Nesting transportable wine barrel rack

Abstract

A wine barrel rack system may include single barrel cradles ( 500 ) (or alternatively hardware for constructing such single barrel cradles), which may include two wedge plate bodies ( 504 ), each having upper barrel contact surfaces ( 508 a, 512 a, 430 ) configured to contact and support a single barrel (BA) in an upper tier at two or more locations. The wedge plate bodies ( 504 ) also include lower barrel contact surfaces ( 510 a, 514 a, 430 ) configured to contact and be supported by two barrels in a lower tier relative to the single barrel cradle. The wedge plate bodies ( 504 ) can be curved upward to cause the upper barrel contact surfaces to both contact a same upper tier barrel and to orient the lower barrel contact surfaces to contact the two lower tier barrels when the upper and lower tiers are offset in a staggered stacking configuration. Methods and systems are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wine barrel rack and support system, comprising:
 at least one ground level rack assembly including first and second ground level side rails oriented generally parallel to one another, said ground level rack assembly configured to support a plurality of barrels;   a plurality of elongate cross-members having an elongate tubular portion with first and second ends, and cross-member flanges disposed on each of said first and second ends, where at least two of said cross-members are disposed between and connect said first and second ground level side rails;   at least two upper level single-barrel cradles, each including first and second wedge plates affixed to at least two of said cross-members at said cross-member flanges, said wedge plates having an upper edge and a lower edge; and   resilient mounting chocks disposed on either or both of said cross-member flanges and said wedge plates;   wherein said first and second ground level side rails and said upper level barrel cradles each have a disassembled/nested configuration for storage and transport and an assembled configuration for supporting a plurality of wine barrels.   
     
     
         2 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second ground level side rails comprise sheet metal panels having an upper bend forming a flange and a lower bend forming a flange, and having a plurality of upper cut outs shaped and sized to accommodate a portion of a wine barrel. 
     
     
         3 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said wedge plates include upper mounting tongues onto which said chocks are disposed. 
     
     
         4 . The wine barrel rack and support of  claim 1 , wherein said wedge plates include upper and lower mounting tongues on which said chocks are disposed. 
     
     
         5 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting flanges and said cross-member flanges are approximated in a side-by-side layer and said chocks are disposed on the edges of both said mounting tongues and said cross-member flanges. 
     
     
         6 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said chocks are disposed on said cross-member flanges. 
     
     
         7 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said wedge plates are planar metal plates. 
     
     
         8 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said single-barrel cradles are arcuate. 
     
     
         9 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 8 , wherein said single-barrel cradles have a radius slightly larger than that of a 60-gallon wine barrel as measured between the quarter hoop and head hoop circumferences of the barrel. 
     
     
         10 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 9 , wherein said single-barrel cradles include mounting tongues are defined by slots cut into said upper edge and said lower edge. 
     
     
         11 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 1 , wherein said single-barrel cradles are sized to span between adjacent barrels in the same level as separated by the spacing between adjacent barrels disposed on said ground level rack assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The wine barrel rack of  claim 1 , wherein said ground level rack assemblies include end structure to connect to adjoining ground level rack assemblies. 
     
     
         13 . The wine barrel rack of  claim 1 , wherein said cross-member flanges are bolting plates affixed to said ground level rack assembly and said single-barrel cradles using nuts and bolts. 
     
     
         14 . The wine barrel rack of  claim 1 , wherein said cross-member flanges are welded to said ground level rack assembly and said single-barrel cradles. 
     
     
         15 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 14 , wherein said wedge plates include upper mounting tongues onto which said chocks are disposed. 
     
     
         16 . The wine barrel rack and support of  claim 14 , wherein said wedge plates include upper and lower mounting tongues on which said chocks are disposed. 
     
     
         17 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 14 , wherein said mounting flanges and said cross-member flanges are approximated in a side-by-side layer and said chocks are disposed on the edges of both said mounting tongues and said cross-member flanges. 
     
     
         18 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 14 , wherein said chocks are disposed on said cross-member flanges. 
     
     
         19 . A method of stacking barrels for wine and spirits production and storage, comprising:
 providing a ground level rack assembly that includes:   first and second ground level side rails oriented generally parallel to one another, each of the first and second ground level side rails fabricated from sheet metal panels, having an upper bend forming a flange and a lower bend forming a flange, and having a plurality of upper cut outs shaped and sized to accommodate a portion of a wine barrel;   a plurality of elongate cross-members disposed between and connecting the first and second ground level side rails, the cross members having an elongate tubular portion with first and second ends, and cross-member flanges disposed on each of the first and second ends;   providing at least two upper level barrel cradles, each including first and second wedge plates affixed to at least two of the cross-members at the cross-member flanges, the wedge plates having an upper edge and a lower edge, and resilient mounting chocks disposed on either or both of the cross-member flanges and the wedge plates;   wherein the first and second ground level side rails and the upper level barrel cradles each have a disassembled/nested configuration for storage and transport and an assembled configuration for supporting a plurality of wine barrels;   assembling at least one ground level rack assembly;   assembling at least one upper level barrel cradle;   placing a plurality of barrels on the ground level rack assembly, such that there is at least one pair of adjacent barrels on the ground level rack assembly;   placing at least one upper level barrel cradle between the at least one pair of adjacent barrels; and   placing a barrel atop the at least one upper level barrel cradle.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including the step of seismically securing the barrel placed on the at least one upper level barrel cradle with a tie down strap. 
     
     
         21 . A wine barrel rack and support system, comprising:
 at least two upper level barrel cradles, each including first and second wedge plates affixed to at least two of the cross-members at the cross-member flanges, the wedge plates having an upper edge and a lower edge; and   resilient mounting chocks disposed on either or both of the cross-member flanges and the wedge plates.   
     
     
         22 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 21 , further including:
 a ground level rack assembly including first and second ground level side rails oriented generally parallel to one another, each of the first and second ground level side rails fabricated from sheet metal panels, having an upper bend forming a flange and a lower bend forming a flange, and having a plurality of upper cut outs shaped and sized to accommodate a portion of a wine barrel; and   a plurality of elongate cross-members disposed between and connecting the first and second ground level side rails, the cross members having an elongate tubular portion with first and second ends, and cross-member flanges disposed on each of the first and second ends;   wherein the first and second ground level side rails and the upper level barrel cradles each have a disassembled/nested configuration for storage and transport and an assembled configuration for supporting a plurality of wine barrels.   
     
     
         23 . The wine barrel rack and support system of  claim 22 , further including resilient mounting chocks disposed on either of the cross-member flanges and the wedge plates. 
     
     
         24 . An wedge plate comprising:
 a wedge plate body having a first end and a second end, a first wedge body axis passing from the first end to the second end and a second wedge body axis perpendicular to the first axis;   a first upper barrel contact surface and a second upper barrel contact surface projecting upward from an upper surface of the wedge plate body, the first upper barrel contact surface disposed near the first end and the second upper barrel contact surface disposed near the second end, a first end contact surface axis passing through the first upper barrel contact surface and a second end contact surface axis passing through the second upper barrel contact surface, the first end contact surface axis and the second end contact surface axis lying in a same plane as the first wedge body axis and the second wedge body axis and angled inward such that they intersect the second wedge body axis and each other above the upper surface;   a first lower barrel contact surface and a second lower barrel contact surface projecting downward from a lower surface of the wedge plate body opposite the upper surface, the first lower barrel contact surface disposed near the first end and the second lower barrel contact surface disposed near the second end, the first lower barrel contact surface being directed approximately opposite the first upper barrel contact surface along the first end contact surface axis, and the second lower barrel contact surface being directed approximately opposite the second upper barrel contact surface along the second end contact surface axis.   
     
     
         25 . A wedge plate as in  claim 24 , wherein the wedge plate body has a substantially planar shape. 
     
     
         26 . A wedge plate as in any of  claims 24  to  25 , wherein the wedge plate body has a curved shape with mirror image symmetry about the second body axis. 
     
     
         27 . A single barrel cradle comprising two wedge plates as in any of  claims 24  to  26  and at least on cross member attached to the two wedge plates at opposite ends of the at least one cross member, the single barrel cradle being configured to support a single upper tier barrel contacting the first upper barrel contact surface and the second upper barrel contact surface on each of the two wedge plates and being supported by two lower tier barrels, a first of the two lower tier barrels contacting the first lower barrel contact surface on each of the two wedge plates and a second of the two lower tier barrels contacting the second lower barrel contact surface on each of the two wedge plates.