The present invention relates to a fastening device for container racks, including at least two frame gables formed by upright corner posts and glide rails fixed there¬ between, said frame gables being rigidly connected by means of struts removably engaging in the ends of the corner posts.

Container racks comprising a pair of frame gables of the kind mentioned and mutually connected by means of removable struts are known, but where both the corner posts and struts are tubes of rectangular cross section and where fastenings are formed as T's, L's or +'s with their arms thrust as plugs into the ends of both the tubular corner posts and tubular struts, different fastenings thus being needed depending on whether a single rack is being built or racking which may be extended sideways or sideways and up¬ wards. The disadvantages with these racks are that the inside dimensions of the corner posts, which are cut from long lengths of tube, may have minor variations, so that the fastenings, manufactured with a great degree of dimensional accuracy, can be given unsatisfactory engagement with the corner posts, whereby the whole rack becomes unstable and hardly acceptable, a further considerable disadvantage be¬ ing that it is only friction which prevents the arms of the fastenings from gliding out of the tube ends.

The present invention is intended to obviate said dis¬ advantages. In a container rack including at least two flat frame gables formed from upright corner posts having glide rails fixed therebetween, said frame gables being mutually connected by means of struts provided with lugs at their ends which removably engage in notches in the corner posts, the invention solves the problem by the corner posts close to one end thereof being provided with two notches on oppos¬ ing sides which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame gable, said notches being side by side in the transverse direction of the corner post, and two .notches side

b'y side in the transverse direction of the corner post and vertically in line with said first pair of notches, and that the distance between the respective end surface of the corner post and adjacent notches is equal to half the distance between the notches in the longitudinal direction of the corner post, and that the other ends of the corner posts are similarly provided with four notches on the re¬ spective corner post side, and that the adjustable clips on which are formed the lugs engage with solely one protube¬ rance against one side* of the respective strut but Otherwise go free from this strut side.

The advantages of the invention are that a more rigid connection between the corner posts of the frame gables and the struts is obtained, and that the fastening will be extre¬ mely robust, and that the whole rack will be reliably stable, one and the same strut embodiment being utilizable for a single rack or racking extended sideways or sideways and in height. One way of carrying out the invention is described in de¬ tail below while referring to the drawings, which only show a special embodiment, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container rack in the form of a single rack, Fig. 2 is a view to a larger scale of a corner post in a single rack and with the middle portion cut away,

Fig. 3 is a cross section along the line IIΪ-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate a strut seen from the front and from above, Fig. 6 is a perspective view to a smaller scale of a por¬ tion of a corner post and one strut,

Fig. 7 is a plan view to a smaller scale than in Figs. 2-5 of a single rack.

Fig. 8 is a view of the upper portion of a corner post and an end portion of a strut,

Fig. 9 is a view of two corner posts, one on top of the other, and a portion of a strut,

Fig. 10 is a view of a corner post connected by a partly depicted bottom frame by means of a partly depicted strut,

75 Fig. 11 is a horizontal section along the line XI-XI in Fig. 10.

The single rack shown in Fig. 1 is formed by two stiff frame gables, each consisting of a front and a rear corner post 1,2 and 3,4, respectively, between said pairs of post

80 1,2 and 3,4 there being attached glide rails 5 and 6, respectively. The front corner posts 1,3 are rigidly mutu¬ ally connected at their upper and lower ends by means of struts 7,8 and the rear corner posts 2,4 are similarly connected by means of struts 9,10 so that a stable rack is

85 obtained for carrying on its glide rails 5,6 containers, shelving etc. for sundry objects.

The corner post 1 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, as well as the other corner posts, 'is made from square-section tube, two sides I ¹ and 1" being at right angles to the plane of the

90 frame gable-.- On one tube side l ^f , close to either end of the post, there are pairs of rectangular notches 11,12 and 13,14, respectively, which are side by side horizontally, and pairs of rectangular notches 15,16 and 17,18,.. respecti¬ vely, side by side horizontally and vertically in line with

95 said first notches 11,12 and 13,14, respectively. The distan¬ ce A between the end surface of the corner post and adjacent notches 11,12 or 13,14 is equal to half the distance B bet¬ ween the notches 11,12 and 15,16 and 13,14 and 17,18 in the longitidunal direction of the corner post. Directly opposite 100 these notches 11-18 there are notches in the tube side 1" shaped and located in the same way as notches 11-18, the notches 11' and 12' being visible in Fig. 3.

The strut 19 illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 concurs with the struts 7-10 in Fig. 1 and comprises a rail, ϋ-shaped in cross 105 section, both ends of which are formed as two rectangular

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l-ugs 20,21 and 22,23, respectively, which are shaped for thrusting into any of the notch pairs 11,15; 12,16; 13,17; 14,18; of the post. The flanges 19' of the strut 19 each terminate with a contact surface 24 at the ends of the

110 strut. A hook-shaped clip 25 is attached to either end of the strut 19 by means of a screw 26 with nut. One end of each clip 25 is formed as a protuberance 27 against the strut 19, and its other end is formed into two rectangular lugs 28,29 directed towards the lugs 20,21 of the strut and

115 with the same cross-sectional shape as these, as is apparent from Fig. 6. This figure also shows ^' the upper portion of a corner post 1 with its notches for the lugs of the strut and clamp.

Fig. 7 illustrates how the struts form the connection bet- 120 ween the corner posts in the end frames by the lugs of the struts 19 and the lugs of each clip 25 engaging in the notches in the corner posts, the contacting surfaces 24 of the strut flanges and also a portion of the respective clip 25 engaging against one side of the respective post.

125 Fig. 8 illustrates the upper portion of a corner post 1 in a single rack in accordance with Fig. 1, with a strut 19 engaging in the notches 11,15 of the post, the strut clip 25 engaging in the opposing notches. If the single rack is to be extended sideways by building together with a frame

130 gable on the left-hand side of the post in Fig. 8, the posts 1 and 2 are provided with glide rails 5', indicated by chain- dotted lines in the figure, and a strut 19" is fastened into the corner post, extending for connection with a corner post in a further frame gable. By building together in this 35 mode, it is possible to obtain a row of container racks connected laterally.

Downwardly in Fig. 9 there is shown the upper portion of a corner post 1 with glide rails 5, above which is mounted the lower portion of a corner post 31 with glide rails 35. 40 A strut 19 and its clip 25 has its lugs 20,21 and 28,29,

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respectively, fastened into the notches 11 and 11' of the lower corner post 1 and the notches 13 and 13' of the upper post 31. By means of the strut 19, the corner posts 1,31 incorporated in their separate frame gables are

145 _^ connected in height, i.e. two or more single racks in accordance with Fig. 1 can be built together to a very high container rack by means of the strut 19. At the same time, it is possible to extend further laterally and in height at the side of said container rack while utilizing

150 the struts, with clips in question, as is indicated by chain-dotted lines in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 and 11 illustrate the utilization of the descri¬ bed fastening embodiment when single or multiple racks are to rest on a bottom frame 36, possibly provided with wheels,

155 and having at its four corners a tubular stub 37 with notches 38,39 and 40,41, respectively, at the outer end thereof. The corner posts of the rack are each located on top of a tube stub 37 and the lugs of the strut 19 and these of the clip 25 are fastened into the notches 13 in ^' the

160 corner post and the notches opposite thereto as well as in the notches 38,40 of the tube stub. The whole rack will hereby be rigidly connected to the bottom frame.

The advantages of the described fastening device in accordance with the invention are particularly the follow-

165 ing. By the fit of the strut lugs and clip lugs in the respective notches, and the contact of both flange end surfaces ^" 24 of the strut against the side of the respec¬ tive corner post there will be rigid engagement with the corner posts. By suitable guidance of the clips towards

170 the strut flanges and by the pressure, provided by the tightening screws26, brought to bear by the respective clip _. against the post side engaged by the flange end sur¬ faces 24 the connection will be still more robust and stable. Because of the clips, it is further ensured that 175 the lugs cannot glide out of the notches. The embodiment

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of the fastening also enables stable building together of end frames to an unlimited extent both laterally and in height.

The invention is not to be regarded as limited solely 180 to the embodiment described and illustrated on the drawings, since this embodiment can be modified within the scope of the invention. For example, the notches can also be provided if the corner- posts are massive, and said notches can have some cross sectional shape 185 other than rectangular, e.g. square or round.

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