Post and beam furniture construction

Abstract

A post and beam furniture construction has a number of support posts and a plurality of beams that interconnect the posts. Accessories, including storage shelves and cabinets, and work surfaces are releasably supported by the posts at various positions relative to the shelf length and the post spacing. Support brackets interconnect accessories and posts. Each post has at least two accessory support rails extending along the post length. A support bracket engages a selected rail. Spaced support bracket receptacles extend along a length of the accessory and a support bracket engages a selected bracket receptacle. The beams may be removed from respective posts without moving the posts and may also be length adjustable.

1 . In a post and beam furniture construction with at least two posts that are elongated members extending generally upward from a floor end to an opposite terminal end and that have a length from the floor end to the terminal end, and with at least one beam interconnected between the two posts, an improved connection, comprising: 
 two mounts extending along the length of each post with first and third mounts extending along a first post and second and fourth mounts extending along a second post, the first and the second posts being spaced apart with the first and the second mounts facing one another and the third and the fourth mounts being generally coplanar, each mount having two opposing edges that extend along the post length with a rail portion extending along each opposing edge and a plurality of openings disposed along the length, each opening being adapted to receive an end of a beam and defining a rung portion between the rails, each rail having an array of accessory receptacles defined along the rail;    a beam having an elongated body with a length, with a first beam end, and with an opposite second beam end, each beam end having a jaw portion with an upper jaw and a downward extending tooth, the upper jaw being adapted to releasably capture a rung therein, the first beam end capturing a selected rung of the first mount, the second beam end capturing a selected rung of the second mount that aligns with the rung of the first mount;    an accessory connected between and supported by one of the first and the third mounts and one of the second and the fourth mounts, the accessory having a first side near the one of the first and the third mounts, having an opposite second side near the one of the second and the fourth mounts, having a length between the first and the second sides, and having an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and    a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the first mount and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.    
   
   
       2 . The furniture construction of  claim 1  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       3 . The furniture construction of  claim 1  wherein the first beam end jaw portion is a separable member that has an elongated jaw body with a jaw end and that has an opposite tail end that slides along the beam length in telescoping engagement.  
   
   
       4 . The furniture construction of  claim 3  further including a fastener that secures the jaw body at a predetermined position relative to the beam length.  
   
   
       5 . The furniture construction of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       6 . The furniture construction of  claim 3  wherein one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions has a lower jaw with an upward extending tooth that cooperates with the upper jaw and captures the rung.  
   
   
       7 . The furniture construction of  claim 6  wherein the lower jaw is moveable between a closed position in which the lower jaw is aligned with the upper jaw and captures a rung between the upper and lower jaws, and an open position in which the lower jaw is spaced away from the upper jaw and may translate along the beam length.  
   
   
       8 . The furniture construction of  claim 7  wherein the one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions may be inserted into the respective post and the other of the first and the second beam end jaw portions is thereby removable from the other post and the beam is removable from the two posts without repositioning the two posts.  
   
   
       9 . The furniture construction of  claim 1  wherein one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions may be inserted into the respective post and whereby the other of the first and the second beam end jaw portions is removable from the other post and the beam is thereby removable from the two posts without repositioning the two posts.  
   
   
       10 . The furniture construction of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       11 . The furniture construction of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       12 . In a post and beam furniture construction with at least two posts that are elongated members extending generally upward from a floor end to an opposite terminal end and that have a length from the floor end to the terminal end, and with at least one beam interconnected between the two posts, an improved connection, comprising: 
 a mount extending along the length of each post with a first mount extending along a first post and second mount extending along a second post, the first and the second posts being spaced apart with the first and the second mounts facing one another, each mount having two opposing edges that extend along the post length with a rail portion extending along each opposing edge and a plurality of openings disposed along the length, each opening being adapted to receive an end of a beam and defining a rung portion between the rails, each rail having an array of accessory receptacles defined along the rail;    a beam having an elongated body with a length, with a first beam end, and with an opposite second beam end, each beam end having a jaw portion with an upper jaw and a downward extending tooth, the upper jaw being adapted to releasably capture a rung therein, the first beam end capturing a selected rung of the first mount, the second beam end capturing a selected rung of the second mount that aligns with the rung of the first mount, the first beam end jaw portion being a separable member that has an elongated jaw body with a jaw end and that has an opposite tail end that slides along the beam length in telescoping engagement;    a fastener that secures the jaw body at a predetermined position relative to the beam length; and    an accessory connected with one of the posts.    
   
   
       13 . The furniture construction of  claim 12  wherein one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions has a lower jaw with an upward extending tooth that cooperates with the upper jaw and captures the rung.  
   
   
       14 . The furniture construction of  claim 13  wherein the lower jaw is moveable between a closed position in which the lower jaw is aligned with the upper jaw and captures a rung between the upper and lower jaws, and an open position in which the lower jaw is spaced away from the upper jaw and may translate along the beam length.  
   
   
       15 . The furniture construction of  claim 14  wherein the one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions may be inserted into the respective post and the other of the first and the second beam end jaw portions is thereby removable from the other post and the beam is removable from the two posts without repositioning the two posts.  
   
   
       16 . The furniture construction of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       17 . The furniture construction of  claim 12  wherein one of the first and the second beam end jaw portions may be inserted into the respective post and whereby the other of the first and the second beam end jaw portions is removable from the other post and the beam is thereby removable from the two posts without repositioning the two posts.  
   
   
       18 . The furniture construction of  claim 17  wherein the accessory is connected between and supported by the first and the second mounts, has a first side near the first mount, has an opposite second side near the second mount, has a length between the first and the second sides, and has an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the first mount and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       19 . The furniture construction of  claim 18  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       20 . The furniture construction of  claim 17  wherein two mounts extend along the length of each post with an edge of one of the two mounts of each post being adjacent an edge of the other of the tow mounts, with a third mount extends along the first post and a fourth mount extends along the second post, and with the third and the fourth mounts being generally coplanar; wherein the accessory is connected between and supported by one of the first and the second mounts and one of the third and the fourth mounts, has a first side near the one of the first and the second mounts, has an opposite second side near the one of the third and the fourth mounts, has a length between the first and the second sides, and has an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the one of the first and the second mounts and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       21 . The furniture construction of  claim 20  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       22 . The furniture construction of  claim 12  wherein the accessory is connected between and supported by the first and the second mounts, has a first side near the first mount, has an opposite second side near the second mount, has a length between the first and the second sides, and has an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the first mount and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       23 . The furniture construction of  claim 22  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       24 . The furniture construction of  claim 22  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       25 . The furniture construction of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       26 . In a post and beam furniture construction with at least two posts that are elongated members extending generally upward from a floor end to an opposite terminal end and that have a length from the floor end to the terminal end, and with at least one beam interconnected between the two posts, an improved connection, comprising: 
 a mount extending along the length of each post with a first mount extending along a first post and second mount extending along a second post, the first and the second posts being spaced apart with the first and the second mounts facing one another, each mount having two opposing edges that extend along the post length with a rail portion extending along each opposing edge and a plurality of openings disposed along the length, each opening being adapted to receive an end of a beam and defining a rung portion between the rails, each rail having an array of accessory receptacles defined along the rail; and    a beam having an elongated body with a length, with a first beam end, and with an opposite second beam end, each beam end having a jaw portion with an upper jaw and a downward extending tooth, the upper jaw being adapted to releasably capture a rung therein, the first beam end capturing a selected rung of the first mount, the second beam end capturing a selected rung of the second mount that aligns with the rung of the first mount, one of the jaw portions having a lower jaw with an upward extending tooth that cooperates with the upper jaw and captures the rung, the lower jaw being moveable between a closed position in which the lower jaw is aligned with the upper jaw and captures the rung between the upper and lower jaws, and an open position in which the lower jaw is spaced away from the upper jaw and may translate along the beam length, the one of the jaw portions may be inserted into the respective post and the other of the jaw portions is thereby removable from the other post and the beam is removable from the two posts without repositioning the two posts.    
   
   
       27 . The furniture construction of  claim 26  wherein the first beam end jaw portion is a separable member that has an elongated jaw body with a jaw end and that has an opposite tail end that slides along the beam length in telescoping engagement.  
   
   
       28 . The furniture construction of  claim 27  further including a fastener that secures the jaw body at a predetermined position relative to the beam length.  
   
   
       29 . The furniture construction of  claim 27  further including an accessory connected with one of the posts.  
   
   
       30 . The furniture construction of  claim 27  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       31 . The furniture construction of  claim 27  further including an accessory connected between and supported by the first and the second mounts, having a first side near the first mount, having an opposite second side near the second mount, having a length between the first and the second sides, and having an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the first mount and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       32 . The furniture construction of  claim 31  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       33 . The furniture construction of  claim 27  wherein two mounts extend along the length of each post with an edge of one of the two mounts of each post being adjacent an edge of the other of the tow mounts, with a third mount extends along the first post and a fourth mount extends along the second post, and with the third and the fourth mounts being generally coplanar; wherein the accessory is connected between and supported by one of the first and the second mounts and one of the third and the fourth mounts, has a first side near the one of the first and the second mounts, has an opposite second side near the one of the third and the fourth mounts, has a length between the first and the second sides, and has an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the one of the first and the second mounts and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       34 . The furniture construction of  claim 33  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       35 . The furniture construction of  claim 33  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       36 . The furniture construction of  claim 26  wherein the accessory is connected between and supported by the first and the second mounts, has a first side near the first mount, has an opposite second side near the second mount, has a length between the first and the second sides, and has an array of bracket receptacles disposed along the length from the first side toward the second side; and wherein the furniture construction further includes a support bracket releasably engaging preselected accessory receptacles of the first mount and releasably engaging preselected bracket receptacles of the accessory.  
   
   
       37 . The furniture construction of  claim 26  wherein the accessory is one of a group of accessories including a work surface, a storage accessory, and a lighting accessory.  
   
   
       38 . The furniture construction of  claim 26  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.  
   
   
       39 . The furniture construction of  claim 26  wherein at least one of the posts further has an interior cavity extending along the length, wherein the mount openings define passages into the interior cavity, and wherein the cavity and openings define infrastructure passageways.