Frame support and stacking system

Abstract

A system for stacking vehicle frames on a floor support has a floor support with a plurality of upwardly reaching support pillars for holding a bottom frame of a stack of frames, stacking means with a resilient body and a support pin inserted into holes at an end of the frames so that the stacking means separate one of the frames from another of the frames in the stack of frames a predetermined distance. The stacking means has a non-metallic body with an upper end, forming an upper surface, which is angled to cooperate with a lower surface of a the frames, and a lower end, forming a lower surface, which is angled to cooperate with an upper surface of a the frames, and a support rod coated with a plastic material and centrally arranged in the body in a longitudinal direction of the body, the support rod being inserted into holes of the frames.

What is claimed as the invention is:  
     
         1 . A system for stacking vehicle frames on a floor support comprising: 
 a floor support, having a plurality of upwardly reaching support pillars for resting a bottom frame of said frames to form a stack of frames,    stacking means, having a resilient body and a support pin inserted into holes at an end of said frames so that said stacking means separate one of said frames from another of said frames in said stack of frames a predetermined distance.    
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said stacking means comprises: 
 a non-metallic body with an upper end, forming an upper surface, which is angled to cooperate with a lower surface of a said frames, and a lower end, forming a lower surface, which is angled to cooperate with an upper surface of a said frames;    a support rod coated with a plastic material and centrally arranged in said body in a longitudinal direction of said body, said support rod being inserted into holes of said frames.    
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said body is made from a plastic material.  
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said body is made from a polyurethane elastomer.  
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said body is made from a polyether.  
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said stacking means comprise 
 first stacking means, having a first resilient body and a first support pin inserted into holes at a first end of said frames so that said first stacking means separate one of said frames from another of said frames in said stack of frames a first predetermined distance, and    second stacking means, having a second resilient body and a second support pin inserted into holes at a second end of said frames so that said second stacking means separate one of said frames from another of said frames in said stack of frames a second predetermined distance.    
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises 
 a third stacking means, having a third resilient body and a third support rod inserted into holes on top of a top frame of said stack of frames for providing a resting surface for a strap.    
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said system comprises 
 a third stacking means, having a third resilient body and a third support rod inserted into holes on top of a top frame of said stack of frames for providing a resting surface for a strap.    
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises 
 a fourth stacking means, arranged on said support pillars and having a resilient body for providing a resilient support for said bottom frame of said stack of frames.    
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said system comprises 
 a fourth stacking means, arranged on said support pillars and having a resilient body for providing a resilient support for said bottom frame of said stack of frames.    
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises vertical straps arranged in a general middle portion of said frame stack.  
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said vertical straps comprise first and second middle straps tied to said floor support and looped over a respective second frame of each said frame stack.  
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said vertical straps comprise third and fourth middle straps tying one side of each said frame stack together by looping directly over one frame rail of one said frame stack.  
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises diagonal end straps for each said frame stack, said diagonal end straps looping over top and bottom frames of one said frame stack only without being attached to said floor support.  
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises vertical end straps forming a looped end attached around a strut attached to said floor support.  
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said system comprises longitudinal diagonal straps, looped over a cross-brace of said floor support at a first end of said diagonal straps, said cross-brace running transversely to a longitudinal direction of said floor support, an opposite end of said diagonal straps being looped over an end cross-bar attached to each end of each said frame.