CA1090312A - Carpet storage rack - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A carpet storage and display rack including pairs of U
shaped bracket supporting the ends of tubular rollers on which carpet is wound. The brackets are secured to a vertical or horizontal frame and have ball bearings to reduce friction between the bracket and the roller A latch hingedly attached to each bracket is designed to engage one or more pins extending through the tubular roller so as to prevent rotation of the roller when desired. The pins may also be engaged by a crank having a sloted end which is inserted in the end of the roller. The roller may then be rotated by means of the crank to wind carpeting on the roller.

Description

This invention relates to storage devices for fabrics and more particularly to an apparatus for storing rolls of carpet or the like.
It has been found that one of the most convenient ways of storing carpeting so as to provide for easy accessability for display purposes is that of rolling the carpeting on a roller.
Since the carpet weighs in the neighborhood of 100 pounds or more it is necessary to reduce friction by providing frictions reducing supports for the roller.
Furthermore the cranking means adapted to co-operate with the roller must be designed to withstand the torque created by the rotation of the cranking means as the carpet is wound on the roller.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide roll type storage means for carpet and the like including friction reducing means on the supports for each roller.
A further object is the provision of cranking means co-operating with an end of the roller for winding the carpet on the roller.
A still further object is the provision of locking means to prevent rotation of the roller when desired.
Accordingly, the present invention provides carpet storage means co~prising at least one tubular roller, at least a pair of U-shaped brackets for rotatably supporting the roller, a ..
pair of pins extending through the roller at an end thereof, means . hingedly secured in a slot in the brackets for engaging portions . . .
of the pins extending from the roller for preventing rotation of the roller when desired, anti-friction bearings mounted in said slot by means of pins extending through the bracket and drive means having a bifurcated end adapted to be inserted in an end of the tube so as to engage the pins for rotating said roller and winding '- up of a carpet an adjacent end of which is secured to the roller.
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3~2 In the drawings which illustrate this invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor type carpet storage rack, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a vertical carpet storage rack, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a support bracket of the carpet storage rack of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the support bracket of Figure 3 showing a tubular roller in place thereon, Figure 4A is an exploded perspective view of the bracket of Figure 4, -Figure 5 is a perspective view of a support bracket of the carpet storage rack of Figure 2, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the support bracket , of Figure 5 showing tubular roller positioned thereon and ~-Figure 7 is a perspective view of a crank for use with the tubular members and a portion of tubular member.
Referring now in detail to the drawing, a storage rack shown generally at 10 in Figure 1 includes a frame 12 on which ` 20 pairs of U-shaped support brackets 14 are mounted.
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As shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4 each bracket ~ 14 includes a substantially U-shaped body 15 having apertures 16 i in its base 18 to receive bolts on the like for mounting the c brackets 14 on the frame 12.
Although the bracket 14 may be moulded of any suitable metal the preferred materials are an acetal plastic sold under the trade name Delrin or Minlon and a polycarbonate resin sold under . , , the name Lexan.
The U-shaped body 15 has a slot or recess 20 to receive two or more anti-friction bearings 22 and 24. Each of the bearings 22 and 24 is supported by a tubular shaft or pin , 26 extending through suitable aligned apertures in the body 15.

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~ If~(~312 `~ It will be noted that the slot 20 also receives one end 25 of a latch 24 shown more clearly in Figure 4. The end 25 of the latch has an aperture to receive a pin 26 which extends ` through suitable aligned apertures in the body 15. The other end - of the latch 27 has one or more apertures 28, in this case two, which are adapted to receive the ends of a pair of pins 30 as shown in Figure 4.
The pins 30 extend through suitable aligned apertures :. , in a tubular roller 32 so that their ends are adapted to be . 10 engaged by the latch 27 when the roller 32 is in position in the bracket 15 as shown in Figure 4.
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The pins 30 serve another purpose that of co-operating with a crank 36 as shown in Figure 7. The crank 36 is preferably molded of a suitable plastic material such as polycarbonate.
The end 38 of ~he crank 36 to be inserted in the tubular roller . 32 has a slot therein to co-operate with the pair of pins 30. In order to provide greater strength the slot 30 is formed by spaced ;
; apart walls 40 and 42 within the tubular end 38 of the crank 36.
With reference to Figure 2 a substantially vertical type rack shown generally at 50 includes a supporting frame 52 and which a number of pairs of substantially U-shaped brackets 54 are mounted.
As shown more clearly in Figure 5 and 6 each bracket 54 include a substantially U-shaped body 56. One leg 58 of the U-shaped body has extensions 60 and 62 respectively to receive bolts ~ or the like for mounting the bracket 54 on the frame 52.
.' The bracket 54 is similar to the bracket 14 described ~ -above with the exception that it is adapted to be mounted on a : -., .

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vertical frame. The bracket 54 is provided with a slot 68 to receive a pair of ball bearings, 70 and 72 journaled on pins 74 extending through suitable apertures in the bracket 54. A further pin extending through the bracket 54 ad]acent an upper end remote from the mounting bolts hingedly secures the latch 27 to the bracket 54, the latch 27 is identical to that described with reference to Figure 4 and co-operates with pins 30 extending through the tubular roller.
The crank 36 used with the bracket and tubular roller 32 is also used with the tubular roller 32 when it is supported by a pair of brackets 54.
In use the rack having been assembled with bracket 14 or 54 secured to the appropriate frame to support the tubular roller 32 an end edge of a carpet or the like is secured to the - roller by convenient means such as by a C-shaped spring metal clip.
The carpet is then wound on the roller 32 by turning the crank 36 which has been inserted in one end of the roller. When the carpet has been wound on the roller, the latch 27 may be engaged with the pins 35 thereby preventing undesired unwinding of the carpet.
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Claims (2)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Carpet storage means comprising:
at least one tubular roller;
at least a pair of U-shaped brackets for rotatably supporting such roller;
a pair of pins projecting through said roller at an end thereof and adapted to be positioned one on each side of one of said U-shaped brackets whereby to prevent lateral movement of said roller when so positioned;
means hingedly secured in a slot in said brackets for engaging portions of said pins projecting from said roller for pre-venting rotation of said roller when desired;
anti-friction roller bearing mounted in said slots by means of pins extending through but not beyond said brackets; and drive means having a bifurcated end adapted to be inserted in an end of said roller so as to engage said first-named pins for rotating said roller and winding up a carpet an adjacent end of which is secured to said roller.

2. A carpet storage means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said brackets comprise molded polycarbonate.