Scuba tank rack

Claim 1

A portable rack for holding four cylindrical tanks securely in place, said rack comprising in combination: (a) a bottom support means having an upper surface and a lower surface and including four retaining means in said upper surface for retaining the bottoms of said four cylindrical tanks, respectively, said four retaining means being arranged substantially symmetrically about a central portion of said upper surface of said bottom support means; (b) upright means rigidly extending vertically from said central portion of said upper surface for laterally supporting four cylindrical tanks positioned on said bottom support means and having their bottoms respectively retained by said retaining means; and (c) four flexible securing means engaged with said upright means for looping tautly over the necks of said four cylindrical tanks, respectively, to hold said four cylindrical tanks firmly against said upright means, wherein each of said flexible securing means includes a flexible strand passing through an opening in said upright means, said flexible strand forming a loop, said loop having a length such that when said loop is stretched to engage the neck of one of said cylindrical tanks said loop is sufficiently taut to force said cylindrical tank securely against said upright means and wherein said loop extends both upwardly and outwardly from said opening to the neck of said cylindrical tank to produce a downward component of force on said cylindrical tank tending to force said cylindrical tank tightly against said bottom support means and a horizontal component force tending to force said cylindrical tank against said upright means.