Shelving system for storing cylindrical objects

Abstract

A shelving system for supporting and storing cylindrical objects, such as canned goods, is disclosed. The shelving system is made up of two or more bilaterally symmetrical rails coupled together in a side-by-side orientation by at least two rods. The rails form a track on which the cylinders are placed such that the cylinders roll on a top track section from front to back and then drop to a lower track section where they roll from back to front. The distance between the paired rails can be adjusted by the depth that the rods are inserted into receiving structures. The rails can also be stacked on each other to provide for storage of additional cylinders. This shelving system provides for storage of different sizes of cylinders and for rotation of cylinders, such as would be advantageous for rotation of canned food.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A rail member configured for being coupled to at least one other rail member for forming a shelving system for holding cylindrical objects comprising: 
 (a) a base comprising a pair of base track members that are generally planar and sloping from back-to-front, and at least one pair of receiving members configured for receiving an end of a rod;    (b) a back section disposed in a generally upright orientation on the base, the base comprising a pair of back track members that are generally planar and generally vertical in a vertical section thereof and arcuate in a lower section thereof, wherein the arcuate lower sections are contiguous with the base track members of the base, and at least one pair of receiving members configured for receiving an end of a rod; and    (c) a top section disposed in a generally horizontal orientation on the back section, the top section comprising a pair of top track members that are generally planar and sloping from front-to-back, and at least one pair of receiving members configured for receiving an end of a rod;    wherein the rail member exhibits bilateral symmetry such that each of the pair of base track members, back track members, top track members, and receiving members are mirror images of each other.    
     
     
         2 . A shelving system for holding cylindrical objects comprising at least two rail members according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two rail members are coupled in a side-by-side configuration by a plurality of rods wherein a first end of each of said plurality of rods is inserted in a top receiving member, back receiving member, or base receiving member of one of the at least two rail members, and a second end of each of said plurality of rods is inserted in a corresponding top receiving member, back receiving member, or base receiving member of the other of the at least two rail members.