Shelving structure

Abstract

A shelving structure includes a back wall, two upright side walls, and a plurality of shelves. The leading edges of the side walls have vertical reinforcing channel members mounted thereon. The leading edge of each shelf has a horizontal channel member mounted thereon. Securing hooks connect the ends of the horizontal channel members to the vertical channel members. Elements are provided to keep the back plate pressed against the rear edges of the shelves. The arrangement reinforces the back plate so that a back plate can be employed which otherwise is not sufficiently rigid to support the shelves.

I claim: 
     
       1. A shelving structure comprising two upright sidepieces, a back plate and a plurality of movable shelves each of which comprises a thin sheet whose leading edge is reinforced by a reinforcing means having the form of a generally horizontal sheet-metal channel member mounted on said shelf, the thickness of which channel member is greater than the thickness of the shelf and which is securedly clamped thereto, said shelf being connected to the side pieces at the ends of the sheet-metal channel member and to the back plate at the rear edge portion of the shelf, characterized in that vertical sheet-metal channel members are mounted on leading edges of said side-pieces to laterally reinforce such edges; supporting means connect the ends of said horizontal sheet-metal channel member to said vertical channel members, each supporting means being received in a recess in said horizontal channel member and being arranged for minimum play to resist relative separation between the shelf and the side pieces; means are provided for holding the back plate pressed against the rear edges of the shelves so as to reinforce the back plate by means of the shelves fixed by the vertical sheet-metal channel members of the side pieces, said means imparting to the shelving structure the requisite diagonal rigidity, the rigidity of said back plate being otherwise insufficient to support the trailing edges of the shelves. 
     
     
       2. A shelving structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for holding the back plate pressed against the trailing edges of the shelves comprises further shelves arranged on the other side of the back plate, and trailing edges of which further shelves are carried by supporting means removably mounted in said back plate, and the leading corners of which shelves being supported by supporting means arranged in recesses in vertical sheet-metal channel members on the remaining vertical edges of said side pieces whose depth is substantially equal to twice the transverse width of a shelf. 
     
     
       3. A shelving structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for holding the back plate pressed against the trailing edges of the shelves comprises a removable supporting means having an upwardly extending hook portion and being removably arranged in recesses in the back plate, said hook portion having a locking peg which projects into a hole in the trailing edge of the shelf. 
     
     
       4. A shelving structure according to claim 2 characterized in that locking means are provided between the back plate and the trailing edge of the shelves on the supporting means are arranged to prevent longitudinal movement of the shelves relative to the back plate. 
     
     
       5. A shelving structure according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of shelves of relatively large transverse width, the side-pieces are also provided with shelf-supporting means having an upwardly directed locking peg arranged to fix the end of the shelf at one or more points. 
     
     
       6. A shelving structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the horizontal channel member has three horizontal legs arranged at different heights, and the leading edge portion of the shelf is inserted into and clamped between the innermost and the upper leg, and the intermediate leg of the horizontal channel member has arranged therein a recess for receiving said supporting means, said recess having a wide center portion to seize the upper portion of the locking peg of the support means and tapering end edges so that the support means is clamped in a position perpendicular to the side piece, whereby the shelf and also the back plate are fixed in the transverse direction. 
     
     
       7. A shelving structure according to claim 6, characterized in that said supporting means mounted on the side-pieces have at least two abutment surfaces against which the upper and intermediate legs of the horizontal channel member abut. 
     
     
       8. A shelving structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the support means, which are inserted in vertical slots in the side-pieces, have a downwardly directed recess which when engaging the lower defining surface of the slot prevents an oblique positioning of the support members when the shelf is lifted, and an upper shoulder which abuts the upper defining surface of the slot and prevents the support means from being moved from its locking position at the lower defining surface of the slot before the shelf is removed.