Interlake, Inc.

Kennedy McConnell

A pallet rack construction comprising beam and upright members which can be locked together rigidly to form a storage rack of superior strength. The improved rigidity is attributable to a novel connector on the end of the beam member which fits into a slot in the upright and by wedging action pulls the beam both endwise (axially) and sidewise (laterally) with respect to the upright.

Pallet rack construction

The loadlock and beam of the present invention are for use with a pallet rack structure in which the beam is connected to an upright of an end frame with the loadlock. The loadlock has a right angled-shaped bolt with a shank slidably extending through an aligned hole in the upright and in an end plate of the beam and has a headed handle portion extending through a contoured slot in the beam wall adjacent the end of the beam. The contoured slot defines three separate positions and cooperates with a generally cylindrical spring metal retainer positioned on the bolt handle having diametrically opposed projecting tabs engaging the innerface of the beam wall adjacent the slot and having projections engageable with the edges of the contoured slot to position the loadlock in any one of the three preselected positions. The slot and the loadlock cooperate to prevent manual movement of the lock between the shipping and locking positions, thereby preventing inadvertent disengagement of the shank from the upright and beam end plate.

Slotted beam and loadlock therefor

A mounting clip is adapted for attachment to a deck panel of a storage rack to facilitate assembly of the deck panel with apertured rack beams. The clip has a folded-over flange which cooperates with a cut-out tab to resiliently clamp therebetween an edge of an associated panel with the tab received in a complementary opening in the panel, the clip having a depending finger with a thin and narrow neck portion and an enlarged distal end portion dimensioned to permit insertion of the finger in an aperture of the associated beam but to inhibit accidental dislodgement of the finger from the aperture. An additional projection on the clip inhibits tangling and interlocking of the clips when stored in bulk and also serves to position the clip on an associated panel.

Panel mounting clip for storage rack

A cross bar is provided for interconnecting two parallel spaced-apart beams of a rack construction, wherein each beam has an inner ledge having a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart apertures therein. The cross bar is in the form of a rectangular open-bottom channel member with one leg longer than the other, the long leg being integral along the entire lower edge thereof with a laterally outwardly extending flange. Two notches are respectively formed in the flange predetermined short distances from the opposite ends thereof, with the portions of the flange between the notches and the adjacent ends defining tabs dimensioned for insertion into selected ones of the apertures in the beams so that the short leg of the cross bar will rest upon the beam ledges with the top of the cross bar disposed substantially horizontally, the inner edges of the beam ledges being accommodated in the cross bar notches.

Cross bar

A nestable shim includes a flat plate having a ridge portion with a convex upper surface and a concave lower surface, adaptable to be received beneath the foot plate of a rack column for adjusting the height thereof, wherein the foot plate has a concave groove in the bottom surface thereof in which the ridge portion of the shim nests in use. The top and bottom surfaces of the ridge portion are complementary to permit nesting of a plurality of the shims. The foot plate and the shim each have three fastener-receiving apertures therethrough. Alternatively, a slot may be used in place of one of the shim apertures.

Shim for rack column

A structural member for use in forming frames by having connected thereto an associated member carrying a mounting stud having a shank with an enlarged head thereon, the structural member including a plurality of clover-leaf shaped holes in alignment therealong for receiving the mounting stud, each of the holes including four cusps arranged therearound with the edges of adjacent cusps joined by concave surfaces, at least one of the concave surfaces extending downwardly with the associated cusps disposed generally horizontally when the structural member is in its operative position, the cusps each having a generally vertically oriented straight side with opposed ones of said straight sides being joined by one of the concave surfaces at the bottom ends thereof, the straight sides converging toward the associated concave surface and being spaced apart at the points of the cusps a first distance slightly less than the diameter of the shank of the associated stud with the points of the cusps being spaced from the farthest point on the associated concave surface a second distance greater that the radius of the shank of the associated stud; there also is provided an assembly including first and second structural members and a snap lock to hold the mounting stud in the associated clover-leaf shaped hole, and to make sure the associated stud is properly seated in the clover-leaf shaped hole.

Growing community of inventors

Homewood, IL, United States of America

Kennedy McConnell