Support bracket
First Claim
1. An apparatus for supporting a wall panel system comprising:
- a wall panel;
a vertical member attached to the wall panel and having a plurality of spaced apart apertures therein;
a support member adapted to be attached to a bracket assembly and rest on a floor;
a bracket assembly external to the support member and adapted to interconnect the support member to the vertical member of the wall panel, said bracket assembly comprisinga first bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into a plurality of corresponding apertures in the vertical member;
a second bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into corresponding apertures in the vertical member; and
locking means adapted to move one of said brackets vertically toward the other such that said anchor members cooperate with the vertical member to secure the bracket assembly thereto, said locking means comprising a flange extending horizontally outward from one of said brackets, a tab extending horizontally outward from the other of said brackets, and a threaded fastener coupling said flange and tab, whereby the first and second brackets are pulled toward each other by turning the fastener, said first and second brackets and said locking means being external to the support member to facilitate the securing of the brackets to the vertical member and the installation and removal of the support member to one of said brackets.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A bracket assembly includes a first bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into a plurality of corresponding apertures in a vertical member of a wall panel, and a second bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into a plurality of corresponding apertures in the vertical member. The anchor members are adapted to cooperate with the vertical member to restrain the corresponding bracket from horizontal movement. Locking means are adapted to move one of said brackets relative to the other such that the anchor members cooperate with the vertical member to secure the bracket assembly thereto.
84 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for supporting a wall panel system comprising:
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a wall panel; a vertical member attached to the wall panel and having a plurality of spaced apart apertures therein; a support member adapted to be attached to a bracket assembly and rest on a floor; a bracket assembly external to the support member and adapted to interconnect the support member to the vertical member of the wall panel, said bracket assembly comprising a first bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into a plurality of corresponding apertures in the vertical member; a second bracket having a plurality of spaced apart anchor members extending outward therefrom for insertion into corresponding apertures in the vertical member; and locking means adapted to move one of said brackets vertically toward the other such that said anchor members cooperate with the vertical member to secure the bracket assembly thereto, said locking means comprising a flange extending horizontally outward from one of said brackets, a tab extending horizontally outward from the other of said brackets, and a threaded fastener coupling said flange and tab, whereby the first and second brackets are pulled toward each other by turning the fastener, said first and second brackets and said locking means being external to the support member to facilitate the securing of the brackets to the vertical member and the installation and removal of the support member to one of said brackets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for supporting a wall panel system comprising:
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a wall panel; a vertical member having a plurality of vertically aligned, longitudinal slots therein; a support member adapted to be attached to a bracket assembly and rest on a floor; a bracket assembly external to the support member and adapted to interconnect the support member to the vertical member of the wall panel, said bracket assembly comprising a first bracket having a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart anchor members extending horizontally outward therefrom for insertion into first corresponding slots in the vertical member, said anchor members having a neck portion extending horizontally outward from said bracket and a hook portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the neck portion; a second bracket having a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart anchor members extending horizontally outward therefrom for insertion into second corresponding slots in the vertical member, said anchor members having a neck portion extending horizontally outward from the second bracket and a hook portion extending substantially perpendicularly from said neck portion in an opposite direction relative to the hook portion of the first bracket anchor members, and a substantial portion of one of said brackets being adjacent one side of the other bracket to conceal said portion from the view of a person on the opposite side of said other bracket; and locking means adapted to move one of said brackets relative to the other in a vertical direction such that a portion of the hook members bears against the vertical member to secure said assembly to the wall panel vertical member, said first and second brackets and said locking means being external to the support member to facilitate the securing of the brackets to the vertical member and the installation and removal of the support member to one of said brackets, said locking means comprising a flange extending horizontally outward from the second bracket, a tab extending horizontally outward from the first bracket, and a threaded fastener coupling said flange and tab, whereby the first and second brackets are pulled vertically toward each other by turning the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for supporting a wall panel system comprising:
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a wall panel; a vertical member having a plurality of vertically aligned, longitudinal slots therein; a bracket assembly comprising a lower bracket including a vertical plate having a flange extending perpendicularly therefrom and a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart anchor members extending horizontally outward from a vertical edge portion thereof opposite said flange for insertion into corresponding lower slots in the vertical member of the wall panel, said vertical plate being substantially perpendicular to the wall panel, and said anchor members having a neck portion extending horizontally outward from the edge portion of the lower bracket plate and a hook portion extending upwardly from said neck portion; an upper bracket including a vertical plate having a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart anchor members extending horizontally outward from a vertical edge portion thereof for insertion into corresponding upper slots in the vertical member of the wall panel, said anchor members having a neck portion extending horizontally outward from the edge portion of the upper bracket plate and a hook portion extending downwardly from the neck portion, and a substantial portion of the upper bracket plate being adjacent one side of the lower bracket plate to conceal said portion from the view of a person on the other side of the lower bracket; said anchor members of the first and second brackets being vertically aligned; locking means for pulling the upper and lower brackets vertically toward each other such that a portion of the hook members bears against an inner surface of the vertical member to secure the bracket assembly to the wall panel vertical member; and a support member adapted to rest on a floor and be attached to the flange of the lower bracket to securely support the wall panel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification