Stackable rolling rack apparatus
A stackable rolling rack apparatus capable of being stacked on a similar rolling rack apparatus includes a base unit having a generally horizontal frame assembly and a plurality of upright side members. Wheels are mounted to the base unit and extend below the lower surface of the frame assembly. Mounting plates are attached to the base unit such that upon stacking each mounting plate cooperatively engages an upright side member of the lower similar rolling rack apparatus. The apparatus includes support assemblies pivotally connected to the base unit. Each support assembly has an upright position and a lowered position. In the upright position each support assembly extends vertically above an upper end portion of the upright side members, and in the lowered position each support assembly is lower than the upper end portion of the upright side members.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/623,029, filed Oct. 28, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to portable rolling rack apparatus for supporting various items, as for example a number of pipes, and more particularly relates to portable rolling rack apparatus having upright supports members for supporting various items with the rolling rack apparatus being stackable for ease of storage or shipping.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many prior art rolling dollies, carriages and rack apparatus in existence which are used for a variety of purposes. There are many instances, such as for storage or shipping, in which it is desirable to be able to stack the rolling dollies, carriages and rack apparatus. Following are some prior art patents disclosing a variety of portable wheeled units having a stacking feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,396 to Sebor discloses a nestable dolly construction wherein the bottom surface or panel of each of a number of dolly devices have wheel wells to enable secure stacking of dolly devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,343 to Mogensen et al. discloses a container base structure having perpendicular fixing elements in the corners. The container base is designed to enable attachments of various types of side boards. U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,951 to Mogensen et al. discloses a stackable roller carriage having swingably mounted wheels. The corner of the carriage unit is provided with a circular pocket which enables the carriage wheels to be received in the pocket regardless of their pivotable positioning.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,540 to Nesting discloses a roller carriage having pivoted casters at one end and fixed casters at the opposite end. The roller carriage has a retention device to retain the swingable wheel or wheels on an overlying roller carriage to thus permit stacking of the carriage units.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,152 to Ching-rong Liu discloses a wheeled pallet structure that is designed to enable stacking of the pallets.
In addition to having a rolling stackable unit, it is often desirable to have upwardly extending support members or uprights extending from a lower wheeled horizontal base structure. In such instances it adds difficulty and complexity to being able to stack the rolling units with ease and without disassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,441 to Kern et al. discloses a display cart having wheels or casters that is designed for stacking. The wheels or casters are located on the underside of a base unit and are removably connected to opposed ends of the base unit. Upright support members are mounted to the base unit and shelf members are adapted for attachment to the upright support members. The base unit of the display cart is designed for stacking of the wheeled base units, however, the upright members and shelf members must be disassembled and removed from the base unit to enable stacking of the base units.
It is desirable to have a portable rolling unit having upright support members which can be stacked onto similar portable rolling units with ease and minimal difficulty. It is further desirable to have a stacking, portable rolling unit having upright support members in which the upright support members can remain attached to the unit when in the stacked position.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention includes a small portable rolling rack apparatus having a base unit and upright members. The rack apparatus is adapted to stack onto a similar rack apparatus. Preferably, the rolling rack apparatus includes wheels or casters mounted to the base unit to enable the rack apparatus to be moved along a floor, such as a construction floor.
Preferably, the base unit includes four corner uprights. In one embodiment of the present invention, the upright members include laterally extending projecting arms for support, as for example to support a number of pipes.
Typically, to ship numbers of its pipe rack products the mobile pipe rack apparatus are stacked and are typically encapsulated in a plastic sheath or are otherwise secured in stacked or nested relation. For stacking, the wheels or casters are typically removed. They can easily become lose or damaged when removed from the pipe rack cart.
The present invention of the rolling rack apparatus includes the following features that promote stacking or nesting of the rack apparatus while eliminating the need for disassembly of components and the potential for lost components. The upright members are pivotally mounted to the base unit to enable pivotal movement from an upright position to a lowered position for stacking. In the upright position, the upright members are preferably locked by spring-loaded pins. In the lowered position, the upright members are efficiently secured. The upper ends of the four corner uprights are received by rectangular holes in the caster mounting plates to assist in stabilizing the stacked or nested positions of the carts. The casters are mounted to the caster mounting plates so as to be located inboard of the corner uprights. This feature eliminates the need for removal of the casters when stacking.
Most importantly, no disassembly or unbolting is required on the part of the party receiving the stacked carts. Shipping costs are significantly low because the stacked or nested arrangement minimizes the space required for a number of stacked carts. To ready the pipe rack carts for use, the receive party will first unstack them. Then the uprights will be pivoted from the lowered position to the upright positions and locked by the spring-loaded pins. For storage by the user, the spring-loaded pins are moved to their unlocking positions by pulling on the rings. The uprights can then be pivoted to their lowered position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGSSo that the manner in which the above recited features and advantages of the embodiments of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof documented in the drawings and accompanying text which follow. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention, and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention admits to many other equally effective embodiments which vary only in specific detail. In the drawings:
The stackable rolling rack apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, generally designated as numeral 10, is shown in
As shown in
Still referring to
Preferably, a base side member 38 is vertically mounted at or near the end of each of the transverse end members 20a, 20b. Preferably, the base side members 38 have a length equal to or greater than the height of the transverse support plate 26 and the upright mounting plates 24a, 24b for reasons which will be explained below.
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the upright post 48 includes an upper hole 54 and a lower hole 56 extending through the upright post 48 as shown in
Although not required, the present invention has been illustrated as being made from hollow tubing, and more specifically, square tubing. In such cases, it may be desirable to insert a cap 62 into the end of each tubular member as shown in
The ability to fold and stack the rolling rack apparatus 10 will now be discussed with reference to
With the rolling rack apparatus 10 in the lowered position, multiple rack apparatus 10 can be stacked on top of one another in a secure and compact fashion as shown in
Thus, the present invention of the rolling rack apparatus 10 includes the following features that promote stacking or nesting of the rack apparatus 10 while eliminating the need for disassembly of components and the potential for lost components. The upright support assemblies 14 are pivotally mounted to the base unit 12 to enable pivotal movement from an upright position to a lowered position for stacking. In the upright position, the upright support assemblies 14 are preferably locked by spring-loaded plungers 34. In the lowered position, the upright support assemblies 14 are efficiently secured and are brought to rest on top of one another. The upper ends 38a of the four base side members 38 are received by the openings 46 in the caster mounts 18 to assist in stabilizing the stacked or nested positions of the rack apparatus 10. The casters 16 are mounted to the caster mounts 18 so as to be located inboard of the base side members 38. This feature eliminates the need for removal of the casters 16 in order to stack the rack apparatus 10.
Additionally, no disassembly or unbolting is required on the part of the party receiving the stacked rack apparatus 10. Shipping costs are significantly lowered because the stacked or nested arrangement minimizes the space required for a number of stacked rack apparatus 10. To ready the rack apparatus 10 for use, the receiving party will first unstack them. Then the upright support assemblies 14 will be pivoted from the lowered position to the upright position and locked by the spring-loaded plungers or pins 34. For storage by the user, the spring-loaded pins 34 are moved to their unlocking positions by pulling on the rings 36. The upright support assemblies 14 can then be pivotally lowered.
A second embodiment of the rolling rack apparatus, generally designated 10′, is shown in
The upright support assembly 14′ includes an upright post 48′ having an upper hole 54 and a lower hole 56. A cradle 51′ is mounted to the upper end of the upright post 48′. Preferably, the cradle 51′ is generally U-shaped to contain items, as for example pipes, supported within the cradle 51′. As shown in
The upright support assembly 14′ is attached to the base unit 12 in the same manner as discussed previously, i.e. via the plunger 34 and the bolt 58. It is to be understood that in the upright position, the lower portion of the support members 49′ are partially received upper ends 38a of the base side members 38. When lowering the upright support assembly 14′ to the lowered position, the plunger 34 is removed from the upper hole 54 of the upright post 48′ and the upright support assembly 14′ is vertically raised to remove the lower portions of the support members 49′ from upper ends 38a of the base side members 38. Once removed, the upright support assembly 14′ can pivot about the bolt 58 in the slot 30 to the lowered position. Although not shown, it is to be understood that the lowered position of the upright support assemblies 14′ is similar to that described above with respect to rack apparatus 10.
A third embodiment of the rolling rack apparatus, generally designated 10″, is shown in
The base unit 12″ is very similar to the base unit 12. The base unit 12″ includes a pair of base side rails 21a″ and 21b″ spanning between and connected to the ends of the transverse end members 20a and 20b. The pair of base side rails 21a″ and 21b″ provide additional structural rigidity and integrity to the base unit 12″. Optionally, it may be desirable to attach a screen 64″ to the base unit 12″. As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
It may be desirable for the corner upright assembly 166 to include an extension member 172 as shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Preferably, the teat 177a of the spring pin 177 has a length no greater than the wall thickness of the extension member 172 while the teat 178a of the lock pin 178 preferably has a length slightly greater than the combined wall thicknesses of the extension member 172 and the second leg 170 to provide locking engagement with the second leg 170 when the lock pin is aligned with either of holes 170a or 170b in the second leg 170. When the teat 178a of lock pin 178 is received in hole 170a, the extension member 172 is locked in its extended position. When the extension is not desired, the spring-loaded lock pin 178 is depressed and the extension member is further received in the second leg 170 and is locked in its retracted position when the lock pin 178 becomes aligned with hole 170b. Preferably, the upper end of the extension member 172 is flush or slightly below the upper end of the second leg 170 in the retracted position.
It is to be understood that the rolling rack apparatus 100 is also adapted to be stacked on similar rolling rack apparatus. In such instances, the extension member 172 is in its retracted position and the upper ends of the second legs 170 are received within the caster mount openings 46.
A base side member 238 is vertically mounted at or near the end of the each of the transverse end members 220a and 220b. Preferably, a pair of gusset plates 280 are attached to each base side member 238, with one gusset plate 280 attached to a transverse end member 220a or 220b and the other attached to base side rail 221a or 221b. Preferably, an elongated slot 280a is formed between each gusset plate 280 and the base side member 238.
Referring to
It is to be understood that the side walls 282 are adapted to pivot about the hinge rod 283 and fold down to a generally horizontal position. This is done by vertically lifting the side wall 282 to remove the downturned end portions 282c from within the base side members 238 and then inwardly pivoting the side wall 282 about the hinge rod 283. The vertical lifting of the side wall 282 is made possible by the elongated slot 280a which permits sufficient vertical travel of the hinge rod 283 to withdraw the downturned end portions 282c.
Optionally, the side wall 282 may include a center support rod 282d adapted to be received in a side support tube 284 mounted to the side rails 221a and 221b.
Preferably, a first end wall 286 and a second end wall 290 are hingedly attached to the base unit 212. The end walls 286 and 290 are preferably made from screen. The lower edge of the end walls 286 and 290 are pivotally connected to the transverse end members 220a and 220b. Preferably, each of the end walls 286 and 290 include a pair of plunger assemblies 31. It is to be understood that the plunger assemblies 31 can be of the type described above and shown in
It may be desirable to include a handle 292 (
It is to be understood that the rack apparatus 200 is stackable and the pair of side walls 282 and the end walls 286 and 292 are pivotally attached to the base unit 212 and pivot to a lowered position when stacking the units.
It is to be understood that the embodiments of the rolling rack apparatus described herein are all stackable without the disassembly or removal of casters or other components from the apparatus. Furthermore, the apparatus may be stacked two, three or more in height. It is also to be understood that the rack apparatus need not all be of the same type for purposes of stacking. For example, rack apparatus 100 could be stacked on rack apparatus 10′ which could be stacked on rack apparatus 10.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, but to the extent foreseeable, the spirit and scope of the invention are defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A stackable rolling rack apparatus capable of being stacked on a similar rolling rack apparatus, the stackable rolling rack apparatus comprising:
- a base unit having a generally horizontal frame assembly and a plurality of upright side members, said frame assembly having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- a plurality of wheels mounted to said base unit, said plurality of wheels extending below said lower surface of said frame assembly;
- a plurality of mounting plates attached to said base unit,
- wherein upon stacking, each said mounting plate cooperatively engages an upright side member of the lower similar rolling rack apparatus; and
- a pair of support assemblies, each said support assembly pivotally connected to said base unit,
- wherein each said support assembly has an upright position and a lowered position, in said upright position each said support assembly extends vertically above an upper end portion of said upright side members, and in said lowered position each said support assembly is lower than said upper end portion of said upright side members.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of upright side members are mounted on said upper surface of said frame assembly and said plurality of mounting plates are attached to said lower surface of said frame assembly.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said mounting plate has an opening vertically aligned with one said upright side member.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each said mounting plate opening is slightly larger than said upper end portion of said upright side members.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each said mounting plate opening is adapted to receive an end portion of one said upright side member upon stacking of the rack apparatus.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- said frame assembly having at least one longitudinal rail member having first and second ends; and
- said base unit including a plurality of upright mounting plates, at least one said upright mounting plate attached to said base unit at each end of at least one said longitudinal rail member,
- wherein each said support assembly is pivotally connected to at least one said upright mounting plate.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said support assembly in the upright position is locked in place with a spring-biased pin.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said support assembly remains connected to said base unit during the transition between the upright and lowered positions.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- said frame assembly having at least one longitudinal rail member having first and second ends; and
- a first pair of upright mounting plates attached to said base unit at said first end of said longitudinal rail member, and a second pair of upright mounting plates attached to said base unit at said second end of said longitudinal rail member, each said pair of upright mounting plates including a plunger assembly having a spring-biased pin for locking said support assembly in the upright position.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a pivot pin pivotally connecting one said support assembly to one said pair of upright mounting plates.
11. A stackable rolling rack apparatus comprising:
- a base unit having a pair of transverse end members attached to opposite ends of at least one rail member, each said transverse end member having first and second ends, said base unit including an upright side member at each of said first and second ends of said transverse end members;
- a plurality of mounting plates, one said mounting plate attached at or near said end of each said transverse end member, each said mounting plate having an opening vertically aligned with one said upright side member; and
- a plurality of wheels, one said wheel attached to each said mounting plate.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each said transverse end member has an upper surface and a lower surface and said upright side member is attached to said upper surface and said mounting plate is attached to said lower surface.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each said mounting plate opening is sized to receive an end portion of one said upright side member.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each said mounting plate opening is adapted to receive an end portion of one said upright side member upon stacking of the rack apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
- said at least one rail member includes a pair of center rail members;
- said base unit includes a first pair and second pair of upright mounting plates, said first pair of upright mounting plates attached to said base unit at a first end of said pair of center rail members and said second pair of upright mounting plates attached at a second end of said pair of center rail members; and
- a pair of support assemblies, each said support assembly pivotally connected to one said pair of upright mounting plates.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each said support assembly has an upright position and a lowered position, in said upright position each said support assembly extends vertically above the upper end of said upright side members and in said lowered position each said support assembly is substantially horizontal and lower than the upper end of said upright side members.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said support assembly remains connected to said base unit during the transition between the upright and lowered positions.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each said pair of upright mounting plates includes a plunger assembly having a spring-biased pin for locking said support assembly in the upright position.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a bolt connecting said support assembly to one said pair of upright mounting plates, said bolt providing a pivot connection between said support assembly and said pair of upright mounting plates.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each said pair of upright mounting plates includes a plunger assembly having a spring-biased pin for locking said support assembly in the upright position.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 15, 2005
Publication Date: May 4, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Lawrence Velez (Houston, TX), Robert Collins (Cypress, TX)
Application Number: 11/153,821
International Classification: A47B 43/00 (20060101);