Stackable Storage Apparatus

Abstract

Shelf support apparatus can be moved and stacked with a tined lift such as a forklift. The apparatus has based feet disposed lower than a front base cross member, and support uprights extend upward therefrom to a generally horizontal top structure. The front base cross member has two tine openings with lift tubes for receiving lift tines of a fork lift, and a bottom surface for receiving lift tines of a floor pallet jack. The top structure includes feet-receiving openings corresponding in location to the base feet, such that the apparatus can be stacked. The base feet have targeting slopes both in a front-to-back direction and in a side-to-side direction, to guide the second, upper shelf support apparatus down onto the first, lower shelf support apparatus with the base feet received in a nesting relationship. The targeting slopes in the front-to-back direction acts over a targeting area which is greater than the targeting area in the side-to-side direction. The top structure also provides a top support perimeter which makes substantially perimetrical contact with the base of the apparatus stacked thereon.

1 . A shelf support apparatus for movement with a lift, comprising:
 at least three support uprights extending upward, two of the support uprights defining a front of the apparatus and being front support uprights;   at least three base feet supporting the support uprights, the at least three base feet being designed to rest on a generally flat floor;   a front base cross member extending between the front support uprights, the front base cross member defining one or more tine openings for receiving lift tines extending above the floor;   a generally horizontal top structure adjoining support uprights, the generally horizontal top structure defining a top support plane of the apparatus, with feet-receiving openings defined in the top support plane corresponding in location to the base feet, for receiving the base feet of an identically-constructed shelf support apparatus, such that a first, lower shelf support apparatus can support a second, upper shelf support apparatus thereabove, with the front base cross member of the second, upper shelf support apparatus being in contact with the top support plane of the first, lower shelf support apparatus;   wherein the base feet have targeting slopes both in a front-to-back direction and in a side-to-side direction, the targeting slopes mating relative to the feet-receiving openings to guide the second, upper shelf support apparatus down onto the first, lower shelf support apparatus with the base feet received in a nesting relationship.   
   
   
       2 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a rearward cross member extending between support uprights behind the front base cross member, with the rearward cross member disposed to receive lift tines jointly with the base cross member. 
   
   
       3 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the front base cross member defines a first tine opening located underneath the front base cross member for receiving lift tines of a pallet jack, and one or more second tine openings for receiving lift tines of a fork lift, with the second tine openings being located at higher elevation than the first tine opening. 
   
   
       4 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the second tine openings are provided by tubes running front-to-back on the shelf support apparatus and sized to receive tines of a lift therewithin. 
   
   
       5 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base feet comprise angled Vs, with front and rear extents of the angled Vs having a different slope than side-to-side extents of the angled Vs. 
   
   
       6 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base feet comprise angled Vs with line contact areas for floor contact. 
   
   
       7 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the line contact areas extend generally parallel to the front base cross member. 
   
   
       8 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top structure defines a flat planar top of the shelf support apparatus with unimpeded access from above to the flat planar top. 
   
   
       9 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feet raise the base cross member to an elevation within the range of 2 to 12 inches above the floor. 
   
   
       10 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting slopes provide a front-to-back targeting area of at least one inch, wherein the targeting slopes provide a side-to-side targeting area of at least one inch. 
   
   
       11 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting slopes extend at an angle of at least 30° relative to horizontal and no more than 88° relative to horizontal. 
   
   
       12 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support uprights are sufficiently spaced to receive a standardly sized pallet above and substantially behind the front base cross member and between the front support uprights. 
   
   
       13 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the support uprights extend for a height within the range of 3 to 20 feet. 
   
   
       14 . The shelf support apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more pairs of shelf receiving tracks extending rearwardly from each of the front support uprights; and   a shelf removeably received by each pair of shelf receiving tracks.   
   
   
       15 . A stackable apparatus for movement with a lift, comprising:
 at least three support uprights extending upward, two of the support uprights defining a front of the apparatus and being front support uprights;   at least three base feet supporting the support uprights, the at least three base feet being designed to rest on a generally flat floor, with a front two of the base feet being V-shaped bars running between the two front support uprights;   a front base cross member extending between the front support uprights, the front base cross member defining one or more tine openings for receiving lift tines extending above the floor;   a functional unit supported above the front base cross member;   a generally horizontal top bar adjoining the front support uprights, the top bar defining a top support plane; and   feet-receiving openings defined in a top of the stackable apparatus immediately behind the top bar and corresponding in location to the base feet, for receiving the base feet of an identically-constructed stackable apparatus, such that a first, lower stackable apparatus can support a second, upper stackable apparatus thereabove, with the feet of the second, upper stackable apparatus extending lower than the top support plane of the first, lower stackable apparatus, with front edges of the V-shaped bars received immediately behind the top bar.   
   
   
       16 . A stackable apparatus for movement with a lift, comprising:
 at least three base feet, the at least three base feet being designed to rest on a generally flat floor;   a base support perimeter suspended by the base feet to a height within a range of two to twelve inches above the floor, the base support perimeter having a bottom surface for receiving a pallet jack thereunder;   one or more tine openings for receiving lift tines of a fork lift, the one or more tine openings being defined above the base support perimeter, the one or more tine openings having a depth of at least one half of a depth of the stackable apparatus;   a functional unit supported above the base support perimeter;   a top support perimeter provided above the functional unit and connected to the functional unit, the top support perimeter providing a support surface corresponding in plan location to the base support perimeter for substantially perimetrical support of the base support perimeter of an identically constructed stackable apparatus,   the stackable apparatus having feet-receiving recesses defined within the top support perimeter corresponding in plan location to the base feet, for receiving the base feet of an identically-constructed stackable apparatus, such that a first, lower stackable apparatus can support a second, upper stackable apparatus thereabove, with the top support perimeter of the first, lower stackable apparatus being in substantially perimetrical contact with the base support perimeter of the second, upper stackable apparatus, and with the base feet of the second, upper stackable apparatus extending lower than the top support perimeter of the first, lower stackable apparatus;   wherein the base feet have targeting slopes both in a front-to-back direction and in a side-to-side direction, the targeting slopes mating relative to the feet-receiving recesses to guide the second, upper stackable apparatus down onto the first, lower stackable apparatus with the base feet received in a nesting relationship.   
   
   
       17 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the base support perimeter comprises a front base cross member, wherein the front base cross member defines a first tine opening located underneath the front base cross member for receiving lift tines of a pallet jack, and wherein the front base cross member further defines one or more second tine openings for receiving lift tines of a fork lift, with the second tine openings being located at higher elevation than the first tine opening. 
   
   
       18 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second tine openings are provided by tubes running front-to-back on the stackable apparatus and sized to receive tines of a lift therewithin. 
   
   
       19 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the base feet comprise angled Vs, with front and rear extents of the angled Vs having a different slope than side-to-side extents of the angled Vs. 
   
   
       20 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the base feet comprise angled Vs with line contact areas for floor contact. 
   
   
       21 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the base support perimeter comprises a front base cross member, and wherein the line contact areas extend generally parallel to the front base cross member. 
   
   
       22 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the top structure support perimeter defines a flat planar top of the stackable apparatus with unimpeded access from above to the flat planar top. 
   
   
       23 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the base support perimeter comprises a front base cross member, and wherein the feet raise the front base cross member to an elevation within the range of 2 to 12 inches above the floor. 
   
   
       24 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the targeting slopes provide a front-to-back targeting area of at least one inch, wherein the targeting slopes provide a side-to-side targeting area of at least one inch. 
   
   
       25 . The stackable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the targeting slopes extend at an angle of at least 30° relative to horizontal and no more than 88° relative to horizontal. 
   
   
       26 . The stackable apparatus of claim above, wherein the top support perimeter is at a height within the range of 3 to 20 feet above the floor.