WO2021051161A1

WO2021051161A1 - Wine barrel or stillage rack locking mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2021051161A1
Application number: PCT/AU2020/050981
Authority: WO
Inventors: George Campbell; Alasdair Wright
Original assignee: Spanlift Investments Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-17
Filing date: 2020-09-16
Publication date: 2021-03-25
Also published as: AU2020350803A1

Abstract

There is proposed a wine barrel or stillage rack assembly, comprising a plurality of rack members, each rack member including a body for supporting wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s thereon, and at least two legs attached to the body, wherein the plurality of rack members being stackable such that each of said at least two legs being configured to engage an underlying and/or an overlying rack member of said wine barrel or stillage rack assembly. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly further including at least one locking member attached to or engaging at least one of the legs of each rack member, wherein said at least one locking member being configured to engage a leg of said underlying or said overlying rack member, to thereby inhibit separation of adjacent rack members.

Description

WINE BARREL OR STILLAGE RACK LOCKING MECHANISM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to stackable wine barrel or stillage rack support frames that can be locked together to increase structural integrity of the stack, and in one aspect relates to a rack with an automatically actuated locking member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wooden barrels comprising wooden staves bound by metal hoops are commonly used within the wine industry for the fermentation and storage of wine.

Due to their shape the barrels can be difficult to store and typically a rack or frame is used to support a number of barrels in a stacked configuration.

One type of rack system that is commonly used comprises rack members that are place between rows of wine barrels. A first rack member is placed on the ground surface and two barrels are placed thereon, then a second rack member is place on top of the first row of barrels, whereafter a second row of two barrels in place on top of the second rack member. This process is continued until a desired height is reached. One example of this type of rack is illustrated in Australian Design No. 147502 in the name of Galonski.

However, one of the major problems with this type of rack system is that each subsequent row of barrels is supported on an underlying row or rows. Accordingly, the height of the system is limited by the load bearing capacity of the barrels. Furthermore, the barrels may vary in diameter, which may cause the stack to tilt.

The same result may occur is the individual rack members are incorrectly placed on top of the underlying barrels. Finally, since the stability of the rack system is dependent upon the integrity of the underlying barrels, any failure in a particular barrel may causes the entire stack or a portion thereof to collapse, which may also impact upon adjacent stacks of barrels.

Accordingly, barrel rack systems have been developed wherein each rack member is supported on an underlying rack member, or the floor, rather than on the wine barrels themselves. Typically, two wine barrels are supported within a rack member on respective barrel supports or wheels. One example of this type of rack is illustrated in 200035372 to RGB Industries Pty Ltd. The system disclosed in the patent to RGB discloses splayed feet member which have the tendency to be caught on the rack members of adjacent stacks and may cause failure thereof.

In an attempt to overcome this difficulty, barrel racks where developed wherein the top of each leg was dimensioned to fit within the bottom square hollow section of the leg of an overlaying barrel rack. One example of this type of rack is illustrated AU 155347 in the name of Falland. However, since the bottom of each leg is a square hollow section the overall strength of the leg is compromised and the edges can fold inwardly or cut into a ground surface.

Furthermore, the coupled legs may become dislodged from engagement if the stack is knocked by a vehicle, such as a forklift, or the stack is otherwise moved, such as may occur during an earthquake.

Similarly, stillage vessels are typically positioned within a frame that is configured to be stackable. These frame members suffer similar problems as those discussed above with respect to wine barrel racks.

It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the illustrated embodiments to provide stackable support frame members for wine barrels or stillage vessels that are lockable or couplable together. Other objects of the illustrated embodiments are to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems, or at least provide the public with a useful alternative. The foregoing objects should not necessarily be considered as cumulative and various aspects of the invention may fulfil one or more of the above objects.

Generally, the present invention could be considered to comprise a rack member for holding a wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s, the rack member including a generally horizontal body and legs connected thereto, the legs being lockable to an underlying and/or overlaying rack member/s, such that two or more rack members are retained in a stacked arrangement.

The skilled addressee will appreciate that the present invention will be described with particular reference to wine barrel racks however, it will be understood that the same or similar configuration may be used in relation to holding stillage vessels or other similar vessels, and the present invention covers all such applications.

In one aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect there is proposed a wine barrel or stillage rack assembly, comprising: a plurality of rack members, each rack member including a body for supporting wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s thereon, and at least two legs attached to the body, wherein the plurality of rack members being stackable such that each of said at least two legs being configured to engage an underlying and/or an overlying rack member of said wine barrel or stillage rack assembly; and at least one locking member attached to or engaging at least one of the legs of each rack member, wherein said at least one locking member being configured to engage a leg of said underlying or said overlying rack member, to thereby inhibit separation of adjacent rack members.

The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with the immediately preceding aspect, wherein each of said at least two legs being rigidly connected to the body of the rack member, each of the legs extending both downwardly from the body to a respective lower end, and upwardly from the body to a respective upper end, whereby said rack member being supportable on a ground surface by way of the lower ends of the legs, or said lower ends of the legs engage correspondingly shaped upper ends of an underlying rack member for support thereon.

The rack member preferably further including support members attached to the body or formed thereon for supporting at least one barrel or vessel thereon, wherein the respective upper ends of the legs extend above sides of said at least one barrel or vessel.

Preferably the at least one locking member pivotably is connectable to a least one of said legs, each said at least one locking member including: a latch being reversibly connectable to a corresponding catch in or on an upper end of a leg of the underlying rack member; or a latch being reversibly connectable to a corresponding catch in or on a lower end of a leg of an overlying rack member; to thereby couple said rack member to the underlying or overlying rack member.

Preferably, the body is generally rectangular in the horizontal plane with one leg being positioned at, or adjacent each corner of the body.

In one form locking members are connected to diagonally opposing legs, wherein each rack member including two locking members.

The body and legs may be constructed from square hollow sections (SHS) and/or rectangular hollow sections (RHS). Preferably, the body and legs are constructed from a metal material and are welded together.

The locking members may be positionable at least partly within or adjacent the body and legs of the rack member. In one form the locking members are positioned within or engaging a respective channel in the side of the leg and body of the rack member.

Each locking member is movable between an engagement position and a disengaged position. In the engagement position the locking member is coupled to the leg of an underlying rack member, and the disengaged position the overlying rack member is disconnected from the leg of an underlying rack member, whereby the overlying rack member can be removed from on top of the underlying rack member.

Preferably the locking member includes a depending arm portion which is generally perpendicular to a generally horizontal arm portion. A pivot point is located at the junction of the two arm portions. In one form the latch is positioned at a free end of the depending arm portion.

In one form, a biasing member engages an end of the generally horizontal arm portion. The biasing member biases the locking member into the engagement position. In one form the biasing member is a coiled spring that engages a protrusion towards the free end of the generally horizontal arm. In other forms the biasing member may be a resiliently deformable block or leaf spring.

In one form a forklift tine abutment member is connected to, or formed on, the generally horizontal arm portion of the locking member. The forklift tine abutment member is positionable within the generally U-shaped member attached to and extending downwardly from the body or a horizontal slot in the body. As the reader will appreciate, as is known in the art, these U-shaped members or a horizontal slot accommodate the tines of a forklift to facilitate transport of the rack member.

In one form the upper end of each leg includes an upwardly extending male portion that is configured to engage with a correspondingly shaped female portion of the lower end of a leg of an overlying rack member. The female portion is preferably an insert that is positionable with the hollow leg, which assist to provide strength to the lower end of each leg, when supported on a ground surface.

Preferably, the upper ends of the legs of the rack member are generally cone shaped and configured to engage a corresponding shaped aperture in the lower ends of the legs of an overlying rack member.

In one form the catch is a vertical slot in a side of the cone shaped upper end of the leg and the latch is generally hook shaped to engage with the vertical slot.

The upwardly extending male portion may alternatively be a generally elongate pyramid shape having sidewardly extending flanges or protrusions and the female portion may comprise a plurality of connected vertical slots each configured to accommodate a flange or protrusion therein. In one form the male portion may have an X-shaped horizontal cross-sectional profile and the female portion may have two intersecting perpendicular slots that form a correspondingly X-shaped opening.

The barrel supports may be projections that are shaped to abut the curved side of the barrel, or the barrel supports may be wheels or rollers that may be used to rotate the barrel when cleaning or filling/emptying of the barrel is being undertaken.

In use when the tines of the forklift engage with the U-shaped members, they abut the forklift tine abutment member of the locking members and thereby pivot the locking members into the disengaged position.

Once the wine barrel rack member is in the desired position and the tines of the forklift are removed the locking members are pivoted under the influence of a respective biasing member into the engaged position, wherein the latches engage respective catches of an underlying rack member, when positioned thereon.

To remove the overlying rack member the tines of the forklift are inserted into the U-shaped members, this pivots the locking members against this influence of the biasing member, into the disengaged position which allows removal of the overlying barrel member.

Alternatively, the forklift tines may engage an intermediate member that is configured to disengage the locking member. Accordingly, the locking member may in one form be positioned at the top of a leg and be disengages by the intermediate member of an overlying rack member when the overlying rack member is to be removed from the wine barrel or stillage rack assembly.

In another aspect of the invention there is proposed a method of providing a wine barrel or stillage vessel rack assembly, comprising stackable rack members, including the steps of: providing a plurality of rack members, each including a body for supporting wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s thereon, at least two legs attached to the body, and at least one locking member attached thereto; placing a first rack on a generally level surface; placing at least one wine barrel or stillage vessel thereon; placing a second rack member on top of the first rack in a stacked configuration, wherein the at least two legs of the second rack member are support on the at least two legs of the first rack member, and at least one wine barrel or stillage vessel being supported on the second rack member; operating a locking member into an engagement position to thereby couple at least one of a pair of abutting legs together to inhibit displacement of the at least two legs of the second rack member from the at least two legs of the first rack member; and operating a locking member into a disengaged position to thereby permit removal of the second rack member from on top of the first rack member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wine barrel rack member of the present invention, illustrating the locking member;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of portion A of the wine barrel rack member of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the wine barrel rack member of Figure 1 , illustrating the locking member in an engaged position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of portion B of the wine barrel rack member of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the wine barrel rack member of Figure 1 , illustrating the locking members in a disengaged position; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of portion B of the wine barrel rack member of Figure 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, there is illustrated a rack member 10, demonstrating by way of an example, an arrangement in which the principles of the present invention may be employed.

The reader will however appreciate that other embodiments of the present invention may be directed towards the storage of stillage vessel or other similar vessels in a stackable rack. Accordingly, the scope of the claimed invention should not be limited to wine barrel racks.

Figures 1 and 2, illustrate one embodiment of the wine barrel rack member 10, which comprises a generally horizontal body 12, legs 14 rigidly connected thereto, barrel supports 16, forklift tine receiving U-shaped members 18 and a locking member 20.

Each of the legs 14 extend both downwardly from the body 12 to a respective lower end 22, and upwardly from the body 12 to a respective upper end 24. As illustrated in Figure 1 , the wine barrel rack members 10 can be positionable in a stacked arrangement, as is known in the art. Although only two rack members 10 and 10a are illustrated the rack assembly may include more than two rack members positioned in a stacked arrangement.

The upper end 24 of each leg 14 includes an upwardly extending cone shaped male portion 26 that is configured to engage with a correspondingly shaped female portion 28 in the lower end of a leg 14 of an overlying wine barrel rack member 10a.

The barrel supports 16 are attached to the body 12 and configured to support wines barrels thereon in a generally horizontal arrangement. The reader will however appreciate that the barrel supports 16 may take a different form and may include wheels for rolling the wine barrels when in place or keeps may be attached to or formed on the body to position stillage vessels.

The locking member 20 is pivotably connectable to the leg 14 and includes a respective latch 30 that is reversibly connectable to a corresponding catch 32 in or on an upper end 24 of a leg 14 of an underlying wine barrel rack member 10, to thereby couple the overlying wine barrel rack member 10a to said underlying wine barrel rack member 10, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

In the present embodiment, a locking member 20 is connected to two of the diagonally opposed legs 14, wherein each wine barrel rack member 10 includes two locking member 20.

The catch 32 in the present embodiment is a slot 32 in a side of the cone shaped upper end 26 of the leg 14 and the latch 30 is generally hook shaped to engage with the slot.

The locking member 20, in one embodiment, includes a depending arm portion 34 which is generally perpendicular to an adjoining horizontal arm portion 36. A pivot 38 is positioned at the junction of the arm portions 34, 36, and is preferably a pivot pin 40, that engages through the leg 14 and locking member 20.

In one form the latch 30 is positioned at a free end of the depending arm portion 34.

A biasing member 42 engages a free end portion of the horizontal arm portion 36, and is configured to bias the locking member 20 into the engagement position, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. In the present embodiment the biasing member 42 is a coiled spring that engages a protrusion 44 towards the free end of the generally horizontal arm portion 36, however a leaf spring or resiliently deformable block could be used.

A forklift tine abutment member 46 is connected to, or formed on, the horizontal arm portion 36 of the locking member 20. The forklift tine abutment member 46 is positionable within or adjacent one of the U-shaped members 18, wherein the forklift tines of a forklift (not shown) move the locking member 20 into the disengaged position, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

In this way the locking member 20 of the wine barrel rack member 10a is movable between an engagement position wherein the locking member 20 is coupled to the leg 14 of an underlying wine barrel rack member 10, and a disengaged position wherein the overlying wine barrel rack member 10a can be removed from a stack.

The body 12 and legs 14 may be constructed from square hollow sections and the locking member 20 may be positionable at least partly within these hollow sections. In the present embodiment the locking member 20 is positioned within a channel 48 in a side of the leg 14 and underside of the body 12.

As the reader will now appreciate, in use when the tines of the forklift engage with the U-shaped members 18, they abut the forklift tines abutment members 46 of the locking member 20. This pivots the respective locking member 20 around the pivot point 38 into the disengaged position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Once the wine barrel rack member 10a is in position and the tines of the forklift are removed the locking member 20 is moved under the influence of the biasing member 42 into the engaged position, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, wherein the latch 30 engages the catch 32 in an underlying wine barrel rack member 10, when positioned thereon. When the wine barrel rack member 10 is positioned directly into the floor the locking member 20 is positioned such that is does not interfere with the lower end of the leg and is not damaged by contact with the floor surface, as can be seen in Figure 3.

To remove the overlying wine barrel rack member 10a the tines of the forklift are inserted into the U-shaped members 18, this pivots the locking member 20 against the bias of the respective springs 42 into the disengaged position, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, which thereby allows removal of the overlying wine rack barrel member 10a.

The skilled addressee will now appreciate the advantages of the illustrated invention over the prior art. In one form the illustrated embodiment provides a locking member for coupling stacked rack members for holding wine barrel/s, stillage vessel/s or other similar vessel/s together to thereby improve structural integrity of the stack and inhibit failure of the stack due to misalignment of the legs or disturbance thereof.

The illustrated embodiment also provides an automatic locking system that is actuated by the tines of a forklift into a disengaged position and biased into an engaged position by the biasing member. This means that the locking member does not need to be manually disengaged.

Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate the invention and it is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A wine barrel or stillage rack assembly, comprising: a plurality of rack members, each rack member including a body for supporting wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s thereon, and at least two legs attached to the body, wherein the plurality of rack members being stackable such that each of said at least two legs being configured to engage an underlying and/or an overlying rack member of said wine barrel or stillage rack assembly; and at least one locking member attached to or engaging at least one of the legs of each rack member, wherein said at least one locking member being configured to engage a leg of said underlying or said overlying rack member, to thereby inhibit separation of adjacent rack members.

2. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 1 , wherein each of said at least two legs being rigidly connected to the body of the rack member, each of the legs extending both downwardly from the body to a respective lower end, and upwardly from the body to a respective upper end, whereby said rack member being supportable on a ground surface by way of the lower ends of the legs, or said lower ends of the legs engage correspondingly shaped upper ends of an underlying rack member for support thereon; the rack member further including support members attached to the body or formed thereon for supporting at least one barrel or vessel thereon, wherein the respective upper ends of the legs extend above sides of said at least one barrel or vessel; and wherein the at least one locking member pivotably being connectable to a least one of said legs, each said at least one locking member including: a latch being reversibly connectable to a corresponding catch in or on an upper end of a leg of the underlying rack member; or a latch being reversibly connectable to a corresponding catch in or on a lower end of a leg of an overlying rack member; to thereby couple said rack member to the underlying or overlying rack member.

3. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein the body is generally rectangular or elongate in the horizontal plane with one leg being positioned at, or adjacent each corner of the body.

4. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein respective locking members are connected to diagonally opposing legs, wherein each rack member including two locking members.

5. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein the at least one locking member is positionable at least partly within or adjacent the body and/or legs of the rack member.

6. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein the at least one locking member is movable between an engagement position wherein the locking member is coupled to the leg of an underlying or overlying rack member, and a disengaged position, wherein said locking member is disconnected from the leg of an underlying or overlying rack member, whereby said rack member can be removed from on top of the underlying rack member, or said overlying rack member can be removed from on top of the rack member.

7. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 6, wherein each of said at least one locking member having a depending arm portion adjoining and being generally perpendicular to a generally horizontal arm portion, wherein a pivot is located at the junction of the two arm portions.

8. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 7, wherein the latch is positioned at a free end of the depending arm portion.

9. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 7, wherein a biasing member engages an end of the generally horizontal arm portion, the biasing member being configured to bias the locking member into the engagement position.

10. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 9, wherein the biasing member is a coil spring, resiliently deformable block or leaf spring.

11. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 7, wherein a forklift tine abutment member is connected to, or formed on, the generally horizontal arm portion of the locking member, wherein each forklift tine abutment member being positionable within or adjacent a generally U-shaped member attached to and extending downwardly from the body or formed thereon, being configured to accommodate a tine of a forklift to facilitate transport of the rack member.

12. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 2, wherein an upper end of each leg includes an upwardly extending male portion that is configured to engage with a correspondingly shaped female portion of the lower end of a leg of an overlying rack member.

13. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 12, wherein the catch is a slot in a side of the male portion of the leg and the latch is a generally hook shaped member being configured to engage said slot.

14. The wine barrel or stillage rack assembly in accordance with Claim 11, wherein the forklift tine is engageable with an intermediate member being configured to disengage the locking member to permit removal of a rack member from the wine barrel or stillage rack assembly.

15. A method of providing a wine barrel or stillage vessel rack assembly, comprising stackable rack members, including the steps of: providing a plurality of rack members, each including a body for supporting wine barrel/s or stillage vessel/s thereon, at least two legs attached to the body, and at least one locking member attached thereto; placing a first rack on a generally level surface; placing at least one wine barrel or stillage vessel thereon; placing a second rack member on top of the first rack in a stacked configuration, wherein the at least two legs of the second rack member are support on the at least two legs of the first rack member, and at least one wine barrel or stillage vessel being supported on the second rack member; operating a locking member into an engagement position to thereby couple at least one of a pair of abutting legs together to inhibit displacement of the at least two legs of the second rack member from the at least two legs of the first rack member; and operating a locking member into a disengaged position to thereby permit removal of the second rack member from on top of the first rack member.