US2915193A - Display shelf construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1, 1959 M. c. BROMBERG 2,915,193

DISPLAY SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed July 5, 1957 INVENTOR.

MALCOLM C. BROMBERG BY ATTO R N EY United States Patent DISPLAY SHELF CONSTRUCTION Malcolm C. Bromberg, Providence, RI. Application July 5, 1957, Serial No. 670,060

2 Claims. (Cl. 211'13'5) My present invention relates to store furniture and fixtures, and more particularly to a novel shelf construction for holding quantities of small articles of merchandise for display and sale.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a shelfthat can be readily formed from sheet metal and is easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal shelf construction which can easily be subdivided into separate compartments or bins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf construction having an adjustable divider for adjusting the size of the compartments.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a .sheet metal shelf construction that can readily be stamped in a single integral piece if desired. With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description followinginconjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

III! the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shelf embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing an integral form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is -a similar view showing another form of the invention.

In stores which stock automotive and other equipment parts and small merchandise such as bolts, clamps, and small tools, it is customary to display the merchandise in bins or on shelves divided into compartments. To provide for mobility one popular type of shelf construction provides for spaced vertical supports fastened to the wall and having a plurality of openings extending vertically the length of the support. A horizontal shelf support can be hung on the vertical support at each opening and adjustment can therefore be made by varying the vertical position of the horizontal support. Such constructions are standard. It is then up to the individual store owner to build or have built for him shelves to be placed on the horizontal supports. Most frequently the shelves are built of wood and designed for special purposes. The present invention is designed to provide a shelf construction made of sheet metal which can be formed and assembled rapidly and economically and having adjustable compartment walls for displaying different types of merchandise.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the shelf a of the present invention comprises an elongated sheet metal rectangular bottom 10 having short depending flanges 11 and 12 extending along the front and rear edges respectively. I now provide an elongated supporting member 13 mounted on the bottom 10 at the front edge and extending along the full length of the shelf. The member 13 is bent into a general inverted U-shape and comprises an outer wall portion 14 which extends ver- 2,915,193 Patented Dec. 1, 19 59 member 13 is then provided with a flat horizontal portion 16 extending atright angles integrally from the portion 14 and then bent sharply downwardly at 17 at a slight obtuse angle terminating in a horizontal flange 18 which may be spot welded at 18a to the shelf 10. The member 13 is provided with a plurality of spaced slots or cutout portions 19 which extend from the middle of the horizontal portion 16 through the vertical wall portion 17.

The rear edge of the shelf portion 10 is provided with a member 20 which extends along the full length of the shelf at the rear edge. The member 20 comprises a vertical wall portion 21 which extends downwardly along 10 are fixed, the members 13 and the rear flange 12 and is spot welded thereto at 22. The vertical wall portion 21 is approximately twice the height as the front member 13. It is bent over at the top to form an inverted U-bend 23 having a second vertical portion 24 in spaced parallel relation to the wall portion 21. The portion 24 extends downwardly to approximately halfway at a point even with the height of the front member 13. At this point it is bent horizontally at 25 downwardly again at.26 and terminating in a short horizontal leg 27 which is also spot welded at 27a to the shelf 10. The portions 25 and 26 are provided with spaced slots 28 complementary to and opposite the slots 19 in the front wall portion. The shelf can then be finished off by attaching ends 29 and providing a strip 30 at the front edge for holding price or other types of labels. 7 The shelf is now ready to be divided into suitable compartments; An elongated rectangular compartment wall 32 maybe provided out of wood, metal, glass or plastic. The compartment wall 32 should be the'height of the rear wall 21." As can be seen in'Fig. 1, the compartment wall can be'po'sit'ioned' transversely across the shelfin the slots 19 and 28. The width of the compartment can be varied by moving the wall 32 to any pair of slots. The rear wall member 20 will hold clips or other indicating members 33 if desired. The shelf is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. By standardizing the front member 13 and rear member 21, these can be manufactured in long lengths. The flat shelf portions 10 can be varied in width and length to fit particular installations. Once the dimensions of the portions 20 can easily be applied thereto to complete the shelf.

Where it is desired to provide a shelf of fixed width a complete integral construction such as illustrated in Fig. 3 can be used. In this form the single sheet of metal 34 is bent at the front edge downwardly and sharply upwardly to form a depending flange or lip 35. The upwardly extending portion is bent into an inverted U-shape 36 similar to the member 13 in Fig. 2. This is provided with spaced slots 37 as in the first form. At the rear edge the sheet metal material is also bent downwardly and upwardly to form a flange 38 and is then bent to form a construction 39 similar to the member 20 in Fig.

2. Here again spaced slots 40 are provided complementary to the slots 37. This form will therefore be used identically with the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that a considerable saving in handling and assembly can be expected by bending the shelf out of a single sheet of metal. The form shown in Fig. 3 is also provided with ends similar to the ends 29 shown in Fig. 1, and with compartment walls 32a similar ment walls 32 in Fig. 2.

It occasionally will be necessary along a long wall to abut a plurality of lengths of these shelves. In such cases the side edges at each end are equipped with integral tabs 41 so that they can be bolted together.

to the compart- A- slightly simpler integral construction is illustrated in Fig. 4. In this form the flat metal shelf 42 is bent upwardly at right angles at the front edge to form a front wall portion 43. This in turn is bent into an inverted U- shape at 44 and then outwardly at an angle at 45 to the shelf 42. At the rear edge the metal is merely bent into an inverted V-shape having a rear wall 46 and a front wall 47. The slanted wall 45 of the front portion is provided with slots 45a and the slanted front wall 47 at the rear portion is provided with complementary slots 47a. This form is also desirable when a fixed width is being used for a great many shelves. Instead of connecting tabs, this form may be provided at each end with a depending flange 48 having spaced elongated slots 49 for adjustably connecting lengths of shelves.

The shelves of the present invention are pleasing in appearance and especially adaptable for the display and sale of small items. The storekeeper can easily shift kinds and quantities of merchandise by movement of the compartment wall members 32. The shelf can be turned out easily and quickly and its installation requires. no effort. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A shelf construction comprising a sheet metal bottom having integral flanges extending downwardly along the front and rear edges, a front supporting member extending along the front edge of said bottom, said front supporting member comprising a wall portion extending vertically from the flange at the front edge of said bottom and clamped around said flange and then inwardly and downwardly to the bottom and attached thereto to form an inner front wall portion, said inner front wall portion having a plurality of spaced vertical slots, and a rear supporting member extending along the rear edge .of said bottom, said rear supporting member comprising a wall portion attached to and extending vertically from :the flange at the rear edge of said bottom and then inwardly and downwardly to the bottom and attached thereto to form an inner rear wall portion, said inner rear wall portion having a plurality of spaced vertical slots complementary to the slots in said inner front wall portion, whereby a compartment divider may be positioned transversely of said shelf and supported in said slots.

2. A shelf construction comprising a sheet metal bottom having integral flanges extending downwardly along the front and rear edges, a front supporting member extending along the front edge of said bottom, said front supporting member comprising a wall portion extending vertically from the flange at the front edge of said bottom and clamped around said flange and then inwardly and downwardly to the bottom and attached thereto to form an inner front wall portion, said inner front wall portion having a plurality of spaced vertical slots, and a rear supporting member extending along the rear edge of said bottom, said rear supporting member comprising a wall portion attached to and extending vertically from the flange at the rear edge of said bottom and then inwardly and downwardly to the bottom and attached thereto to form an inner rear wall portion, said rear supporting member being higher than said front supporting member but having an inner wall portion of the same height as said front supporting member, said inner rear wall portion having a plurality of spaced vertical slots complementary to the slots in said inner front wall portion, whereby a compartment divider may be positioned transversely of said shelf and supported in said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,523,136 OConnor Jan. 13, 1925 1,750,866 Skowron Mar. 18, 1930 2,197,789 Dalton Apr. 23, 1940 2,261,840 Bergmann Nov. 4, 1941 2,393,536 Home Jan. 22, 1946 2,483,769 Hickey Oct. 4, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 510,146 Canada Feb. 15, 1955

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