Claims
- 1. A rack structure comprising first and second rack strips
- (a) each rack strip comprising a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (b) said rack strips including a multiplicity of cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material similar to said side elements,
- (c) said cross bar elements being spaced apart uniformly in the direction of said longitudinal axes, being disposed at right angles to and in the plane of said longitudinal axes, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements,
- (d) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements,
- (e) each of said rack strips having an end cross bar element adjacent to one end extremity thereof,
- (f) one joining clamp engaging the end cross bar element of each of said rack strips,
- (g) said joining clamp comprising a body member having a central portion and a pair of cross bar engaging recesses on opposite sides of said central portion for receiving the end cross bar elements of each of said rack strips,
- (h) a clamping cap for said joining clamp for securing said end cross bars within said recesses,
- (i) first and second rack strips of the type comprising a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements disposed in parallel relation and defining a plane, and a plurality of cross bars welded to said side elements and lying in the plane defined thereby,
- (j) a plurality of mounting clamps, at least two such clamps for each of said rack strips,
- (k) said rack strips being mounted in spaced-apart parallel relation on a support structure,
- (l) at least a third rack strip extending between said first and second rack strips at right angles thereto, and
- (m) two back plates fixed adjacent opposed ends of said third rack strip and each back plate being adapted for snap-on attachment of said third rack strip to one of said first and second rack strips.
- 2. A ladder-type rack structure for supporting household and personal goods and utensils, consisting of:
- (a) a ladder rack strip having:
- (i) a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (ii) a multiplicity of straight cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material having a diameter equal to a diameter of said side elements,
- (iii) said cross bar elements being disposed at right angles to and in the same plane of said side elements such that longitudinal axes of said cross bars intersect said longitudinal axes of said side elements, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements, and
- (iv) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements and said rack strip having a substantially elongated length in relation to its width,
- (b) an accessory element mounted on said rack strip,
- (c) said accessory element having a back plate rigidly secured thereto and engageable with said rack strip alternatively across said side elements or across an adjacent pair of cross bar elements, and
- (d) said back plate being rigidly engageable with said rack strip in any orientation perpendicular or parallel to said side elements.
- 3. A ladder-type rack structure for supporting household and personal goods and utensils, consisting of:
- (a) a ladder rack strip having:
- (i) a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (ii) a multiplicity of straight cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material having a diameter equal to a diameter of said side elements.
- (iii) said cross bar elements being disposed at right angles to and in the same plane of said side elements such that longitudinal axes of said cross bars intersect said longitudinal axes of said side elements, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements, and
- (iv) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements and said rack strip having a substantially elongated length in relation to its width,
- (b) a base block having a bottom surface and first and second pairs of opposed upwardly facing support surfaces spaced above said bottom surface,
- (c) one pair of said support surfaces being adapted for the engagement and support of a pair of adjacent cross bar elements and the other pair of said support surfaces being adapted for the simultaneous engagement and support of opposed side elements,
- (d) said rack strip being supported and positioned by the support surfaces of said base block, with said base block positioned within an opening between adjacent cross bar elements,
- (e) a clamping cap received over said base block and secured thereto for clamping said rack strip to said base block, and
- (f) said clamping cap having a first pair of support surfaces being adapted for the engagement and support of said pair of adjacent cross bar elements and a second pair of support surfaces being adapted for the simultaneous engagement and support of said opposed side elements.
- 4. A ladder-type rack structure for supporting household and personal goods and utensils, consisting of:
- (a) first and second rack strips each having:
- (i) a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (ii) a multiplicity of straight cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material having a diameter equal to a diameter of said side elements,
- (iii) said cross bar elements being disposed at right angles to and in the same plane of said side elements such that longitudinal axes of said cross bars intersect said longitudinal axes of said side elements, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements, and
- (iv) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements and said rack strip having a substantially elongated length in relation to its width,
- (b) each of said rack strips having an end cross bar element adjacent to one end extremity thereof, and
- (c) one joining clamp engaging the end cross bar element of each of said rack strips,
- (d) said joining clamp comprising a body member having a central portion and a pair of cross bar engaging recesses on opposite sides of said central portion for receiving the end cross bar elements of each of said rack strips, and
- (e) a clamping cap for said joining clamp for securing said end cross bars within said recesses.
- 5. A ladder-type rack structure for supporting household and personal goods and utensils, consisting of:
- (a) one or more ladder rack strips having:
- (i) a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (ii) a multiplicity of straight cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material having a diameter equal to a diameter of said side elements,
- (iii) said cross bar elements being disposed at right angles to and in the same plane of said side elements such that longitudinal axes of said cross bars intersect said longitudinal axes of said side elements, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements, and
- (iv) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements and said rack strip having a substantially elongated length in relation to its width,
- (b) one or more clamping block assemblies,
- (c) each clamping assembly comprising a base element with surfaces disposed at 90.degree. and adapted for reception in a corner joint formed by adjacent walls,
- (d) said base element having recesses for the reception of a rack strip extending in a direction parallel to said corner joint, and
- (e) each said clamping block assembly including a cap element and means to secure said cap element tightly to said base element for clamping of said rack strip.
- 6. A ladder-type rack structure for supporting household and personal goods and utensils, consisting of:
- (a) a ladder rack strip having:
- (i) a pair of elongated, spaced-apart side elements formed of steel wire rod material and extending in parallel relation and with respective longitudinal axes defining a plane,
- (ii) a multiplicity of straight cross bar elements, formed of steel wire rod material having a diameter equal to a diameter of said side elements,
- (iii) said cross bar elements being disposed at right angles to and in the same plane of said side elements such that longitudinal axes of said cross bars intersect said longitudinal axes of said side elements, and said cross bar elements being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between said side elements, and
- (iv) said cross bar elements being fused at each end with inner side surface portions of said side elements and said rack strip having a substantially elongated length in relation to its width,
- (b) a base block having a bottom surface and an upwardly facing surface spaced above said bottom surface,
- (c) a clamping cap received over said base block and secured thereto for clamping said rack strip to said base block,
- (d) one of said base block in said clamping cap having first and second pairs of opposed support surfaces adapted to simultaneously engage a pair of adjacent cross bars and side elements, respectively.
- 7. The combination of claim 6, wherein
- (a) said base block is formed with a non-circular recess therein, and
- (b) said clamping cap has a non-circular boss adapted for close reception in said non-circular recess for positioning and orienting said clamping cap.
- 8. A rack structure according to claim 4, wherein
- (a) said body member has orienting recesses at each side thereof for guiding and aligning said rack strips,
- (b) said orienting recesses extending laterally away from said cross bar engaging recesses and being arranged to receive and align the respective side elements of the rack strips.
- 9. A rack structure according to claim 8, wherein
- (a) said orienting recess are arranged at 90 degrees, for orienting said rack strips at a right angle.
- 10. A rack structure according to claim 9, wherein
- (a) said body member is disposed on the outside of said right angle, and
- (b) said clamping cap is disposed on the inside of said right angle.
- 11. A rack structure according to claim 1, further including
- (a) an accessory element of said rack structure,
- (b) said accessory element including a back plate fixed thereto,
- (c) said back plate of said accessory element being secured to said third rack strip by snap-on attachment.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 08/378,187, filed Jan. 25, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,366.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
378187 |
Jan 1995 |
|