US3814263A

US3814263A - Tennis racket display rack

Info

Publication number: US3814263A
Application number: US00235682A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Kinard
Original assignee: Relton Corp
Current assignee: Relton Corp
Priority date: 1972-03-17
Filing date: 1972-03-17
Publication date: 1974-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-04
Also published as: ZA731851B

Abstract

The tennis racket display rack is supported horizontally from a perforated panel and has a plurality of skewed racket support bays for supporting adjacent racket heads parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket. Each of the bays is formed by cooperation of portions of adjacent L-shaped bars spot welded into a unitary structure. The rack permits the displayed rackets to face either right or left as desired.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Kinard June 4, 1974 [54] TENNIS RACKET DISPLAY'RACK FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] mentor: William Kinard, Pasadena Calif 416,832 0/1910 France 211/123 [73] Assignee: Relton Corporation, Arcadia, Calif.

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier [22] Flled' 1972 Assistant ExaminerThomas J. Holko [21] Appl. No.: 235,682 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Christie, Parker & Hale [52] US. Cl 211/13, 211/106, 248/D1G. 3 ACT [51] hi. Cl. A47f 7/00 Th tennis racket display rack is Supported horiz0n [58] Field of Search 211/106, 105.], 60 J, 60 R, tally from a perforated panel and has a plurality of 211/181, 60 14; skewed racket support bays for supporting adjacent 248/DIG- 3 racket heads parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each References Cited racket. Each of the bays is formed by cooperation of UNITED STATES PATENTS portions of adjacent L-shaped bars spot welded into a 100,443 7/1936 Sherrick 21 1/181 ux unitary Structure The c perm ts the displayed rack- 1,031,595 7/1912 Taber 211/181 X ets to face either right or left as desired. 3,361,266 1/1968 Wi 11i a n ....221/113 X 3,481,487 12/1969 P21111010 248/D1G. 3 l5 Clalms 3 Drawmg Flgllres' 1 TENNIS RACKET DISPLAY RACK BACKGROUND At present tennis rackets are displayed in pro shops, sporting goods stores and the like in a haphazard manner. A few rackets may be displayed on individual pegs or pairs of pegs on the wall. If thereare only a very few rackets this may be satisfactory. Most sporting goods stores, however, carry a large stock of tennis rackets to satisfy the wishes of a variety of tennis players. Thus, for example, in a sporting goods store a number of manufacturers may be representedand within each line of rackets there may be variations in weight and balance. Most shops carry both metal and wood frame rackets and there may be a variety of stringing materials, as well as unstrung rackets which are strung to order. With all of these possible variations, a sporting goods store or pro shop may have far too many rackets to display individually.

One display technique that has been used employs long pegs fastened to the wall or to a pegboard fastened on the wall. A single peg may extend between the strings and support the racketsby the tops of their frames. In other arrangements a pair of' adjacent pegs span the upper end of the handle and support the lower end of the head of the rackets, with the handles hanging down.

Either of these arrangements is unsatisfactory since several rackets are typically displayed on each peg or pair of pegs. This means that if a customerwishes to examine any racket except the one in front, all of the overlying rackets must be removed to reach it. This is not only inconvenient to the customer or shopkeeper but it might also lead to damage if several rackets are removed and some are dropped due to an inability to hold four or five rackets at the same time. Even if no damage occurs to the rackets, the customer may be discouraged from buying if he thinks that the racket he is about to purchase has been treated in a similar manner. Another disadvantage of the storage and display of rackets in a series on a peg of pegs is-that only the outermost racket is exposed to the view of. the customer. Either the customer fails to recognize the various styles of racket available or substantially all of the rackets must be removed from the pegs just to see what the stock actually is.

' Because of this it is desirable to provide a tennis racket display rack suitable for a large number of tennis rackets or the like that permits viewing and access to any individual tennis racketwithout disturbing the others in the display.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus in practice of this invention according to a presently preferred embodiment there is provided a tennis racket display rack having an elongated support meminhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from its display position.

DRAWINGS better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1. illustrated in plan view a tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of another embodiment of tennis racket display rack; an

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of tennis racket display rack.

DESCRIPTION FIG. 1. illustrates in plan view a tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustratedin this presently preferred embodiment the display rack has a one-fourth inch diameter bar 6 extending along the length thereof, this bar can be any arbitrary length but is typically about three to four feet long. Transverseto the long support bar 6 are a plurality of mounting bars 7. In a typical embodiment four such mounting bars are spot welded to the support bar and conveniently these are also onefourth inch bars. A sleeve 8 is brazed on to each of the mounting bars 7 at the end opposite from the support bar 6. The other end of the sleeve is tapped and an L-shapcd bolt 9 is threaded into the sleeve.

A perforated panel mounting bracket 11 is spot welded to the L-shaped bolt 9. The perforated panel mounting bracket 11 has a pair of parallel upstanding legs 12 of about one-eighthinch diameter. When the tennis racket display rack is used, the legs 12Iwhich are one inch apart fit through the holes in a conventional Pegboard perforated panel and the foot 13 of the L- shaped bolt 9 bears against the face of the perforated panel for supporrting the rack in a conventional manner. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the L-shaped bolts and mounting brackets are rotated in the threaded sleeve in difierent positions to most clearly illustrate these elements. When the display rack is mounted all of the legs 12 are parallel to each other.

The combination of an L-shaped bolt threaded into the sleeve permits the mounting brackets to be rotatably adjusted so that the. rack can be positioned with either face up. The rack illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is asymmetrical and as illustrated can be considered to be lefthanded, since the rackets displayed thereon are best viewed from the left. By reversing the mounting brackets and inverting the rack it becomes righthanded. The display rack is therefore quite versatile and can be mounted in any desired position in a sporting goods shop for the most advantageous display of the tennis rackets. It will be apparent that the L- shaped bolts threaded into a sleeve do not form the only means for rotatablyadjusting the perforated panel mounting brackets. Thus, for example, a headed shaft rotatable in a. surrounding sleeve may be suitable.

On the opposite side of the support bar 6 from the mounting bars 7 are a plurality of L-shaped bars 16. The crook 17 between the leg 18 and base 19 of each of the L-shaped bars is spot welded to the side of the support bar. The end of the base 19 of each of the legs underlaps (or overlaps if the rack is inverted) a midportion of the leg 18 of the adjacent L-shaped bar 16 and is spot welded thereto. At the end of the leg 18 of each of the L-shaped bars 16 is a spherical bead 21 which may be brazed or spot welded in place or, if desired, upset from the bar itself. At the end of the rack the final L-shaped bar has a short, straight segment 22 welded to the end of the base 19 and extending parallel to the leg of the L-shaped bar.

The series of L-shaped bars 16 extending along the length of the support member 6 define a plurality of 1 tennis racket support bays on the display rack. When the rack is used the handle of a racket is placed in the support bay and the bottom portion of the head rests on the parallel legs 18 of a pair of adjacent L-shaped bars 16 with the handle hanging down. Thus the bay is formed by the inside of one of the L-shaped bars and a portion of the outside of the adjacent L-shaped bar. The head of the racket lies parallel to the base 19 of the L-shaped bar forming two of the three sides of the bay. By inside of the L is meant that portion in the plane of the L subtended by the angle between the base and leg less than 180 and the outside is the portion opposite the angle greater than 180.

The angle between the leg 18 and the base 19 of each of the L-shaped bars is 90 and the bars are welded to the support member so that both the leg and base make a 45 angle therewith; thus when tennis rackets are hung on the display rack, the heads are skewed relative to the length of the support member 6 at an angle of 45. The heads are also offset from each other by about the width of the bays and therefore a portion of the face of each of the rackets and the handle of each of, the rackets is exposed to the customer. If desired alternate bays canbe used to expose more of the face of each racket.

The beads 21 on the ends of the legs 18 provide a minor obstruction at the open end of the bay. This obstruction is, however, sufficient to inhibit removal of a racket from the bay unless it is lifted slightly to pass over the bead. The bead also prevents damage to rackets which might arise from sharp edges. It will be noted that the spherical bead is symmetrical so that if the rack is used in either its righthanded or lefthanded positions, the rackets are still prevented from inadvertently being dislodged from the rack.

When it is desired to examine one of the rackets in the rack it is only necessary to grip the handle and lift the racket slightly when bringing it forward to clear the bead at the end of the leg.,It is also desirable to twist the racket somewhat so that its head clears the heads of adjacent rackets; the more the racket is lifted from the rack, the less twisting is needed for clearing adjacent rackets. Thus each individual racket is not only visible but also readily accessible to the customers and clerks without disturbing other rackets in the display.

The distance between the legs of adjacent bars is sufficient to support the lower part of the head of the racket with the center of gravity of the racket belowv the support point. If the bay is too narrow, some styles of rackets will rest too high and may have a tendancy to tilt. If the bay is too wide, there is a noticeable loss of display space without concomitant benefit. In a preferred embodiment the distance between adjacent legs is about 1 inch which has been found optimum for supporting most styles of tennis rackets.

FIG. 2 illustrates in fragmentary plan view another embodiment of tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this embodiment a main support member 26 extends along the length of the rack in a horizontal direction, generally L-shaped bars 27 are spot welded to the support member 26 and the base 28 of each of the L- shaped bars is spot welded to a mid portion of the leg 29 of the adjacent bar, thus the interconnection between adjacent L-shaped bars 27 and the support member 26 is the same as that hereeinabove described and illustrated in FIG. 1.

Instead of a spherical bead on the end of the leg, the L-shaped bars 27 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 each have a hook 31 at the free end. The hook connects the leg 29 with a short segment 32 terminating in a ball 33. The hook provides a small protrusion 34 into the mouth of the bay which serves to inhibit withdrawal of a racket from the bay in substantially the same manner as the bead 21 in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The short segment 32 and ball 33 also inhibit accidental dislodging of a racket from the display rack.

FIG. 3 illustrates in fragmentary plan view another embodiment of tennis racket display rack constructed according to principles of this invention. As illustrated in this embodiment a horizontal support member 41 extends along-the length of the display rack. As in the previously described embodiments a plurality of generally L-shaped bars 42 are spot welded to the support member 41. The angle between the base 43 and leg 44 of each of the bars is and they are welded to the support member 41 at symmetrical 45 angles. The base 43 of each ofthe L-shaped bars underlaps the leg 44 ofthe adjacent L-shaped bar and is spot welded thereto. This embodiment however is different from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 in that the L-shaped bars are symmetrical. The base 43 of each bar extends beyond the end of the weld by a distance equal to the extension of the leg 44 beyond the weld. The free ends of the bases 43 and legs 44 each terminate in a spherical bead 46. The array of adjacent L-shaped bars welded to the support member 42 forms a symmetrical array having a number of symmetrical racket support, bays 45 between the bars and there is no longer a need for inverting the rack in order to provide left and right handed displays. Each bay defined by the racket head support bars is closed at its end adjacent the support bar 41 and is open in the opposite direction for passing the handle of the racket. Fixed perforated panel mounting brackets (not shown) can be connected to the supporting member for holding the rack away from a conventional perforated panel. Rackets displayed on the rack can have their heads resting on the legs 44 of adjacent L-shaped bars and parallel to the bases 43 as illustrated by the phantom lines 47 indicating in end view thee head of a tennis racket. The handle of the racket (not shown in this top view) drops down in the bay 45 between the adjacent legs 44. If desired for an opposite handed display the head of the racket can rest on the bases 43 of adjacent L-shaped bars and be parallel to the legs 44 as illustrated by the phantom lines 48 representing the head of a racket.

Although limited embodiments of tennis racket display racks constructed according to principles of this invention have been described and illustrated herein,

many modifications and variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support member;

means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position;

a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support baybeing skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by:

a first generally L-shaped bar having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member,

an adjacent second L-shaped bar having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member,

the base of the first L-shaped bar being bonded to a mid portion of the leg of the second L-shaped bar, and

means at the end of the leg of one of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

2. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar.

3. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises a hook at the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar, including a segment normal to the length of the leg so that the hook inhibits removal of a racket from one bay and the segment inhibits removal of a racket from the adjacent ba 4 A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an extension of the base of the L-shaped bar beyond the leg of the adjacent bar for forming a symmetrical bay.

' racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars.

6. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for mounting comprises a plurality of perforated panel mounting brackets spaced apart along the length of the rack; and

means for rotating each of the mounting brackets about an axis normal to the support member.

7. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support bar;

a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar;

a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and

a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars each having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having the base bonded to a mid portion of the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar for forming a plurality of orthogonal racket supporting bays skewed at 45 along the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between the legs of adjacent L-shaped bars is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below theL-shaped bars.

8. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 further comprising:

means at the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

9. A tennis racket display rack as defined in .claim 8 wherein the means for inhibitingremoval comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar.

10. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 9 further comprising means for rotating each of the perforated panel mounting brackets about an axis nor mal to the support bar.

11. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 10 wherein the means for rotating comprises:

a sleeve mounted on the mounting bar and including a threaded hole; and i an L-shaped bolt threaded into the sleeve and bonded to the perforated panel mounting bracket.

12. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 wherein the base of each L-shaped bar includes an extension beyond a mid-portion of the leg of the adjacent bar for defining a symmetrical bay between the bars.

13. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 further comprising means for rotating each of the perforated mounting brackets about an axis normal to the support bar.

14. A tennis racket display rack comprising:

an elongated support bar;

a plurality of mounting bars extending laterally away from the support bar on one side thereof;

a mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and

a plurality of racket head support bars on the other side of the elongated support bar from the mounting bars and symmetrically bonded along the length of the elongated support bar, adjacent racket support bars having legs spaced apart a sufficient distance symmetrically 45 from the elongated support bar and the mounting bars for supporting the head of a tennis racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the racket head support bars whether the racket is skewed 45 relative to the length of the display rack in either the right-hand or left-hand direction, said racket support bars collectively defining a plurality of symmetrical racket support bays along the length of the rack.

15. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 14 wherein each racket support bar having a leg bonded to a leg of an adjacent racket support bar between its end and the bond to the elongated support bar, thereby defining four symmetrically arranged portions of the legs of adjacent racket head support bars, each leg extending at 45 to the length of the display rack, said leg-portions collectively defining each racket support bay so that each bay is closed adjacent the elongated support bar and open in the opposite direction for passing a racket handle.

Claims

1. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support member; means for mounting the support member in a horizontal position; a plurality of individual tennis racket support bays along the length of the support member for supporting the heads of a plurality of rackets, each support bay being skewed relative to the length of the support member for supporting the heads of adjacent rackets parallel to each other and offset from each other for exposing a portion of the face of each racket, each support bay being formed by: a first generally L-shaped bar having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member, an adjacent second L-shaped bar having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and bonded at the crook of the L to the support member, the base of the first L-shaped bar being bonded to a mid portion of the leg of the second L-shaped bar, and means at the end of the leg of one of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

3. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises a hook at the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar, including a segment normal to the length of the leg so that the hook inhibits removal of a racket from one bay and the segment inhibits removal of a racket from the adjacent bay.

4. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an extension of the base of the L-shaped bar beyond the leg of the adjacent bar for forming a symmetrical bay.

5. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 1 wherein the distance between the legs of adjacent L-shaped bars is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars.

6. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for mounting comprises a plurality of perforated panel mounting brackets spaced apart along the length of the rack; and means for rotating each of the mounting brackets about an axis normal to the support member.

7. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support bar; a plurality of mounting bars extending away from the support bar; a perforated panel mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and a plurality of right angled L-shaped bars each having a base and a leg angulated relative to the base and having the crook of the L bonded symmetrically to the support member and having the base bonded to a mid portion of the leg of the adjacent L-shaped bar for forming a plurality of orthogonal racket supporting bays skewed at 45* along the length of the display rack, and wherein the distance between the legs of adjacent L-shaped bars is sufficient for supporting the head of a racket with the center of gravity of the racket below the L-shaped bars.

8. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 7 further comprising: means at the end of the leg of each of the L-shaped bars for inhibiting removal of a racket from the bay unless it is partly lifted from a display position within the bay.

9. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 8 wherein the means for inhibiting removal comprises an enlarged bead on the end of the leg of the L-shaped bar.

10. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 9 further comprising means for rotating each of the perforated panel mounting brackets about an axis normal to the support bar.

11. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 10 wherein the means for rotating comprises: a sleeve mounted on the mounting bar and including a threaded hole; and an L-shaped bolt threaded into the sleeve and bonded to the perforated panel mounting bracket.

14. A tennis racket display rack comprising: an elongated support bar; a plurality of mounting bars extending laterally away from the support bar on one side thereof; a mounting bracket on the end of each of the mounting bars; and a plurality of racket head support bars on the other side of the elongated support bar from the mounting bars and symmetrically bonded along the length of the elongated support bar, adjacent racket support bars having legs spaced apart a sufficient distance symmetrically 45* from the elongated support bar and the mounting bars for supporting the head of a tennis rackeT with the center of gravity of the racket below the racket head support bars whether the racket is skewed 45* relative to the length of the display rack in either the right-hand or left-hand direction, said racket support bars collectively defining a plurality of symmetrical racket support bays along the length of the rack.

15. A tennis racket display rack as defined in claim 14 wherein each racket support bar having a leg bonded to a leg of an adjacent racket support bar between its end and the bond to the elongated support bar, thereby defining four symmetrically arranged portions of the legs of adjacent racket head support bars, each leg extending at 45* to the length of the display rack, said leg portions collectively defining each racket support bay so that each bay is closed adjacent the elongated support bar and open in the opposite direction for passing a racket handle.