Rack assembly for elongated objects

Claim 2

A rack assembly for elongated objects, said assembly comprising a base portion for disposition on a substantially horizontal floor, a central member upstanding substantially vertically from a central portion of said base portion, a substantially planar lower sprocket member mounted on said central member between the ends of said central member, and a substantially planar upper sprocket member mounted on said central member nearer a free end of said central member than said lower sprocket member, each of said sprocket members having a plurality of radially outwardly extending receiving portions, each of said receiving portions comprising a hub portion and two separated, parallel, radially outwardly extending fingers, each of said fingers comprising an integral, substantially planar extension of said planar sprocket members, each of said sprocket members having peripheral openings disposed between said receiving portions, each of said openings being defined by a further hub portion and two neighboring receiving portions, and a plurality of closure means, each closure means being disposed individually on a first of said two fingers of each of said sprocket member, and biased toward the second of said two fingers to substantially close a receiving portion, the upper and lower sprocket members being of substantially equal outside diameter, each receiving portion of said upper sprocket member being disposed between two of said receiving portions of said lower sprocket member and in alignment with one of said openings of said lower sprocket member as viewed axially of said central member, with said base portion underlying all of said receiving portions and said openings, and a support member adapted for connection to said base portion, said support member including collar means and fins attached to said collar means and disposed to upstand from an upper surface of said base portion when said support member is connected to said base portion, said collar means being shaped complementarily to said central member to receive and retain said central member.

Claim 3

The assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said central member comprises first and second tubular members adapted to telescopic connection to each other, and in which said support member slidably receives said first tubular member, said first tubular member connectingly receives said second tubular member, and said second and first tubular members slidably receive said sprocket members, whereby said base portion, said support member, said first and second tubular members, and said sprocket members may be readily joined to form said assembly in condition for use, or readily disconnected for compact storage and portability.

Claim 4

A rack assembly for elongated objects, said assembly comprising a base portion for disposition on a substantially horizontal floor, a central member upstanding substantially vertically from a central portion of said base portion, a substantially planar lower sprocket member mounted on said central member between the ends of said central member, and a substantially planar upper sprocket member mounted on said central member nearer a free end of said central member than said lower sprocket member, each of said sprocket members having a plurality of radially outwardly extending receiving portions, each of said receiving portions comprising a hub portion and two separated, parallel, radially outwardly extending fingers, each of said fingers comprising an integral, substantially planar extension of said planar sprocket members, each of said sprocket members having peripheral openings disposed between said receiving portions, each of said openings being defined by a further hub portion and two neighboring receiving portions, and a plurality of closure means, each closure means being disposed individually on a first of said two fingers of each of said sprocket members, and biased toward the second of said two fingers to substantially close a receiving portion, the upper and lower sprocket members being of substantially equal outside diameter, each receiving portion of said upper sprocket member being disposed between two of said receiving portions of said lower sprocket member and in alignment with one of said openings of said lower sprocket member as viewed axially of said central member, each receiving portion of said lower sprocket member being disposed between two of said receiving portions of said upper sprocket member and in alignment with an opening of said upper sprocket member, as viewed axially of said central member, said closure means each comprising an axially moveable plunger biased toward a closed position, and a grip member fixed to said plunger and manually manipulable to move said plunger against said bias, said base portion underlying all of said receiving portions and said openings.

Claim 5

A rack assembly for elongated objects, said assembly comprising a base portion for disposition on a substantially horizontal floor, a central member upstanding substantially vertically from a central portion of said base portion, a substantially planar lower sprocket member mounted on said central member between the ends of said central member, and a substantially planar upper sprocket member mounted on said central member nearer a free end of said central member than said lower sprocket member, each of said sprocket members having a plurality of radially outwardly extending receiving portions, each of said receiving portions comprising a hub portion and two separated, parallel, radially outwardly extending fingers, each of said fingers comprising an integral, substantially planar extension of said planar sprocket members, each of said sprocket members having peripheral openings disposed between said receiving portions, each of said openings being defined by a further hub portion and two neighboring receiving portions, and a plurality of closure means, each closure means being disposed individually on a first of said two fingers of each of said sprocket members, and biased toward the second of said two fingers to substantially close a receiving portion, the upper and lower sprocket members being of substantially equal outside diameter, each receiving portion of said upper sprocket member being disposed between two of said receiving portions of said lower sprocket member and in alignment with one of said openings of said lower sprocket member as viewed axially of said central member, each receiving portion of said lower sprocket member being disposed between two of said receiving portions of said upper sprocket member and in alignment with an opening of said upper sprocket member, as viewed axially of said central member, said closure means each comprising an axially moveable plunger biased toward a closed position, and a grip member fixed to said plunger and manually manipulable to move said plunger against said bias, said base portion underlying all of said receiving portions and said openings.