US3896936A - Wine bottle rack - Google Patents

Abstract

A wine bottle rack made up of welded metal rods and adapted to be assembled and disassembled without resort to screw devices or other extraneous fastening means. A pair of end members extend in fore and aft vertical planes and lateral grid members engage the end members at the opposite side edges of the grid members by means of rigid hook formations on the grid members which engage over cross rods on the end members. The end members have pairs of vertical rod portions which provide locating and retaining guides for the hook formations of the grid members. The grid members and the end members are retained in assembled relationship by the weight of articles supported in the grid members.

Description

nited States tent 1191Notarius 1 July 29, 1975 [73] Assignee: Premier Party Goods, 1nc., Buffalo,

22 Filed: Apr. 1, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 456,559

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney, Agent, or FirmChristel & Bean [57] ABSTRACT A wine bottle rack made up of welded metal rods and adapted to be assembled and disassembled without resort to screw devices or other extraneous fastening [52] US.Cl 2 211/74; 211/177; 211/181 means. A pair of end members extend in fore and aft [51] Int. Cl. A47B 73/00; A47F 5/10 vertical planes and lateral grid members engage the [58] Field of Search 211/74, 177, 178, 181, end members at the Opposite Side edges of the grid 211/182; 248/150 153; 220/19 members by means of rigid hook formations on the grid members which engage over cross rods on the References Cited end members. The end members have pairs of vertical UNITED STATES PATENTS rod portions which provide locating and retaining 2,315,595 4 1943 Chappory 211/181 guides for the hook formations Of the grid members- 3,003,644 10/1961 Hildebrand 211/74 Th grid members and the end members are retained 3,007,708 11/1961 Ochs 211/181 in assembled relationship by the weight of articles sup- 3,023,908 3/1962 Rameyt 1 1 1 21 [/74 ported in the grid members, 3,183,862 5/1965 Melvin t 211/148 3,435,958 4/1969 Chesley 211/181 4 Claims, 5 a g g s \3 .4| 29 1. 1] & 1 fii .l 511 1! I I i a 35 \j y e g1 34 ui i il \11 1' 1 1 29 ggl/ l WINE BOTTLE RACK BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention-relates to a r zick which is especially adapted to support wine bottles in a desired generally horizontal position butwhich' may beemployed for supporting other articles. i

In the prior art the use of welded metal rod construction for wine racks and similar supporting devices is well known. In some of these prior art proposals the metal rods are fabricated and 'welded to form a fixed unitary rack structure but devices of this type are difficult to ship and to store and are frequently damaged in shipment. j I

Certain other prior art devices involv'e knock'down structures in which the end members and the lateral members are separate and are attached by screw devices or other special separate attaching means. In' still further examples of prior art wine rack structures the end members and the lateral members are hinged so that they collapse generally in diamond fashion. Devices of this type require special attachments or securing devices for holding the wine rack in expanded operative condition. i I I 9 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a metal rod wine rack structure in which the two end members and the several lateral members each form separate rigid welded entities which may be packaged and shipped in a secure and compact fashion. The lateral members comprise grids formed of vertical andhorizontal rod members welded at their intersections to form a checkerboard pattern of wine bottle receiving and supporting openings. The horizontal metal rods of the lateral members or certain of them have laterally extending and downbent portions which hook over cross rods on the end members so that the device may be set up quickly and conveniently and without any extraneous fastening devices.

The end members have vertically spaced rod portions welded thereto to form guides which accurately locate the lateral members with respect to fore and aft directions. The weight of wine bottles or the like in the rack maintains the same against inadvertent disassembly when the rack is in use.

The lateral grid members comprise front and intermediate members which support bottles at their under sides and a rear member which includes vertical rods which are generally central of the spaces formed by the lateral grid members so that the bottoms of the bottles stop against the vertical rods of the rear lateral grid member.

In a preferred form the cross rods of the end members slope rearwardly downwardly so that the spaces in the intermediate grid member are substantially lower than the corresponding spaces of the front grid member. Accordingly, wine bottles rest in such spaces with the bodies of the bottles resting on horizontal rods of the intermediate grid member and the necks of the bottles resting on the horizontal rods of the front grid member. The relationship of the front and intermediate grid members is further such that the bottoms of the bottles are inclined slightly downwardly so that sedi ment tends to collect in the bottoms of the bottles as they rest in the wine rack.

vBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of the wine rack of the present invention in assembled form, showing the right-hand end of the device;

FIG. is a right-hand end view of the right-hand end member of the present structure;

' FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the front lateral grid member;

FIG; 4 is a front-elevational view of the rear lateral grid member; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view 'of the rear grid member shown in FIG. 4.

. DESCRIPTION or THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In'the' embodiment illustrated in the drawings the wine rack comprises, essentially, five unitary subassemblies each sub-assembly comprising an integral unit of rigidly welded rods. The five sub-assemblies comprisea left hand end member (not shown), a-righthand end member 11, afront grid member 12, arear grid member 13, and 'anintermediate grid member 14. b Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the right hand end member designated generally by thenumeral 11 comprises front and rearupright metal tubes 16 and 17 joined byinclined cross rods 18 through 21 which are welded to the inner sides of the uprights l6 and 17 at their ends. Three pairs ofvertical rods 23, 24 and 25 are welded to the exteriors of thecross rods 18 through 21 as shown in FIG. 2 and the rods of each pair are spaced to provide guides for assembling the front, rear and intermediate grid members respectively with the end membersQas will presentlyappear. In the illustrated embodiment a diagonal brace rod 27 is welded to theseveral cross members 18 through 21.

In the drawings FIG. 3 shows thefront grid member 12 which comprises a series ofhorizontal rods 29 and a series ofvertical rods 30, all welded to form the grid shown in FIG. 3. Certain of the:horizontal rods 29 have lateral extensions which are bent down to formhooks 31. In assembling the present device thehooks 31 engage over thecross rods 18 through 21 of theend mem bers 10 and 11 and between thevertical rods 23 of the end members to be guided and accurately located by such vertical rods.

Theintermediate grid member 14 is substantially the same asfront grid member 12 and itshook formations 31 likewise engage overcross rods 18 through 21 of the end members and between the pairs ofvertical rods 25 of such end members. The rearward and downward inclination of thecross rods 18 through 21 is such that the bodies of wine bottles may rest on the horizontal rods ofintermediate grid member 14 with the necks thereof resting on thehorizontal rods 29 offront grid member 12 with the bottles slightly inclined so that their rear ends are lowered sufficiently to cause sediment in the wine to gravitate to the bottom portions of bottles.

Therear grid member 13 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 further rigidities the assembled structure and serves as a rear stop for bottles resting on the horizontal rods of the front andintermediate grids 12 and 14.Rear grid 13 comprises a series ofvertical rods 33 and fourhorizontal front rods 34 and four registeringhorizontal rods 35. The first and rear horizontal rods are welded to the vertical rods to form a rigid rear grid structure and the rearhorizontal rods 35 have downwardly bent lateral extensions designated 36 which engage across thecross rods 18 through 21 and between the pair ofvertical rods 24 of the end members and ll, all as in the case of the front and intermediate grid members.

Thevertical rods 33 of the rear grid member are staggered with respect to thevertical rods 30 of the front and intermediate grid members so that they lie across the compartments formed by the rods of the front and intermediate grid members and thus serve as rear stops for bottles placed in the compartments formed by the front and intermediate grid members.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the members may be stored and shipped in perfectly flat compact condition and for setting up require only placing the several hook formations of the grid members in assembly with the end members without the use of any separate tools or fastening devices. The weight of bottles in the rack holds the grid members securely down in assembled position against inadvertent disassembly.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings to illustrate the underlying principles of the invention but it is to be understood that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a rack for wine bottles and the like, a pair of end members each comprising front and rear vertical posts and a plurality of vertically spaced cross rods welded at their ends to said posts to form a unitary end member, a plurality of laterally extending grid members engageable at their side edges with said end members, said grid members comprising a front member, a rear member and an intermediate member, said members each comprising a vertical series of spaced horizontal rods and a lateral series of vertical rods welded at the rod intersections to form a rigid grid arrangement, the rods of the front and intermediate members forming spaces for receiving individual bottles, the vertical rods of the rear grid members being staggered with respect to the vertical rods of the front and intermediate members whereby the bottoms of bottles stop against said rear member vertical rods, certain of the horizontal rods of said grid members having laterally projecting downwardly opening hook formations formed integrally therewith for engagement over the cross rods of the end members, the vertical rods at the ends of said grid members being disposed inwardly of said hook formation at such distance that the hook formations and the end vertical rods fit over the cross rods to prevent lateral movement of the end members, and means on said end members comprising abutting surfaces at each side of each hook formation for preventing substantial movement of said hook formations relative to said end members in a fore and aft direction.

2. A rack according toclaim 1 wherein said end member cross rods are inclined rearwardly downwardly whereby the horizontal rods of the intermediate grid members are disposed lower than the corresponding horizontal rods of the front member.

3. A rack according toclaim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises pairs of vertically extending spaced rods fixed to said cross members to define guideways for said hook formations to locate said grid members in accurately defined lateral planes spaced fore and aft between said end members.

4. A rack according toclaim 2 wherein each end member has pairs of vertically extending spaced rods fixed to said cross members to define guideways for said hook formations to locate said grid members in accurately defined lateral planes spaced fore and aft between said end members.

Claims (4)

1. In a rack for wine bottles and the like, a pair of end members each comprising front and rear vertical posts and a plurality of vertically spaced cross rods welded at their ends to said posts to form a unitary end member, a plurality of laterally extending grid members engageable at their side edges with said end members, said grid members comprising a front member, a rear member and an intermediate member, said members each comprising a vertical series of spaced horizontal rods and a lateral series of vertical rods welded at the rod intersections to form a rigid grid arrangement, the rods of the front and intermediate members forming spaces for receiving individual bottles, the vertical rods of the rear grid members being staggered with respect to the vertical rods of the front and intermediate members whereby the bottoms of bottles stop against said rear member vertical rods, certain of the horizontal rods of said grid members having laterally projecting downwardly opening hook formations formed integrally therewith for engagement over the cross rods of the end members, the vertical rods at the ends of said grid members being disposed inwardly of said hook formation at such distance that the hook formations and the end vertical rods fit over the cross rods to prevent lateral movement of the end members, and means on said end members comprising abutting surfaces at each side of each hook formation for preventing substantial movement of said hook formations relative to said end members in a fore and aft direction.

2. A rack according to claim 1 wherein said end member cross rods are inclined rearwardly downwardly whereby the horizontal rods of the intermediate grid members are disposed lower than the corresponding horizontal rods of the front member.

3. A rack according to claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises pairs of vertically extending spaced rods fixed to said cross members to define guideways for said hook formations to locate said grid members in accurately defined lateral planes spaced fore and aft between said end members.

4. A rack according to claim 2 wherein each end member has pairs of vertically extending spaced rods fixed to said cross members to define guideways for said hook formations to locate said grid members in accurately defined lateral planes spaced fore and aft between said end members.

Images