Improvements in Supports for Shelves for Bookcases and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
Improvements in Supports for Shelves for Bookcases and
the like.
A communication from abroad by HERBERT ELBRIDGE DAVIDSON, of 146 Franklin
Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to supports for shelves of the type wherein are employed
supporting standards carrying vertically adjustable shelf brackets. Heretofore
in supports of this type the standards have been made from rolled or wrought iron
of solid section, so niade that each individual standard was worked from a solid
piece of metal and provided at its opposite sides with inturned grooves or guide-
ways in which the brackets could slide for adjustment. To cheapen and lighten
these standards without sacrificing strength and rigidity, and at the same time to
provide a construction whereby the standards can be readily made to withstand the
varying loads which may be put upon them, as would be the case in a stack several
tiers high where the standards serve as guide ways for supporting the shelf
carrying brackets; and also as pillars to support the entire weight of the various
floors above; the present invention comprehends a standard consisting of a central
web, webs or re-enforcement, to which is riveted or otherwise secured one or more
vertical guideway bars, in which the vertically adjusted brackets may slide,
suitable means being employed to hold the brackets in the desired position.
It is necessary of course that the vertical standards should be properly supported,
and for this purpose heretofore metallic sockets have been used, a separate bracket
This
being secured to the standard to support the lower shelf in position.
connection of the standard to the socket has always been a source of weakness in
stack construction in that when single height stacks are used with no tie bar or
lateral support at the top a great leverage is brought upon the standard at its
point of juncture with the socket.
To overcome this weakness the invention comprehends a combination metallic
socket provided with supporting flanges upon which the lowermost shelf may rest,
and in conjunction with the socket in which the standard is stepped, provided with
upwardly projecting arms which reach up between the ends of adjacent shelves
forming a bifurcated fork, between which the standards can be wedged for support,
and the immediate lower end of standard being also keyed into place in a similar
manner; a standard support is thus formed by means of which the standard can be
readily fixed or readily detached therefrom; and it will also be evident that by a
proper manipulation of the upper edges that the standard can be located and
readily fixed in a desired vertical position.
Dated the 1st day of August 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Supports for Shelves for Bookcases and
the like.
A communication from abroad by HERBERT ELBRIDGE DAVIDSON, of 146 Franklin
Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to supports for shelves of the type wherein are employed
supporting standards carrying vertically adjustable shelf brackets. Heretofore in
supports of this type, the standards have been made from rolled or wrought iron of
solid section, so made that each individual standard was worked from a solid piece
of metal, and provided at its opposite sides with inturned grooves or guideways in
which the brackets could slide for adjustment. To cheapen and lighten these
standards without sacrificing strength and rigidity and at the same time to pro-
vide a construction whereby the standards can be readily made to withstand the
varying loads which may be put upon them, as would be the case in a stack several
tiers high where the standards serve as guide ways for supporting the shelf
carrying brackets and also as pillars to support the entire weight of the various
floors above, the present invention comprehends a standard consisting of a central
web, webs or re-enforcement to which is rivetted or otherwise secured one or more
vertical guide way bars, in which the vertically adjusted brackets may slide,
suitable means being employed to hold the brackets in the desired position.
It is necessary of course that the vertical standards should be properly supported
and for this purpose heretofore metallic sockets have been used, a separate bracket
being secured to the standard to support the lower shelf in position. This con-
nection of the standard to the socket has always been a source of weakness in stack
construction in that when single height stacks are used with no tie bar or lateral
support at the top a great leverage is brought upon the standard at its point of
juncture with the socket.
To overcome this weakness, the invention comprehends a. combination metallic
socket provided with supporting flanges upon which the lowermost shelf may rest
and in conjunction with the socket in which the standard is stepped provided
with upwardly projecting arms which reach up between the ends of adjacent
shelves forming a bifurcated fork, between which the standards can be wedged for
support, the immediate lower end of the standard being also keyed into place in
a similar manner. A standard support is thus formed by means of which the
standard can be readily fixed or readily detached therefrom, and it will also be
evident that by a proper manipulation of the upper edges, the standards can be
located and readily adjusted vertically and laterally.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a view of a pair of standards with their supporting sockets or bases
forming a stack.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a part of the socket or base, and
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the standard shewing a shelf bracket
secured thereto.
The standard shown consists of a central web a and four guideway bars b b b b
rivetted or secured thereto, such bars serving as guides for the shelf brackets c
which are shewn in Fig. 3 as being adjustably secured therein by the method

page_text: described in the Specification to Letters Patent No. 19,587 dated the
15th October 1894 though other methods of securing said shelf brackets to
suitably shaped guide ways affixed to a web such as a may be employed.
The guideways b of which there may be any convenient number and web a are
secured between the upwardly projecting arms e of the socket or base f, wedges
such as 9,
h being employed to hold them in position.
i are the flanges upon which the lowermost shelves; rest.
The guideways and web pass into the base f as shown in Fig. 1 so that a
considerable vertical adjustment may be secured.
The guideways and web may be connected at their upper ends to the next
nearest ones by means of a tie bar k inserted between the guideway bars b b, the
webs a being cut away at that point, so that the tie bar can form a rigid and
continuous connection from one end of the stack to the other, the tie bar being
secured at the joining points by means of screws or rivets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
iny foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. A standard consisting of one or more separate vertical guide ways secured to
vertical web or plate the guide ways being adapted to carry shelf brackets
substantially as described.
"
2. The combination with a standard of a supporting base or socket provided with
means whereby the standard may be securely keyed and adjusted in a vertical
position substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The combination with a standard of a base or socket having a flange or flanges
for carrying a shelf or shelves, and means for supporting the standard substantially
as described.
4. The combination with a standard of a supporting base or socket provided with
upwardly extended arms forming a bifurcation between which the standard may be
keyed to support it substantially as described.
5. The improved support for shelves for bookcases and the like substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dated the lot dow of Mov 1896
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.