Storage Rack Columns Having Clean-Outs

The present invention relates to storage structures, and more particularly, the present invention relates to storage racks which can be cleaned readily.

In recent years, an increased emphasis has been placed by various governmental agencies on the cleanliness of warehouses in which food products are stored. For instance, it is not uncommon for glass food or beverage containers to be broken during handling and for the contents to be spilled onto the storage racks. The spillage is known to attract vermin which can live relatively safely from extermination by toxic sprays in certain types of storage racks. For example, storage racks which are particularly prone to inhabitation by vermin are those having vertically-adjustable load supports mounted by brackets releasably engaging vertically-spaced apertures in the columns. The spillage, dirt, dust, etc., enters the apertures and gravitates to the bottoms of the columns where it accumulates and creates an unsanitary condition. In one prior art column design, an inclined deflector is located inside the column to cause downwardly moving foreign matter to be discharged through a lateral opening in the column. Although this prevents the accumulation of foreign matter in the bottom of the column, it simply redistributes the foreign matter on the warehouse floor adjacent the column, making cleaning more difficult.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide storage racks which facilitate the maintenance of high standards of cleanliness in warehouses.

It is another object of the present invention to provide storage rack columns of novel design which permit foreign matter entering apertures in the column to be removed readily from a conveniently-located clean-out near the base of the column.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a unique storage rack column which captures foreign matter in the column at a single location to facilitate the cleaning of warehouses.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide storage rack columns which retain their full strength even though provided with bottom clean-outs.

More specifically, in the present invention a storage rack column having apertures affording the admission of foreign matter into the interior of the column above its lower end is provided with clean-out means affording removal of the foreign matter from a location adjacent the base of the column. In the illustrated embodiments, each column has an apertured front flange and side flanges, and a base plate extends across the lower end of the column. The front flange has a lower edge spaced from the base plate by compression means which cooperates with the lower edge to define a laterally-open clean-out recess at the bottom of the column. A pair of gusset plates extend upwardly from the base plate along the side flanges, and the bottom edges of the gusset plates are recessed to receive weldement which secures the lower edges of the side flanges and the gusset plates to the base plate. Preferably, the lower edge of the front flange has opposed portions which incline toward one another to define webs of increasing width in the front flange to provide the spacing means. In addition, the gusset plates have inturned flanges at least partially engaging around front and rear corners of the column and projecting upwardly beyond the upper extremity of the clean-out recess in the front flange. Selected gusset plate flanges may be provided with frontward extensions which cooperate with the base plate to define a cavity in front of the clean-out recess to afford directed flow of a cleaning medium through the clean-out recess.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage rack having double columns embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a front column;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a front column;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a front column;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but illustrating double rear columns embodying the present invention; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but illustrating single column structures embodying the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a storage rack 10 embodying the present invention. As best seen therein, the storage rack 10 comprises a pair of end frames 11 and 12 and a plurality of load supports 13, 14, 15 and 16 spanning horizontally between the end frames 11 and 12. Each end frame, such as the left-hand frame 11, comprises a front column assembly 17 and a rear column assembly 18. Bracing struts 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 interconnect the front and rear column assemblies 17 and 18.

Each column assembly, such as the front column assembly 17, comprises a pair of rolled steel channel members or uprights 30 and 31 (FIG. 2) and each upright, such as the front upright 30, has a front flange 30a, a pair of side flanges 30b,30b and inturned rear flanges 30c,30c which terminate in spaced relation with one another. The rear upright 31 of the pair has similar flanges 30a-31c, and the inturned flanges 30c,30c of the front upright 30 are welded to the front flange 31a of the rear upright 31. As best seen in FIG. 1, the front flange 30a of the front upright 30 has two rows of apertures 32 and 33 which are designed to receive the load support mounting brackets 34 and 34a to permit the load supports 13 and 15 to be mounted in a well-known manner at various levels in the storage rack 10.

As described thus far, the storage rack 10 is conventional. In the rack, both rows of apertures 32 and 33 extend from top to bottom in the columns. Thus, foreign matter such as dust, dirt, spillage, vermin, etc., tends to be admitted into the interior of the columns through the apertures. When this occurs, the foreign matter tends to gravitate and collect in the bottoms of the columns.

The present invention eliminates the aforementioned drawbacks of conventional storage rack columns by providing columns with bottom clean-out structures which afford the removal of foreign matter from the interiors of the columns. To this end, a base plate 35 (FIG. 5) underlies the column assembly 17 and is engaged by the bottom edges of the side flanges, such as the bottom edge 36 of the side flange 30b of the front upright 30. See FIG. 6. The front flange 30a of each upright, such as the front upright 30, has a horizontally-disposed lower edge 37 with portions 37a and 37b inclining upwardly toward one another from the base plate 35. The edges 37, 37a and 37b cooperate with the base plate 35 to define a generally trapezoidal-shaped clean-out opening 40 in the front flange 30a near the base of the column assembly 17. The edges 37a and 37b define lateral webs 41 and 42 in the front flange 30a, and the webs 41 and 42 increase in width in the upward direction from relatively narrow widths providing bearing surfaces 41a and 42a on the base plate 35. Thus the webs 41 and 42 space the lower edge 37 of the front flange 30a from the base plate 35. The bearing surfaces 41a and 42a merge with the bottom edges of the side flanges so that the webs 41 and 42 of the front flange 30a cooperate with the side flanges 30b,30b to stiffen the upright assembly 17 and to resist bending of the side flanges caused by side loads on the column assembly 17 near the base. It is noted that the lower portions of both of the inturned rear flanges 30c and 31c of the uprights 30 and 31 are provided with confronting edges 30d and 31d, respectively, which incline similarly to the front flange edges 37a and 37b and which are aligned therewith. See FIG. 5.

In order to deflect pallets, truck forks, etc., from the base of the column assembly 17, each column assembly is provided with a pair of deflector or gusset plates 45 and 46. As best seen in FIGS. 2-5, each gusset plate, such as the gusset plate 45, projects upwardly from the base plate 35 to a level above the level of the lower edge 37 in the front flange 30a. The gusset plate 45 has a front deflector flange 45a and a rear deflector flange 45b, and both flanges 45a and 45b are partially inturned around the front and rear corners of the column assembly 17 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The front deflector flanges 45a and 46a of the gusset plates 45 and 46 have extensions 45c and 46c, respectively, which taper toward one another and which intersect at a welded corner 47 located forwardly of a mounting bolt-hole 35a in the base plate 35 to form a cavity 43 in front of the clean-out opening 40. It is noted that the upright 31 has a clean-out opening (FIG. 5) like the opening in the upright 30, and the openings are aligned with one another. Thus, when the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner is inserted in the cavity, any foreign matter contained at the bottom of the column assembly is removed by air flowing forwardly through the clean-out openings. Of course, a stream of liquid disinfectant may be flowed under pressure into the cavity and rearwardly through the clean-out openings and the foreign matter flushed out the rear of the column assembly between the inclined lower edges 30d and 31d of the inturned rear flanges of the uprights.

In order to fasten the side flanges of the column assembly uprights to the base plate 35, each gusset plate, such as the gusset plate 45, has an elongated recessed lower edge 48 which extends along the side flanges 30b and 31b of the uprights 30 and 31, respectively, for a substantial portion of their extent. The recess 48 exposes the juncture of the bottom edges of the side flanges with the base plate 35 and permits the side flanges 30b and 31b to be permanently secured to the base plate 35 by weldment 49 applied in the recess. As best seen in FIG. 6, the wetdment 49 also secures the gusset plate 45 to the base plate 35 without requiring the base plate to extend beyond the face of the gusset plate. Thus, the bottom configuration of the column assembly has a relatively narrow frontal profile. Preferably, the lower edges of the gusset plate 45, and its companion plate 46, are welded to the base plate 35, and the upper edges of the gusset plates are welded to the side flanges as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The rear column assembly 18 is generally similar in construction to the front column assembly 17, except that the gusset plates 55 and 56 do not have front flange extensions. Rather, the inturned front deflector flanges 55a and 56a terminate a short distance in front of the apertured flange of the upright. See FIG. 7. Otherwise, the rear column assembly 18 is the same as the front column assembly already descirbed, including having rear deflector flanges 55b and 56b.

In light-duty racks wherein a single rolled steel upright is adequate to compose a column assembly, the structure of FIGS. 9 and 10 may be employed advantageously in lieu of the structure of FIGS. 7 and 8. In this embodiment, the gusset plates 65 and 66 are simply dimensioned shorter between their inturned front and rear flanges 65a-66b to compensate for reduced depth of the column assembly. It should be apparent, of course, that when the single upright is to be used as a front column in a storage rack, the gusset plates 65 and 66 would be modified by providing them with tapering inturned extensions as provided in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-6.

In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention provides storage racks having column structures from which foreign matter may be removed readily to promote the cleanliness of warehouses in which they are installed while providing a high-strength rack structure.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, various modifications, alterations and changes may be made in the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.