Terraced support shelving

Abstract

An apparatus for terraced shelving and hanger rods that supports the ends and horizontal mid-sections of shelving and can support ends and horizontal sections of hanger rods as well. A terraced shelving unit assembly that enables an increase of effective span width over that span possible for separate shelves of the same length. An apparatus for terraced shelving whereby two opposing boards each hold one or a plurality as well as possibly different varieties of shelving supports, and a rear wall holding one or more intermediate shelving supports as may or may not be needed, said apparatus supporting one or more separate flat shelves, terraced shelves, terraced shelving units, or a combination thereof.

I claim:  
     
         1 . Stepped support means of the type which attach to walls, or the framing of such walls, said stepped support which supports shelves and can also support a horizontal hanger rod, such as one for clothes, the stepped support comprising, in combination, or exclusively: 
 first and second side members, each attached to generally facing side walls, said members pre-drilled with a plurality of holes to receive fasteners suitable for mounting to a wall; and    intermediate members, as needed for additional support, said members being attached to a rear wall.    
     
     
         2 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 1  as a side member, wherein a pre-drilled hole may allow means for fastening of a hanger rod support.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 1  as an intermediate member, wherein a pre-drilled and generally u-shaped mechanism is fastened to a back wall and side flanges of said mechanism generally embrace the sides of said intermediate member, and a male and female receptacle, or a bolt, nut, and washer, or some other type suitable fastener passes through a flange hole, then the apparatus, through the hole of the opposite flange of the u-shaped mechanism, and when said fastening means is tightened, secures the apparatus to the wall.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 3  as an intermediate member, wherein a monolithic rod is bent longitudinally along most of it's mid-length into a u-, o-, or v-shape to help increase its strength, having at one end two flanges, each with a pre-drilled hole the size of which will allow the diameter of a common hanger rod, said flanges which generally embrace and frictionally attach to said intermediate member whereby said hanger rod is inserted through said hole of one flange, passing through a hole pre-drilled in the lower part of the intermediate member, and continues through said hole of rod's other flange, and at the other end of said monolithic rod's length, said end is flattened into an angled, pre-drilled flange whereby said flange attaches to the wall by means of a screw, toggle bolt, molly bolt, or otherwise suitable fastener, said total length of monolithic rod being such that angle of rod to wall is at a suitable angle to structurally support the weight of the apparatus.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 4  as an intermediate member, wherein a mechanism, illustrated in FIG. 4 as brace  56 , attaches to side of said member, and generally horizontally such mechanism's other end affixes to rear wall to minimize horizontal movement of braced apparatus.  
     
     
         6 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 5  as an intermediate member, wherein a mechanism's one end, illustrated in FIG. 4 as brace  56 , may be used to affix to fasten to the bottom of said intermediate member and at the other member's end to affix to the wall, thereby structurally supporting the weight of the intermediate member.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 5  wherein end and intermediate members are metal, plastic, or a combination thereof, said members being bent to form support brackets, such as shown in FIGS.  18 - 21 .  
     
     
         8 . A shelving unit comprising a riser and shelf affixed together, wherein such a riser and shelf in succession affix to a plurality of risers and shelves, said shelving unit ending at the bottom and top as either a riser or a shelf.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  and illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein such a shelving unit may consist of a plurality of metal shelves, two adjacent shelves being connected together by a vertically and angularly downward, then upward, continuous metal rod configuration that touches and connects said shelves together by means of welding, soldering, or a metal glue, forming a terraced shelving unit.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  wherein a plastic, whether by molded means, or gluing separate risers and shelving, creates a plurality of such risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  and illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein a wood shelf may be affixed to wood risers, by means of fasteners suited best to the purpose, creating a plurality of risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  and illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, wherein a wood shelf is affixed to plastic risers, by means of the top edge of such a riser frictionally fit, and preferably glued, to a saw kerf or dado in the bottom forward part of the upper tread, and the bottom edge of said riser attached as described to the top rear part of the lower tread, that process continuing, thereby creating a plurality of risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  wherein said shelving unit is composed of a square or diagonal mesh wire cloth, dutch weave filter cloth, perforated metal, expanded metal, or flattened expanded metal and may be covered with a thin rubber or vinyl, and the shelving unit is bent to form a terraced shelving unit consisting of a plurality of risers and shelves.  
     
     
         14 . The method of constructing such a terraced shelving unit as described in claims  7 - 12 .  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as shown in FIG. 12 comprising a board  94  being attached to all or part of a sidewall or a framed wall of a closet, garage, office, or some such other space, and another similar board  94  being attached to another generally opposing sidewall, or framed walls.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 14 , wherein such boards  94 , when used with a combination of possibilities of brackets, shelving sizes and configurations as shown in FIGS. 13, 14,  15 , or  16  would, when said combinations are attached to said apparatus, have generally the same size brackets, holes, and configurations of one board  94  facing another board  94  wherein the said combinations would be in the same complimentary planes, resulting in shelving abutting each board horizontally and vertically correctly to support terraced shelves, terraced shelving units, non-terraced shelving, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15  wherein said boards  94  may be cut substantially shorter and/or narrower, in order that it may fit in smaller spaces or applications.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 16 , wherein reduced sized boards  94  may be used in spaces without end walls needed for horizontal or vertical support, as illustrated in FIG. 17.  
     
     
         19 . A method of shelving as shown in FIG. 11 by affixing shelving supports to generally vertical members in such a way that said supports enable one or a plurality of terraced shelves, or one or a plurality of shelving units as described in claims  7 - 11  to rest thereon, thereby creating an area with terraced shelves or terraced shelving units, or a combination of such said shelving or units combined with single shelves.  
     
     
         20 . A method of shelving as shown in FIG. 12 by affixing shelving supports to generally vertical members in such a way that said supports enable one or a plurality of terraced shelves, or one or a plurality of shelving units as described in claims  7 - 11  to rest thereon, thereby creating an area with said terraced shelves or terraced shelving units, or a combination of such said shelving or units combined with single shelves.