Terraced support shelving

Abstract

An apparatus for terraced shelving and hanger rods that supports the ends and horizontal mid-sections of shelving and can support ends and horizontal sections of hanger rods as well. A terraced shelving unit assembly that enables an increase of effective span width over that span possible for separate shelves of the same length. An apparatus for terraced shelving whereby two opposing boards each hold one or a plurality as well as possibly different varieties of shelving supports, and a rear wall holding one or more intermediate shelving supports as may or may not be needed, said apparatus supporting one or more separate flat shelves, terraced shelves, terraced shelving units, or a combination thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] This invention relates to shelving and shelving supports, more specifically those shelves which are terraced and used in closets, pantries, commercial offices, cabinets, tool areas and the like.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0004] Typical residential kitchen shelving is 12″ to 16″ deep and horizontal from side to side as well as in its depth. When stocking in a small confined space such as a closet, there is a common need for people to stack numerous cans, boxes, etc. atop one another, due to lack of space. As a result, people spend much time simply looking for items or their labels “buried” toward the back or middle of shelves, in addition to having to search for items underneath other items. The same applies to those trying to find items on shelves in a bedroom, workshop, in office storage areas, and similar areas.

[0005] Additionally, since most shelves are flat, those difficult to find items located in the rear limits the amount of depth that shelving can have, as it becomes more difficult to find objects at 10″, 12″, or 16″ deep than those at the front of a shelf

[0006] A terraced shelving will eliminate most of these problems. Inventors have created some terraced designs in the form of support apparatus or display cabinets. Some of these inventions, such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,706,240 to Liley (1929) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,905 to Schultz (1962), are specifically for display, and thereby offer lighting, mechanical moving parts and mirrors that get in the way of additional shelving. They are prohibitively expensive for simple home or utility shelving of products and are unnecessarily complicated for mere shelving units. Other inventions, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,830 to Skrzelowski (1975), and U.S. design Pat. D444,657S to Weber (2001), are not structurally designed for the shelf depth required to hold small cans or boxes. On the other hand, too much shelf depth is not desirable for location of objects, since a deep and non-terraced flat shelf often ends up in the stacking and cluttering of items.

[0007] Narrow shelves, with widths such as 2½″, 3½″, 5½″, 7½″ and the like obviously require more shelves to hold the same amount of objects as deeper shelves. Inventions such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,673 to Blazey et al. (1973) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,947 to Kvame (1984) have front walls that project too high to be of practicable use for shelving. Other inventions such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,137 to Wiley (1977), require placement upon a pre-existing shelf, effectively doubling the area of shelving required on which the terraced shelves are to be placed, thus increasing the price of the total units and labor involved, and wasting materials.

[0008] Musical rack U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,617 to Schreiber (1957), would be no good for high shelving, as it too claims to need a supporting surface on which to rest. There is no way mentioned to mount said unit to a vertical wall, likely because its flanges are in the way and therefore is not designed to mount to a wall, and its rearwardly inclined forward edge, instead of a constant upward width, eliminates extra width and area higher shelves can have. Many of the other inventions mentioned herein also do not have a means to attach to walls.

[0009] Other inventions such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,210 to Schmidt (1992) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,790 to Rehfeld (1971), while using step stringer designs, are prohibitively expensive and unduly complicated for shelving units supporting office or smaller household goods, since their inventions involve railings, a plurality of notches, hinges, “tongue means”, collapsibility, and requirement for rigidity in order to support the weight of one or more people.

[0010] Additionally, many of the above inventions are restricted in use by being intended for very lightweight objects such as chewing gum, confections, and the like. Some are restricted by having a plurality of shelves of only one length, which would require all or partial disassembling and re-assembling of said inventions to fit with a different length of shelving, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2789,700 to King et. al. The latter invention is meant to be a display case, not a shelving unit, particularly seeing that less than ½ of its shelves are not level, but inclined. Many inventions like the latter, if able to hold the ends of shelves, lack intermediate supports along the horizontal lengths of their shelving, thus restricting the weight load bearable by their shelves. On the other hand, many riser/tread inventions meant for the purpose of holding excessive weight of one or more people, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,709,520 to Vochatzer (1987), U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,838 to Cox (1976), U.S. patent US2001/0027627 A1 to Lawrence (2001), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,101 to Wallace (1998) are either not aesthetic, require too much heavy hardware and fasteners, or are too complicated to teach a do-it-yourselfer how to build. They are excessive in cost, labor, or materials partly due to the fact that such an invention must be much sturdier than a shelving unit which is not required to support the weight of one or more people.

[0011] Closet or shelving systems such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,414 B1 to Stuart (2001), U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,560 to Timm (2000), U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,507 BI to Kallio (2001), U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,740 to Lazarus (1997), and a prefabricated modular closet unit such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,562 to Holland (1995) do not claim to incorporate terraced shelving.

[0012] Objects and Advantages

[0013] Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the terraced shelving brackets described in the present invention, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

[0014] (a) to provide a shelving system whereby one can see most, if not all, the objects on terraced shelving easily and quickly;

[0015] (b) to provide a shelving system that is economical;

[0016] (c) to provide a shelving system that is easy to install for do-it-yourselfers, needing a minimum amount of tools;

[0017] (d) to provide a shelving system that lowers labor costs for homeowners, builders, and remodelers due to ease of construction;

[0018] (e) to provide a shelving system that is attractive and practical;

[0019] (f) to provide a shelving system that can be easily retrofitted in existing pantries, closets, and the like, as well as in new construction;

[0020] (g) to provide a shelving system that can be made of several types of materials, those being melamine, ventilated metal shelving, medium density fiberboard, metal, plastic, but not be limited to those materials;

[0021] (h) to provide a shelving system that is easily producible on a mass scale thereby enabling a reduction of costs,

[0022] (i) to provide a shelving system that, due to the nature of the improved ease of finding shelved items and to the physical accessibility of these items, a unit's total shelving area may be deeper than a shelf used in its place, thus enabling shelves in such a system to increase to a much increased depth, thereby increasing storage area;

[0023] (j) to provide a shelving system that provides access to another shelf or shelves that are actually behind the invention, thus enabling further increase of useable square footage of storage space;

[0024] (k) to provide a shelving system that, through its use of terracing, enables the front shelf of a set of shelves to be nearly level with the top shelf of the set of shelves behind it, thus further enabling more shelves to exist in a given confined space, adding to available square footage of useable storage area;

[0025] (l) to provide a shelving system whereby the actual storage area in a given space is increased by using terraced shelving units over the common deep and flat shelving commonly in use today;

[0026] (m) to provide top and bottom supports as well as horizontal braces for said intermediate supports;

[0027] (n) to provide a shelving system whereby two end pieces, attached to side walls, with intermediate support if necessary, can replace one existing shelf with a multiplicity of terraced shelves;

[0028] (o) to provide a terraced shelving unit that is assembled in such a way as to be more horizontally and vertically rigid than an individual shelf of the same length, such a unit requiring obviously less support along its horizontal length than the individual shelf;

[0029] (p) to provide means, through additional attachments, to support a horizontal rod that can be used for the hanging of clothes, or other objects, while supporting objects on terraced shelves above and adjacent to said rod;

[0030] (q) to provide a shelving unit that the user may simply replace one existing shelf with one of the present invention's terraced unit, or two existing shelves with two terraced units and so on, thus enabling only a minimum of work, should user not desire any major changes;

[0031] (r) to provide a shelving support that may be adjusted to fit a closet when said closet's depth is too small than the support by simply making one saw cut parallel to the top riser;

[0032] (s) to provide an apparatus and a method of configuring both terraced shelving and flat shelving as well into the interior of a closet shown in FIG. 11 that increases not only storage space for items over and above that able with conventional flat, unterraced shelving, but minimizes as well time wasted looking for items in a closet with terraced shelving;

[0033] (t) to provide a apparatus and a method of configuring both terraced shelving and flat shelving as well into the interior of a closet shown in FIG. 12 that increases not only storage space for items over above that able with conventional flat, unterraced shelving, but minimizes as well time wasted looking for items in a closet with terraced shelving;

[0034] (u) to provide a method for constructing an entire apparatus for an interior closet that uses terraced shelving, or a combination of the latter and single shelving mixed, to be built in a shop, needing only a minimum of items to be transported to site for final construction.

[0035] Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of the first embodiment of the present invention showing three walls supporting various terraced shelving supports, braces, shelving, and a hanger rod, shown without mounting fasteners.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a perspective cut-away view of an intermediate shelving support attached to a rear bracket support, which is attached to a wall.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a hanger rod support.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a perspective cut-away view showing a support brace's flanges attached to an intermediate shelf support, said shelf support being held securely horizontally by a brace.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective drawing of a second embodiment of the present invention showing a one-piece terraced shelving configuration.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a partial end view of FIG. 5.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a perspective drawing of a third embodiment of the present invention showing a one-piece terraced shelving configuration.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a partial end view of FIG. 7.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a perspective drawing of a fourth embodiment of the present invention showing a one-piece terraced shelving configuration.

[0045] FIG. 10 is an end view of FIG. 9.

[0046] FIG. 11 is an interior side drawing of a fifth embodiment of the present invention in a closeted area with a door.

[0047] FIG. 12 is a sixth embodiment of the present invention showing a board with the same sized and positioned shelves as those in the interior side drawing of the closeted area of FIG. 11, said shelves using different means of support than FIG. 11.

[0048] FIG. 13 is a cut-away, enlarged perspective drawing of that immediate area surrounding shelf 100 in FIG. 12.

[0049] FIG. 14 is a perspective drawing of support bracket 102 of FIG. 13, shown from a different perspective than that shown by FIG. 13.

[0050] FIG. 15 is a cut-away perspective drawing of a wide support bracket with flanges attaching to a side wall such as 94.

[0051] FIG. 16 is a perspective drawing of a wide support bracket.

[0052] FIG. 17 is a seventh embodiment of the present invention drawn as a cut-away perspective view of board 94.

[0053] FIG. 18 is an eighth embodiment of the present invention drawn as a cut-away perspective view of a terraced shelving unit.

[0054] FIG. 19 is a perspective enlarged drawing from the rear of an end support bracket as shown in FIG. 18.

[0055] FIG. 20 is a perspective enlarged drawing from the rear of an intermediate support bracket as shown in FIG. 18.

[0056] FIG. 21 is a perspective sectioned drawing of an intermediate support brace 188.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0057] 10 end shelf support

[0058] 12 intermediate shelf support

[0059] 14 hole in end shelf support

[0060] 16 rear bracket support

[0061] 18 hole in a flange of rear bracket 16

[0062] 20 rear bracket support flange

[0063] 22 hanger rod

[0064] 24 support brace

[0065] 26 flange

[0066] 28 hole in flange

[0067] 30 hole in intermediate support bracket

[0068] 32 flange

[0069] 34 hanger rod support

[0070] 36 shelf

[0071] 38 walls

[0072] 40 hole in a flange of rear bracket 16

[0073] 42 female screw post

[0074] 44 male screw post

[0075] 46 fastener

[0076] 48 hole in intermediate support bracket

[0077] 50 protruding “u”-shaped flange

[0078] 52 fastener

[0079] 54 fastener

[0080] 56 brace

[0081] 58 slit in rod

[0082] 60 flange

[0083] 62 hole

[0084] 64 flange

[0085] 66 hole

[0086] 68 shelf

[0087] 70 riser

[0088] 71 fastener

[0089] 72 shelf

[0090] 74 overhang

[0091] 76 shelf

[0092] 77 rod

[0093] 78 rod

[0094] 80 rod

[0095] 82 rod

[0096] 84 shelf

[0097] 86 riser

[0098] 88 shelf

[0099] 90 saw kerf or dado

[0100] 92 existing closet side wall

[0101] 93 door

[0102] 94 board

[0103] 96 hole

[0104] 98 shelf

[0105] 100 shelf

[0106] 102 “L”-shaped bracket

[0107] 104 shelf support bracket

[0108] 106 16″ shelf

[0109] 108 pin

[0110] 110 pin

[0111] 112 hole

[0112] 114 hole

[0113] 116 bracket

[0114] 118 side flanges

[0115] 120 pin

[0116] 122 “L”-shaped bracket

[0117] 124 fasteners

[0118] 126 fasteners

[0119] 128 horizontal flange

[0120] 130 10″ shelf

[0121] 132 8″ shelf

[0122] 134 8″ shelf

[0123] 136 end shelf support

[0124] 138 end shelf support

[0125] 140 end shelf support

[0126] 142 shelf

[0127] 144 end shelf support

[0128] 146 female post screw

[0129] 148 male post screw

[0130] 150 walls

[0131] 152 end support bracket

[0132] 154 intermediate support bracket

[0133] 156 end support bracket

[0134] 158 top shelving support

[0135] 160 unthreaded rod

[0136] 162 hole

[0137] 164 flange

[0138] 166 hole

[0139] 168 top shelving support

[0140] 170 bottom bracket support

[0141] 172 flange

[0142] 174 hole

[0143] 176 rod

[0144] 178 flange

[0145] 180 hole

[0146] 182 threaded end

[0147] 184 hex nut

[0148] 186 hole

[0149] 188 intermediate support brace

[0150] Description—FIGS. 1-4

[0151] In FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, end shelving supports 10 and intermediate shelving support 12 are each monolithic pieces of preferably melamine, medium density fiberboard, or solid wood. However, in certain applications a metal could be used. In applications with shorter shelf spans a plastic could be used.

[0152] End supports 10 have pre-drilled holes 14 just large enough to snugly allow a fastener's diameter. Fasteners used may be a screw of a proper length inserted into a plastic or metal spreading receptacle such as those drywall anchors or toggle bolts made by Cobra Anchor Corp. or Dimebox brand for drywall, molly bolt with washers in a masonry block wall, a lag bolt and shield in concrete, or any other number of possible ways of attachment. If a hanger rod is desired to be used, a hanger rod support 34 is attached atop bottom hole of both supports 10 by means of a fastener 52 mentioned above and illustrated in FIG. 3 most suitable for the wall material, with the open end of protruding unshaped flange 50 pointing upward, the same fastener therefore both securing support 34 to end 10, and the latter being secured by the fastener to the wall. If a hanger rod is not desired, as in a pantry, or office shelving, the rod support 34 is not used and ends 10 simply secure to their respective walls with a fastener as mentioned above without rod 34. Should an intermediate shelf support be used without a closet rod, hole 30 and both sides of flange 32 are assembled with female plug screw 146 inserting through hole 30, and male plug screw 148 threading into plug 146.

[0153] After both supports 10 are affixed to their respective walls, support brace 24 is brought into alignment with hole 30 of intermediate shelf support 12. Closet rod 22, being of a diameter slightly smaller than that of hole 30, and after being cut to proper length, is inserted through one flange 32 of brace 24, through hole 30, then the opposite flange 32 and allowed to rest on flanges 50 of ends 34. Brace 24 along with support 12 is then movably slid along rod 22 to a horizontal position whereby its support would be needed most. Of course, more than one support 12 and its braces may be needed on a longer span, in which case those others would be assembled together and maneuvered as the one mentioned above.

[0154] Intermediate support 12 attaches to a rear wall at a proper height whereby shelf 36 will be level with both ends after completion. Rear bracket support 16 is fastened to said wall with the better of the choices of one of the fasteners mentioned above. Support 12 is movably slid between two flanges 20, aligning into position whereby female screw post 42 is inserted into hole 40 of one flange, as shown in FIG. 2, and into hole 48 of support 12. As one can see, male screw post 44 then inserts through opposite flange 20 of support 16 and is threaded securely into female screw post 42. After bottom shelves of the brackets are leveled, flange 26 is vertically plumbed with support 12 and secured to rear wall with fastener 54, using flange hole 28.

[0155] As can easily be seen, if shelf supports 12 were to be used as the sole end supports of a shelving assembly, neither of which being affixed to a wall as supports 10, an angled brace such as brace 56, illustrated in FIG. 4, can be used to keep the present invention's sideways movement to a minimum. Flange 60 is angularly attached to brace 56 by a weld or solder, and attaches to intermediate support 12 by screw or other such fastener (not shown) through pre-drilled hole 62. Flange 64 is angularly attached to brace 56 by weld or solder and attaches to rear wall 38 by a fastener the likes of such as one mentioned above for use in end 10, by passing first through hole 66.

[0156] Brace 56 may also be fabricated from a monolithic piece of metal by forming it's mid portion generally round lengthwise, with the resulting formation of slit 58 where it's two edges meet, and then leaving flat said metal on each end, forming into flanges 60 and 64, then drilling respective holes 62 and 66. Moreover, brace 56 can serve as the bottom brace support for support 12, with flat part of flange 60 attaching to the bottom of support 12 by a properly sized screw, and the back part of flange 64 of said rod mating parallel with rear wall 34, plumb from the center of support 12, being affixed to said rear wall by means of a fastener suitable to the above mentioned anchors. Support brace 24 could then be replaced by brace 56, and manufacture, shipping and handling could be made simpler and cheaper.

[0157] Shelves are then fastened to the horizontal areas of all supports 10 and 12, preferably with glue, double-sided tape, or some such other substantial adhesive.

[0158] From the description above, a number of advantages of my invention become evident:

[0159] (a) Installation is quite simple, and a minimal amount of materials are used. Overhead for installation would be minimal, and training installers would take a minimal amount of time.

[0160] (b) Most hanger shelves are, and have been, hung at approximately the eye height of an average height or taller man. Anyone shorter cannot see objects on the back of a flat shelf. High shelves hanging certain garments such as full-length coats, dresses, and the like require that shelves be that height, or higher, therefore a terraced shelving is not only desirable, but required.

[0161] (c) The bottom shelf protrudes past the hanger rod, thus giving more depth to the total shelving space than past and present narrow shelving that only extends to the rod, if they even extend that far.

[0162] (d) Installation is quick, requiring a minimal amount of hardware and tools.

[0163] (e) Many fabricators are available for hardware parts, such as braces and the rear bracket, said parts being best if made from a metal, for strength, although the rear bracket, as well as the end hanger rod supports and plugs could be a plastic, as well as metal. Closet rods, fasteners, the plug screws for the rear bracket support, are readily available at the retail and wholesale levels.

[0164] (f) End and intermediate brackets could be cut rapidly on a radial arm saw, with a plurality of pieces of material being cut on one bevel for the risers, then the horizontal shelf cuts being cut on another radial arm saw, or the same, with the bevel changed, in truly automation fashion. A band saw or router with a jig could be used to carve an aesthetic curve at the bottom front of the intermediate shelf supports, if desired. A jig as well could work as a stop for all cuts on the radial arm saw, as well as for the pre-drilling of holes in the supports. Fasteners, even the plugs for the rear bracket support, are readily available at most hardware and even department stores.

[0165] (g) If melamine is used as a material for shelving supports, any cutouts for treads would not require any aesthetic treatment, as it may be even preferable the wood underneath the melamine's “skin” be exposed for better adhesion to bottom of treads. Further, any cutouts with exposed edges can be quickly covered with a paint or a thermal tape manufactured for the purpose of covering such unsightly exposures.

[0166] (h) Medium density fiberboard offers a good surface for painting, if such material should be chosen for supports.

[0167] Description—FIGS. 5-10

[0168] Other embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 5, 7, and 9, wherein each show a terraced shelving one-piece unit. In FIG. 5, shelves overlap their respective risers for aesthetic effect, thereby giving a design detail as well as an indented area that will produce a more aesthetic look after caulking and painting, rather than a shelf which front is flush with the forward part of the riser. Shelf 72 is joined to riser 70 by a fastener 71 that penetrates horizontally the bottom portion of riser 70, continuing into shelf 72, said fastener 71 being 6D or 8D nails or screws of a relative size and holding power as the nails. Such a fastening procedure continues as above along the length of said shelf. As the reader can see, another fastener 71 penetrates the top of shelf 74, and continues into riser 70, and such fastening proceeds as above along the length of said shelf. Such fastening is continued in succession through all the shelves and risers in FIG. 5. Adhesives may be preferable to be used in conjunction with the above, though not necessary, should spacing of said fasteners be 6″-10″. Although the materials manufactured into such a unit may be solid wood, melamine, medium density fiberboard, or plywood, an impact-resistant plastic could be used, either by gluing successive shelves and risers together, or preferably by thermo-bending a single sheet into a succession of shelf and riser combinations. The above mentioned fastening method makes for a strong shelf and riser combination unit which can span further than a series of individual shelves which have no risers for support.

[0169] It is important to note here that such a terraced unit can be produced as well by longitudinally bending a length of a square or diagonal mesh wire cloth, dutch weave filter cloth, perforated metal, expanded metal, or flattened expanded metal, or some other such metal weave or flattened metal, to generally 90 degree right angles, as shown in FIG. 5, preferably with no shelf overhang 74, that, by bending into a successive plurality of shelves and risers, a totally metal terraced shelving unit may be formed. Said terraced unit may be preferably manufactured with no shelf overhang 74, but a shelf which has a characteristic rear to front flatness, at said shelf's front which has a crimped, slightly forward and upwardly angled of said metal or wire of ⅛″-⅜″ at said shelf's front, reversing and downwardly continuing at an angle parallel to said forward and upwardly angled movement, until meeting a vertical axis of the flattened front of the tread above, at which point downwardly and angularly ending into said riser, riser continuing to downwardly continue at an angle of 90 degrees to the above shelf's main forwardly flat momentum. The latter explanation of such a terraced unit will result in an extra vertically structural and rigid riser, thus enabling said tread below, which rear of the tread meeting riser, would have said rear strengthened, and each successive tread and riser combination would help increase said metal shelving unit. Such a shelving unit may need, if supporting fragile objects, a rubber or vinyl finish so as not to abrade said objects.

[0170] An increase in rigidity of the riser would result from a further crimping of the bottom of the riser, whether as intimated by the above, by the riser downwardly angling, or merely vertically extending, ⅛″-⅜″ once past the axis of the horizontal plane of the next successive lower tread, then said riser reversing its motion, and by a parallel movement following upwardly that said downwardly angling or vertically extending just mentioned. The riser, whereupon meeting that axis of the next lower successive tread, follows that horizontal motion, and such a succession of further shelf and riser combinations may result, forming a plurality of said combinations, the latter having formed a rigid unit capable of further increasing a longitudinal span.

[0171] FIG. 7 shows a terraced wire shelving unit which has a shelf 76, with a composition design similar to a welded or wire cloth or expanded or perforated metal, assuming said shelf has a narrow depth of several inches. If a wider shelf is desired, a material consisting of a series of metal rods, 2-6 mm. in diameter, may support such a material. Coating the entire unit of FIG. 7 with a rubber or vinyl coating may be preferable, depending on the fragility of the objects intended to rest on the shelves. End view FIG. 8 shows a rod 78 which is bent in a continuous upward then lower angled configuration from rod 80 on one level of a riser, to rod 77 of that same riser, and fastened by welding, soldering, or any other significant means which can secure said riser into a structurally secure piece, whereby each said piece upholds and keeps to a minimum any sag that may accrue otherwise to the front portion of shelf 76. All successive risers and shelves in FIG. 7 are assembled and finished as described above and as FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate.

[0172] FIGS. 9 and 10 show a riser 86 made of clear plastic, preferably ⅛″-{fraction (5/16)}″ in thickness, inserted into longitudinal single blade or dado blade kerfs 90, into the bottom of the upper shelf 84, and the top of the lower shelf 88. The riser should be frictionally fit into the kerf or dado of the shelves and as well be glued to said shelves. Said riser lends support similarly as the vertical member in a steel “I” beam helps support said beam. The riser is shown as clear plastic, as there is a distinct advantage to being able to see through a riser, as in FIG. 9 or FIG. 7, as more objects are easily seen on the shelves below and behind such a configuration.

[0173] As the reader can see from the remaining diagrams, ones reach is the only factor limiting the depth, and therefore the plurality, of shelves that can be built into a terraced shelving unit. The author has built six shelves, but could easily envision something such as a spice rack, of more than fifteen shelves deep in a 24″ deep area.

[0174] From the description above, a number of additional advantages of my invention become evident:

[0175] (a) A terraced shelving unit can be made much more rigid by a correct method of fastening risers and shelves together.

[0176] (b) There are many types of means of fastening successive shelves to risers, and the above mentioned FIGS. 5-10 are only a few.

[0177] (c) Units mentioned in FIGS. 5-10 may reduce the number of intermediate support members needed, due to the increased span possible by such units.

[0178] (d) Units may be fabricated in 16′ lengths, that being a standard length for many wood products, and the units can be cut by a power saw with a large blade, a power actuated bolt cutter, or any of several easily obtainable and inexpensive tools.

[0179] (e) In a large enough production facility, much longer units could be fabricated, then cut into desirable shipping lengths if needed, thus possibly saving even more labor and time.

[0180] (f) Such shelving units would require less support members and bracing. Such units, if not carrying much weight, may possibly not even need end support brackets 10 mentioned earlier, but may attach to walls, one small bracket per end of shelf, perhaps less often, using ordinary hardware presently available at retail stores.

[0181] Description—FIGS. 11-17

[0182] Though not drawn exactly to scale, closet side wall 92 in FIG. 11 has scaled dimensions of approximately 2′ wide by 8′ high, with a door 93 being of a standard door height. End shelf support 136 has two wide shelves with a tall riser. As the height of shelves increase, so the difficulty of seeing the rear of said shelves increases also, thus making a taller riser desirable. Said shelf support doesn't come as close to the door as those of end shelf supports 138 or 140 to make reaching up to shelf 130, and getting larger objects atop that shelf. Said supports 138 and 140 are each the same proportions, and their successive shelves are narrow for the reason that small cans, jars, and so many objects are very common, and need only minimum width for display. In turn, such smaller items are very often short as well, therefore the shown risers are not tall. As the reader can see, the top shelf of supports 138 and 140 are wider than the others in their respective units because there is both a large height above said shelves (and this is due to the terracing of the shelf above), and taller objects, rather than shorter objects, are generally seen better at the back of a shelf, or in the case of the present invention, the back of a shelf unit. End 144 comprises shelves intermediate in width to 136 and 138, and doesn't go as close to the door as 140, therefore allowing items on wire shelf 106 to more readily be seen. Shelf 106 is a 16″ wide common ventilated shelf used in many pantries. Shelf 130 is a common 1″××10″ board, shelf 142 being a common 1″×8″ board. The latter flat shelves are wall fastened by common means.

[0183] FIG. 12 shows the same sized shelves and their positioning as does FIG. 11. Board 94 is a piece of material, preferably plywood ¼″-5-8″ thickness, or medium density fiberboard, or melamine, preferably ½″ thickness or greater, thickness of all such material depending on closeness of studs, or presence of solid backing material behind said materials. Said board 94 may be nailed, screwed, and, if desired, glued to an existing wall or wall studs. Support bracket 104 is commonly used in bookshelves today, and as FIG. 13 illustrates, has a pin 110 which frictionally inserts into hole 114. Bracket 102 is an L-shaped bracket, pin 108 of which is molded to the back of the latter bracket, or frictionally inserted into a pre-drilled hole in it's rear portion. Said pin frictionally inserts into hole 112. As FIG. 14 shows from another perspective, bracket 102 has a vertical side, purpose of which is to help prevent accidental horizontal movement of shelf 100.

[0184] As one can see in the illustration FIG. 15, by using one bracket 116 with a single pin 120 in the stead of two brackets such as 102 and 104 per shelf on narrower shelves, the necessity of so many shelving brackets and the labor of extra drilling of holes could be eliminated. Preferable mounting may be to put an adhesive suited to the joining materials on the back of said bracket 116, and even on pin 120, before insertion into the pre-drilled hole. Said bracket is fabricated with vertical side flanges 118 for the same purpose as vertical side of bracket 102. Of course, the sides may be eliminated altogether should one use an adhesive along the horizontal support surface of a bracket such as 104. In fact, the use of small pieces of tape with adhesive both sides can be an easier practical solution to the matter, although some users may desire vertically-ended brackets for additional safety. There being a plurality of narrow shelves as in FIG. 12, bracket 116, as shown in FIG. 15, with only one pin would eliminate 50% of the holes needed to be pre-drilled for the narrow shelves, while side flanges 118 would hold said shelves in place. Adhesive on the rear of the bracket and atop the horizontal support shelf would keep the bracket from rotating, and the shelf in place, respectively.

[0185] Board 94 has a great number of advantages. Since most closets are around 96″ in height, and board sheets are the same length, it would be quite easy to take such a board and cut off the required amount if a length of baseboard is in the way, or should a closet be too narrow, the board may be ripped lengthwise.

[0186] Should applicable building codes permit, substitution of board 94 in place of ordinarily installed drywall would save the cost of material and labor required in installation of said drywall. In remodeling, anywhere that board 94 covers existing wallboard would eliminate the need for painting over or filling the holes from the old shelving supports, or any other unsightly marks. Additionally, many times a simple bead of caulk of the right color at the perimeter of board 94 may serve to fulfill aesthetic needs.

[0187] Fabrication of a jig or template for the purpose of drilling of holes in board 94 would be quick and easy, whether if using double shelf brackets as shown in FIG. 13 for wider shelves, or using a plurality of the single-hole bracket, such as is shown in FIG. 15. However, using a plastic or wood “L”-shaped bracket 122 with no pin, as shown in FIG. 16 and nailing or stapling said bracket with a power tool through its vertical flange to board 94 would possibly save more labor. Any such fasteners, if properly applied, are hidden by the shelf. No messy adhesives on the backside of bracket 122 would be necessary, and flange 128 could simply use a stick-on double-sided adhesive tape atop it's horizontal flange to affix the shelf to it's surface. A glue applied by caulking gun or glue gun for adhesion could be used for the same purpose.

[0188] A jig for installation of bracket 122 atop board 94 can be composed of preferably thin sheet metal, a tough paper, or something as common as cheap, thin floor vinyl. The thin template would enable the assembler to use pre-cut rectangular holes the size of the bracket, placing said bracket inside said hole, then using a power stapler or nailer to affix said brackets to board 94.

[0189] Such a board 94 having a pre-finished melamine finish could use similarly-colored plastic brackets, caulking, screw- or nail-heads, and shelving. Alternatively, a 1/2″ medium-density-fiberboard paints well upon it's well-sanded horizontal flat surface, that surface being the only surface of the present invention seen after the installation, should it's edges cover completely the existing wall board or void covered.

[0190] In the event of the absence of one or more side support walls, board 94 can be cut to a desired height and width and secured to a wall by abutting the edge of said board perpendicularly against a wall and simply installing two or more brackets 122 in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 17, by inserting fasteners 124 through said brackets abutting board 94, thus securing the latter items. Adjacent fasteners 126 going through adjacent flanges of the same bracket affix the assembled board 94 with bracket 122 to the rear wall with whatever fastening means necessary, such as a screw and drywall anchor, toggle bolts, or other type fasteners. Depending upon the weight supported by the shelves and their proposed objects, either thicker, stronger plastic brackets 122 may be needed, or a steel, aluminum, or some other such metal.

[0191] Description—FIGS. 18-21

[0192] FIG. 18 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention wherein the end and intermediate support brackets consist of preferably metal, but possibly plastic components, or a combination of each. Side and rear walls 150 embrace this embodiment, consisting of end support brackets 152 and 156, intermediate support bracket 154, and the shelving they support. FIG. 19 shows an enlarged view from the rear of said end bracket 152, consisting of a top shelving support 158, which, by being metal or plastic can be formed by a simple bending process, wherein said support is attached to walls by fasteners as mentioned previously in the description of FIGS. 14. Said fastener slides through hole 162 drilled in unthreaded rod 160 and into the wall. Said rod could also be simply a rolled metal piece affixed to underside of bracket. A fastener is inserted through rod holder 34, hole 166, and into the wall. FIG. 20 is an enlarged view from the rear of said intermediate support bracket 154, wherein top shelving support 168 is bent similarly to the end support, however said bracket 154 is bent downwardly at the back of shown top shelf support, forming a flange 172 that seats flush against, and is attached to, the rear wall by means of a fastener through hole 174. Said hole is offset to enable better access for the installer affixing brace to wall. Said flange could be bent upward, of course, but may simply hold the top shelf off the wall just a bit. As one can tell from the drawing, hanger rod 22 is inserted through the opening formed by the lowest riser and shelf, and rests on the top of bottom support 170. An intermediate support brace 188 as shown in FIG. 21 consists of a rod 176 attached to a flange 178, and is secured to the wall by a fastener through hole 180. As the other end of said rod has a threaded end 182, such is inserted through hole 186 in the bottom of said bracket 154, where hex nut 184 threads onto rod's end 182 and secures the bracket's bottom vertically. Before shelves are attached, a double-sided glue tape is added to all the horizontal shelf supports, wherein the bottom shelf is attached before the rest after any intermediate brackets are horizontally brought into proper alignment.

[0193] Operation—FIGS. 1 and 11

[0194] As the reader has already seen, much of the operation of the present invention has already been mentioned, and more will be further explored in the Summary below. However, there are some additional things to mention.

[0195] Hanger rods for clothes are usually 12″ from a rear wall, common interior depths of closets being 24″, as clothes on a hanger are some 22″ in width. Most closet shelves above the closet rods are only 12″ in depth, and could easily be 18″-20″, possibly more. Since most closet rods are eye level, the industry hasn't seen a need to make the shelving deeper, possibly because the user would not be able to find anything in the rear of such a flat shelf. Terracing shelves can change that. Seeing what is behind an object is easy if the rear object is simply elevated enough to be in one's line of sight. There are many possibilities for terraced shelving unit sizes. One terraced shelving that will work well within a clothes closet would be that assembly shown in FIG. 1, with a 1×6 on the two lower shelves, and a 1×8 on top, possibly using risers as shown in FIG. 5 or 9, which would help keep dust off the clothes, or a 1″×8″ and 1″×12″ with a taller riser, should shelf height be about 60″ or more.

[0196] A method of pantry usage is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and explained below. This same configuration may work quite well in commercial office storage rooms and work shops, particularly with small storage area.

[0197] As can be seen, there are many possible configurations, and I don't want to limit the present invention to merely what has been mentioned.

[0198] Summary, Ramifications, and Scope

[0199] Before the advent of ventilated shelving, 1″×10″ and 1″×12″ closet and pantry boards with respective widths of 9¼″ and 11¼″ were used, and even though some 16″ wide shelving is currently used, it is still common as well to see 9¼″ and 11¼″ shelf widths presently. One reason could be that it is so difficult to find items in the rear of a 16″ shelf, some people think the extra expense is just not worthwhile. It is also common in modem building practice to put 4 or 5 of shelf 106 in such a pantry. That noted, such a pantry as shown in FIG. 11 with the present invention's shelves and the one 16″ shelf has more than 25% horizontal shelf capacity as a common pantry of five 16″ shelves, and if the latter pantry had five 1×12 shelving boards instead of the 16″ shelves, shelf capacity of the present invention shown in FIG. 11 would be approximately 80% more than the aforementioned five 1×12's. Moreover, as big a bonus as having more storage area would be that he or she will be able to see objects easier, and reach objects easier in the present invention than if using 12″-16″ shelves.

[0200] As the reader can see by viewing FIG. 11, if either shelving unit 138's or 140's five shelves were put side-to-side, that total width would fit nearly the entire width of the closet, which is obviously much wider than the typical 16″ ventilated shelf 106. The same can be said, to a lesser degree, of the lower three-shelf end support 144. Indeed, the 2-shelved end support 136 with shelves put side by side is the approximate width of 16″ shelf 106. Yet, these terraced shelves are spaced vertically apart from one another approximately the same as most presently used shelves would be.

[0201] Additionally, as the reader will see, it is possible to add an extra shelf, 142 behind terraced shelf 140. Shelf terracing provides this advantage. Should one attempt to lift and move an object on a deep shelf toward the front, one must pick that item up and above those items in front of it. With shelf 96, illustrated in FIG. 11 however, said shelf is already above the objects and shelf below it, so maneuvering objects to or from shelf 142 is fairly simple.

[0202] One can see the objects along the top shelf 132 much easier than if said shelf were the total width of shelf 106. Were the lower shelf of 136 raised to the height of said top shelf 132, if would be quite difficult not to merely see objects at the rear of the latter, but to get objects between the door opening and that shelf. Additionally, only by using a terracing method on 136, thereby lowering shelf 134 to a height lower than it's companion 132, is an additional shelf, 130, enabled.

[0203] 1. By means of this system it is possible to put shelves behind others, such as the lower shelf 142 in FIG. 11.

[0204] 2. By the use of no risers, transparent risers as shown in FIG. 9, or truss-like supports as shown in FIG. 7, the closet user can see through to objects that are both behind and below shelves, such as those on shelf 142.

[0205] 3. An additional advantage of the present invention, as intimated above: a deep shelf, particularly with a generous width, as is the case with most shelves currently in use or used in the past, leads to a “stacking” of items, and such items, usually of inconsistent widths, and/or heights, creates a “clutter” environment. Most of the shelves of the present invention present a structure which rids of this problem. As an example, most of the narrower shelves shown in pantry FIG. 11 are 3¼-4½″, which are typical widths for canned goods. Other shelves are 5½″-6″, still others 7¼″-8″, and others 9¼″-10″. A huge mistake made by the current shelving industry is that most items do not require deep shelves, and by having such shelves creates only misplacement and loss of items.

[0206] 4. However, certain deep shelves, such as the 16″ wide shelf 106, with a clear height above of 13-16″ are needed. In the scaled version of FIG. 11, all but the largest cereal boxes, 2-3 liter soft drinks, and a 12-pack of cans fit atop said shelf. As can be readily seen from the drawings, many of the top supports on the present invention's end and intermediate supports have been drawn wider than the lower supports. A tall object on the highest shelf, as opposed to being on a lower shelf, will not block items behind.

[0207] 5. In reference to the above #5, the lower shelf supports can be suitable for a small width, suitable for spice cans, small jars of screws and the like, as oftentimes narrow items such as the latter are often short, leaving objects above easily within view. Although other vertical riser cuts and horizontal shelving cuts between the lowest and highest riser/shelf combinations may be made smaller or larger, if such cuts are too numerous or too large, if made in the same identical piece of the present invention, then such cuts may affect it's structural integrity.

[0208] 6. In reference to the latter numbers 5 and 6, there may be instances in which a riser of vertically taller dimension would be desired to see more clearly objects upon particularly higher shelves. Such is the case of end support 136 illustrated in FIG. 11, which is built with taller risers due to it's shelves being at a height above eye level. Additionally, the reverse could be true: there may be instances when objects in a lower area could be seen best if terraced downwardly.

[0209] 7. Objects when placed upon shelves successively higher than one another away from the observer are obviously much easier to be located than flat shelves. It is not uncommon in a typical pantry which may have 14″-16″ vertical height between shelves, to have as many as three, four, or five items or more stacked one atop another. Over time, it is obvious one will forget those items lower and in the back, which may lead to deterioration of said items, not to mention unsanitary and smelly conditions. Such a pantry may be unsafe for small children as well, should they attempt to pry loose an object with others stacked atop.

[0210] 8. Locating and seeing most objects at a glance as the present invention offers reduces time, increases productivity, and, in this ever-fast paced world we live in, may help to be a stress-reducer as well.

[0211] Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, in place of male and female screw posts 44 and 42 respectively, a simple pan head or round head machine screw with a hex head nut would suffice, or a toggle bolt might be used instead of a drywall anchor.

[0212] Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. Stepped support means of the type which attach to walls, or the framing of such walls, said stepped support which supports shelves and can also support a horizontal hanger rod, such as one for clothes, the stepped support comprising, in combination, or exclusively:

first and second side members, each attached to generally facing side walls, said members pre-drilled with a plurality of holes to receive fasteners suitable for mounting to a wall; and

intermediate members, as needed for additional support, said members being attached to a rear wall.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 as a side member, wherein a pre-drilled hole may allow means for fastening of a hanger rod support.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 as an intermediate member, wherein a pre-drilled and generally u-shaped mechanism is fastened to a back wall and side flanges of said mechanism generally embrace the sides of said intermediate member, and a male and female receptacle, or a bolt, nut, and washer, or some other type suitable fastener passes through a flange hole, then the apparatus, through the hole of the opposite flange of the u-shaped mechanism, and when said fastening means is tightened, secures the apparatus to the wall.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 as an intermediate member, wherein a monolithic rod is bent longitudinally along most of it's mid-length into a u-, o-, or v-shape to help increase its strength, having at one end two flanges, each with a pre-drilled hole the size of which will allow the diameter of a common hanger rod, said flanges which generally embrace and frictionally attach to said intermediate member whereby said hanger rod is inserted through said hole of one flange, passing through a hole pre-drilled in the lower part of the intermediate member, and continues through said hole of rod's other flange, and at the other end of said monolithic rod's length, said end is flattened into an angled, pre-drilled flange whereby said flange attaches to the wall by means of a screw, toggle bolt, molly bolt, or otherwise suitable fastener, said total length of monolithic rod being such that angle of rod to wall is at a suitable angle to structurally support the weight of the apparatus.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 as an intermediate member, wherein a mechanism, illustrated in FIG. 4 as brace 56, attaches to side of said member, and generally horizontally such mechanism's other end affixes to rear wall to minimize horizontal movement of braced apparatus.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 as an intermediate member, wherein a mechanism's one end, illustrated in FIG. 4 as brace 56, may be used to affix to fasten to the bottom of said intermediate member and at the other member's end to affix to the wall, thereby structurally supporting the weight of the intermediate member.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein end and intermediate members are metal, plastic, or a combination thereof, said members being bent to form support brackets, such as shown in FIGS. 18-21.

8. A shelving unit comprising a riser and shelf affixed together, wherein such a riser and shelf in succession affix to a plurality of risers and shelves, said shelving unit ending at the bottom and top as either a riser or a shelf.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 and illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein such a shelving unit may consist of a plurality of metal shelves, two adjacent shelves being connected together by a vertically and angularly downward, then upward, continuous metal rod configuration that touches and connects said shelves together by means of welding, soldering, or a metal glue, forming a terraced shelving unit.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein a plastic, whether by molded means, or gluing separate risers and shelving, creates a plurality of such risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 and illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein a wood shelf may be affixed to wood risers, by means of fasteners suited best to the purpose, creating a plurality of risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 and illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, wherein a wood shelf is affixed to plastic risers, by means of the top edge of such a riser frictionally fit, and preferably glued, to a saw kerf or dado in the bottom forward part of the upper tread, and the bottom edge of said riser attached as described to the top rear part of the lower tread, that process continuing, thereby creating a plurality of risers and shelves together as described, forming a terraced shelving unit.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said shelving unit is composed of a square or diagonal mesh wire cloth, dutch weave filter cloth, perforated metal, expanded metal, or flattened expanded metal and may be covered with a thin rubber or vinyl, and the shelving unit is bent to form a terraced shelving unit consisting of a plurality of risers and shelves.

14. The method of constructing such a terraced shelving unit as described in claims 7-12.

15. An apparatus as shown in FIG. 12 comprising a board 94 being attached to all or part of a sidewall or a framed wall of a closet, garage, office, or some such other space, and another similar board 94 being attached to another generally opposing sidewall, or framed walls.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein such boards 94, when used with a combination of possibilities of brackets, shelving sizes and configurations as shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 15, or 16 would, when said combinations are attached to said apparatus, have generally the same size brackets, holes, and configurations of one board 94 facing another board 94 wherein the said combinations would be in the same complimentary planes, resulting in shelving abutting each board horizontally and vertically correctly to support terraced shelves, terraced shelving units, non-terraced shelving, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said boards 94 may be cut substantially shorter and/or narrower, in order that it may fit in smaller spaces or applications.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein reduced sized boards 94 may be used in spaces without end walls needed for horizontal or vertical support, as illustrated in FIG. 17.

19. A method of shelving as shown in FIG. 11 by affixing shelving supports to generally vertical members in such a way that said supports enable one or a plurality of terraced shelves, or one or a plurality of shelving units as described in claims 7-11 to rest thereon, thereby creating an area with terraced shelves or terraced shelving units, or a combination of such said shelving or units combined with single shelves.

20. A method of shelving as shown in FIG. 12 by affixing shelving supports to generally vertical members in such a way that said supports enable one or a plurality of terraced shelves, or one or a plurality of shelving units as described in claims 7-11 to rest thereon, thereby creating an area with said terraced shelves or terraced shelving units, or a combination of such said shelving or units combined with single shelves.