Patent Grant
6854606
A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to racks for storing, moving and displaying rolled materials, such as carpet, carpet remnants and carpet pad. More particularly, the present invention relates to such racks which are suitable for storing, moving and displaying rolled flooring materials in either a vertical or horizontal position. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to such racks that are configured to be used with a stinger-type apparatuses commonly used to move rolls of carpet and other flooring materials.
B. Background
Many flooring materials are sold, stored, moved and displayed in elongated rolls of such materials. For instance, as is well known in the carpet and related industries, it is very common to sell, store, move and display carpet and carpet related materials, including carpet, carpet remnants and carpet pad, in an elongated roll of the material. Also included in the general category of flooring materials are other forms of floor coverings, such as linoleum, vinyl flooring and the like that are also supplied in elongated rolls of the material. For purposes of this disclosure, the term flooring materials refers to all such materials.
Flooring materials are typically delivered by the manufacturer to the flooring wholesaler or retailer in the form of large elongated rolls. After the rolls are received by the wholesaler or retailer, they are moved into storage or into a showroom for display. Naturally, it is preferred to display the materials in a way that most beneficially allows the purchaser to review the materials so that they may consider which materials to purchase. After the flooring material buyer selects the type and amount of flooring material they desire, the flooring material is delivered to the buyer and installed in the buyers preferred location, such as a house or office. As is well known in the industry, it is often necessary to move the rolls of flooring materials from one location to another before the materials are purchased, depending on the need to make room for other materials, deliver materials to a purchaser or place the materials in a different location for purposes of better displaying that material.
With regard to the purchase of flooring materials by a buyer, the typical buyer does not purchase an entire roll or, if buying multiple rolls, full rolls of the flooring material. As a result some of the flooring material on a roll is usually left behind to be sold by the wholesaler or retailer. The left behind materials are commonly referred to as remnants. Naturally, the wholesaler or retailer desires to sell these remnants so as to fully maximize his or her profit on the flooring materials. In order to do so, it is necessary to selectively display the remnants in a manner that best shows potential purchasers what remnants are available and the quantity of remnant that is available.
Generally, rolls of flooring material are of such size and weight that they require the use of powered machines to safely and effectively move one or more rolls of the material. The typical powered machine is a forklift having one or more prongs suitable for lifting a pallet with rolls of flooring material securely placed thereon. Although the prongs on the forklift can be used to directly lift one or more rolls of flooring material, this method of moving flooring material rolls is not generally used because of the high risk of damaging the flooring material. Instead, because the rolls of flooring materials delivered by the manufacturer are configured with an internal longitudinal bore, many wholesalers and retailers utilize an outwardly extending stinger attachment that is configured to be attached to the forklift in place of the prongs and to be received by the longitudinal bore. Like the prongs it replaces, the stinger moves up and down the face of the forklift. In this manner, rolls of flooring material, including the remnants, are relocated by inserting the stinger into the longitudinal bore, raising the stinger as necessary, moving the roll of material to the desired location, lowering the stinger/roll as necessary and withdrawing the stinger from the roll.
Unfortunately, not all flooring materials are provided in rolls having a longitudinal bore therethrough. For instance, rolls of carpet pad generally do not have an internal bore and, therefore, cannot be moved with the stinger attached to the forklift. In addition, other flooring related materials or other materials and equipment in the wholesaler's or retailer's storage facility, store or other place of business are stored on pallets configured for the prongs of the forklift or otherwise either require or are more easily handled by the prongs of the forklift instead of the stinger attachment. As such, it is necessary to switch between the prong and stinger attachment on the forklift. The process of switching between the forklift prongs and the stinger attachment is time consuming and can be relatively difficult, in part due to the 250 to 350 pound weight of the stinger, depending on the type of forklift, prongs and stinger utilized. Although it would be possible to have two or more forklifts, at least one with a stinger and at least one with prongs, most flooring materials businesses do not have more than one forklift (due primarily to the cost of forklifts).
Racks for beneficially displaying rolls of flooring material have been in use for some time. One such rack is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,017 to Ovitz, III, et al., which discloses a carpet rack having a frame for receiving multiple spindle assemblies, each of which are configured to horizontally support a roll of carpet thereon. Although the rack is shown with wheel assemblies, the rack does not include any mechanism to move the rack with a forklift. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,004,701 and 3,951,276, both to Moses, a storing and handling apparatus and system for rolls of floor covering is disclosed. In conjunction with a storage and dispensing rack, the Moses patents disclose the use of a pallet having box members spaced apart a distance which corresponds to the prongs of a conventional forklift. Other racks or storage devices are known to include an assembly suitable for receiving and moving the rack or device with the prongs of a forklift.
Nothing in the prior art presently known to the inventor discloses or suggests the use of a stinger attachment to move a storage and display rack adapted for storing and displaying flooring materials in either a vertical or horizontal manner. In fact, to the best of the inventor's present knowledge, the stinger attachment is only utilized to move individual rolls of flooring materials, not racks having one or more rolls of such material and not for materials, such as carpet pads, that do not have a longitudinal bore for receiving the stinger. As a result, a significant amount of time and effort is wasted changing between the prongs of the forklift and the stinger attachment. Therefore, what is needed is a moveable storage and display rack that is configured to be moved with a stinger attachment and which is suitable for storing and displaying flooring materials in either a horizontal or vertical arrangement. The preferred rack should be relatively inexpensive to make, easy to use and adaptable to current forklift equipment. Preferably, such a rack should additionally include a mechanism to connect to the forklift prongs, a mechanism to secure the flooring materials to the rack and a mechanism to guide the rack when moving it without lifting.
The storage and display rack of the present invention solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a new and useful storage and display rack for rolled flooring materials that is moveable with either the prongs of a forklift or a stinger attached to the forklift. The storage and display rack of the present invention is suitable for storing and displaying one or more rolls of flooring materials in a vertical or horizontal configuration. Either the prongs or the stinger attachments of the forklift can be utilized to move the rack while the one or more rolls of flooring material are securely placed thereon.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the moveable storage and display rack of the present invention comprises a frame having a plurality of frame members and a stinger receiving mechanism for receiving a stinger attached to a lifting device, such as a forklift and the like. The frame forms an upper section and an opposing bottom section and a first end and an opposing second end. The frame should be sized and configured to hold the desired flooring materials, including rolls of carpet, carpet remnants, carpet pad, linoleum and the like. The stinger receiving mechanism is preferably located at the upper section of the frame and configured to permit the stinger to lift the frame without any substantial swaying or other undesirable movement of the frame. In the preferred embodiment, the rack also includes a prong receiving mechanism, such as a pair of box members fixedly attached to the bottom section of the frame, configured to receive one or more prongs that can be attached to the lifting device (generally in place of the stinger). The preferred embodiment also has a one or more securing mechanisms to secure the flooring materials in or to the frame, such as an upper securing mechanism at the upper section of the frame for securing the flooring materials in a vertical configuration and one or more lower securing means disposed between the bottom section and the upper section of the frame to secure the flooring materials in the frame.
In one embodiment, the stinger receiving means comprises a shaped portion of the upper section of the frame, such as an inverted “U” or “V” shape at the top of a generally triangularly shaped upper section. In another embodiment, the stinger receiving means comprises a separate shaped member fixedly attached to the upper section of the frame, preferably at each end of the frame so that the stinger may pass through the shaped members and lift the frame. In yet another embodiment, the stinger receiving means comprises a tubular member fixedly attached to the upper section of the frame.
The rack can also include one or more roll support members attached to the frame, such as a pair of such roll support members with one of the pair attached to the first end of the frame and one of the pair of roll support members is at the second end of the frame, so as to longitudinally support a roll of the flooring materials on the frame. The rack can also include one or more movement guides attached to the bottom section of the frame and a plurality of wheels below the frame so that the rack may be moved along the ground by merely inserting the stinger into the movement guide and guiding the rack to its desired location. The rack can also include an upper extension member at the upper section of the frame and a bottom opening at the bottom section of the frame so that the racks may be stacked on top of each other. Preferably, the upper extension member of a first rack is angled or otherwise configured to be somewhat self-guiding into the bottom opening of a second rack that is being placed on top of the first rack.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a storage and display rack for rolled flooring materials that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the presently available storage and display racks for such materials.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a storage and display rack that has a stinger receiving mechanism for receiving a stinger attached to a forklift or other lifting device so as to permit the lifting device to move the rack with the stinger attachment.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a storage and display rack that utilizes a prong receiving mechanism suitable for facilitating stacking of racks on top of each other.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a storage and display rack that comprises a frame having a plurality of frame members configured to store and display flooring materials in either a vertical or a horizontal arrangement.
It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a storage and display rack that comprises a prong receiving mechanism for receiving the prongs of a forklift or other lifting device so as to move the rack with the lifting device.
The above and other objectives of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of processes presently described and understood by the claims.
In the drawings which illustrate the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
With reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth below. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage and display rack of the present invention, identified generally as 10, is useful for beneficially storing and displaying one or more rolls of carpet 12 (FIG. 3), carpet pads 14 (
The storage and display rack 10 of the present invention has frame 20 made up of a plurality of frame members 22 configured to form a first side 24, second side 26, first end 28 and second end 30, as best shown in
As shown in
Upper section 36 includes a stinger receiving mechanism, shown generally as 42, for receiving the stinger 18 extending outwardly from forklift 16. As shown in
As shown in the embodiment of
Yet another embodiment for stinger receiving mechanism 42 is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, stinger receiving mechanism 42 is a tubular member 48 extending substantially the full longitudinal length of rack 10 and connecting to the frame members 22 of upper section 36 of ends 28 and 30. In the preferred configuration of this embodiment, the inside diameter of tubular member 48 is selected to be only moderately larger than the outer diameter of stinger 18, such as the diameter utilized for the interior longitudinal bore of the rolls of carpet 12 or other flooring materials. Tubular member 48 can be configured to be below or above frame members 22 at ends 28 and 30 and can have a circular, rectangular, square or other cross-section. As stated above, the primary disadvantage of this type of stinger receiving mechanism 42 is that the stinger must be “aimed” into tubular member 48.
The stinger receiving mechanisms 42 described above allow rack 10 to be lifted and moved with the stinger attached to forklift 16 or other lifting device. To allow for the situation where it is desired to move rack 10 but the prongs are attached to the forklift 16 instead of stinger 18, rack 10 can further comprise a prong receiving mechanism, shown generally as 50, for receiving the one or more prongs on forklift 16 to allow rack 10 to be lifted and moved with the prong or prongs of forklift 16. Including prong receiving mechanism 50 in rack 10 avoids having to remove stinger 18 for the prongs when they are needed. As shown in the figures, prong receiving mechanism 50 can comprise a pair of generally rectangular box members 52 shaped and configured to receive the forklift prongs and attached to the frame members 22 comprising bottom section 32. Box members 52 can extend substantially the full longitudinal length of rack 10 or they can be one or more short sections located at either end 28 or 30 and/or positioned at or near the middle of frame 20. As with shaped member 46, box members 52 can be made out of tubular steel or other materials suitable for attachment to frame member 22 and can be attached either above or below frame member 22 of upper section 36. Depending on the materials utilized for frame member 22 and box member 52, they may be connected by welding, bolts, screws, rivets or other appropriate mechanism. As an alternative to box members 52, prong receiving mechanism 50 can comprise a generally “C” or “U” shaped member attached to the bottom or top of frame member 22 making up bottom section 32. As with the stinger receiving mechanism 42, prong receiving mechanism 32 should be sized and configured to be able to allow the forklift prongs to raise and move rack 10 even when it is full of carpet 12, pad 14 or other flooring materials.
In order to safely store, move and display carpet 12 in a vertical configuration, as shown in
Rack 10 of the present invention can also comprise a separate floor 58 at the bottom section 32 of frame 20, particularly for stacking carpet rolls in the vertical configuration shown in FIG. 3. Although frame members 22 and/or prong receiving mechanism 50 can serve as a “floor”, for certain types of flooring materials, a floor 58 that substantially extends from first side 24 to second side 26 and first end 28 to second end 30 provides significant benefits for moving certain types of materials or moving rolls of carpet 12 in a vertical configuration. Use of floor 58 provides a more complete surface on which to place materials and can assist with achieving a stable frame 20 by helping to prevent twisting or other undesirable movement of frame 20. Floor 58 can be made out of the same materials used for frame 24 or a lighter weight strong material to provide a strong floor without adding much weight to rack 10.
In the preferred embodiment, rack 10 is made to stack on top of another rack 10. This can be accomplished by providing an upper extension member 60 that is configured to interact with the bottom section 32 of frame 20. In the preferred embodiment, upper extension member 60 is configured to be part of stinger receiving mechanism 42, particularly in the embodiments shown in
Also in the preferred embodiment, rack 10 has one or more movement guides 64 attached to frame 20. Preferably, movement guides 64 are attached to a frame member 22 at both ends 28 and 30 of bottom section 32, as shown in FIG. 6. Movement guides 64 are configured to receive stinger 18 so as to allow the user of rack 10 to move rack 10 from one location to another without the need of lifting rack 10 off the ground. The stinger 18 can be stabbed into one or more of the movement guides 64 and the forklift 16 operated so as to slide rack 10 to the desired location. To assist in this endeavor, it is preferred that rack 10 comprise wheels 66 at the bottom section 32. Preferably, wheels 66 are configured to be of the castor type that allows pivoting of the wheels in any direction which the user desires to move rack 10.
In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in
In use, the rack 10 of the present invention eliminates the need to alternate between the prongs or the stinger 18 attached to a forklift 16 or other lifting apparatus when it is desired to move rack 10 from one location to another. If the stinger 18 is attached to the forklift 16, as it typically is when moving a single roll of carpet, the user merely has to slide the stinger 18 into either frame 20 and move it upward until it connects with shaped portion 44 or slide it into the space provided by shaped member 46 or tubular member 48. Once in place, upward movement of stinger 18 by appropriately controlling forklift 16 will result in lifting rack 10 off the ground or other surface upon which it sits. Rack 10 can then be moved to the desired location. Once in place, carpet 12, pad 14 and/or other flooring materials can be displayed on rack 10. Rack 10 makes it particularly easy for the wholesaler-or retailer who has carpet 12 or carpet remnants he or she wants to sell to store the remnants on rack 10, move rack 10 and the materials thereon out to a more visible location, such as outdoors, during the store's open hours and then move it back into the building or to its stored location in the building when the store closes.
While there are shown and described herein certain specific alternative embodiments of the invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but is susceptible to various modifications and rearrangements in design and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Hence, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification within the scope of the appended claims. In particular, it should be noted that the present invention is subject to modification with regard to the dimensional relationships set forth herein and modifications in assembly, materials, size, shape and use.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2135540 | Smith | Nov 1938 | A |
| 2450180 | Bixer | Sep 1948 | A |
| 2593472 | McGinn | Apr 1952 | A |
| 2646174 | Hutten et al. | Jul 1953 | A |
| 2839198 | Lefevre | Jun 1958 | A |
| 3951276 | Moses | Apr 1976 | A |
| 4004701 | Moses | Jan 1977 | A |
| 4626017 | Robertson | Dec 1986 | A |
| 4783017 | Ovitz, III | Nov 1988 | A |
| 5411360 | Hilliker et al. | May 1995 | A |
| 5590435 | Kostigian | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5906282 | Aldrich et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 6170672 | Boettcher | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6202863 | Grenier | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6383376 | Beauchamp | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6536607 | Knoll et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6585224 | Schmidt | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6607083 | Webb | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 20030196971 | Jeskey et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040134868 A1 | Jul 2004 | US |
