GB2147195A - Collapsible shelving - Google Patents

Abstract

Free-standing shelving, for exhibition display purposes, comprises collapsible supporting structure 10 and a plurality of removable shelves 12. The structure 10 comprises pairs of parallel shelf- supporting bars (14, 14', Fig. 4), each pair of bars being arranged to support a shelf 12. The bars extend between lazy-tongs mechanisms comprising parallel first links 16 and second links 18 pivotally interconnected at their mid-points. The first links 16 at the two ends of the structure and the associated ones of the bars are welded together to form a plurality of rigid frames pivotally supported and interconnected by means of the second links 18. Each shelf 12 comprises downwardly and inwardly turned edge portions (24, Fig. 4) forming opposed channels for reception of the bars and preventing collapse of the raised structure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collapsible shelving This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to collapsible shelving, and may particularlyfind application in free-standing shelving for use, for example, as display equipment at exhibitions.

In one of its aspects the invention provides collapsible shelving comprising supporting structure and a plurality of shelves adapted to be supported by said structure, said structure comprising a plurality of pairs of parallel shelf-supporting bars which pairs extend between two lazy-tongs mechanisms ofthe structure, the arrangement being such that in an extended condition of said lazy-tongs mechanisms each ofsaid shelves can be mounted for use on one of said pairs of supporting bars.

In this manner there can be provided readily erectable and collapsible, easily transportable, shelving. The shelving may, for example, be suitable for use as display equipment at exhibitions where it can be particularly importantthat equipment be installed and removed, and moved from site to site, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As is well known, a lazy-tongs mechanism comprises a plurality of parallel first links and a plurality of parallel second links extending transversely of said first links, each of said second links being pivotally mounted at its mid-point to a first link at its mid-point, and end portions of a pair of crossed first and second links being pivotally connected to end portions of an adjacent pair, or adjacent pairs, of crossed links. In a preferred form forthe shelving, pairs of said first links are secured together by means of associated ones of said shelf-supporting bars to provide a plurality of rigid rectangularframes in parallel, said frames being pivotally interconnected by means of said second links.

Owing to the lazy-tongsarrangement, as the supporting structure is extended from a collapsed condition the two bars of each pair of bars approach one another, and conversely the bars move further apart as the structure is contracted. The structure can be maintained in its extended condition by means of a retaining memberwhich prevents separation ofthe bars of one pair of bars, and whilst a separate retaining member may be useful duringassemblyanddis- asset by , ofthe structure, most preferably at least one of said shelves is arranged to serve as the retaining member in use ofthe structure.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of an embodiment which illustrates the invention byway of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lisa perspective view from the front of erected free-standing collapsible shelving; Figure 2 is a view in end elevation of the shelving; Figure3 is a top plan view of the shelving; Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which a shelf is mounted on supporting bars in use ofthe shelving; and Figure 5 is a scrap plan view illustrating the arrangement offirst and second links and a shelfsupporting bar of supporting structure of the shelving.

Free-standing collapsible shelving, best seen overall in Figure 1,comprises supporting structure 10 and five shelves 12 adapted to be supported by the structure. As will become apparentfrom the description hereinafter, the shelves 12can simply be removed from the structure 10 and the structure collapsed to allow fortransportation to another site. The shelves 12, in position on the erected structure, themselves serve as retaining membersto prevent collapse of the structure. The shelving is suitablefor use as display equipment at exhibitions.

The supporting structure 10 comprises five pairs of parallel front and rear shelf-supporting bars 14,14', which pairs extend between two lazy-tongs mechanisms of the structure. Each of the lazy-tongs mechanisms comprises, as is conventional in such a mechanism, a plurality of (viz. four) parallel first links 16 and the same number of parallel second links 18 extending transversely of the first links. (The links are all in the form of straight bars.) Each of the second links 18 is pivotally mounted by means of a pivot pin 20 at its mid-point to a first link 16 at its mid-point, the links 16 and 18 all being ofthesame length.Thefourpairs of crossed links 16 and 18 are stacked (as seen in elevation, as in Figure 2), with end portions ofthe links of adjacent pairs pivotally connected together by means of pivot pins 22. The pins 22 are provided by blind rivets aligned with, and expanded within, the bars 14 and 14' (which are hollow).

As an important feature of the construction, the first links 16 in each ofthe lazy-tongs mechanisms are secu red to the first links in the other of the mechanisms by means of associated ones of the shelfsupporting bars 14, 14', to provide four rigid rectangularframes in parallel. Foreach frame, two links 16 and two bars 14 and 14' are welded together, (see Figure 5) the ends of the bars being welded to end portions of the links 16. The rigid frames so provided are pivotally supported and interconnected by means of the second links 18.In this manner all but two ofthe shelfsupporting bars 14,14' are provided bythe rigid frames, and to complete the structure a top-mostfront bar 14and a bottom-most rearbarl4' are secured (by welding) to, respectively, end portions of the two top-most second links 1 8 of the two lazy-tongs mechanisms and end portions of the two bottommost second links 18 of the two mechanisms.

The shelves 12 are each formed from flatsheet metal. Parallel front and rear edge portions 24 and 24' areturned downwardly and inwardly (see Figure 4) to form opposed channels for reception of a pair of the shelf-supporting bars 14 and 14' in an erected condition ofthe structure 10; the shelf so spans the gap between the bars and the bars become retained in the channels.

To ease assembly (and disassembly) a seperate retaining bar (not shown) comprising down-turned end portions may be placed across a pair the shelf-supporting bars 14 and 14' to prevent collapse of the erected structure until at least one shelf has been mounted.

It will be understood that provided at least one shelf is installed the structure 10 is thereby maintained in its erected condition. Accordingly, if on occasion preferred up to three of the four shelves could be omitted to permit other display uses forthe shelf-supporting bars 14 and 14' so exposed.

Claims (5)

1. Collapsible shelving comprising supporting structure and a plurality of shelves adapted to be supported by said structure, said structure comprising a plurality of pairs of parallel shelf-supporting bars which pairs extend between two lazy-tongs mechan isms ofthe structure, the arrangement being suchthat in an extended condition of said lazy-tongs mechanisms each of said shelves can be mounted for use on one of said pairs of supporting bars.

2. Collapsible shelving according to claim 1 wherein pairs of parallel first links of the lazy-tongs mechanisms are secured together by means of associated ones of the shelf-supporting bars to provide a plurality of rigid rectangularframes in parallel, said frames being pivotally interconnected by means of parallel second links ofthe lazy-tongs mechanisms.

3. Collapsible shelving according to either of claims 1 and 2wherein at least one of said shelves is arranged to serve as a retaining memberto prevent separation ofthe bars on which it is mounted in use, to maintain the structure in its extended condition.

4. Collapsible shelving according to claim 3 wherein the or each shelfwhich is arranged to serve as a retaining member comprises front and rear edge portions which extend downwardly and inwardly to form opposed channels for reception of the bars.

5. Collapsible shelving constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with referpence to the accompanying drawings.