Improvements in Adjustable Book Shelves.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Book Shelves.
1, GEORG WENKER, Librarian, of the Library of the University of Marburg,
on the Lahn, Germany, 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 improvements in adjustable book shelves for book
stores, public libraries, book cases and the like and its object is to provide a light
but strong and particularly compact arrangement of shelves of which are capable of
ready adjustment to suit books of various sizes and enable practically the whole
available space to be utilized.
To attain this object I employ metal supports or standards with adjustable metal
bracket picces to carry the shelves arranged as hereinafter described with reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of this Specification in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents an elevation of one of said standards and a cross section of
the same.
Figure 2, is a side view of one of said adjustable bracket pieces fitted with a
safety bolt for securing same in position.
Figure 3, is a plau view of said bolt shown separately.
Figure 4, is a view of the end of a metal shelf illustrating the formation of the
longitudinal edges thereof.
Figure 5, represents a perspective view of two of said standards with four shelves
mounted thereon two of which are filled with books.
Figure 6, represents a vertical section of a portion of one of said standards
having a portion of one of said brackets mounted thereon.
Figures 7 to 10 illustrate modifications hereinafter referred to.
The iron standards a are of U shaped section and the step pins 6 are riveted
therein across the longitudinal recess in the standards as clearly shown in Figure 1.
The standards are made of the required strength to support the weight of the
books filling the shelves mounted thereon and in the case of unilateral shelves or
shelves against a wall these standards are secured in any suitable manner to
the wall..
The bracket pieces c have a row of teeth d inclined downwards on their inner
edges the same pitch as the step pins b of the standards a and adapted to engage
such pins when the toothed edge of the bracket is passed into the longitudinal
recess of the U shaped standard. The roots of the teeth d are preferably rounded
out on the underside to more securely engage the pins b. These teeth may be
advantageously formed by stamping.
The shelves are formed of thin sheet metal and their longitudinal edges k are
rolled over underneath to give rigidity to the shelf. And these rolled edges are
afterwards flattened so as to reduce the thickness of the shelf and thereby economise
space. By rolling the edges of the shelves in more than one coil the strength or
weight carrying capacity of the shelf is obviously increased. The bracket pieces c.
are secured to i by metal flap pieces left on their under edges and after being
bent inwards at right angles are forced between the under side of the shelf and the
rolled in edges k. A hand hole e is formed in each bracket piece c to facilitate
carrying them together with the shelf and its contents, or to facilitate adjusting the
height of the shelves which is readily done by simply raising the bracket pieces and
shelf connected thereto to disengage the teeth d from the pins b and replacing them-
in a higher or lower position.
To prevent the teeth d being accidentally disengaged from 6 I provide a bolt.l.

page_text: in each bracket piece. Each bolt is made with a cranked portion near each end
as shown in Figure 3 and these cranked portions slide in slots f cut in c and flaps g
left on the sides of such slots retain the bolt in position in c. The bolt has a
tongue m adapted to be passed between two of the pins b as shown in Figure 6 and
prevent the bracket being lifted to disengage it from the pins b. Instead of
securing the bolt in slots fit may be fitted in strap guides secured by rivets to
the bracket piece c as shown in Figure 9 (which illustrates a modified form of
bracket hereinafter referred to) but this arrangement requires slightly more room
or occupies a greater width.
For wider shelves the bracket pieces c are made relatively larger, and I prefer
to form a division in the flap pieces h (as shown in Figure 10) so as to allow the
shelf to be divided longitudinally into two pieces in which case each piece is formed
with rolled in edges k thereby increasing the weight carrying capacity of the
shelf. This arrangement is shown applied to the two lower shelves in Figure 5.
If several book shelves are employed end to end one standard a only is required
to support neighbouring ends.
In double sided or bilateral bookshelves standards of I section are employed or
two of the U shaped section are secured together in any suitable manner.
Owing to the above described simple construction of the several parts the
complete arrangement may be produced at a comparatively small cost. And as the
thickness of the shelves and bracket pieces is comparatively slight much space
otherwise occupied by the shelves or their supports may be utilised which is an
important consideration in large book stores, libraries or the like. Also the book
shelves are easily and rapidly adjusted and the comparatively fine pitch of the
pins b allows each shelf to be adjusted to the requirements of the books placed upon
it with little or no waste space intervening between them and the next shelf.
The standards a may besides being connected to the walls be held or supported
by iron cross bars or stays connected both to the top and bottom in
any suitable
manner adapted to keep them vertical and the proper distance apart. This method.
is more applicable to large book stores whereas for smaller libraries or where there
is more space available the standards may be provided with horizontally projecting
feet and they are held by suitable cross stays the proper distance apart. Or in
book cases the standards are secured to the back. Where economy of space is no
particular object wooden shelves may be employed secured by screws to the
bracket pieces c.
Shelves constructed and arranged in a similar manner may be employed for other
purposes.
It is advisable to paint or otherwise protect from oxidization the several parts.
The modified arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 10 is based on the same
principles of construction as that above described with the exception that the
teeth d are formed upon the front edge of c instead of the back in narrow shelves
for small books and for wider shelves a toothed rack is fixed more or less in the
centre of c.
Figure 7, represents a perspective view of two standards supporting two shelves
(one wide and one narrow) constructed in this modified manner.
Figure 8, is a portion of a bracket piece for a narrow shelf. And 9 is a bracket
piece for a wider shelf with one end broken away.
Figure 10, is a horizontal section of the bracket shown in Figure 9 with a section
of the standard.
.
· Figures 11 and 12, illustrate modifications of the safety bolt.
In this modified arrangement the standards a when supporting narrow shelves
are fixed close to the front of the shelves but for wider shelves the standards are
more or less nearer the centre. And in the former case the teeth d are formed on
the hooked or bent over front edge of the bracket piece c as shown in Figures 8
and 9 so that such edge may be passed into the longitudinal recess of the standards
for the teeth to engage b. And for wider shelves a toothed rack n is riveted more
or less nearer the middle of c as shown in Figures 7 and 10.

page_text: The advantage of this modified arrangement is that as the weight lies more or
less behind the hooked edge of c there is little or no tendency to unhook accidentally.
For this reason a safety bolt is scarcely necessary. But if it is thought advisable
to use such a bolt the pendent piece represented by P (Figure 11) hinged to c and
having a tongue m' to engage the underside of 6 is simple and handy. Another
very simple locking device is shown in Figure 12 consisting of a step or shoulder
piece o pivoted to the underside of h and capable of being moved to the position
shown partly in full so as to bear against the back of a (to prevent the hooks being
disengaged from 6) or capable of being moved to the position shown by the broken
lines clear of a to allow the shelf to be adjusted.
Other advantages of this modified construction are that the strain upon the
standards a is more favourably disposed and the shelves may be adjusted with
somewhat greater facility. The modified construction may be readily applied to
any wooden book-stand or book-case by fastening the standards to the front edges
of the side boards.
It is not essential that the pins b should be the same pitch as the teeth d as they
may be twice or three times the pitch of d and when a very fine vertical adjustment
of the shelves is required the pitch of 6 may be twice or thrice the pitch of d. In this
case the locking device o is the most suitable if one is used as I would require to
have two or three tongues as the case may be one above the other to ensure one of
them engaging the underside of b. The tongue m' of 'would also require to be
similarly divided.
0
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Adjustable book shelves having standards or supports provided with step pins,
and shelves having a bracket piece connected to each end which bracket pieces
have teeth formed on one of their vertical edges adapted to engage said step pins
and be supported thereby, substantially as herein shown and described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. A sheet metal book shelf strengthened by the longitudinal edges being turned
or rolled under and the rolled portion more or less flattened to reduce the thickness,
substantially as herein shown and described.
3. A sheet metal book shelf having its longitudinal edges turned or rolled under
connected to a bracket piece at each end by means of flaps on the latter introduced
between the underside of the shelf and the turned or rolled up edges, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose specified.
4. In adjustable book shelves of the kind characterised in Claim 1, the use of a
bolt arranged substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
5. In adjustable book shelves of the kind characterised in Claim 1 the use of a
pendent piece having a tongue m³, arranged substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose specified.
6. In adjustable book shelves of the kind characterised on Claim 1, 'the use of a
locking device o arranged substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 9th day of June 1893
DRACUP &. NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.