GB2306931A

GB2306931A - Game rack

Info

Publication number: GB2306931A
Application number: GB9522982A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James William Bulmer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-11-09
Filing date: 1995-11-09
Publication date: 1997-05-14
Also published as: GB9522982D0

Abstract

A rack for holding game carcasses upright in a motor vehicle stowage compartment 20 is formed from a number of painted tubular steel components and wooden poles each with a circular cross-section. The rack has a rail 2 from which game carcasses, which are tied by the neck, are hung over the rail. The ends of the rail are supported by vertical supports 3, 4 at a set height so that the game carcasses are supported partially from the rail 2 and partially by resting on the stowage compartment floor 28.

Description

GAME RACK The present invention relates to a portable rack for holding game carcasses (prior to being drawn and cleaned) in a motor vehicle stowage compartment.

To keep game meat (pheasants, grouse, partridge, pigeon, hares and rabbits) in good condition,after they have been killed and prior to being drawn and cleaned, it is essential that game carcasses are hung from either the neck or legs. And are allowed to be suspended from an upright position from either a hook or over a pole. This allows a certain amount of air to circulate around the game carcass. However, when transporting the game carcasses in a motor vehicle from the shoot to either the home or game dealer the most common practice is for the game carcasses to be heaped one on top of each other on the floor of the motor vehicle stowage compartment. This in most cases causes the meat to become damaged.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable game rack for holding game carcasses in an upright position in a motor vehicle stowage compartment with a floor, comprising a rail from which the game carcass can be hung from the rail, and support means to support the rail within the stowage compartment above the floor.

Also according to the invention the game rack is portable, allowing the rack to be carried, preferably by two people, one at either end of the rack, whilst fully hung with game carcasses, from one venue to the motor vehicle stowage compartment and from there to be transported to another venue for storage.

The support means is preferably a wooden pole on which at least a brace (2 birds)game carcasses may be hung over the pole.

In general, the support means will be in a fixed orientation with the rack so that the width of the support means may be adjusted by trimming the upper and lower wooden poles.

However, the height is at a fixed measurement.

The partial contact of the game carcasses with the floor should ideally be sufficient to provide enough friction to stop the game carcasses or the rack from sliding to and fro as the vehicle is driven. However, even if there is some movement, the game carcasses will continue to be retained by the rail over which they have been hung and kept upright.

The support means may support the rack towards an end of the rail, with support means preferably at both ends of the rail.

in order to be able to hold the most game carcasses, the length of the rail should approximately equal the greatest extent of the compartment. For a motor vehicle boot, this is usually the transverse dimension with respect to the length of the vehicle. The rail may then also be arranged to roughly bisect the boot, so that the game carcasses are generally supported away from contact with the walls of the boot.

The support means may extend downwardly from the rail and have weight bearing means for bearing the weight of the rack on the stowage compartment floor. The rack is freestanding, and the weight bearing means may be feet extending in opposite directions and at right angles to length of rails in order to provide balance. However, other arrangements may be equally effective at providing support and balance, particularly an A-frame support means.

The rack needs no wheels, since it is not intended that the rack be pushed or pulled.

However the rack can be carried by one person when empty or two persons when fully loaded.

The rack may conveniently be formed from tubular steel or PVC plastic members.

These may be either welded or bolted together at joints and may be painted or plastic coated.

The invention will now be described further by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game rack according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 a perspective view of the game rack being carried by two people, one at either end, fully laden with game carcasses; Figure 3 a perspective view of the game rack of Figure 1 in place in a motor vehicle stowage compartment; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the game rack and stowage compartment of Figure 3, with the game rack supporting game carcasses.

Figure 1 shows a free-standing game rack 1 formed from a number of painted tubular steel components and wooden poles, each with a circular cross-section. A horizontal upper rail, wooden pole, 2 is supported at either end by vertical tubular steel support members 3,4. The support members are spaced apart and kept parallel with each other by a lower rail, wooden pole, 5 which is itself parallel with the upper rail 2.

The weight of the rack is transferred to a lower supporting surface (not shown) at the base of each supporting member 3, 4 by a pair of opposed and collinear feet 6. 7. 8. 9 which extend at right angles either side of a plane passing through the parallel rails, wooden poles, 2, 5 and support members 3, 4. The feet also balance the rack and prevent it from tipping over. Each of the tubular members forming the feet has a free end capped with a plastic cover 10.

As shown in Figure 1, each support member 3, 4 is formed from a pair of tubular members. In the case of each rail, wooden poles, 2, 5 their width is made adjustable by trimming/sawing the wooden poles so as to correspond to the width of the motor vehicle stowage compartment. Thereby allowing the width of the rack to fit neatly into the stowage compartment area.

Figure 2 shows the portability of figure 1 when fully laden with game carcasses. The points at which manual retention is made are at 11, 12 on figure 1. A lifting upward movement is made thereby clearing ground level. Subsequent mobility is possible both forwards and backwards. It is plausible to achieve a load of 7 brace of pheasants ( 14 birds in total), the weight being evenly distributed on the upper rail, wooden pole 2.

The rack of Figure 1 has inner and outer tubular members with outer diameters of about 19 mm, 22.2 mm and 31.8 mm respectively. The rail, wooden poles, have a diameter of 28.4 mm. The dimensions of the rack 1 may be adjusted (trimmed) over a width of 500 mm to 1400 mm. Each pair of feet 6, 7 and 8, 9 is formed as a single component to which the lower rail, wooden pole 5 and support members 3, 4 are attached by bolts 16.

Support members 3, 4 are also single components and are attached by the upper rail, wooden pole 2, by bolts 14.

Figure 3 shows the above -described rack 1 appropriately adjusted and in place in a motor vehicle stowage compartment 20. The rails, wooden poles 2, 5 are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle, with the length of the rails, wooden poles 2, 5 adjusted so that the support members 3, 4 nearly touch the sides 22, 23 of the compartment. The side support members 3, 4 are supporting the upper rail, wooden pole 2, and when fully laden with game carcasses which have been slung over the upper rail, the weight of the game carcasses will be taken partly by the upper rail and partly by game carcasses resting on the floor 28 of the stowage compartment 20.

Figure 4 shows the same stowage compartment 20 and rack 1 now loaded with five brace of game carcasses 31-35. The game carcasses which are joined in pairs by the neck with binding are slung over the upper rail, wooden pole 2. Each of the five brace of game carcasses 31-35 is resting partially on the floor 28.

The centre of gravity of each game carcass 31-35 is quite low and so the pairs of feet 6, 7 and 8, 9 are able to prevent the rack and game carcasses from toppling over while the motor vehicle is being driven. The friction between the game carcasses 31-35 and floor 28 and the proximity of the sides 22, 23 of the compartment with the support members 3, 4 also prevent the rack and game carcasses from sliding significantly as the vehicle is driven.

The game racks according to the invention may either be adjustable to snugly fit a wide range of car boot sizes, or may alternatively be provided by the motor vehicle manufacturer or a specialist accessory supplier to fit a particular type of stowage compartment.

The racks are free standing, or may be removable by carrying from one venue to motor vehicle stowage compartment and from there to be removed on and carried to another venue.

Such racks provide an elegant solution to the long-standing problem of how to transport one or more game carcasses in a motor vehicle stowage compartment without the game carcasses being damaged by being heaped one on top of each other whilst in transit.

Claims

1. A rack for holding game carcasses upright in a motor vehicle stowage compartment with a floor, comprising a rail for holding game carcasses from the rail, and support means to support the rail within the stowage compartment above the floor, and set at a height above the floor such that the game carcasses are supported partially from the rail and partially by resting on the floor.

2. A rack as claimed in Claim 1, in which the support means supports the rack towards an end of the rail

3. A rack as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the rail extends across the stowage compartment transversely with respect to the length of the vehicle.

4. A rack as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means extends downwardly from the rail and has weight bearing means for bearing the weight of the rack on the stowage compartment floor.

5. A rack as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, in which the support means extends away from the rail to support the weight of the rack from a side wall of the stowage compartment.

6. A rack as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the rail has an adjustable width.

7. A rack as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means is pivotable about an axis generally parallel to the rail at a set height above the floor of the stowage compartment.

8. A rack as is claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7 in which the rack when assembled to fit a motor vehicle stowage compartment is portable and can be moved from one venue to another whilst being fully laden with game carcasses.

9. A rack substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. A motor vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of using a rack to hold game carcasses upright in a motor vehicle stowage compartment with a floor, substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.