Rack apparatus for folding chairs
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for retaining and transporting chairs, comprising:
- a plurality of foldable, stackable chairs, each having a back with mutually oppositely disposed upper curved corners and, when folded, two oppositely disposed, paired front and rear leg ends positioned in adjacent, offset relationship to define an outwardly opening notch, said chairs generally exhibiting constant widthwise, lengthwise and stack height dimension when folded; and
a rack apparatus including;
a base component having a widthwise base extent of dimension corresponding substantially with said the chair lengthwise dimension and extending between substantially parallel first and second longitudinal edges and having a select lengthwise base extent along a longitudinal axis;
a first linear array of paired, upstanding chair leg alignment stanchions of predetermined height, each having a base portion fixed to said base component at said first longitudinal edge and extending from said base portion to a top portion, each pair thereof having inwardly disposed first alignment surfaces along said predetermined height slidably receiving a corresponding oppositely disposed said outwardly opening notch of a given said chair when folded to effect one retention of said given chair in alignment for stacking; and
a second linear array of paired, upstanding chair back alignment stanchions of said predetermined height, each having a base portion fixed to said base component at said second longitudinal edge and extending from said base portion to a top portion, each said pair thereof being located in symmetrical alignment with each said pair of said first linear array and each said pair thereof having at least one inwardly disposed second alignment surface configured and located to slidably align for stacking said back upper curved corners of said given chair when a said outwardly opening notch thereof is slidably received at one of said first alignment surfaces.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Rack apparatus for removably retaining and transporting a multitude of folded stack and stackable chairs is described. The apparatus includes a base frame upon which are mounted upstanding stanchions with alignment surfaces providing for the lined stacking of chairs in a sequence of chair stacking bays. The chairs may be locked within fully filled bays and the entire apparatus is movable with a conventional forklift truck into rack upon rack stacking orientations on the bed of a flat bed trailer for transportation to a site or for purposes on site and warehousing storage.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A system for retaining and transporting chairs, comprising:
-
a plurality of foldable, stackable chairs, each having a back with mutually oppositely disposed upper curved corners and, when folded, two oppositely disposed, paired front and rear leg ends positioned in adjacent, offset relationship to define an outwardly opening notch, said chairs generally exhibiting constant widthwise, lengthwise and stack height dimension when folded; and a rack apparatus including; a base component having a widthwise base extent of dimension corresponding substantially with said the chair lengthwise dimension and extending between substantially parallel first and second longitudinal edges and having a select lengthwise base extent along a longitudinal axis; a first linear array of paired, upstanding chair leg alignment stanchions of predetermined height, each having a base portion fixed to said base component at said first longitudinal edge and extending from said base portion to a top portion, each pair thereof having inwardly disposed first alignment surfaces along said predetermined height slidably receiving a corresponding oppositely disposed said outwardly opening notch of a given said chair when folded to effect one retention of said given chair in alignment for stacking; and a second linear array of paired, upstanding chair back alignment stanchions of said predetermined height, each having a base portion fixed to said base component at said second longitudinal edge and extending from said base portion to a top portion, each said pair thereof being located in symmetrical alignment with each said pair of said first linear array and each said pair thereof having at least one inwardly disposed second alignment surface configured and located to slidably align for stacking said back upper curved corners of said given chair when a said outwardly opening notch thereof is slidably received at one of said first alignment surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for transporting chairs utilizing a tractor-trailer rig having a flat bed trailer of predetermined load supporting width for supporting a load of maximum height, comprising:
-
a plurality of foldable, stackable chairs, each having a back with mutually oppositely disposed upper curved corners and, when folded, two oppositely disposed, paired front and rear leg ends positioned in adjacent, offset relationship to define an outwardly opening notch, said chairs generally exhibiting two principal dimensions when folded; a rack apparatus including; a base frame formed as a rectangle with four corner, having a lengthwise side extent and a widthwise side extend, each said side extent corresponding with an integer multiple of a unique one of said chair principal dimensions; four upstanding posts of predetermined height, each having a post base portion fixed to said base frame at one said corner and extending upwardly to a top portion and defining with said base frame a volume providing for a predetermined number of mutually adjacent bays each retaining stacked said chairs and being of bay height corresponding with said predetermined height and bay widthwise extent corresponding with said chair widthwise principal dimension; a first plurality of upstanding chair leg alignment stanchions of predetermined height, having a base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced bay defining positions and extending from said base portions to top portions, each having inwardly disposed first alignment surfaces along said predetermined height slidably receiving said outwardly opening notches of chairs, when folded and stacked in two, mutually adjacent said bays to effect a retention of said chairs in stacked alignment within said bays; and a second plurality of upstanding chair back alignment stanchions of said predetermined height, having base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced, bay defining positions, said chair back alignment stanchions extending from said base portions to top portions, each being symmetrically aligned with a corresponding one of said chair leg alignment stanchions to define said bay, and each having inwardly disposed second alignment surfaces aligning said back upper curved corners of said chairs, when folded and stacked. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. System for storing and transporting a multitude of foldable, stackable chairs, each having a back with mutually oppositely disposed upper curved corners and, when folded, two oppositely disposed, paired front and rear leg ends positioned in adjacent, offset relationship to define an outwardly opening notch, said chairs generally exhibiting two principal dimensions when folded including widthwise and lengthwise dimensions and having a stack height dimension when folded, and being transportable by a tractor-trailer rig having a flat bed trailer of predetermined load supporting width for supporting a load of maximum height, comprising:
-
a base frame formed as a rectangle with four corners, having a lengthwise side extent and a widthwise side extent, each said side extent corresponding with an integer multiple of a unique one of said chair principal dimensions; four upstanding posts of predetermined height, each having a post base portion fixed to said base frame at one said corner and extending upwardly to a top portion and defining with said base frame a volume providing for a predetermined number of mutually adjacent stacked chair retaining bays of bay height corresponding with said predetermined height and bay widthwise extent corresponding with said chair widthwise principal dimension; a first plurality of upstanding chair leg alignment stanchions of predetermined height, having base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced bay defining positions and extending from said base portions to top portions, each having inwardly disposed first alignment surfaces along said predetermined height configured to slidably receive said outwardly opening notches of chairs, when folded and stacked in two, mutually adjacent said bays to effect a retention of said chairs in stacked alignment within said bays, and said stanchions configured having a rectangular cross section defining four outwardly disposed surfaces, three of said surfaces providing two of said first alignment surfaces; and a second plurality of upstanding chair back alignment stanchions of said predetermined height, having base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced, bay defining positions, said chair back alignment stanchions extending from said base portions to top portions, each being symmetrically aligned with a corresponding one of said chair leg alignment stanchions to define said bay, and each having inwardly disposed second alignment surfaces configured and located to slidably align for stacking said back upper curved corners of said chairs, when folded, and said stanchions configured having two adjacently disposed second alignment surfaces oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to a said first alignment surface, said angle being selected for tangential slidable contact with a said chair back upper curved surface.
-
-
21. The method for transporting a multitude of foldable, stackable chairs to the location of a public gathering, each said chair having a back with mutually oppositely disposed upper curved corners and, when folded, oppositely disposed, paired front and rear leg ends positioned in adjacent, offset relationship to define an outwardly opening notch, said chairs generally exhibiting two principal dimensions when folded including widthwise and lengthwise dimensions and having a stack height dimension when folded, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a rack apparatus including; a base frame formed as a rectangle with four corners, having a lengthwise side extent and a widthwise side extent, each said side extent corresponding with an integer multiple of a unique one of said chair principal dimensions; four upstanding posts of predetermined height, each having a post base portion fixed to said base frame at one said corner and extending upwardly to a top portion and defining with said base frame a volume providing for a predetermined number of mutually adjacent stacked chair retaining bays of bay height corresponding with said predetermined height and bay widthwise extent corresponding with said chair widthwise principal dimension; a first plurality of upstanding chair leg alignment stanchions of predetermined height, having base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced bay defining positions and extending from said base portions to top portions, each having inwardly disposed first alignment surfaces along said predetermined height configured to slidably receive said outwardly opening notches of chairs, when folded and stacked in two, mutually adjacent said bays to effect a retention of said chairs in stacked alignment within said bays, and a second plurality of upstanding chair back alignment stanchions of said predetermined height, having base portions fixed to said base frame at spaced, bay defining positions, said chair back alignment stanchions extending from said base portions to top portions, each being symmetrically aligned with a corresponding one of said chair leg alignment stanchions to define said bay, and each having inwardly disposed second alignment surfaces configured and located to slidably align for stacking said back upper curved corners of said chairs, when folded; stacking a plurality of said chairs within each said adjacent bay in a manner wherein said outwardly opening notch of each said chair is in slidable engagement with one of said first alignment surfaces, and each said chair back upper curved corner is in slidable engagement with one of said second alignment surfaces; loading said rack apparatus upon a vehicle; transporting said loaded rack apparatus to the vicinity of said location with said vehicle and unloading said rack apparatus thereat; and transporting said unloaded rack apparatus to said location and removing said stacked chairs therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
Specification