GB2111379A - Improvements in vertical storage units - Google Patents

Abstract

A series of trays 18 are mounted on a vertical cylindrical pole 10 by means of integral hubs 20, each hub being displaced from the centre of gravity of the tray. The dimensions of the hub and the bore therethrough are related to the diameter of the pole and its material such that each tray, when all external support is removed, is held in position on the pole solely by jamming of the hub on the pole. The pole may be free-standing or jammed between the floor and ceiling. The trays are infinitely adjustable for height and angular position on the pole. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in vertical storage units This invention relates to vertical storage units wherein a plurality of trays for holding articles are supported on a vertical pillar, the level of each tray, and its orientation relative to another around the common vertical axis of the pillar being adjustable at will.

Various designs of vertical storage unit having both vertical and angular adjustment facilities are known, but in most cases'either the vertical or the angular adjustment is restricted by à variety of forms of mechanical interlock. Thus it is known to provide a stack of trays for holding small components, such as bolts and nuts or the like, which are assembled by means of a hub or boss at one end on a vertical rod or pillar around which can be swivelled, but the spacing between trays is determined by washers or collars placed on the rod or pillar between adjacent trays.

In another form of vertical storage unit, each of a plurality of trays is formed with an integral spigot or a socket which is frictionally engageable with a complementarily formed section of pillar, the angular orientation of each tray being determined and maintained by such frictional engagement. Each section of pillar determines the vertical spacing of the trays, and if it is desired to change this spacing between a pair of trays, or the angular orientation of a tray, the assembly must be at least partially dismantled to change a section of pillar for another of different length, or to release the frictional grip between the tray and its coacting sections of pillar permit angular adjustment.

In still other forms of vertical storage unit, each tray is positively locked or clamped on a vertical pillar by a conventional type of device such as a set screw or a collet, or in any other manner.

Alteration of the spacing or angular orientation of a tray is then dependent on release and subsequent resetting of the positive locking or clamping device.

In this specification, the term "tray" is used to define any load-supporting formation, whether a plain flat shelf-like surface, or a cup or dish, or a bracket or projection which is specially shaped for engagement by a particular design of load. The common characteristic of the trays is that they project laterally from a common vertical support or pillar and are sufficiently rigid to support the loads placed on them without change of position or attitude until a deliberate act is performed thereon for that purpose.

The invention seeks to provide a simple and elegant construction of vertical storage unit which is equally suitable for domestic, commercial or industrial use, having few components commensurate with the desired storage capacity, and in which adjustment of height and of angular orientation of any tray can be manually effected independently of any other component of the assembly.

According to the present invention a vertical storage unit consists of a smooth rigid cylindrical pole adapted to be mounted stably in an upright attitude to constitute the supporting pillar and on which a plurality of trays can be mounted at will by means of a hub located eccentric to the centre of gravity of the tray in use. The hub has a through bore of a diameter such that it is a slack fit on the pole and of a length relative to the diameter of the bore such that the tray will jam on the pole under its own weight whether loaded or unloaded.

The bore through the hub can be of uniform diameter throughout its length -- apart from any local distortion referred to hereinafter - or it may be relieved between its upper and lower rims, so that if desired the hub can, in a particular design of tray, be defined by coaxial holes in spaced upper and lower webs or lugs integral with the load-carrying surface of the tray.

Preferably, the bore through the hub is distorted so as to promote a jamming action on the pole when the tray is being supported solely thereby, but to permit vertical adjustment when the weight of the tray is sufficiently supported by an external force acting through its centre of gravity. The distortion may be purely dimensional - i.e. a slight ovality in the bore - or the deliberate interruption of the surface eq?tinuityof the wall of the bore, as by an inward integral,protrusion or an inwardly biased resilient tongue. For the best effect, this distortion must be on or close to the rim of the bore, and whatever its physical form the distortion must be at a point on the circumference of the bore which promotes the deflection of the axis of the bore relative to that of the pole and leads to jamming when the tray is free to adopt its natural attitude of repose. That is to say, the distortion should be centred on a radius of the bore which, when produced, passes through the centre of gravity of the tray.

The height of the pole is optional. It can either be free-standing on a suitable base structure or foot, or it can be wedged between the floor and a ceiling or overhead beam or like substantially horizontal structure. In the latter case, the top of the pole can be formed with, or carry, an appropriate "crown" which may be a ring of teeth to bite into the surface of the ceiling or a pad of friction material to grip the surface of the ceiling.

The foot of the pole is conveniently provided with means for adjusting the effective length of the pole, such as an axial screw. Coarse adjustment may be provided by short sections of the same external diameter as the main body of the pole which can be fitted to the lower or the upper end thereof.

The pole can be made of more general application to a variety of sites by choosing a representative standard length to be fitted between the floor and a ceiling of average height and making the pole in two sections - usually of equal length adapted to be inter-fitted or interlocked when the full length is required to be used, but either of which can be used, with the appropriate base, as a free-standing pole, especially when it is to be mounted on a table or a counter or other form of plinth.

The trays may be all the same shape and size, or shapes and sizes can vary according to practical or aesthetic criteria.

Various factors affect the jamming action.

Among these are (a) respective material of poles and trays; (b) surface finish of a pole and the wall of the bore through the hub; (c) ratio of length to diameter of the bore through the hub; (d) radial clearance between the pole and the hub, and (e) stability of the pole when erected.

the last of the above factors only becomes significant when a tray is only just supported by its jamming action and the pole is subjected to vibration, especially axial vibration at low frequencies. No one factor is decisive by itself; thus, if trays of different materials are to be mounted on the same pole, it may be necessary, in order to ensure equal security of suspension of the trays, to vary the ratio of length to diameter of the bores through their hubs. Similarly, the presence or absence of a film of lubricant between the coacting surfaces on the pole and the tray can vary the security of suspension.

Practical embodiments of the present invention will now be described, for the purposes of illustration thereof only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a freestanding pole and tray assembly embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of a tray suspended on the pole; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, with its base partly in section, of a floor-to-ceiling pole with trays; Figure 4 is a fragmentary part-sectional elevation of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a scrap view of a coarse height adjuster for the pole; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a junction between two tubular pole sections; Figures 7 and 8 show an axial section and underplan, respectively, of a first modification of a tray hub;; Figure 9 is a transverse section through a second modification of a tray hub, and Figures 10 and 11 are views similar to Figures 7 and 8, respectively, of a third modification of a tray hub.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a smooth cylindrical tubular pole 10 is stabilised in the upright attitude by means of a trefoil base structure 12. This structure consists of three integral tray-like lobes 14 at 1200 to each other, into the hub 16 of which the bottom end of the pole 10 is a relatively tight fit. A series of similar shallow trays 18, each having a generally cylindrical hub 20 at one end, is a slack fit on the pole 10. The number and positioning, vertically and angularly, of the trays 1 8 is optional. Each tray is easily positioned by sliding its hub 20 over the pole 10 while exerting a slight tilting couple Fd (Figure 2) in a sense -- anti-clockwise in the case of the lowest tray in Figure 1 - for elevating the centre of gravity G (Figure 2) of the tray. When each tray reaches its desired level it is released.

Removal of the elevating couple allows the centre of gravity G to drop slightly until the slack in the fit of the hub 20 on the pole 10 brings the "heel" of the hub and its diagonally opposite point on the upper rim simultaneously into contact with the pole. The aforesaid heel is that point on the lower rim of the hub nearest the centre of gravity of the tray, indicated approximately in Figure 1 (allowing for the perspective of the drawing) at 1 9, and the diagonally opposite point on the upper ring in Figure 1 is approximately at 21. The points 19, 21 are shown accurately in Figure 2.

The foregoing operation, whilst being described in mechanical terms, is almost unconsciously performed by the user. The total possible angle of tilt 0 (Figure 2) between upper and lower limits of tilt of the tray is normally of the order of a degree, and jamming occurs equally in the upper limit attitude of the tray as in its normal (lower attitude) of natural repose under gravity. Angular adjustment of the tray can normally be made without application of an elevating couple except that, as soon as motion occurs at the hub 20, the friction between it and the pole is reduced and the tray will tend to slide down the pole. Both vertical and angular adjustment of tray position can be made without disturbing any load in a tray, and both are infinitely variable.The aforesaid vertical and angular adjustments of the trays 18 on the pole 10 are visually represented in Figure 3 by respective straight and circular arrows, and apply equally to all trays subject only to interference with an adjacent tray or its load, or with an adjacent structure or object.

Primarily for aesthetic reasons, the base 12 is shown as three tray-shaped lobes 14, which can also serve the practical purpose of receptacles for sundry items or can carry weights to add to the stability of the pole 10. It will, however, be understood that the size and pattern of a base for the pole 10 is not restricted to any particular form.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 5, the pole 10 shown is of a length to fit closely into the space between the floor and ceiling (or other overhead structure) of a room or hall. If preferred, the requisite length can be at least substantially achieved by the junction of two shorter lengths which are suitably fashioned at their abutting ends to form a joint of adequate rigidity, as described below with reference to Figure 6. The upper end of the pole 10 is adapted to carry - as by means of a spigot and socket connection or in any other convenient manner for resisting lateral separation-a disc-like crown piece 22 having around its circumference teeth 24 of similar positive grip formations for tightly engaging the surface of the ceiling. Alternatively - and especially where either the ceiling itself or an overhead beam providing the abutment for the top end of the pole 10 has a hard surface -- the teeth can be replaced by high-friction material or possibly a suction cup. The bottom end of the pole 10 is fitted with a screw 26 for fine adjustment of the length of the poie.The screw 26 has a domed head 28 and spanner flats 30 adjacent the head, and passes through a nut which is captive on a circular plate 34 which nests snugly into the bottom end of the pole 1 0. When the pole is erected to bring the crown 22 into contact with the ceiling the screw 26 is in contact with the floor and is turned to force the pole up against the ceiling so as to wedge it in position.

As shown in Figure 5, a short tubular section 36 having the same external diameter as the pole 10 over about half its axial length is shouldered to form a reduced diameter spigot 38 over the remainder. The spigot is a snug fit in the pole 10 - or in a socket formed on the end thereof and constitutes a coarse length adjustment. The screw adjuster assembly 26... 34 is engageable with the section 36. Any number of sections 36 may be provided, and by judicious selection of their lengths a considerable range of pole length adjustment can be obtained with a minimum number of sections, thus enhancing the versatility of a given pole 10 without undue ioss of rigidity. A special trefoil base 1 2a (Figures 3 and 4) may be provided to hide the screw 26 in use.This base has an enlarged hub 116 whose bore is a clearance fit over the plate 34 except for a top shoulder 1 8 which is a similar fit around the pole 10. The internal length of the bore through the hub 11 6 is sufficient to accommodate the full length of adjustment of the screw 26. Thus, the base 1 2a rises and falls with screw adjustment without exposing the screw to view. In order to make the initial adjustment of the pole 10 when first erected, the base 1 2a is raised clear of the bottom end of the pole and held while the screw is adjusted. The base may conveniently be held in its raised position by means of an elastic ring (not shown) which grips the pole and can be rolled up and down as required. The ring is positioned on the pole below the shoulder 11 8 so that the latter rests thereon.When the adjustment is complete, the ring is rolled down on top of the plate 34, allowing the base 1 2a to fall onto the floor.

Although the ceiling-height pole 10 is illustrated in Figure 3 as being in one piece apart from a coarse adjuster section 36 - it may be preferable, especially for convenience of packing and transport, to make the pole in two or more sections which can be assembled into a coaxial unit on site. For this purpose, any convenient form of double-ended spigot fitting may be employed, as will be understood, but it is preferred to make special provision in accordance with the design illustrated in Figure 6. In this figure, the meeting ends of two pole sections 100, 101 are interfitted. The lower section 100 is a plain tube (at least at its upper end) whose mouth is chamfered at 102 to a know angle - say 450.

The upper pole section 101 is necked at 103 a short distance up from its lower end to form a spigot 105 of an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the lower pole section 100.

The external surface of the neck 103 is formed at the same angle (450 in the example selected) as the chamfer 102. The bottom end of the spigot 105 is peened or swaged into a "bell-mouth" 107 of an external diameter which is a good sliding fit within the lower pole section 1 00. Thus, two axially spaced bearing areas are formed which ensure the maximum lateral rigidity of the jointed pole without significant interruption of the continuity of the external surface of the pole. Clearly, the greater the axial separation of the neck 103 and the bell-mouth 107, the more stable is the junction. At the same time, the pole sections 100, 101 do not become frictionally jammed by the axial compression of the assembled pole, so ensuring relative ease of dismantling.

In use of either embodiment of the invention described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or 3-6, a pole 10 is located at a convenient point in a room and the requisite number of trays is selected for the anticipated storage requirement.

These are threaded onto the pole before the final setting up in the case of the floor-to-ceiling version of Figures 3-6. When the pole has been suitably stabilised in its upright attitude, the trays are disposed at their various vertical and angular intervals and loaded as required. The loads can be anything within the carrying capacity of the trays.

Thus, in a living room or entrance hall, the load can be pot plants, or objets d'art, or a combination of the two. In a kitchen, the trays may be loaded with utensils or cookery ingredients. In a workshop or factory, the trays may be loaded with engineering parts such as nuts and bolts, or tools, or small components or workpieces.

Since the jamming action which holds the trays at their respective levels depends on a certain minimum difference in radius between the pole 10 and the bore of the hub 20, reasonable accuracy of manufacture of both components is desirable.

However, in order to keep the cost of manufacture down it is desirable to be able to use standard stock tube or rod for the pole. Moreover, components of each kind may be obtained from different sources. Hence the spread of dimensional tolerances may result in trays whose hubs happen to be at the lower limit of bore diameter being offered up to a pole whose diameter is at the high limit. This may result in a fit which is too close to ensure jamming. In order to guard against such an eventuality, it is possible to adopt one of a variety of kinds of distortion of the bore through the hub, allowing a greater nominal diameter of the bore to be adopted.

One alternative bore modification is an integral inward protrusion on the upper or lower rim of the bore. This can be in the form of a "flat" on the rim constituted by the chord of a short arc of the rim centred about the point 19 or 21 in Figures 1 and 2. Figures 7 and 8 show such a protrusion 40 opposite the heel 19 of the hub, the inward-facing surface being a chord of an arc of the bore circumference and constituting a "fiat" on the lower rim. This arrangement has an advantage in that, if the manufacturing tolerances happen to prevent the hub 20 from being fitted on the pole 1 0, the requisite clearance can fairly easily be restored by filing or otherwise relieving the surface -42.

A second alternative, which is an adaptation of the first, consists of making the bore slightly oval with its major axis perpendicular to the radius of the bore which, when produced, passes through the centre of gravity G, as shown in Figure 9, exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

Another possible alternative is to form part of the wall of the bore opposite the heel 1 9 or its diagonally opposite counterpart 21 as a resilient tongue which is offset inwards to form a bias spring 44, as seen in Figures 10 and 11. In this arrangement, the point of jamming contact between the hub and the pole is resiliently urged into contact with the pole. When the hub is fitted on the pole, the resilience of the tongue reinforces the natural tilt of the tray under the action of gravity and promotes jamming.

It will normally be most convenient to place the hub 20 at one end of a relatively elongated tray 18. However, the only essential criterion for positioning the hub on the tray is that the hub should be offset from the centre of gravity. Clearly, the greater the distance din Figure 2, the more secure will be the location of the tray, but where the load is likely to remain unchanged -- as when the unit is intended to be used as a permanent display stand -- account can obviously be taken of that fact in reducing the value of d to a small figure. The shape of a tray is entirely optional, and may be chosen to blend with, say, a prominent motif in the room where the unit is to be located. For example, the trays may repeat a shield motif or a pattern in an ornamental overmantle.

As already noted, the trays 18 may be perfectly flat or they may be specially shaped to carry a particular object. The adoption of a shallow trough-like shape, however, has a particular advantage in the case where the unit is intended to carry plants, because watering can very conveniently be carried out by pouring the water into the trays. When the latter are moulded in a plastics material, they are particularly suited to such an irrigation routine. Furthermore, the total flexibility in positioning the trays 18 enables a.

display of pot plants to be re-arranged in different patterns without disturbing the plants so as to enable the visual effect to be changed, and thus to achieve a wide variety of arrangements.

It will be understood that a free-standing pole 10 such as that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 can be adjusted for length by the use of interfitting sections 36 as illustrated in Figure 5, but without the screw adjuster assembly 26.. . 34. Similarly a free-standing pole can be converted into a floorto-ceiling unit for the addition of a screw adjuster assembly and a suitable crown fitting such as that illustrated at 22 in Figure 4.

Other means for promoting jamming of a tray 1 8 on the pole 10 than those described above and illustrated in the drawings can be adapted at will.

Claims (9)

1. A vertical storage unit comprising an upright rigid cylindrical pole; means for stabilising the pole in the upright attitude; and a tray for holding articles having means for adjustable attachment to the pole so as to project therefrom in a generally horizontal plane and comprising a hub formation located eccentric to the centre of gravity of the tray when unloaded or when normally loaded and having a through bore of a diameter such that the hub is a slack fit around the pole and of a length relative to the diameter such that the tray will jam on the pole under gravity.

2. A unit according to claim 1 wherein the wall of the bore through the hub is distorted to promote jamming of the tray on the pole under gravity but to allow the tray to be adjusted on the pole for height and angular position about the pole axis.

3. A unit according to claim 2 wherein a rim of the bore through the hub is interrupted by a resilient tongue tending to project into the bore at a point such as to apply to the tray a tilting couple about an axis perpendicular to the pole tending to depress the tray.

4. A unit according to claim 2 wherein the bore through the hub is distorted adjacent one end by a fixed projection located so as to tilt the tray in the downward direction.

5. A unit according to any preceding claim wherein the pole is stabilised in the upright position by wedging its top against a fixed overhead structure such as a ceiling.

6. A unit according to claim 5 wherein the top of the pole is formed so as to provide the maximum grip against the overhead structure, and the bottom of the pole is provided with a screw adapted to bear on the floor and to be adjusted so as to exert upward pressure on the overhead structure.

7. A unit according to any preceding claim wherein the length of the pole can be adjusted by means of a pole section having the same outside diameter as the main part of the pole and adapted to fit snugly thereto.

8. A unit according to claim 7 wherein the pole is tubular, at least at each end, and a pole section having the same external diameter is shouldered at a point intermediate its ends and that portion which lies beyond the shoulder is reduced in diameter for the greater part of its length to a value less than the internal diameter of an end of the pole but whose free end is enlarged to constitute a snug fit in the bore of the pole.

9. A unit according to claim 7 or 8 having a plurality of relatively short pole sections each having a portion of the same external diameter as the pole and a contiguous portion of reduced diameter adapted to fit snugly into a tubular socket integral with the pole, the said portions of