US2559060A - Carrier rack for bottles - Google Patents

Description

CARRIER RACK FOR BOTTLES Filed Jan. 21, 1949 29 INVENTOR.

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\ I j @W T a firro/e/vEx Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFKCE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for supporting a number of bottles in upright position, both when manually transporting the rack with the bottles suspended therefrom and also while the bottles are resting on a support in upright position.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive bottle carrier on which a number of bottles may quickly and conveniently be placed in correct position for transportation.

It is a further object to provide a bottle carrier which, when not in use, may be collapsed or folded into a comparatively small flat package conveniently shaped for storage within a very limited space.

These and other objects of the invention, together with the advantageous features thereof, will be better understood from the following detailed description and reference is invited to the accompanying drawings in which preferred forms of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carrier embodying the invention and showing a number of bottles mounted in position thereon as in practice;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view on a larger scale indicating approximately the position taken by the carrier on the bottles While the latter are resting on a support in upright position;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device of Fig. 2 showing the shape assumed by the carrier when manually held during transfer 'of bottles supported thereon;

Fig. A shows the detached, completely folded carrier;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a somewhat modified form of carrier;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional end view taken substantially through the center of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken substantially through the longitudinal center of Fig. 5.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, it is noticed that the carrier consists of three parts, namely rack members I and 2 which are permanently held combined by a handle 3. All of these parts are made from somewhat resilient wire or rod material and it is important to note that the rack members i and 2 may be and preferably are made exactly alike but are arranged in reverse relation to each other. It is also important to note that the ends of the wire constituting the handle are bent to form loops 4 of a size firmly to support the rack members for rotative movement therein.

As above stated, the two rack members are exactly alike and they are produced by forming the wire into a series of U-shaped loops 5 to ill, inclusive, which also are alike and extended in opposite directions. In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings a number of bottles A are, in dotted outline, shown mounted on the rack in the position they will maintain while the bottles are resting on a support. When thereupon the handle is manually gripped to raise the bottles from their support, it is noticed that the rack members turn a short distance on their pivotal seats within the loops 4, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby to cause the two rows of bottles to move inwardly until they reach a position of contact with each other, in which position they remain until they again are deposited on a support.

It was above stated that the racks and handles are made from somewhat resilient material and that the loops 6 to ill thereof are placed alternately in right and left relation to each other. It is to be noted also that the connecting side members ll, !2 of the loops are shown somewhat inwardly curved, thereby to provide slightly contracted passages through which the necks of the bottles are pressed in assembling. For the sake of clearness of illustration, this contraction is shown greatly exaggerated and may in practice merely amount to a few one-thousandths of an inch. The seats for the bottle necks within the loops should be large enough to provide some freedom of tilting movement of the bottle necks therein. When so proportioned, it is found that the bottles may be placed in position without appreciable manual effort and that they will remain securely seated in the racks at all times. It should be clear now that the bottles, in the position of Fig. 1, are spaced apart transversely merelt in order to facilitate insertion and removal and so as to seat the bottles securely within the loops.

When it is required to remove a bottle from the rack, whether while in elevated position or when resting on a support, it is merely required to tip the neck of the bottle inwardly until the upper portion thereof moves beyond the contracted side surfaces H, l2 of the loops, whereupon the bottle may be withdrawn therefrom. Each bottle is in the same manner re-inserted therein, when desired.

As above stated, the carrier may, when not in use, be folded into a very compact, flat package which is convenient to store and which 00- cupies very little space. This folded position is indicated in Fig. 4. It is important to note that the two rack members are swung on their pivots until they come to rest one directly above the other, and that the handle 3 assumes a position between the two rack members.

In a modified form, illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7,

only a single rack member I5 is employed. This member is shown made from a thin piece of sheet material rectangular in shape and made with a series of identical perforations IS, the shape of each of which corresponds to the shape of the spaces within the oppositely directed loops of Fig. 1. It is important to note that the central portion of each perforation I6 is somewhat recessed substantially as indicated at IT in order to provide sufficient clearance for insertion and removal of the bottles from this type of carrier.

It is noticed that the longitudinal center portion of the member I5 is upwardly arched, on a circular curve having its center a distance below the member on the center line thereof substantially as indicated at IS in Fig. 6. This is done in order to check inward movement of the bottle necks B both when the bottles are in vertical position on a support and when transported from place to place. The carrier member is on the longitudinal center line thereof provided with perforations I9, 20 for receiving the outwardly bent ends 2|, 22 of a wire handle 23. It is noticed that at least one of the perforations I9, 20 is sufiiciently longitudinally elongated to permit of insertion and removal of the handle 23. In order to perform this inserting or removing operation, it is merely required to insert one of the handle ends through the short opening 19 and then to grip the sides 24, 25 of the handle firmly enough to draw the other'bent end thereof inward suificiently to bring this end into registration with the elongated perforation 20. When the wire of the handle is made from sufficiently resilient material, this operation is not difficult and the handle will expand to remain firmly in position within the rack member during the bottle supporting operation. When in addition the portions 25, 26 of the member I5 between the perforations l6 thereof, along the center line of the member, are raised to form recesses 21, 28

of a size rotatably to encompass the bent ends 2|, 22 of the'handle, and when the perforations be noted that the handle is'free to drop through the perforations into the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 6, when the bottles are" brought to rest on a support. When folded in this manner, it is seen that the handle does not touch the top of the bottle necks, as might be the case when it is swung to one side on its pivot.

It is to be understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of preferred forms of the invention and that the construction may be modified to suit bottles of various types and shapes. Also that the racks may be extended to accommodate a greater number of bottles, if preferred. It should be clear also that the member I5 may be made in two parts hingedly interconnected along the center line thereof so as to function in the manner of the device of Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A carrier for pairs of bottles having beads at the top of their necks, said carrier compris ing two identically shaped support members made from wires Whichare looped to provide series of transversely aligned U-shaped grooves facing each other at the center of the carrier, and a wire handle the ends of which are bent to form loops encompassing the wires of the contacting looped portions of the two members at the center of the carrier thereby to lock the members against relative longitudinal displacement, the bottoms of the grooves forming seats for the beads of each pair of bottles.

2. A carrier for pairs of bottles having beads at the top of their necks, said carrier comprising two identically shaped support members made from wires which are looped to provide series of transversely aligned U-shaped grooves facing each other at the center of the carrier, and

, a wire handle the ends of which are bent to form loops encompassing the wires of the contacting looped portions of the two members at the center of the carrier thereby to lock the members against relative longitudinal displacement, the necks of each pair of bottles being insertable into aligned grooves from the center of the carrier to cause the beads thereof to seat on the bottoms of the grooves and the sides of the bottles to come in contact with each other, the weight of the bottles causing the members to swing downward when the handle is gripped to raise the carrier thereby to lock the bottles in position thereon.'

' RAYMOND G. ZENICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Turner June -7,

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