GB2264431A - Support bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

A support bracket, by means of which equipment such as bicycles and ladders may be stored above floor level, includes a mounting frame 10 with a linear channel 13 and devised for securing to a wall, an elongate member 16 movable linearly along the channel 13, a support arm 20 extending out from the elongate member 16, and interlock means 19 that enables the elongate member 16 to be secured relative to the mounting frame at two or more positions along the channel. Preferably the support arm carries a mounting bracket 21 at its outer end, designed to retain the article to be stored. <IMAGE>

Description

Support Bracket The present invention is a support bracket, by means of which equipment of various types, including bicycles, may be stored.

The problem of storing bulky items of equipment, such as bicycles, ladders and wheelchairs, is one which most householders must face. Such items normally occupy a significant floor area but may be used infrequently and are therefore best stored in a garage or outhouse. However, floor space in such locations is often at a premium and therefore items of this type may impede access to more frequently used equipment or to a car stored in a garage.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a support bracket by means of which equipment of the aforementioned types may be stored above floor level and close to a wall.

The support bracket according to the present invention comprises a mounting frame defining a linear channel therein and adapted to be secured to a wall, an elongated member located in said channel for linear movement along said channel, a support arm extending from said elongated member in a direction away from said channel, and interlock means whereby the elongated member may be secured relative to the mounting frame in a plurality of positions along the length of said channel.

In use, the support bracket is installed by securing the mounting frame to a wall (or if desired to the back of a door or to some other convenient structure), with the linear channel generally vertical. The elongated member may be slid within the channel to a lower position in which the bicycle or other article can be placed upon the support arm and then the elongated member may be moved upwardly in the channel into a position in which the article in question is supported at a convenient height above the floor and close to the wall.

The mounting frame of the support bracket may take any desired form provided that it defines the necessary linear channel and can be secured to a wall. Advantageously it is a relatively flat, shallow frame which can then be mounted flush with and close to the wall. In a particularly preferred form, the frame is an elongated generally rectangular frame having a channel which extends throughout a major part of the length of the frame and which is closed at one or both ends.

Provision is made for securing the frame to a wall. Conveniently, the frame is provided with two or more holes, through which screws or bolts may be passed to secure the frame to the wall.

The elongated member is of such dimensions as to fit partially or wholly within the linear channel and to be movable along the channel.

It may simply be a straight, bar-shaped member of approximately the same size as the channel.

Preferably a handle is provided upon the elongated member, most preferably in the region of its lower end when in use, to assist the user in moving the member along the channel.

A support arm extends outwardly from the elongated member and it is upon this arm that the article to be stored is supported. While the support arm may be a simple, generally hori- zontal bar, it is preferred to provide at the free end of the arm a mounting bracket designed to retain the article in question. The specific form of the mounting bracket may be adapted to the nature of the article to be supported or that bracket may take a general form designed to support any of a wide range of articles.

Thus in one embodiment of the invention, the mounting bracket is elongated in a generally horizontal direction in use and is designed to provide support for the article at two or more points along the length of that bracket.

An important feature of the invention is that interlock means are provided to allow the elongated member and the mounting frame to be secured in two or more relative positions.

In a particularly preferred form of the invention, a series of two or more hooks along the length of the elongated member can each in turn engage a socket or cross-bar on the mounting frame, for example a cross-bar extending transverse to the length of the channel.

The various component parts of the support bracket according to the invention may be construc ted of solid bars or of tubular material of round, square or rectangular section, depending in part on the likely weight of the article which it is desired to support.

The support bracket offers the opportunity to store, above ground level and close to a wall, a wide variety of articles. Such articles include bicycles, golf trolleys, golf bags, skis, sailboards, surfboards, ladders and wheelchairs. Depending upon the dimensions of the support bracket and the location at which it is used, it can afford the opportunity of storing bicycles at a height which enables the floor surface below the bracket to be used, or of storing ladders, skis or other elongated articles horizontally above a door or window.

In one form of the invention, the support arm may support a working surface at its outer end, for example a surface, with or without fixed or retractable legs, to function as a work bench or potting bench. In another form, it may support a rack upon which tools, especially power tools or other operating machinery, may be mounted.

While the main purpose of the support bracket according to the invention is to allow equipment to be stored above floor level, additional security for the stored equipment may be achieved by providing locking means by which the equipment may be locked to the support bracket and/or the bracket may be locked in its upper position.

The support bracket may be supplied, if desired as a flat pack for assembly by the user, with one or more interchangeable support brackets, for supporting equipment of different types.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the support bracket according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation from the side of the elongated member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative mounting bracket; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a further form of mounting bracket.

The support bracket illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2 comprises a mild steel frame 10 of generally rectangular shape which is mounted upon a wall and defines between its side members 11, 12 an elongated channel 13, closed at its upper and lower ends respectively by crossbars 14 and 15. An elongated member 16 extends into the channel 13 and is located so as to slide along the channel. The upper end of the member 16 is retained within the channel 13 by a circularcross-section bar 17, which is mounted across the rear of the member 16 and engages behind the side members 11, 12. Movement of the member 16 along the channel 13 is effected by means of a handle 18 on the lower end of that member.

A series of hooks 19 are mounted on the rear of the elongated member 16 and are so dimensioned as to each be able to fit over the crossbar 15, thereby locating the member 16 in a- range of possible linear positions relative to the frame 10.

Extending upwardly from the upper end of the member 16 in a direction away from the frame 10 is a support arm 20, which in turn carries at its free end a mounting bracket 21. The mounting bracket 21 is designed to engage and retain the underside of a horizontal crossbar of a bicycle (or any other elongated article) at two points 22, 23.

When it is desired to store a bicycle, for example, using the support bracket illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the member 16 is moved to a lower or lowermost position relative to the mounting frame 10 and the bicycle is then placed upon the mounting bracket 21. The user then raises the member 16 by the desired distance, thereby lifting the bicycle upwardly into a storage position. The member 16 is secured in a higher position by engaging one of the hooks 19 over the crossbar 15. The member 16 may be raised directly to the desired final storage position or may be raised in convenient steps by engaging successive hooks over the crossbar 15.

Fig. 3 ilustrates an alternative form of mounting bracket, suitable for supporting a golf bag. The mounting bracket illustrated in Fig. 4 is a general purpose bracket which may be used, optionally with a second support bracket according to the invention, for supporting a ladder, among other articles.

Claims (9)

1. A support bracket for storing equipment, comprising a mounting frame defining a linear channel therein and adapted to be secured to a wall, an elongated member located in said channel for linear movement along said channel, a support arm extending from said elongated member in a direction away from said channel, and interlock means whereby the elongated member may be secured relative to the mounting frame in a plurality of positions along the length of said channel.

2. A support bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting frame is an elongated generally rectangular frame having a channel which extends throughout a major part of the length of the frame.

3. A support bracket as claimed in claim 2, wherein the channel is closed at one or both ends.

4. A support bracket as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting frame has two or more holes to permit it to be secured to a wall.

5. A support bracket as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the elongated member is a straight, bar-shaped member having a handle to assist its movement along the channel.

6. A support bracket as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support arm has a mounting bracket at its free end.

7. A support bracket as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mounting bracket is elongated in a generally horizontal direction in use to provide support for an article at two or more points along the length of the mounting bracket.

8. A support bracket as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the interlock means comprises two or more hooks along the length of the elongated member, each in turn able to engage a socket or cross-bar on the mounting frame.

9. A support bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.