US2603361A - Tiering means for trays - Google Patents

Description

July 15, 1952 D. M. JAMES TIERING MEANS FOR TRAYS Filed April 9, 1947 Patented July 15, 1952 TIERING MEANS FOR ,'.limrsV` y David Maldon James, Manchester, EnglandV Application April 9, 1947,Serial No..740,348 I In Great Britain November kEU), 1945 v section' ri, rubuc Law 690, Augst s, 1946 'Patent-- expires November 10, 1965 This invention is concerned with wire mesh receptacles capable of being arranged one above another in tiers, and has reference for example to iiling trays and the like for ofce use, to vegetable racks, cake stands, and the like for domestic and shop use, andv to display stands, storage bins or trays for factories, and for similar purposes.

The invention aims at providing simple, cheap, andr easily-operated means for connecting standard ready-made trays or specially-designed trays together in tiers, to any suitable height, and comprises the use of spring members adapted to .engage the mesh in or on a lower tray at two points land shaped so that, when stressed, they may be engaged with the mesh in a higher tray and, when released,v hold such higher tray rigidly-by reason of the retained stress. In the wire'mesh trays or racks, the meshes themselves will readily provide the necessary openings for the connecting members. I

'Ihe connecting members are preferably of Wire and, Ain the usual cases, will comprise a folded length of wire with the loop of the fold lowermost.

According to another featureof the invention, each' connecting memberis Ibent or kinked near the lower end to engage the upper edge ofthe lower tray and is shaped below the kink so that, when unstressed the connecting members on opposite sides of the tray assume positions with their upper ends splayed widely, these upper ends requiring to be moved inwards to engage the next higher tray, and during such action, being stressed so as (when released after engagement with the upper tray) both to bind on the lower tray and to grip the upper tray tightly.

According to a further feature of the invention, the upper ends of the connecting members are kinked at several points, at varying distances from their ends, so as to provide adjustment for height by the upper tray engaging one or other of the kinks. l

`'Usually the connecting members will each connect upper and lower trays at the same side and at the same end of the trays, but if desired, they could be arranged to cross each other either from side-to-side of the trays or from end-to-end.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembly of three wire-mesh baskets of the filing tray type, with one form of the connector adopted therein; Fig. 2 is an end View of a basket showing in full lines th'e initial unstressed position of one connector. and in broken lines the iinal stressedA 5 5 claims. (cl. zii- 126) -2 position, and showing also howI are threadedinto position; i

Fig. 3is a perspective view of one of the connectors shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but detached from thetrays. i f. y i

Referring to Figs. 1-3, the wire filing trays l, 2. 3. are off standardtype having -a square mesh and the connecting members each .comprise a folded length or spring wireythe two limbs of the fold being bent or cranked at 4, a short distance iromvthe loop '5. then inclined at V to the end portion 1, next kinked deeply at 8 and thereafter inclining to the freeend where they are bent backwards atA 9, and the extremities formed ashooks I0.

The lform of the wire is isuch that, with vthe lower, looped end 'I passed through a mesh in the the connectors Aside wall of the tray, from the outside, the kink 8 ts into another mesh-,in the side wall, also from the outside (see Fig. 2), thereby preventing sideways movement of .the connecting member,

and in this position the member stands upright, but with its upper endsplayed away from the upper tray. By` bending the upper end lbackwards, the hooks I0 at the extremity may be caused to engage one of the Wires of the base of the nexty higher tray, against which it becomes stressed when-released, thereby holding.` the parts firmly together. Usually, and as shown, the hooks Ill will engage, the wire which is iirst from the corner, the length, of the parts 9 being such that theupstanding part of the connector meets theV cornerjof .the tray. e

Usually, one connecting member at each corner ofthe trays will suiice and theparts 9 of the connecting members for a lower tray may be passed through the loops 5 o f the connecting members for the next higher tray.

In addition, brackets may be provided whereby the assembly could be hung from a wall. These may comprise lengths of wire, looped to engage a nail, screw or the like in the wall and having hook ends to engage one or other of the trays.

With the baskets and connectors colored, as by dipping, and with alternate baskets of a different color, and the connectors of another color, very attractive assemblies can be built up.

What I claim is:

1. In a tray assemblyincluding a plurality of trays each having perforated side Walls and a perforated bottom wall, in combination, a plurality of spring wire assembly elements of elongated U-shape, the openend of the U beingupsubsequently released engagementwith the tion formed on the lower end thereof and being cranked so as to extend inwardly through a side wall and downwardly through the bottom wall of a tray, a straight upper portion ending in an upper engaging portion composed of two hookshaped ends formed upon the upper end of each of said spring wire assembly elements y and adapted to extend upwardly through the bottom of the next higher tray and to engage a portion thereof, and an inwardly bent U-shaped deflected i portion intermediate said engaging portions and adapted to extend into an opening in said side brought into engagement with thebottom wall l,

of said higher tray, retain the intermediate and lower engaging portions thereof in tight engagement with said tray. V,

2. In a tray assembly in luding a plurality of trays each having perforated side walls and a perforated bottom wall, in combination, a plurality of spring Ywire assembly elements, each of said spring wire assembly elementsY comprising a lower engaging portion formed on the lower end thereof and being cranked soas to extend inwardly. through `a side wall and downwardly through the bottom wall of a tray, a straight upper portion ending in an upper hook-shaped engaging portion formed upon the upper end of each of said spring wire assembly elements and adapted vto extend upwardly through 'the bottom of the next higher tray'and to engagea portion thereof, and an inwardly bent U-shaped deilected portion intermediate said engaging portions arid adapted to extend into an opening in said side wall of said tray fromY the outside thereof, each o f said spring wire assembly elements having its upper` portion Vsufiieiently outwardl'y Vbent'fso that spring wire assembly elements arrangedonropposite sidewalls of said tray assume positions-in which the upper ends thereof are splayed away from said next higher tray in such a relative position that-said 'hook- Ashaped upper engaging portions require to be forced resilintlyhover said tray towards each other to resiliently'engage the bottom wall of said next higher trayfthereabove'yand, when after bein-g brought' into i bottom wallnofsaid next higherv tray, retain the intermediate and lower engaging portions thereof -inv tight engagement with Ysaid tray. Y l

3. In a tray assembly including a`plurality of trays each having perforated side walls anda perforated bottom wall, in combination, a plurality of spring wire assembly-elements of an4 elongated U-shape, the open end oftheU being uppermost, each yof said spring wire assembly elements comprising a lower looped engaging portion formed on the lower end thereof and being cranked so as to extend inwardly through a side wall and downwardly through the bottom wall yof a tray and to form a projectingjloop under the bottom wall` of said tray, a straight upperportion ending in anupper engaging porwire assembly elements arranged on opev tion composed of two hook-shaped ends formed upon the upper end of each of said spring wire assembly elements and adapted to pass substantially horizontally from the outside through the projecting loop on the lower end of another U- shaped spring wire assembly element arranged above said spring wire assembly element for engaging said next higher tray with its lower engaging portion, and then to extend upwardly through the bottom of the next higher tray and to engage a portion thereof, and an inwardly bent U-shaped deflected portion intermediate said engaging portions and adapted to extend finto an opening in said side wall of said tray from the outside thereof, each of said spring wire assembly. elements having its upper portion sufiiciently loutwardly bent so that spring wire assembly elements arranged on opposite side walls of said tray assume positions in which the upper ends thereof are splayed away from said next higher tray in such a relative position that said hook-shaped upper Aengaging portions require t0 be forced resiliently over said tray towards each other to pass through said projecting loops of said other U-shaped spring wire assembly element and to resiliently engage the bottom wall of said next higher tray thereabove, and, when subsequently released after being brought into engagement withthe bottom wall of said next higher tray, retain the intermediate and lower .engaging portions thereof lin tight engagement .with said tray. Y

4. In a tray assembly including a plurality of trays each having perforated side walls and a perforated bottom wall, in combination, a plurality of spring wire assembly elements of an elongated U-shape, the open end of the U being uppermost, each of said spring wire assembly elements comprising a lower looped engaging portion formed on the lower end thereof and ,being cranked so as to extend inwardly through a side wall and downwardly through the bottom wall of atray,v a substantially straight intermediate portion of said spring wire assembly element located adjacent to said lower engaging portion adapted to -engage said Vside wall of said tray, a straight upper portion ending in an upper engaging p0rtion composed of two hook-shapedends formed upon ther-upper end of each of said spring Wire assembly'elements and adapted to extend upl saidfspring wire assembly elements having its upper portion sufiiciently outwardly bent relative Yto said straight intermediate portion so that spring Vwire assembly elements arranged on opposite side walls of said tray assume positions in whlchgthe upper ends thereof are splayed away ffrorrrV said next higher tray in Vsuchra relative positionV that said hook-shaped upper engaging portions require be forced resiliently over said tray towards each other to resilently. engage Ithe rbottom wallrof said next higher tray thereabove,

' and,V 'when subsequently released .after being brought into engagement with the bottomrwall of said-next -higher tray, retain the intermediate andlower engagingA portions thereof in tight engagement with' said tray.

5. In a tray assembly -includinga plurality of trays each having perforated sidewalls and a perforated'bottom wall, in combination, a plurality'of spring wire assembly elements of an elongated U-shape, the open end of the U being uppermost, each vof said spring Wire assembly elements comprising a lower' looped engaging portion formed on the lower end thereof and being cranked so as to extend inwardly through a side wall and downwardly through the bottom wall of a tray, a substantially straight intermedie ate portion of said spring wire assembly element located adjacent to said lower engaging portion adapted to engage said side wall of said tray, a straight upper portion ending in an upper engaging portion composed of two hook-shaped ends formed upon the upper end of each of said spring wire assembly elements and adapted to extend upwardly through the bottom of the next higher tray and to engage a portion thereof, and an inwardly bent U-shaped deflected portion intermediate said straight intermediate portion and said upper portion and adapted to extend into an opening in said side Wall of said tray from the outside thereof, each of said spring wire assembly `elements having its upper portion suiciently outwardly bent relative to said straight intermediate portion so that spring wire assembly? elements arranged on opposite side walls of said tray assume positions in which the upper ends thereof are splayed away from said next REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 921,694 Hall May 18, 1909 987,410 Snyder Mar. 21, 1911 994,984 Dennis June 13, 1911 1,386,878 Lamp Aug. 9, 19214 2,235,709 i Hearn et al Mar. 18, 1941

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