Abstract:
A parts rack for holding automotive parts for shipping and storing parts in the course of assembling of automobiles including a three dimensional framework which is assembled from elongated members detachably connected together using steel connectors to allow shipping of the racks disassembled and to allow quicker deliveries and also readily allow reconfiguration, repairs, and salvage of components.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/883,611 filed on Jan. 5, 2007. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention concerns racks and more particularly racks for holding parts required in the production of automotive vehicles. Such racks are typically used to for bulky body parts during shipping, and also in plant storage and to hold parts for the sequencing necessary in the assembly process. 
         [0003]    When a part holding rack is loaded it can be severely stressed during shipping by sudden stops, impacts, etc on trains and trucks, and must be sufficiently sturdy to avoid excessive deformation which would require repair of the rack. 
         [0004]    Such part holding racks have thus been typically constructed as a steel framework weldment, which is heavy and subject to corrosion. Also, steel being rigid, is susceptible to permanent deformation when severely loaded despite its great strength. Aluminum has also been used but its higher cost and lower strength has limited its used for this purpose. 
         [0005]    The major problem in such part holding racks is their cost and the time required to design and build the racks. This is because a great variety of part shapes are required to be accommodated, which part shapes changes from year to year. 
         [0006]    This has necessitated a custom design for most parts and a great number of holding rack configurations is required. 
         [0007]    A welded framework construction while providing strength has the disadvantage of being bulky when being shipped and making repairs on damaged racks difficult. Modification to accommodate different part shapes are difficult or completely impractical. 
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a part holding rack for automotive assembly which can be shipped disassembled for compactness, and easily assembled on site. 
         [0009]    It is yet another object to provide a part holding rack which has components which can be removed and reused if other components are damaged, or if the rack becomes obsolete. 
         [0010]    It is still another object provide part holding racks which can be quickly designed and built in many different configurations and which can be easily modified to accommodate a different part. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0011]    These and other objects of the present invention which will be understood upon a reading of following specification and claims are achieved by a modular construction of a three dimensional framework part holding rack according to the invention. This construction includes a framework provided by an array of horizontal and vertical elongated members assembled together with connector fittings receiving and holding member ends. 
         [0012]    A welded rectangular frame base has an assembled thereto an upper framework with corner posts receiving the lower ends of vertical members forming portions of the upper framework. 
         [0013]    The elongated members and connectors can be reused if the rack is damaged and also allow reconfiguration of the rack by relocating the connections and/or shortening of the elongated members. 
         [0014]    The part holding racks may be shipped flat and disassembled and put together on site with unskilled labor. 
         [0015]    Variously configured racks can be quickly designed and assembled from the modular components. The elongated members can be made of metal or advantageously of a lightweight low cost composite materials and can be easily cut to any desired length to produce a rack of any particular design. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a part holder rack according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of a part holder rack according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exploded pictorial view of an upper post connector incorporated in the part holder rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial of a T connector incorporated in the rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of a base frame corner post component with a fragmentary portion of tube member sections welded thereto. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5A  is an exploded view of the post shown in  FIG. 5  with a fragmentary portion of a mating post connector of a next below rack. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of an angled connector included in the part holder rack shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0024]    Referring to the drawings and particularly  FIG. 1 , a part holder rack  10  according to the present invention is illustrated. The rack part holder  10  includes a standardized rectangular frame base  14 . Base frame  14  is a weldment including pairs of parallel horizontal steel tubes  16 ,  18  vertically spaced apart to allow entry of fork lift bars, and are welded at either end to tubular corner posts  20  at each corner of the frame  14  base which extend above the pairs of members  16 ,  18 . 
         [0025]    An upper framework  12  includes an array of elongated vertical members  22  comprised of square tubes each having a lower end inserted in the open upper end of a respective tubular corner post  20 . The vertical members  22  may be constructed of a composite material such as glass filled resins of a suitable strength or of a metal such as aluminum or steel. 
         [0026]    A respective top nesting connector  24  receives the upper end of each vertical member  22  and is detachably secured with threaded fasteners as indicated. 
         [0027]    A series of upper horizontal elongated members  26  are also included in the upper framework  12  with the horizontal and vertical members  22 ,  26  having ends variously intersecting each other to form said upper framework  12 . The intersection members of ends are received in a respective top nesting connectors  24  to form a three dimensional framework, here forming a box in combination with the base frame  14 . 
         [0028]    The horizontal members  24  may be constructed from square tubing of a composite material or of metal such as aluminum or steel. Intermediate angled brace members  28  extending at acute angles to horizontal members may optionally be included having either end received in an angle connector  30  received over a respective horizontal member  26  and an upper base horizontal member  18 . 
         [0029]    Also, a support member  32  may be provided for holding dunnage elements (not shown) mounted extending across the upper framework  12  on a pair of intermediate vertical elongate members  34 , by pairs of T connectors  36  received on two opposing base members  18  and two upper framework members  26 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows details of the top nesting connectors  24  which includes a short square tube sections  38  preferably of steel, having a post flange  40  welded closing of the upper end. The post flange  40  includes a vertical post feature  42  formed therein. 
         [0031]    Two shorter square tube sections  44  a welded to two orthogonal sides of tubing section  38  extending horizontally therefrom. The ends of the respective horizontal members  26  are held in respective tubing sections  44  by sets of bolts, nuts, and washers  46 . 
         [0032]    The details of the base posts  20  are shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , which are constructed of an outer section  48  of heavy square tubing preferably of having bolt holes  50  drilled on two sides (through holes drilled after insertion of the vertical members  22 ). 
         [0033]    A short tube section  52  of a lighter gauge is nested into the lower end of outer section  48 , welded through cut out holes  54  in sidewalks. The short tube sections  52  limit the movement of the vertical elongate members  22  thereinto and provide a smaller opening for receiving post features  42  of a lower rack indicated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show the two respective orientations of a T connector  36 , which comprise two short square tubing sections  56 ,  58  welded together with an end of section one  58  welded to the side of the other. Nut, bolt and washer assemblies  60  passing through aligned drilled holes in each section join the connectors to ends of members  34  and to an intermediate portion of the horizontal members  26  lying at right angles to each other. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  shows details of the angled connectors  30 , which comprise a short square straight steel tubing section  62  and on angled section  64  welded to the side of section  62 . Bolt, nut and washer sets  66  secure the respective members  18  and  28  to sections  62 ,  64 . 
         [0036]    The upper framework  12  can variously be configured in many ways to be adapted to hold a particular part. 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows another configuration of a part holder rack  68 , which includes a base  14 A and in which end sections are absent in an upper framework and a single intermediate crossmember  70  is provided either end attached to horizontal members  26  with a double T connectors  72 . 
         [0038]    Intermediate vertical members  22 A have an upper end secured by double T connectors  72 . A single pair of vertical members  22 A are located intermediate the lengths of the horizontal elongated members  26 . 
         [0039]    The ends of the horizontal elongated members  26  are connected to vertical members  22 A with upper post connectors  74 , details of which are shown in  FIG. 4 . The vertical steel tube section  76  has only a single horizontal short tube section  78  welded to one side. Square holes  80  are adapted to be fit to carriage bolt heads  82 . A post flange  84  is welded atop the tube section  76 , with a vertical post feature  86  formed thereon for nesting to an above located rack. 
         [0040]    The vertical elongated members  22 A are shown as extrusions of a composite material. 
         [0041]    Dunnage elements  88 ,  90 ,  92  are mounted within the rack  68  for supporting a part (not shown). 
         [0042]    Thus, it can be appreciated that a part holder rack can be assembled at a site from the components shipped flat. 
         [0043]    Various configurations can be assembled from standardized components to quickly enable new rack configurations to be designed and built. 
         [0044]    The components can be salvaged if a rack becomes damaged, and racks can be reconfigured easily. 
         [0045]    A parts rack according to the invention thus greatly reduces costs of an item which is required by automotive manufacturers in great members and in many different configurations.