Method of manufacturing a vertically adjustable shelf bracket

Abstract

A shelf bracket is manufactured by providing a shelf bracket member having an opening of a predetermined size. A pin includes opposite end portions, a medial portion and a single collar which is of a size larger than the size of the opening of the shelf bracket member. The medial portion of the pin is inserted into the shelf bracket member opening and a portion of the volume of the medial portion of the pin is swaged toward the one collar creating a second collar such that the shelf bracket and pin are clamped together by the two collars.

1 . A shelf bracket comprising an elongated member having rearward and forward end portions, an opening of a predetermined size in said rearward end portion, a pin, said pin having axially opposite ends, said pin having a pin portion between said axially opposite ends, said pin portion being located in said opening, said pin portion including a pair of axially spaced collars each of a size larger than said opening, and said elongated member rearward end portion being sandwiched between said collars whereby at least one axial end portion of said pin projecting away from an adjacent one of said collars can engage an associated support.  
   
   
       2 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said collars is formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       3 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein said collars are both formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       4 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein said pin and at least one of said collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       5 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       6 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said collars is formed from the material of said pin swaged from a size corresponding to said opening predetermined size to said larger collar size.  
   
   
       7 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said collars is swaged from a portion of the material of said pin portion.  
   
   
       8 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 2  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material, and one of said pair of collars is swaged from the material of said pin portion.  
   
   
       9 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 6  wherein said collars are both formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       10 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 6  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       11 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 7  wherein said collars are both formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       12 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 7  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       13 . A method of manufacturing a shelf bracket comprising the steps of 
 (a) providing a shelf bracket member having an opening of a predetermined size,    (b) providing a pin defined by opposite end portions and a medial portion therebetween of a size corresponding substantially to the opening size and a collar of a size larger than the opening size spaced from an annular shoulder,    (c) relatively moving the opening and pin such that the medial portion enters the opening, and    (d) swaging the medial portion toward the collar by applying a force against the annular shoulder in a direction toward the collar to thereby form a swaged collar of a size larger than the opening size whereby the pin is secured to the shelf bracket member by the collars.    
   
   
       14 . The method as defined in  claim 13  including the step of constructing the pin end portions of substantially the same size.  
   
   
       15 . The method as defined in  claim 13  including the step of constructing the pin end portions of substantially the same size and the medial portion of a larger size than the last-mentioned size.  
   
   
       16 . The method as defined in  claim 13  including the step of constructing at least one of the pin end portions of a size smaller than the opening size and the medial portion size.  
   
   
       17 . The method as defined in  claim 13  wherein the pin is made of metal.  
   
   
       18 . The method as defined in  claim 14  wherein the opening size is substantially larger than the pin end portions size.  
   
   
       19 . The method as defined in  claim 15  wherein the medial portion size corresponds substantially to the opening predetermined size.  
   
   
       20 . The method as defined in  claim 14  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       21 . The method as defined in  claim 15  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       22 . The method as defined in  claim 16  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       23 . The method as defined in  claim 17  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       24 . The method as defined in  claim 18  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       25 . The method as defined in  claim 19  wherein the pin end portions are each substantially cylindrical.  
   
   
       26 . A shelf assembly comprising an elongated support member having front and rear end portions, means for defining a substantially vertical trackway along which said rear end portion can slide to effect vertical adjusting movement of said support member, cooperative latching means of said rear end portion for latching said support member at selected positions of adjustment along said trackway, and means carried by said rear end portion for increasing the lubricity thereof with respect to said trackway to thereby reduce the force required to adjust the support member relative to the trackway.  
   
   
       27 . A shelf bracket comprising a shelf bracket member adapted to slide vertically in a trackway of a predetermined width, said shelf bracket member having a forward end portion and a rear end portion, said rear end portion having a cross-sectional thickness substantially less than the width of an associated trackway whereby relatively undesired loose sliding movement would occur between the shelf bracket member rear end portion and the trackway unless otherwise provided, and means for defining a transverse enlargement at an area of said shelf bracket member rear end portion which increases the effective thickness at said area to substantially match an associated trackway predetermined width to thereby reduce shelf bracket sideways movement when associated with a predetermined width trackway.  
   
   
       28 . A pin particularly adapted for assembly to a shelf bracket member comprising an elongated member having axially opposite end portions, a medial portion between said axial opposite end portions and a collar between the medial portion and a first of said axial opposite end portions; said collar having a periphery larger than a periphery of said medial portion, said medial portion being of a peripherally larger size than the peripheral size of a second of said axial opposite end portions and defining therewith an annular shoulder and an annular volume of material of said medial portion between said annular shoulder, and said collar being sufficient when axially swaged toward said collar to form a second collar in adjacent spaced relationship to said first-mentioned collar.  
   
   
       29 . A pin particularly adapted for assembly to a shelf bracket member comprising an elongated member having axially opposite end portions, a medial portion between said axial opposite end portions and a collar between the medial portion and a first of said axial opposite end portions; said collar having a periphery larger than a periphery of said medial portion, said medial portion being of a peripherally larger size than the peripheral size of a second of said axial opposite end portions and defining therewith an annular shoulder, and an annular volume of material of said medial portion between said annular shoulder and said collar being sufficient when axially swaged toward said collar to form a second collar in adjacent spaced relationship to said first-mentioned collar and having a periphery corresponding in size thereto.  
   
   
       30 . The shelf support as defined in  claim 26  wherein said rearward end portion includes upper and lower portions, said cooperative latching means are at least in part carried by the upper portion of said rearward end portion, and said lubricity increasing means is disposed at said rearward end portion lower portion.  
   
   
       31 . A shelf bracket comprising an elongated member having rearward and forward end portions, an opening of a predetermined size in said rearward end portion, a pin, said pin having axially opposite ends, said pin having a pin portion between said axially opposite ends, said pin portion being located in said opening, said pin portion including a pair of axially spaced collars each of a size larger than said opening, said elongated member rearward end portion being sandwiched between said collars, said pin having axially opposite end portions, a first of said axially opposite end portions being set-off between a first of said pin ends and a first of said collars, and a second of said axially opposite end portions being set-off between a second of said pin ends and a second of said collars whereby said axially opposite first and second pin end portions can engage an associated support.  
   
   
       32 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein at least one of said collars is formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       33 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein said collars are both formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       34 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein said pin and at least one of said collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       35 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       36 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein at least one of said collars is formed from the material of said pin swaged from a size corresponding to said opening predetermined size to said larger collar size.  
   
   
       37 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein at least one of said collars is swaged from a portion of the material of said pin portion.  
   
   
       38 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 31  wherein said first and second pin end portions are of substantially the same axial length.  
   
   
       39 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 32  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material, and one of said pair of collars is swaged from the material of said pin portion.  
   
   
       40 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 36  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       41 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 37  wherein said collars are both formed from the material of said pin.  
   
   
       42 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 37  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       43 . A shelf bracket comprising an elongated member having rearward and forward end portions, an opening of a predetermined size in said rearward end portion, a pin, said pin having axially opposite ends, a collar at one of said axially opposite ends, said pin having a pin portion between said collar and another of said axially opposite ends, said pin portion being located in said opening, another swaged collar spaced from said first-mentioned collar and said collars each being of a size larger than said opening, and said elongated member rearward end portion being sandwiched between said collars whereby an axial end portion of said pin projects away from said swaged collar and can engage an associated support.  
   
   
       44 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 43  wherein said pin and at least one of said collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       45 . The shelf bracket as defined in  claim 43  wherein said pin and pair of collars are constructed from a single piece of substantially homogeneous material.  
   
   
       46 . A pin particularly adapted for assembly to a shelf bracket member comprising an elongated member having axially opposite ends, a medial portion between said axial opposite ends, a collar at one of said ends adjacent the medial portion, said collar having a periphery larger than a periphery of said medial portion, said medial portion being of a peripherally larger size than the peripheral size of an axial end portion of said elongated member remote from said collar, and defining with said medial portion an annular shoulder, and an annular volume of material of said medial portion between said annular shoulder and said collar being sufficient when axially swaged toward said collar to form a second collar in adjacent spaced relationship to said first-mentioned collar.