US1765954A - Rack with shallow sliding trays - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930;

W. N. VANCE RACK WITH SHALLOW SLIDING TRAYS Filed Dec. 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 24, 1930. w. N. VANCE RACK WITH SHALLOW SLIDING- TRAYS Filed 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER N. VANCE, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO LYON METAL PRODUCTS, INCORPORATED, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION or ILLINOIS RACK WITH SEALLOW SLIDING TRAYS Application filed December 10, 1925. Serial No. 74,583.

This invention relates in eneral to tray racks and has for an object t e provision of such a device particularly adapted to support a large number of relatively shallow trays.

nother important object Is to provide such a device that will be substantially rigid made of sheet metal and of relatively simple formation.

Another important object is to provide such a device that may be marketed in a variety of sizes without requiring additional equipment, such as dies for forming special parts, and which may be added to by the mere assembly of additional and like parts to provide a larger capacity.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation, showing in detail the construction of the tray supporting members;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed vertical elevational view, showing the same parts; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line '55 of Fig. 1.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown in Figure 1 a rack 11 having u per and lower compartments 12 and 13, w ich may be of any suitable size, and a plurality of trays 14 arranged in each of these compartments. It will be understood, however, that the trays may be omitted from certain compartments, if desired, and that other compartments may be added, if desired, as will be later described.

The rack 11 is preferably formed of sheet metal and includes a plurality of upright supports 15 and spacing means, which may be of any suitable form, for securing the uprights 15 in spaced relation, and in the present instance I have shown wall plates 16 which may be of sheet metal and adapted to provide an enclosure to exclude dust and the llke from the trays 14. While the wall plates 16 may be formed to provide three vertical walls and connected to uprights 15 at their opposite edges, I prefer to extend these plates in one direction a sufficient distance to provide a double compartment into which trays may be inserted from each side and to separate these compartments by a vertical wall plate 17 While I have shown two compartments, one above the other, it

will be understood that racks may be built a to provide only one or several compartments disposed one above the other, or may be divided into several compartments by inserting horizontal separating and spacing lates 18, which may also be used to provide a top and bottom closure for the rack. While the plates 18 may be secured in position in any suitable manner, such as by welding, riveting, or the like, I prefer to secure these plates to the wall plates 16 and 17. This is accomplished by bolts 21 extending through the flanges 19 and the wall plates 16. A tie rod or support 22 may be provided for supporting the outer end of the plates 18, which is preferably adapted for interlocking engagement in key slots 23, which may be spaced at suitable intervals in the uprights 15. Tray supporting and guiding devices 24 are, or may be formed to provide a channel or runway for one or more trays 14. The devices 24 are preferably formed as separate units to facilitate their use in rack compartments of various heights and are preferably U-shaped in cross section. One or more offset lip portions 25 are provided at one end of the devices 24 which are preferably adapted for interlocking engagement in an upright 15. In the present instance, these offset lips 25 are adapted to extend through apertures 26 in the uprights 15 .to

engage an inner face thereof when the de- 100 vices 24 are in operative position. The other end of the devices 24 is preferably adapted for attachment to the corresponding end of one or more adjacent companion devices and may also be offset or otherwise formed for attachment to a frame member or to other parts of the rack. In the present instance, I have shown an offset ortion 27 substantially rectangular in orm and adapted to extend beyond the side of the U-shaped portion 28 a suflicient distance to overlap the corresponding part of an adjacent device. Apertures 29 and 31 are provided in the portion 27, which are preferably spaced so that when two or more devices 24 are secured side by side, a bolt extending through the aperture 29 in one of the devices will also extend through the apertures 31 of the adjacent device and may also, if desired, extend through a portion of the frame or through the Wall plate 16 as at 32.

The trays 14 may be of any suitable form and may be adapted for sliding engagement in the devices 24, or may be provided with antifriction rollers, or the like. In the present instance, I have shown these trays adapted for sliding engagement and formed of sheet metal. Suitable handles 33 may be provided for controlling the trays, and label holders 34, of any suitable type, may be attached to the front of the trays for containing a label to identify .the contents thereof.

In operation, the uprights 15 may be provided with apertures 26 and key slots 23 in opposite sides and formed to embrace a portion of the wall plates sothat after assembling the uprights to a Wall plate, traysupporting and guiding devices 24 may be attached to either or both sides of the uprights. Vertical wall plates 17 may be attached on either or both sides of the wall plates 16 and the horizontal plates 18 may be attached thereto on one or both sides. It will thus be noted that to one unit, which may be of any height, similar units may be attached at will and upon either side, in which tray-supporting devices 24 may be readily assembled and secured. When these devices are made in accordance with my invention, a large number of shallow trays may be positioned in each compartment.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various'changes may be made in the form, construction, and ar rangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A tray rack, comprising, upright supports having a vertical series of spaced apart cut-outs, means for securing said uprights in spaced relation, a plurality of channel shaped tray supports having at one end a tongue adapted for detachable engagement in a said cut-out, each said support having at its opposite end a lateral flange, a rack member carried by the upright supports, means for attaching said flange to said rack member and to the lateral flange of an adjacent channel member whereby said channel members are detachably and rigidly connected to each other.

2. A tray rack, comprising, uprights held in spaced apart position, said uprights having a vertical series of spaced apart notches formed therein, a plurality of tray supports having formed portions detachably engaging said spaced notches, said tray supports having lateral flanges extending down from the plane of said support and overlapping and engaging the lateral flange of the next adjacent tray support, means for securing overlapping portions together and to said rack so that said tray supports are rigidly and detachably connected. to said uprights and are rigidly and detachably interconnected.

3. A tray rack, comprising, a plurality of spaced front and rear hollow uprights having a vertical series of cut-outs formed in the lateral side of said uprights, lateral side plates arranged between front and rear uprights, a plurality of tray guides horizontally positioned between said uprights, each of said tray guides having tongues de tachably engaged in the cut-outs of said uprights to support an end of said guide detachably secured to said upright, the other end ofsaid tray guides having a laterally extending flange provided with suitable bolt holes to permit said flanges to be bolted to the side plate and adjacent tray supports to form a rigid structure so that tray members may be inserted in said tray guides. I

4. A tray rack, comprising, uprights, means for holding said uprights in spacedv apart position, said uprights having a vertical series of spaced notches, a plurality of detachably mounted tray guides comprising each a sheet metal channel member having at one end a complementary fastening member detachably engaged in a spaced notch of a said upright, the opposite end of said tray guides having attaching tongues bent substantially at a right angle to the plane of said tray guides and secured at a remote point in said rack, the outerredge' of said angular portion being bent transversely to the main portion and extending from the horizontal plane of said tray guide to provide an overlapping member for connection-with a similarly formed tongue on a next adjacent tray guide, and means for securing said adjacent overlapping portions together.

5. A tray rack, comprising upright supporting members, and a frame portion remote from said supporting members means for maintaining said supporting members in spaced relationship, and a plurality of horizontally disposed tray supports having interlocking engagement at one end with a said supporting member and detachably secured at the other end to each other and to the frame portion remote from said supporting member.

6. A tray rack, comprising tubular upright supporting members having a vertical series of spaced apart notches, means for holding said supporting members in spaced relation, a plurality of horizontally disposed tray supports, each of said tray supports having complementary fastening members at one end and detachably engaged in the notches, and means for securing the opposite ends of said supports to each other and to the rack structure at a remote point in the tray rack to prevent displacement of said fastening members from engagement in said notches.

for detachable interlocking engagement at one end with a said tubular upright and detachably fastened at their other end to said vertical wall portion adjacent said lateral wall portion, a vertical series of said tray supportsbeing arranged on opposed sides of said lateral wall.

'VVALTER N. VANCE.

7. A tray rack, comprising tubular upright supporting members and a frame portion remote from sald supporting members means for malntamlng sald supportlng 'members in spaced relationship, and a plurality of horizontally disposed tray supports having interlocking engagement at one end with a said supporting member and detachably secured at the other end to each other and to the frame portion remote from said supporting member.

8. In a tray rack, the combination of an upright supporting member comprising a tubular upright and a vertical wall portion supported by said upright, and a vertical series of horizontal tray supports each having detachable interlocking engagement at one end with said tubular upright and secured to an adjacent shelf support and to said vertical wall portion at the other end.

9. In a tray rack, the combination of a vertical support member comprising front and rear tubular uprights and a vertical Wall plate arranged between said uprights and supported thereby, and horizontal shelf supporters having detachable engagement with said tubular uprights at their forward ends and secured to each other and to said wall plate at the rear.

10. A tray rack, comprising tubular upright supporting members provided with a vertical series of spaced slots, means for maintaining said supporting members in spaced relationship and plurality of horizontally disposed tray supports formed at one end for interlocking engagement-in the slots of a said upright support member and means for detachably securing the other

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