Supports for the Shelves of Book-cases and other like articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Supports for the Shelves of Book-cases and other like articles.
I, WILLIAM EVARTS RICHARDS, Patent Agent, 203 Broadway, in the City,
County and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention an1 in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The rapid multiplication of books in recent years has taxed the capacity of
libraries to properly and economically arrange and store them, and rendered it
very important, in order that the valuable space of such institution may be
economized in the highest degree, that all of the book space shall be made
available, and capable of full utilization. It will be readily apparent that this can
only be accomplished by the adoption of some system of shelving in which it is
possible to exactly adjust the shelves to the required distances apart, in order that
different sizes of books, which, as it is well known, vary greatly in height, may be
accommodated without a waste of space.
The present methods of supporting shelves usually involve either a fixed position
of the shelves, by which method it is estimated that from twenty to forty per cent.
of the total available book space is entirely lost, or a system of racks or the like,
arranged in the corners of the book case, and adapted to receive a cross-piece, pin,
or pawl, upon which the shelves rest. The latter method is found in practice to be
more or less awkward and laborious to manage, and the racks and cross-pieces
usually infringe upon the book space to the extent of their thickness, while, in
order to obtain the necessary strength, the rack teeth are necessarily formed a con-
siderable distance apart, thereby preventing a close adjustment, and occasioning a
very considerable loss of space.
The object of my invention is to produce a shelf support simple in construction,
yet strong and durable, and one that will permit of absolute adjustability, so that
the shelves may be easily and quickly adjusted to and held in any desired position,
and which shall at the same time be so arranged that it will neither occupy any
of the book space nor present any projecting part or surface that would tend to
injure or deface the binding or leaves of the books.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the
accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without,
however, limiting my invention to the precise details of construction, which, for the
sake of illustration, I have particularly set forth. In the various forms which my
improved support may take, however, it comprises essentially a locking or
wedging piece which is formed to support the shelf either directly or indirectly
and to retain it in whatever position it may be placed. The frame of the case
may be constructed in any desired manner or of any preferred material.
In the drawings which form a part of this Specification:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a book-case having one form of
my improved shelf-support applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an edge view of the form of support shown in Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are opposite side views of the same; and
Figure 5 is a section on the line x-x of Figure 3 looking in the direction of
the arrow;
Figures 6 and 7 are opposite side views of a modified form of the support; and
Figure 8 is a section of the line y-y of Figure 6, looking in the direction
the arrow;
..
of
Figures 9 and 10 are opposite side views of another modified form; and
Figure 11 is a section on the line - of Figure 10, looking in the direction of
the arrow;
.. U :
E

page_text: Figure 12 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of a book-case, to
illustrate a detail to be referred to;
Figures 13, 14 and 15 are detail views of another modified form, wherein the
shelf is supported directly upon a wedge piece which engages with a rigid part of
the frame of a book-case;
Figure 16 shows a modified form of locking piece.
In my preferred construction, and as shown in Figure 1, the end piece or
frame A of the case or rack has two grooves B, B, which are formed by securing
strips C, C, upon the end-piece, but they might be formed in the material of the
end-piece itself, or in separate pieces which are subsequently secured in position
upon the end-piece or upon the corner posts of the case or rack. A bracket D is
formed to move freely up and down in each groove B and is adapted in any con-
venient manner to support the shelf E. As shown in Figures 1 to 12 inclusive of
the drawings, it has, integral therewith, an ear or lug d which projects laterally
from the body of the bracket to permit the shelf to rest thereon. One side of the
bracket may be cut away somewhat, or tapered downwardly, as indicated by the
line d', to permit of the insertion between itself, and the adjacent side of
the groove C, of a locking-piece F which may conveniently be in the form of a
wedge. The latter is adapted to be pressed or driven upwardly between the
bracket and the side of the groove, until by its action the bracket is locked firmly
in place. The result is that the greater the weight upon the bracket the more
firmly is it locked in place. I prefer, moreover, in order to guard against any
possible slipping between the locking-piece and the adjacent side of the groove, to
roughen the outer edge of the locking-piece like the surface of a file, or to provide
it with fine teeth, as shown, so that it may have a surer hold against the side of
the groove.
In the form shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the locking-piece and
bracket are entirely independent of each other, the car or lug d overlapping the
locking-piece, so that the bracket, which is itself held from slipping out laterally
from the groove by the end of the shelf, shall in turn prevent the locking-piece
from slipping out laterally.
In the form shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the part D is formed substantially as
before, while the locking-piece F, though still having the function of a wedge, is
formed as a substantially rectangular plate with an inclined or obliquely disposed
shoulder f, which bears against the inclined side d¹ of the bracket, and with a
slot parallel with the shoulder f. A pin or bolt passes freely through this
slot and is secured to the body of the bracket D, whereby the two parts of the
support may not become separated.
The form shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, is also designed to prevent the too
easy separation of the parts of the support. In this case the bracket D is formed
along its inclined edge d¹ with a rib d³ which engages a corresponding inclined groove
or slot on the lateral surface of the locking-piece F.
The mode of use of the several forms above described is in every respect the
same; the bracket D having been placed at the desired height, the locking-
piece F is pressed or driven up as far as possible, thereby locking the bracket in
the determined position, and when so adjusted it will be locked so firmly in
position that it will not be subject to accidental displacement. If desired, the
side of the groove adjacent to the locking-piece may be roughened or may have
fixed thereon a strip G, as shown in Figure 12, the surface of which is cut like a
file or provided with fine teeth, but in practice such a device is not found to be
necessary.
Although I have herein shown my improved support as applied to a book-case
made of wood, with a solid end-piece, it will be readily understood that the frame
of the case might be a skeleton frame and made, for example, of channel-iron or of
gas-pipe. In cases where it is so made, it is not necessary to form a groove for the
reception of the bracket, but the locking-piece may take its bearing directly against
one of the supporting posts, being suitably shaped for that purpose, while the
bracket may be otherwise supported laterally against the action of the locking-piece,

page_text: as by the suen sen or by being extended to meet the bracket for the other side of
the shelf.
.
In Figures 13, 14 and 15, I have shown a modification of my support, in which
the locking-piece G, bears directly against a rigid part of the frame; in this case
the frame may be formed with posts H, H', against which the locking-pieces G may
engage, and each corner of the shelf is cut away somewhat so as to fit around said
posts H, H', thus forming a tongue g, which passes between the posts H, H', and,
when the shelf is in position in the book-case, fits up closely to the side wall A.
The sides g of the tongue g are bevelled or chamfered off at approximately the
same degree of inclination as the side 72 of the locking-piece G when the latter is
made in the form of a wedge so that they will rest evenly and smoothly thereon.
When formed in this manner, the shelf E, is inserted in the book-case at the
required or desired height, and the locking-pieces G, are then inserted at each of
the four corners of the shelf, between the sides g' of the tongue 9, and the sides h
of the posts H, H', the said locking-pieces being pressed or driven upwardly between
the shelf E and the posts H, H', until they engage firmly therewith. The teeth of
the locking-piece will bite into the sides of the posts as weight is imposed upon the
shelf, thus preventing any possible slipping, whilst as said locking-pieces are enclosed
upon all of their sides by the shelf E, the side wall A, and the posts H, H', lateral
displacement is impossible.
In Figure 16 I show a modification of the locking-piece. In this view I have
shown the locking-piece as a round disc which is inserted between the bracket
piece and the side of the groove. The operation of this locking-piece is in every
way the same as the wedge shown in the other figures. Where this form of
locking-piece is used I prefer to extend laterally the lower side of the bracket
piece so as to form a guard to catch the locking-piece whenever the latter is
allowed to drop out of engagement with the side of the groove as the bracket is
moved in said groove.
It is obvious that the locking-piece may be square, round, or elliptical, or of an
irregular shape, it being sufficient that it be movable and have a locking or wedging
action when interposed between the bracket and the side of the groove, so that it
will lock the bracket piece in position within said groove.
It will be seen readily that my improved shelf-support occupies no valuable
space in a book-case, is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction, may
be adjusted with any required degree of exactness, will retain its position when
properly adjusted, not being liable to accidental displacement, and is the more firmly
locked in position with every increase of the weight imposed upon the shelf.
While I have shown and described my improved support as applied to a book-case,
it should be understood that my invention is not limited to such a use, as my support
can be used in many other structures, such as store fittings and shelvings, side-boards,
and indeed in all similar structures in which it is desired to adjustably regulate the
height of the shelves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an article of manufacture, a shelf support consisting of a bracket for
supporting the shelf, and a wedge or locking piece for locking the bracket.
2. In combination with ways or grooves in the frame of a book case or like
article, a shelf support adapted thereto, consisting of a bracket, and a wedge or
locking piece, the said bracket being locked within the grooves or ways by the
wedge, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the ways or grooves in the frame of a book case or like
article, a shelf support fitted thereto, consisting of a bracket within the groove,
having an ear or lug projecting therefrom to support the shelf, and a wedge or
locking piece interposed between the bracket and the wall of the groove or way,
substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The combination, in a book case or similar structure, of the main frame A,
provided with grooves B, the brackets D, wedges F, and shelf E, substantially as
shown and described.
5. In a support for shelves and other like structures, the combination with the
grooves or ways in the frame, of a wedging piece, and a bracket piece, said bracket
piece having a projecting part or portion over-lapping the wedging piece to prevent
its displacement, substantially as shown and described.
6. The combination with the frame of a book case or the like, provided with
suitable bearing surfaces, of a shelf, and wedge pieces interposed between and
directly engaging such bearing surfaces and the shelf, and supporting the latter in
position.
Dated this 27th day of March 1893.
W. E. RICHARDS,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.