Improvements in Shelf Brackets.
Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by JOHN BAINES, a resident of Piqua in the County of
Miami and State of Ohio, United States of America.]
Improvements in Shelf Brackets.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.
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 will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of this improved bracket and Standard. Figure 2 is
a similar view of the bracket. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through
Figure 1 and Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same.
Referring to the drawings in which the same letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the figures A represents the standard and B the bracket. The
standard consists of a rectangular box or tube having a slot C in one side extending
its entire length. As this slot is of less width than the interior of the box an inwardly
projecting flange D is left upon each side upon which the bracket slides up and down.
Upon the interior of the opposite wall or side of the standard are secured a series of
transverse blocks or bars E square or rectangular in cross section so that the standard
can be used either end up. These bars can be placed at any desired distance apart
and are preferably cast upon the wall of the standard. The standard is further pro-
vided with holes W in the rear wall for the purpose of securing it to the wall or book
case or other desired object.
For the purpose of permitting the bracket to be attached to or taken out of the
standard without having to move it to the top or bottom: notches F can be made in
one or both of the flanges D. These notches are so arranged that the bracket will
have to be raised from one of the bars upon which it is resting to pass out of the
notch so that they will not interfere with the support of the bracket in position.
The bracket consists of the usual wall plate G sole H and rib or brace I. The wall
plate is wider than the slot C so that a good bearing is secured for it its entire length,

page_text: and at its top is provided with a lug or projection J having a notch K at each sido.
These notches engage with the flanges D and hold the bracket against the standard.
At the bottom of the wall plate is a rearwardly projecting foot L which is of the same
width as the slot C and of such a length that when the wall plate bears against the
standard the end of this foot will engage with one of the cross bars E and hold the
bracket from sliding down the standard. Secured to the wall plate and extending
from the lug J to the foot L is a rib M which adds additional strength to the parts
and by having its lower rear edge slightly inclined it enables the foot to be moved up
over the bars E with a little outward motion of the lower end of the wall plate from
the standard as possible which is very desirable when changing the position of the
bracket without removing the load upon it.
--By-means of the above described construction I am enabled to produce a bracket
and standard which can be manufactured at a slight cost as the parts can be made of
cast metal the standard only requiring a core as any sized-bracket can be secured to
the same standard and by making the standard of the form of a rectangle and having
the bracket fit within it a neat device is formed and one which can be placed in the
corner of book cases where it will occupy as little room as possible. The device can
also be made very light and still be of the requisite strength.
I am aware that shelf brackets and other similar brackets have been constructed
with a wall plate-provided with a notched lug at its top a foot at its bottom and an
intervening rib and that-cooperating standards. have been constructed with laterally
projecting flanges upon their faces and triangular cross bars upon-the-inner face of
their rear walls and I do not claim such construction broadly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to mo by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the same is
to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
The combination of a standard having inwardly projecting flanges on its front wall
and a series of transverse bars across its rear wall rectangular in cross section, a
bracket secured thereto having a notched lug at its top and a foot at the bottom of its
wall plate, and a rib secured to said wall plate and extending from the lug to the foot
and having its lower end or edge slightly inclined.
Hated this 50th of Anail 1007