights  14  of a conventional pallet rack  12 . The cargo shield assembly  10  includes an essentially rigid wire mesh panel  20  defining the actual cargo shield  20 , which is extendable over any face of the pallet rack  12 , but especially over the front and rear faces of the pallet rack  12 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 2-6, a panel  20  is preferably composed of a series of semi-rigid, horizontal and vertical wires that are resistance-welded to form the wire mesh panel  20 . The wire mesh panel  20  is formed so that the upper periphery forms a 90° bend  22  directed outwardly away from the pallet rack  12 . This upper bend  22  provides added strength to the panel  20  as well as providing a handle for manually lowering and raising the cargo shield  20 . The bottom edge of the panel  20  also forms a 90° bend  24 . However, the bottom peripheral edge has a 90° bend  24  directed inwardly toward the pallet rack  12 . The bottom peripheral bend  24  has a predetermined depth to provide proper standoff distance from the vertical rack uprights  14  and the horizontal shelving  16 . This predetermined depth allows for adequate space for pallets of articles  18  that may extend beyond the horizontal shelving  16 . In addition, the lower peripheral bend  24  forms a horizontal cage and can maintain fallen articles  18 , within the panel area. 
     The lateral edges  26  of the panel  20  are each connected to, preferably by welding, to steel rods  28 . The steel rods  28  are welded to the wire panel  20  adjacent to the upper and lower periphery bends  22 ,  24 , respectively, of the panel  20 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the steel rod  28  is offset or spaced from the panel  20  so that it can be used as a guide for moving the panel  20  up and down. At the upper and lower ends of the steel rods  28 , there are preferably 90° bend portions  30   a, b . These bend portions  30   a, b  are the portions connected to the panel  20  as well as providing other functions as described hereinafter. The bend portions  30   a, b  of the steel rods  28  are connected to the panel  20  adjacent to the upper and lower bend portions  22 ,  24 , respectively, of the panel  20 . 
     The cargo shield assembly  10  further includes a pair of extension posts  32 , one extension post  32  for each lateral side of the panel  20 . The extension posts  32  are preferably metallic tubing material mounted in a vertical position to the vertical rack uprights  14 . As seen in FIG. 6, each extension post  32  is preferably mounted to the vertical rack uprights  14  so that each extension post  32  extends above the uppermost horizontal shelf  16   a . Each extension post  32  is mounted to the vertical rack upright  14  via a short extension segment  34  positioned at essentially a 90° angle from the extension post  32 . The short extension segment  34  is also made of a metallic tubing material and has a length generally the same length as the predetermined length of the bend  24  of the lower peripheral panel. The length of the short extension segment  34  provides the proper standoff distance from the vertical rack upright  14 . Each short extension segment  34  is connected to one of the vertical rack uprights  14  by means of a pair of mounting brackets  36   a,b  at the same height on each vertical rack upright  14 . The mounting brackets  36   a,b  are also shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The pair of mounting brackets  36   a,b  have essentially U-shaped formations with end flanges  37 . Through apertures  38  are formed in the end flanges  37  and aligned to receive conventional nut and bolt connections  40 . The U-shaped formation of the mounting brackets  36   a,b  allow each bracket to be placed on opposing sides of the vertical uprights  14  so that the end flanges  37  and corresponding apertures  38  align to receive the conventional nut and bolt connections  40 . Using a pair of mounting brackets  36   a,b  as described allows for connection of the extension posts  32  to various dimensions of vertical uprights  14  that are available on existing pallet racks  12 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, one of the mounting brackets  36   a,b  is connected, preferably by welding, to the short extension segment  34 . The mounting bracket  36   a,b  which is connected to the short extension segment  34  and therefore also to the extension post  32 , has a hook  41  a welded thereon. The hook  41  has a general C-formation with a center arcuate portion  41   a  welded to the center face of the mounting bracket  36   a  located above the bracket&#39;s  36   a  connection to the short extension segment  34 . The hook  41   b  has two end portions  41   b  which are positioned to extend over the mounting bracket  36   a  for latching into a pair of corresponding slots  39  in the vertical uprights  14 . The two end portions  41   b  of the hook  41  extend downward relative to the extension post  32  so that the two end portions  41   b  of the hook  41  hold the extension post  32  to the vertical upright  14  as the other bracket  36   b  is connected via nut and bolt connections  40  to the bracket  36   a  with the vertical upright  14  disposed therebetween. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  10 , and  11 , a pair of two-eyed strap collars  42  are connected to each extension post  32 . The two-eyed strap collar  42  is connected by welding the collar  42  to the extension post  32  such that the two arcuate portions  43  which form slots  44   a, b  extend partially beyond the extension post as shown in FIG.  3 . The pair of two-eyed strap collars  42  are spaced from each other on the extension post  32 , so that a portion of an S-strap collar  46  can be disposed between the pair of two-eyed strap collars  42 . The S-strap collar  46  also has a pair of arcuate portions  47  which form slots  48   a, b . One of the slots  48   a  of the S-strap collar  46  is aligned with the pair of slots  44   b  of the two-eyed strap collar  42 . The three aligned slots (one slot  44   b  each of the two-eyed strap collars  42  and the one slot  48   a  from the S-strap collar  46 ) now receive a mounting pin  50 , as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, for connection of the panel  20  to the extension post  32 . As can be seen in FIGS. 15 and 16, the flat washer portion  52  of the mounting pin  50  is offset on the linear steel pin portion  54 . This configuration allows clearance between the flat washer cap  52  and the extension post  32  when installed. The other slot  48   b  of the S-strap collar  46  is used to receive one of the steel rods  28 . In this way, the S-strap collar  42  connects the wire mesh panel  20  to the extension post  32  via the steel rod  28 . The steel rod  28  is movable through slot  48   b . The movement of the steel rod  28  through the slot  48   b  of the S-strap collar  46  provides a guide for movement of the panel  20  in an upward and downward position. Further, the S-strap collar  46  acts as a stop for the movement of the panel  20  when either of the upper bend portion  30   a  of the steel rod  28  or the lower bend portion  30   b  of the rod contacts the S-strap collar  46 . It is to be understood that the slots  48   a, b  in the S-strap collar  46  are essentially identical and the S-strap collar  46  may be orientated so that either slot  48   a  or  48   b  may be used for either of the aforementioned functions. 
     A retaining hitch  58  is provided as a locking mechanism for the shield  20  in its “up” position. The retaining hitch  58  is shown in FIG.  14  and is formed from a steel-formed bar and is attached at the upper end of each extension post  32 . The retaining hitch  58  preferably has a U-shaped configuration with a center linear portion  6  and two upwardly extending prongs  62  at each end. The panel  20  is locked in its upward position by hooking the upper bend portions  30   a  of the steel rods  28  over the adjacent retaining hitches  58 . The pair of upward extending prongs  62  prevent the steel rods  28  from slipping off the retaining hitch  58 . Although the retaining hitch  58  is shown in its preferable configuration, other configurations having a pair of upward extending prongs are possible. 
     To lower the panel  20  in order to gain access to the articles  18  secured on the upper horizontal shelving  16   a , the upper bend portion  30   a  that is connected at each lateral edge  26  of the panel  20  can be manually lifted over the retaining hitches  58 . The panel  20  and associated steel rods  28  will slide through the guide formed by the through apertures  48   b  of the S-strap collars  46  as the panel lowers until the upper bend portions  30   a  contact the S-strap collars  46 . In this manner, the S-strap collars  46  provide a stop for the panel  20 . 
     When the panel  20  is to be raised, an operator can grip the handle formed by the 90° bend  22  at the upper periphery of the panel to manually raise the panel  20  until the lower 90° bend portions  30   b  of the steel rods  28  contact the S-strap collars  46 . The cargo shield assembly  10  is configured such that when the lower 90° bend portions  30   b  of the steel rods  28  contact the S-strap collars  46 , the upper bend portions  30   a  are positioned slightly above the retaining hitches  58 . This allows the upper bend portions  30   a  of the steel rod to be hooked over the retaining hitches  58  to be locked in the “up” position. 
     Controlled movement of the panel  20  may be enhanced by means of a retractable safety cord mechanism  70  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12. The retractable safety cord mechanism  70  is an optional feature which provides tension on the panel  20  to control its downward movement. The retractable safety cord mechanism  70  includes a conventional retracting device  72  which may include a spool about which a cord or cable  76  is wound. The retracting device  72  may be placed within a housing  74  adjacent to the retaining hitch  58  at the top of the extension post  32 . The retracting device  72  or housing  74  can be welded or otherwise connected to the extension post  32 . The cord or cable  76  is biased to remain wound about the spool of the retracting device  72 . At the free end of the cord or cable  76 , a convention hook  78  is provided to manually latch onto the steel rod  28  or other portion of the panel  20 . When the hook  78  is latched onto the panel  20 , the biasing nature of the retracting device  72  controls the and slows downward movement of the panel  20  when the panel  20  is manually lifted over the retaining hitches. When the panel  20  is raised, the connected cord or cable  76  retracts back into the retracting device  72 . 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.