GB2219931A

GB2219931A - Right angle brackets

Info

Publication number: GB2219931A
Application number: GB8913792A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Angier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-06-28
Filing date: 1989-06-15
Publication date: 1989-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-15
Also published as: GB8815389D0; GB8913792D0; GB2219931B

Abstract

A right angle bracket of the kind for supporting shelves is made in two parts, a first part forming the two elements at right angles to each other and a second part which can be clipped in position to form a bracing strut extending between the two elements of the first part. The second part may be a plain strip of metal or in the form of decorative scrollwork. <IMAGE>

Description

Right angle brackets.

The invention relates to right angle brackets of the kind for supporting shelves.

Various kinds of right angle brackets for shelf fixing are known but they usually have several essential features in common. Firstly, a right angle bracket for shelf fixing must have elements at right angles to each other for fixing against a wall surface and for supporting a shelf respectively, each having holes for the reception of screws. Secondly, for strength, the bracket must generally have a bracing strut or elements (for example scrollwork) constituting a bracing strut extending between the elements at right angles to each other. Obviously, for greatest possible strength in any particular size of bracket, the bracing strut should be connected near to the outermost ends of the two elements at right angles to each other.

The presence of a bracing strut in a right angle bracket of conventional construction almost inevitably causes the user of the bracket some difficulty when fixing it in position. This is because the bracing strut is almost bound to interfere to some extent with the use of a screwdriver when tightening the screws in position which are to hold the bracket to the wall or the shelf to the bracket. This may not be a serious difficulty in cases where the screw holes are located side by side in flanges which project laterally from the plane in which the bracing strut is located, but in brackets having only a single row of screw holes in a plane midway of the width of the bracket it will generally be impossible to maintain full screwdriver blade contact with at least some of the screws being used unless said screws are driven into the wall or into the shelf, as the case may be, at an angle.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of construction of a right angle bracket for shelf fixing in which the difficulties referred to above will be at least alleviated, with the possibility of alternative decorative struts being readily interchanged.

According to the invention, there is provided a right angle bracket made in two parts, that is to say a first part forming the two elements substantially at right angles to each other and a second part forming a bracing strut for extending between the said two elements at right angles to each other, there being holes in said two elements for the reception of screws for fixing the bracket to a wall and for fixing a shelf to the bracket, and in addition there being further apertures in said two elements for the clipping into position of key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut, the arrangement being such that the first part of the bracket can be secured to a wall and a shelf can be secured to said first part of the bracket before the bracing strut is clipped into position to impart sufficient strength to the bracket to enable it to be loaded.The first part of the bracket may be made from a metal extrusion of shallow U-section so that the key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut can extend through the apertures which they engage in the two elements at right angles to each other without standing proud of the abutment surfaces of said two elements. Alternatively, the first part could be made of plain rectangular section material, the section either being of a thickness greater than the length of each key piece of the bracing strut or being formed with a bulge in the region of each aperture which is to receive one of the key pieces of the bracing strut.Preferably, in being formed into two elements substantially at right angles to each other, the first part will be worked to form an angle somewhat less that a right angle between the two elements so that when the bracing strut is subsequently fitted in position it braces said two elements apart by resilient deformation of said first part. The key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut will preferably extend longitudinally of said strut so that when engaged with the apertures in the two elements of the first part they tend to engage more securely as a result of the shelf being loaded.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into, effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is an exploded view of a right angle bracket embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a view in the direction of arrow 2 in Figure 1 but drawn to a somewhat larger scale than Figure 1, Figure 3 is a detail view which will be referred to, Figure 4 is a view illustrating a possible modification, and Figures 5 to 7 are views similar to Figures 1 to 3 respectively, which illustrate a further possible modification.

Referring now in particular to Figure 1, the right angle bracket there illustrated is made in two parts, that is to say a first part 10 and a second part 12.

The first part 10 forms two elements 14 and 16 at right angles to each other, said two elements having holes 18 for the reception of screws (shown in chain-dotted lines) for fixing the bracket to a wall and for fixing a shelf to the bracket. As illustrated in Figure 2, the cross sectional shape of the elongate strip of material from which the part 10 has been formed is of shallow U-shape to provide, in the element which is to support the shelf, upstanding edges 20 forming abutment surfaces. Between the upstanding edges 20 the edges of the holes for receiving the screws have been able to be countersunk by deformation of the material.The cross sectional shape of the material forms similar spaced abutment surfaces in the other element for abutment against the wall to which the bracket is to be fixed, and the material surrounding the screw holes therein is similarly deformed to provide a countersinking for countersunk head screws.

The second part 12 of the bracket forms a bracing strut for extending between the two elements of the first part, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 1. Consequently, in addition to the screw holes in the two elements of the first part there are formed further apertures 22,22 for the clipping into position of key pieces 24,24, formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut.

The arrangement is such that the first part of the bracket can be secured to a wall and a shelf can be secured to said first part before the bracing strut is clipped into position to impart sufficient strength to the bracket to enable it to be loaded. Consequently, the use of a screwdriver when tightening the screws in position which are to hold the bracket to the wall or the shelf to the bracket is not interferred with by the presence of the strut though the screw holes are in a plane midway of the width of the bracket. The screws do not need to be driven in at an angle and full screwdriver blade contact with the screws can easily be maintained. As illustrated in chaindotted lines in Figure 1, it will be preferable for the first part 10 to be worked to form an angle somewhat less than a right angle between the two elements so that when the bracing strut is fitted in position it braces said two elements apart by resilient deformation of said first part.

Referring now to Figure 3, the key pieces 24,24 formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut extend longitudinally of said strut so that, when engaged with the apertures in the two elements of the first part, they tend to engage more securely as a result of the shelf being loaded.

Thus there is provided a right angle bracket which can be produced relatively economically and which can be fixed in position very much more easily than a conventional one piece bracket.

However, various modifications may be made. For example, the second part 12 need not necessarily be a plain strip of metal as shown in Figure 1; it could equally well be a specially formed part of a decorative appearance, for example in the form of scrollwork as illustrated in Figure 4. Any other form of decorative part capable of acting as a strut can of course be employed provided that it has the key pieces 24,24 for insertion in the apertures 22,22 in the first part. Indeed, the invention allows the possibility of alternative decorative struts being readily interchanged whilst the brackets are in service. That is to say, for example, if a room in the house is being redecorated, the struts can be replaced by other struts which will more readily match the new decor.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, in a further possible modification the first part 10, forming the two elements at right angles to each other, has been made of plain rectangular section material.

The strip has been pierced at suitable points to form the holes 18 for receiving the screws for fixing the bracket to a wall and for fixing a shelf to the bracket. In addition, as in the first described embodiment, the two elements are formed with further apertures 22,22 for the clipping into position of the key pieces 24,24 of the second part 12 which is to form a bracing strut. However, in this case the two elements are formed with local bulges 21,21 in the region of each aperture 22.

Consequently, the key pieces 24 can project through the apertures 22 without extending beyond the plane of the abutment surfaces which are to contact the wall or the underside of the shelf as the case may be.

One advantage of the form of bracket just described over that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is that the end view of the bracket (Figure 6), when in use, is preferable to that of the earlier bracket (Figure 2).

Various other modifications may be made. For example, if the thickness of the material of which the first part is made is greater than the length of each key piece 24 of the bracing strut it will not be necessary to form the first part with a bulge in the region of each aperture 22. Also, in this case, it will be advantageous for the material of which the first part is made to be somewhat softer than the material of which the bracing strut is made. In this way, when the two parts have been assembled together, the point formed at the end of each key piece will dig into a side wall of the respective aperture. However, the two parts of the bracket need not necessarily be made of metal. At least one of the two parts could be a synthetic plastics moulding.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A right angle bracket made in two parts, that is to say a first part forming the two elements substantially at right angles to each other and a second part forming a bracing strut for extending between the said two elements at right angles to each other, there being holes in said two elements for the reception of screws for fixing the bracket to a wall and for fixing a shelf to the bracket, and in addition there being further apertures in said two elements for the clipping into position of key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut, the arrangement being such that the first part of the bracket can be secured to a wall and a shelf can be secured to said first part of the bracket before the bracing strut is clipped into position to impart sufficient strength to the bracket to enable it to be loaded.

2. A right angle bracket according to claim 1, in which the cross sectional shape of the first part of the bracket is of shallow U-section so that the key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut can extend through the apertures which they engage in the two elements at right angles to each other without standing proud of the abutment surfaces of said two elements.

3. A right angle bracket according to claim 1, in which the first part is made of plain rectangular sectional material, the section either being of a thickness greater than the length of each key piece of the bracing strut or being formed with a bulge in the region of each aperture which is to receive one of the key pieces of the bracing strut.

4. A right angle bracket according to either one of the preceding claims, in which in being formed into two elements substantially at right angles to each other, the first part has been worked to form an angle somewhat less than a right angle between the two elements so that when the bracing strut is subsequently fitted in position it braces said two elements apart by resilient deformation of said first part.

5. A right angle bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the key pieces formed at the opposite ends of the bracing strut extend longitudinally of said strut so that when engaged with the apertures in the two elements of the first part they tend to engage more securely as a result of the shelf being loaded.

6. A right angle bracket constructed, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.