Cantilever shelving system

1. A cantilever shelving system comprising:

a frame structure comprising a plurality of vertical support members, a lateral support structure interconnecting the vertical support members, and a base;

a cantilever shelf support structure mounted to the frame structure; and

a plurality of generally rectangular, load-bearing shelves supported by the cantilever shelf support structure and the frame structure, wherein each of the shelves comprises an upper support surface and a plurality of mounting collars, wherein a mounting collar of said plurality of mounting collars is located near each corner of each shelf;

wherein the cantilever shelf support structure comprises:

a plurality of horizontally extending cantilever support arms, wherein a corresponding cantilever support arm of said plurality of cantilever support arms is mounted to each of the vertical support members; and

a plurality of shelf support fittings, at least two shelf support fittings mounted to each of the cantilever support arms;

wherein each cantilever support arm comprises:

an elongated portion extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and having a planar upper wall and opposing side walls; and

a mounting flange located at the proximal end and including opposing side braces spaced laterally apart to enable the mounting flange to receive and be mounted on a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members; and

at least two slots included in each of the side walls, wherein at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the proximal end and at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the distal end;

wherein each shelf support fitting comprises:

a mounting portion comprising at least one mounting tab and at least one lock notch; and

a support portion comprising an upward projection laterally offset from the mounting portion;

wherein the at least one mounting tab is inserted into one of the at least two slots and engages an inside surface of a corresponding side wall of said opposing side walls of a corresponding cantilever support arm of said plurality of cantilever support arms above the one slot and the lock notch engages a lower end of the one slot; and

wherein the upward projections of the shelf support fittings are inserted into corresponding mounting collars of said plurality of mounting collars of the load-bearing shelves;

wherein the shelves are positioned laterally adjacent to the cantilever support arms and the upper support surfaces of the load-bearing shelves are coplanar with the upper walls of the cantilever support arms.

2. The cantilever shelving system of claim 1 , wherein each of the side braces includes a first open slot extending to a rear end of the mounting flange, the first open slot terminating in an offset portion.

3. The cantilever shelving system of claim 2 , wherein each of the side braces further includes a second open slot having a terminal end; and

wherein the second open slot is below the first open slot.

4. The cantilever shelving system of claim 3 , wherein each of the vertical support members comprise a plurality of vertically spaced-apart hanger pins that extend outwardly from one or both of opposing lateral sides of the vertical support member; and

wherein the first and second open slots are sized to accommodate and engage the hanger pins.

5. The cantilever shelving system of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of base supports, each base support being attached near a lower vertical end of a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members;

wherein each base support comprises:

a horizontal support leg extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end adjacent to the corresponding vertical support member to a distal end and comprising an upper side, wherein the horizontal support leg forms an angle of approximately ninety degrees with the corresponding vertical support member; and

a vertical support foot extending vertically downward from the distal end of the horizontal support leg;

wherein the plurality of base supports comprises a plurality of first base supports and at least one second base support; wherein the plurality of first base supports are mounted on at least two vertical support members of said plurality of vertical support members at a first vertical height so that the upper sides of the horizontal support legs of the plurality of first base supports lie in a first horizontal plane above a ground surface; and

wherein the at least one second base support is mounted on at least one of the plurality of vertical support members at a second vertical height so that the upper side of the horizontal support leg of the at least one second base support lies in a second horizontal plane above the ground surface; and

wherein the second horizontal plane is beneath the first horizontal plane.

6. The cantilever shelving system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of first base supports are attached to the corresponding at least two vertical support members at a vertical height about 6 to 10 inches above the ground surface; and

wherein the at least one second base support is attached to at least one of the plurality of vertical support members at a vertical height about 3 to 5 inches above the ground surface.

7. The cantilever shelving system of claim 1 , wherein the lateral support structure comprises one or more horizontal crossbars and one or more cross-braces, wherein the one or more crossbars extend between and/or across some or all of the vertical support members to laterally interconnect two or more of the vertical support members of said plurality of vertical support members;

wherein the one or more horizontal crossbars are positioned at one or more vertical locations along longitudinal axes of the vertical support members;

wherein at least one crossbar of said one or more crossbars is located near an upper end of the vertical support members and at least one crossbar of said one or more crossbars is located at lower end of the vertical support members;

wherein the one or more cross-braces each include a pair of slats arranged in a crossed relationship and fastened to one another in an “X” pattern; and

wherein the one or more cross-braces are between adjacent pairs of the vertical support members.

8. A cantilever shelving system comprising:

a frame structure comprising a plurality of vertical support members, a lateral support structure interconnecting the vertical support members, and a base;

a cantilever shelf support structure mounted to the frame structure; and

a plurality of generally rectangular, load-bearing shelves supported by the cantilever shelf support structure and the frame structure;

wherein the base comprises a plurality of base supports, wherein each base support is attached near a lower vertical end of a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members;

wherein each base support comprises:

a horizontal support leg extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end adjacent to the corresponding vertical support member to a distal end and comprising an upper side, wherein the horizontal support leg forms an angle of approximately ninety degrees with the corresponding vertical support member; and

a vertical support foot extending vertically downward from the distal end of the horizontal support leg;

wherein the plurality of base supports comprises a plurality of first base supports and at least one second base support; wherein the plurality of first base supports are mounted on at least two vertical support members of said plurality of vertical support members at a first vertical height so that the upper sides of the horizontal support legs of the plurality of first base supports lie in a first horizontal plane above a ground surface; and

wherein the at least one second base support is mounted on at least one of the plurality of vertical support members at a second vertical height so that the upper side of the horizontal support leg of the at least one second base support lies in a second horizontal plane above the ground surface; and

wherein the second horizontal plane is beneath the first horizontal plane; and

wherein two of the plurality of first base supports are separated by a first width defining a space therebetween; wherein the space is configured to accommodate a piece of commercial equipment having a second width greater than at least half of the first width such that the piece of commercial equipment is received in the space with one of the at least one second base support being located beneath the piece of commercial equipment.

9. The cantilever shelving system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first base supports are attached to the corresponding at least two vertical support members at a vertical height about 6 to 10 inches above the ground surface; and

wherein the at least one second base support is attached to at least one of the vertical support members at a vertical height about 3 to 5 inches above the ground surface.

10. The cantilever shelving system of claim 8 , wherein each of the shelves comprises an upper support surface and a plurality of mounting collars, wherein a mounting collar of said plurality of mounting collars is located near each corner of each shelf; and

wherein the cantilever shelf support structure comprises:

a plurality of horizontally extending cantilever support arms, wherein a corresponding cantilever support arm of said plurality of cantilever support arms is mounted to each of the vertical support members; and

a plurality of shelf support fittings, at least two shelf support fittings mounted to each of the cantilever support arms;

wherein each cantilever support arm comprises:

an elongated portion extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and having a planar upper wall and opposing side walls; and

a mounting flange located at the proximal end and including opposing side braces spaced laterally apart to enable the mounting flange to receive and be mounted on a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members; and

at least two slots included in each of the side walls, wherein at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the proximal end and at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the distal end;

wherein each shelf support fitting comprises:

a mounting portion comprising at least one mounting tab and at least one lock notch; and

a support portion comprising an upward projection laterally offset from the mounting portion;

wherein the at least one mounting tab is inserted into one of the at least two slots and engages an inside surface of a corresponding side wall of said opposing side walls of each cantilever support arm above the one slot and the lock notch engages a lower end of the one slot; and

wherein the upward projections of the shelf support fittings are inserted into corresponding mounting collars of said plurality of mounting collars of the load-bearing shelves;

wherein the shelves are positioned laterally adjacent to the cantilever support arms and the upper support surfaces of the load-bearing shelves are coplanar with the upper walls of the cantilever support arms.

11. The cantilever shelving system of claim 10 , wherein each of the side braces includes a first open slot extending to a rear end of the mounting flange, the first open slot terminating in an offset portion.

12. The cantilever shelving system of claim 11 , wherein each of the side braces further includes a second open slot having a terminal end; and

wherein the second open slot is below the first open slot.

13. The cantilever shelving system of claim 12 , wherein each of the vertical support members comprise a plurality of vertically spaced-apart hanger pins that extend outwardly from one or both of opposing lateral sides of the vertical support member; and

wherein the first and second open slots are sized to accommodate and engage the hanger pins.

14. A cantilever shelving system comprising:

a frame structure comprising a plurality of vertical support members, a lateral support structure interconnecting the vertical support members, and a base;

a cantilever shelf support structure mounted to the frame structure; and

a plurality of generally rectangular, load-bearing shelves supported by the cantilever shelf support structure and the frame structure, wherein each of the shelves comprises an upper support surface and a plurality of mounting collars, wherein a mounting collar of said plurality of mounting collars is located near each corner of each shelf;

wherein the base comprises a plurality of base supports, wherein each base support is attached near a lower vertical end of a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members;

wherein each base support comprises:

a horizontal support leg extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end adjacent to the corresponding vertical support member to a distal end and comprising an upper side, wherein the horizontal support leg forms an angle of approximately ninety degrees with the corresponding vertical support member; and

a vertical support foot extending vertically downward from the distal end of the horizontal support leg;

wherein the plurality of base supports comprise a plurality of first base supports and at least one second base support; wherein the plurality of first base supports are mounted on at least two vertical support members of said plurality of vertical support members at a first vertical height so that the upper sides of the horizontal support legs of the plurality of first base supports lie in a first horizontal plane above a ground surface; and

wherein the at least one second base support is mounted on at least one of the plurality of vertical support members at a second vertical height so that the upper side of the horizontal support leg of the at least one second base support lies in a second horizontal plane above the ground surface;

wherein the second horizontal plane is beneath the first horizontal plane;

wherein the cantilever shelf support structure comprises:

a plurality of horizontally extending cantilever support arms, wherein a corresponding cantilever support arm of said plurality of cantilever support arms is mounted to each of the vertical support members; and

a plurality of shelf support fittings, at least two shelf support fittings of said plurality of shelf support fittings mounted to each of the cantilever support arms;

wherein the shelf support fittings are inserted within corresponding mounting collars of said plurality of mounting collars of the load-bearing shelves; and

wherein laterally adjacent shelves of said plurality of load-bearing shelves are positioned laterally adjacent to a common cantilever support arm of said plurality of cantilever support arms and the shelf support surfaces of said laterally adjacent shelves are coplanar with a planar upper wall of the common cantilever support arm; and

wherein ends of the laterally adjacent shelves do not overlap with a front side of a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members to which the common cantilever support arm is mounted; and

wherein two of the plurality of first base supports are separated by a first width defining a space therebetween; wherein the space is configured to accommodate a piece of commercial equipment having a second width greater than at least half of the first width such that the piece of commercial equipment is received in the space with one of the at least one second base support being located beneath the piece of commercial equipment.

15. The cantilever shelving system of claim 14 , wherein each cantilever support arm comprises:

an elongated portion extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and having opposing side walls; and

a mounting flange located at the proximal end and including opposing side braces spaced laterally apart to enable the mounting flange to receive and be mounted on a corresponding vertical support member of said plurality of vertical support members; and

at least two slots included in each of the side walls, wherein at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the proximal end and at least one slot of said at least two slots is near the distal end;

wherein each shelf support fitting comprises:

a mounting portion comprising at least one mounting tab and at least one lock notch; and

a support portion comprising an upward projection laterally offset from the mounting portion; and

wherein the at least one mounting tab is inserted into one of the at least two slots and engages an inside surface of a corresponding side wall of said opposing side walls of each cantilever support arm above the one slot and the lock notch engages a lower end of the one slot.