Riser deck

Abstract

Elongated metal risers are oriented perpendicular to the front end of a shelf, and extend from proximate the front edge of the shelf to at least the rear edge of the shelf. A package stored on the shelf is advantageously supported by left and right side risers and a center riser disposed beneath therebetween, thereby forming left and right insertion channels adjacent the center riser. In storing and retrieving objects from the shelf, a forklift machine advances with its left and right forks aligned with the left and right insertion channels, until the forks are securely under the object. By this configuration, a package lacking apertures for receiving the blades of a forklift machine does not need to be secured to a wooden pallet in order to safely maneuver the package on or off of a storage shelf by a forklift machine or similar device.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A riser assembly in a generally horizontal orientation for supporting a package, the riser assembly including first and second risers secured in a fixed position relative to each other, wherein at least one fork blade valley is formed between the first and second risers, the riser assembly configured to receive a horizontal insertion of at least a first fork lift blade into the fork blade valley, and further configured to permit a vertical lowering of the first fork lift blade into the fork blade valley. 
     
     
         21 . The riser assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second risers comprise elongated rigid structures in generally parallel orientation to each other. 
     
     
         22 . The riser assembly of  claim 21 , wherein a distance between the first and the second riser defines a fork lift blade receiving area for receiving one or more fork lift blades. 
     
     
         23 . The riser assembly of  claim 22 , configured such that the at least first and fork lift blade disposed in a horizontal orientation can be vertically lowered into the fork lift blade receiving area. 
     
     
         24 . The riser assembly of  claim 23 , the first and second risers comprising corresponding respective bottom surfaces, the assembly further comprising a structural member coupled to the bottom surfaces of the first and second risers. 
     
     
         25 . The riser assembly of  claim 24 , further comprising a center riser oriented generally parallel to, and disposed between, the first and second risers, wherein a space between the first riser and the center riser defines an opening for receiving the first fork lift blade, and a space between the center riser and the second riser defines an opening for receiving a second fork lift blade. 
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first riser is directly supported by the front and rear load beams. 
     
     
         27 . The assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising a front riser deck cross beam affixed to the front segments of the first and second risers, the front riser deck cross beam affixing the front segments of the first riser in a fixed position relative to the front segment of the second riser. 
     
     
         28 . The assembly of  claim 27 , further comprising a front load beam, wherein the front riser deck cross beam is supported by the front load beam. 
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 28 , further comprising wire decking disposed between the front riser deck cross beam and the front segments of the first and second risers. 
     
     
         30 . The riser assembly according to  claim 20 , further comprising a riser deck cross beam secured between the first and second risers. 
     
     
         31 . The riser assembly according to  claim 30 , wherein the riser deck cross beam is supported by the front load beam. 
     
     
         32 . The riser assembly according to  claim 30 , wherein the riser deck cross beam is restricted, at least in part, from horizontal motion relative to the front load beam. 
     
     
         33 . The assembly of  claim 20 , wherein at least one riser is comprised of metal. 
     
     
         34 . The assembly of  claim 33 , wherein said at least one riser is a steel riser. 
     
     
         35 . The assembly of  claim 20 , the first riser comprising first and second vertical support walls terminating at upper and lower riser surfaces, wherein a lower riser surface is disposed against the horizontal surface. 
     
     
         36 . The assembly according to  claim 35 , further comprising a horizontal flange structure extending from a lower edge of the first vertical support wall. 
     
     
         37 . A shelving assembly for storing objects, comprising:
 first and second load beams generally parallel to each other; and   at least four elongated risers oriented generally perpendicularly to the first load beam and generally parallel to each of the other elongated risers, each of the elongated risers having a front segment generally resting on said first load beam and having a rear segment generally resting on said second load beam, the front segment of each riser being secured to the first load beam at a selected position along the lateral length of the first load beam and spaced from adjacent of said at least three elongated risers to form two lateral spaces between the two such risers, the spaces defining two generally parallel channels sized and configured to receive first and second fork blades of a forklift machine.