Glass Storage and Transport Rack with Pivoting Arms

Abstract

The present invention is operable to store or transport one or more sheets of any material, including fragile materials. The present invention may be utilized to store or transport a wide variety of materials including, panes of glass, laminated glass, insulated glass, plastic sheets, or any other rigid panels of any material. The transport rack includes slots wherein one or more glass panes may be loaded and supported. One or more rotatable gripping arms may be utilized to support the one or more panes of glass positioned within the slots. Cushioning material may cover or coat the supporting members and/or gripping arm. One or more glass panes positioned in the transport rack may be protected from breakage during storage or transport.

1 ) A rack for transporting one or more sheets of material, comprising:
 a) a base member;   b) a vertical member attached to the base member; and   c) one or more slot members forming one or more slots, said one or more slots members having a cushioning material attached thereto, and said one or more slot members being attached to the base member and being operable to receive at least one of the one or more sheets of material in one of the one or more slots whereby the at least one sheet of material is held in position by at least one of the one or more slot members; and   
       whereby the one or more sheets of material are protected from damage while positioned in the one or more slots. 
     
     
         2 ) The rack of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more vertical slot members being attached to the vertical member to form one or more vertical slots, said one or more vertical slots being aligned with the one or more slots of the base member. 
     
     
         3 ) The rack of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more rotatable arms attached to the vertical member being rotatable to varying positions, and at least one of the one or more rotatable arms contacting the one or more glass panes positioned within one of the one or more slots and holding the one or more glass panes in position. 
     
     
         4 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising the one or more rotatable arms having the cushioning material attached thereto where the rotatable arms contact the at least one sheet of material. 
     
     
         5 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising the one or more rotatable arms having a pivotable tip that contacts the at least one sheet of material, said pivotable tip having cushioning material attached thereto, whereby the cushioning material contacts the at least one sheet of material. 
     
     
         6 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising a vertical member having a bar at its uppermost end, and said one or more rotatable arms being attached to the bar in a manner whereby the rotatable arms rotate around the bar. 
     
     
         7 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising one or more rotatable arms being rotatable from a storage position to a holding position, whereby the one or more rotatable arms grip the at least one sheet of material positioned in the one or more slots when the one or more rotatable arms are in the holding position. 
     
     
         8 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising a vertical member having at least one restraining element operable to restrain the one or more rotatable arms from contacting the at least one sheet of material when the one or more rotatable arms are in the storage position. 
     
     
         9 ) The rack of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one of the one or more rotatable arms being adjustable, by way of an adjustment means incorporated in the one or more rotatable arms, whereby the one or more rotatable arms may contact and hold in a position within the one or more slots the at least one sheet of material and said at least one sheet of material may be of variant vertical heights. 
     
     
         10 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more slot members or one or more vertical slot members may be formed of a flexible material. 
     
     
         11 ) The rack of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material is high-density polyethylene. 
     
     
         12 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is retractable when force is exerted thereon, and expandable when force is not exerted thereon, whereby the cushioning material expands and retracts to support the at least one sheet of material being of variant thicknesses within the one or more slots and between the one or more slot members. 
     
     
         13 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is foamed skinned urethane manufactured by a thermoset process of reaction injection moulding. 
     
     
         14 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material has a tacky surface, whereby the cushioning material grips the at least one sheet of material positioned within the one or more slots. 
     
     
         15 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein the base member is operable to swivel in a manner to incline the base member on an angle, whereby the angle of the base member facilitates ease of loading the at least one sheet of material onto the rack. 
     
     
         16 ) The rack of  claim 14 , wherein the base member is adjustable to be swiveled to varying inclined positions by way of an adjustment means. 
     
     
         17 ) The rack of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sheet of material is a fragile material including at least one of the following: glass panes, laminated glass, insulated glass, plastic sheets, rigid panels of any material. 
     
     
         18 ) A method for transporting and storing one or more sheets of material in a rack, comprising the steps of:
 a) loading at least one of the one or more sheets of material in the rack, said rack being formed of:
 i) a base member; 
 ii) a vertical member attached to the base member; 
 iii) one or more rotatable arms attached to the vertical member in a rotatable manner, said one or more rotatable arms having cushioning material attached thereto at the end distant from the vertical member; and 
 iv) one or more slot members forming one or more slots, said one or more slots members having a cushioning material attached thereto, and said one or more slot members being attached to the base member and being operable to receive at least one of the one or more sheets of material in one of the one or more slots whereby the at least one sheet of material is held in position by at least one of the one or more slot members; and 
   b) positioning the at least one of the one or more sheets of material within at least one of the one or more slots, whereby the at least one of the one or more sheets of material is positioned between the one or more slot members; and   c) rotating at least one of the one or more rotatable arms to position the arm to support the at least one of the one or more sheets of material, whereby the cushioning material attached to the at least one of the one or more rotatable arms contacts the at least one of the one or more sheets of material; and   
       whereby the at least one of the one or more sheets of material is positioned in the rack and is supported therein in a manner that averts breakage or damage to the at least one of the one or more sheets of material. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of adjusting the incline angle of the base member, whereby the ease of loading the at least one of the one or more sheets of material into the rack is increased.