Patent Publication Number: US-6216415-B1

Title: Element of load-bearing structures, especially girders for modular shelves

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an element of loadbearing structures, in particular to a girder for modular shelves, which consists of a metal tubular section whose cross-section is an almost parallelepiped form with shaped sides and a height greater than its width, wherein both ends are substantially flat on at least one face or side and provided with a superposed pair of fasteners, protruding near the corners thereof. 
     The cross-sections of the inlet eyelets and the outlet eyelets which circumscribe the passage slits of said fasteners are perfectly equal and coaxial with each other. The two superposed fasteners of each end are spaced from each other and so configured as to enter into mutual restraining relation, at top and bottom, with as many pairs of indentations, also spaced, sequentially formed along vertical uprights of any type intended for modular shelves or like structures. The indentations of the uprights enter in a restrained relation with the fasteners of the girders, through a downward introduction movement which engages them in said inlet and outlet eyelets, through the slits of said fasteners. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     The known girders for modular shelves and the like are substantially formed by sections corresponding to those used for the present invention, except that the pairs of superposed fasteners, present at the ends of the girders, have the respective inlet and outlet eyelets different from one another, in particular, the inlet eyelets are generally larger than the outlet eyelets, so that the slits do not have the desired passage section uniformity. In this situation, even though this construction allows the connection and the transversal tieing of the girders to the uprights, forming the horizontal supports for shelves, modular containers, separators and the like on the shelves, it does not provide an adequate stable and precise positioning of the parts and an adequate restrained engagement with the respective indentations located on the uprights. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above drawbacks. The invention achieves this object by means of a girder for modular shelves by which the following results are obtained: the pairs of fasteners arranged in superposed alignment with each other at the ends of the girders have inlet and outlet eyelets which circumscribe the passage slits perfectly equal to one another, the pairs of fasteners are placed at a distance equal to the distance between the indentations sequentially obtained along the vertical uprights utilized in the construction of modular shelves and/or corresponding structures or the like. The pairs of fasteners located at the ends of the girders and provided with inlet and outlet eyelets of the passage slits equal to each other are substantially aligned at the corners of said sections and are formed by means of direct and simultaneous moulding. 
     The advantages achieved by the present invention consist essentially in that the connection of the ends of the girders with the corresponding uprights is obtained through the restrained coupling of pairs of fasteners having eyelets that are all equal and coaxial on as many pairs of indentations, causing all connections to be stable and perfectly aligned. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in more detail in the following, according to an embodiment described only by way of a nonlimiting example, reference being made to the attached drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the end couplings of two different types of girders with an upright according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an end of a girder according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The figures refer to girders  1  for modular shelves, wherein the girders are substantially formed as metal tubular sections  2  whose cross-section is a substantially parallelepiped form with shaped sides having a height greater than the width. Both ends  3  of girders  1  are substantially flat and provided with pairs of fasteners  4  superposed and protruding near the corners of ends  3 . 
     The pair of fasteners  4  at end  3  are realized, preferably but not limitedly, by means of simultaneous moulding according to the known art of making or forming of the components for modular shelves and the like. 
     In each fastener  4 , the lower inlet eyelet  4   a  and the upper outlet eyelet  4   b , which circumscribe the passage slit, are exactly equal to each other and coaxially aligned in the vertical direction. The distance between the centers of the two superposed fasteners  4 , present at both ends of each girder, is equal to the distance between the centers of indentations  5  sequentially obtained along the complementary vertical upright  6 , designed for the forming of modular shelves and/or like structures. In this way, the pair of fasteners  4  of each end  3  of girder  1  are engaged in restrained relation at top and bottom in any one of the adjoining pairs of said indentations  5 . The combination of superposed restrained engagement of two adjoining indentations with the two superposed fasteners  4  of each end  3  of girders  1 , ensures a more effective engagement of the parts with the associated stability and alignment of the composite structure. This result is obtained by the fact that the inlet eyelet  4   a  and the outlet eyelet  4   b , circumscribing the passage slits of the fasteners are exactly equal and coaxial with each other, and restrainingly engage in the same manner along the sides of the indentations. 
     Fasteners  4  with inlet eyelets  4   a  and outlet eyelets  4   b  having an identical section are advantageously obtained by moulding with simultaneous shearing and drawing. 
     While the present invention has been described and illustrated according to embodiments described only by way of nonlimiting example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the shapes, the structure and the orientations may be subject to variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.