Gondola gravity feed conversion bracket system

Abstract

A bracket system for converting horizontally arranged shelving members in a gondola system to a gravity feed orientation including a left, right, and at least one center bracket member each selectively engageable with any one of a plurality of vertical upright support members associated with the gondola system, each bracket member having a front wall portion angularly oriented relative to the vertical upright support members and each having a plurality of receiver members for selectively engaging attachment members associated with each shelf member. The receiver members associated with the at least one center bracket member are configured to receive the attachment members associated with two adjacent side-by-side shelf members. When the bracket members are attached to the upright support members and the shelf members are attached to the bracket members, each shelf member is oriented in gravity feed orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gravity feed conversion bracket system comprising:
 a left bracket member selectively engageable with a vertical upright support member associated with a gondola shelving unit; and   a right bracket member selectively engageable with a vertical upright support member associated with a gondola shelving unit;   each of said left and right bracket members having a front wall portion angularly oriented relative to a vertical plane, said front wall portions including a plurality of receiver members for selectively engaging a shelving member associated with a gondola shelving unit;   wherein when said left and right bracket members are each selectively engaged with a respective vertical upright support member, and when the receiver members of said left and right bracket members are selectively engaged with a shelving member, the shelving member will be oriented in a gravity feed orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each of said left and right bracket members includes a plurality of protrusions for selectively engaging each of said left and right bracket members to a vertical upright support member of a gondola shelving unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of receiver members associated with said left and right bracket members are configured to receive and engage a plurality of left and right attachment members associated with a shelving member of a gondola shelving unit. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein at least some of said protrusions including a hook portion. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  including a stop member selectively engageable with a shelving member of a gondola shelving unit. 
     
     
         6 . A gravity feed conversion bracket system for converting a plurality of shelving members horizontally arranged in a side-by-side arrangement in a shelving system to a gravity feed orientation, the shelving system including a plurality of vertical upright support members for supporting the plurality of side-by-side shelving members in a non-gravity feed horizontal arrangement, the conversion system comprising:
 a left bracket member selectively engageable with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system;   a right bracket member selectively engageable with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system; and   at least one center bracket member selectively engageable with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system;   said left, right and at least one center bracket members each having a front wall portion angularly oriented relative to the vertical upright support members of the shelving system, each of said front wall portions including a plurality of receiver members for selectively engaging a shelf member associated with the shelving system, the receiver members associated with said at least one center bracket member being wider than the receiver members associated with said left and right bracket members to accept the respective end portions of two adjacent side-by-side shelving members;   wherein when said left bracket member is selectively engaged with the left-most vertical upright support member and the receiver members of said left bracket member are selectively engaged with one end portion of the left-most shelf member, and wherein when the right bracket member is selectively engaged with the right-most vertical upright support member and the receiver members of said right bracket member are selectively engaged with one end portion of the right-most shelving member, and when the at least one center bracket member is selectively engaged with a respective vertical upright support member and the receiver members of said at least one center bracket member are selectively engaged with the respective end portions of two adjacent side-by-side shelving members, the left-most shelf member, the right-most shelf member and all horizontally arranged shelf members located therebetween will be oriented in a gravity feed orientation.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein each of said left bracket member, said right bracket member, and said at least one center bracket member includes a plurality of protrusions for selectively engaging each of said bracket members to a vertical upright support member of the shelving system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of receiver members associated with said left and right bracket members are configured to receive and engage a plurality of left attachment members and a plurality of right attachment members associated with a shelving member of the shelving system, and wherein the plurality of receiver members associated with said at least one center bracket member are configured to receive and engage both a plurality of left attachment members and a plurality of right attachment members associated with adjacent side-by-side shelving members of the shelving system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein at least some of said protrusions include a hook portion. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said receiver members are apertures. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6  including at least one stop member selectively engageable with each of the shelving members associated with the shelving system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said stop member is expandable lengthwise to accommodate the length of any particular shelving member associated with the shelving system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein said at least one stop member includes a plurality of pegs, said plurality of pegs being selectively engageable with a plurality of apertures on the shelving members associated with the shelving system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein each of said plurality of pegs us angularly oriented towards the rear portion of each respective shelf member. 
     
     
         15 . A gravity feed conversion bracket system for converting a plurality of shelving members horizontally arranged in a side-by-side non-gravity feed arrangement in a shelving system to a gravity feed orientation, the shelving system including a plurality of vertical upright support members having a plurality of slots associated therewith for supporting the plurality of side-by-side shelving members in a horizontal arrangement, each of the shelving members having attachment members associated with the opposed side end portions of the shelving member for selectively engaging the attachment members with one or more slots associated with the vertical upright support members, the conversion system comprising:
 a left bracket member selectively engageable with one or more slots associated with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system;   a right bracket member selectively engageable with one or more slots associated with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system;   at least one center bracket member selectively engageable with one or more slots associated with a vertical upright support member of the shelving system; and   at least one stop member selectively engageable with each of the shelving members of the shelving system;   each of said left, right and at least one center bracket member having a front wall portion angularly oriented relative to the vertical upright support members of the shelving system, said front wall portions each including a plurality of receiver members for selectively receiving and engaging the attachment members associated with the opposed side end portions of each of the shelf members, each of the receiver members associated with said at least one center bracket member being sized and shaped to selectively engage the attachment members associated with two adjacent side-by-side shelving members;   wherein when the left bracket member is selectively engaged with the left-most vertical upright support member associated with the shelving system and the attachment member associated with one side end portion of the left-most shelving member in the shelving system is selectively engaged with the receiver members of said left bracket member, and when the right bracket member is selectively engaged with the right-most vertical upright support member of the shelving system and the attachment member associated with one side end portion of the right-most shelving member is engaged with the receiver members of said right bracket member, and when the respective other attachment members associated with both the opposite side end portions of the left-most and right-most shelving members and the opposed side end portions of the intermediate adjacent side-by-side shelving members associated with the shelving system are selectively engaged with the receiver members of said center bracket members, all of the adjacent side-by-side shelving members associated with the shelving system will be oriented in a gravity feed orientation.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein each of said left, right and at least one center bracket member includes a plurality of protrusions for selectively engaging each of said bracket members with a plurality of slots associated with the vertical upright support members of the shelving system. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein each of said plurality of protrusions includes a hook portion. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said receiver members are apertures. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said at least one stop member is expandable lengthwise to accommodate the length of any particular shelving member associated with the shelving system. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said at least one stop member includes a plurality of pegs, and wherein each of said shelving members includes a plurality of apertures, said plurality of pegs being selectively engageable with the plurality of apertures associated with each shelving member.