Sandbag support

An integral support is provided incorporating a pair of horizontally spaced-apart, horizontally opening and edge upstanding panel member-like U-shaped members. The U-shaped members open in the same horizontal direction and a connecting panel portion extends between adjacent legs of the side-by-side U-shaped members. The free ends of the remote legs of the U-shaped members include hand grip defining openings and the legs of the U-shaped members are divergent toward the free ends thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a form to be supported from the ground or other 
suitable horizontal support surface and from which two horizontally spaced 
apart empty sandbags may be supported for filling the interiors thereof 
with sand by shovel equipped work persons and without either bag having to 
be held in an upright position by yet another work person. 
2. Description of Related Art 
Various different forms of supports including some of the general 
structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,687,408; 3,822,524, 3,915,329; 4,037,778; 4,280,676; 
4,316,591; and 4,338,979. However, these previously known forms of 
supports do not include the combination of structural features 
incorporated in the instant invention which enable sandbags to be 
supported during filling thereof with sand without a person holding the 
sandbags in an upright open position and without some means being 
required, in at least some instances, to maintain the sandbag support in 
stationary upright position. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The sandbag support of the instant invention incorporates a pair of 
horizontally spaced apart, horizontally opening, edge upstanding and 
generally panel-like U-shaped members having generally coplanar upper and 
lower edges. Horizontally elongated connecting structure extends between 
and rigidly connects adjacent lower edge portions of the U-shaped members. 
The U-shaped members each may support a flexible empty sandbag in 
upstanding position with the support affording sufficient support to the 
sandbag to enable the latter to be maintained in upright position while 
sand is being shoveled or otherwise dispensed thereinto. 
The U-shaped members enable a filled sandbag to be readily removed from the 
support, or the support to be readily removed from about two filled 
sandbags. In addition, the utilization of a pair of U-shaped members 
secured together in horizontally spaced-apart relation enables each of the 
U-shaped members as well as the connecting structure extending there 
between to afford additional stability to the other U-shaped member. In 
this manner, the pair of interconnected U-shaped members affords 
substantially greater stability to each of the associated sandbags being 
filled than would be provided in the event a single U-shaped member was 
provided for each sandbag to be filled. 
The main object of this invention is to provide a sandbag support to 
greatly facilitate the proper and rapid filling of sandbags. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a sandbag support including 
structural features thereof enabling the support to be used in filling 
sandbags while on an incline. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a sandbag support 
which may be used efficiently by inexperienced persons. 
Yet another important of this invention is to provide a sandbag support 
which may be used efficiently even in adverse weather conditions. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a sandbag support 
which will facilitate the removal of a filled sandbag therefrom. 
Another very important object of this invention, in accordance with the 
immediately preceding object, is to provide a sandbag support which may be 
removed from about a filled sandbag. 
Another important object of this invention is to provide a sandbag support 
constructed in a manner such that a large number of sandbag supports may 
be nested relative to each other for storage and transport. 
Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a sandbag 
support having structural features thereof which facilitate the handling 
of the support during a sandbag filling operation. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide a sandbag support in accordance with the preceding objects and 
which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple 
construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be 
economically feasible, longlasting and relatively trouble-free in 
operation. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally 
designates the sandbag support of the instant invention. The support 10 
includes a pair of horizontally spaced-apart, horizontally opening, edge 
upstanding and generally panel-like U-shaped members 12 and 14, each 
including a pair of generally parallel legs 16 and 18 interconnected at 
corresponding ends by a curved bight portion 20. 
The legs 18 have vertically extending openings 22 formed therethrough 
adjacent their ends remote from the bight portions 20 and the U-shaped 
members 12 and 14 include generally coplanar upper edges 24 as well as 
generally planar lower edges 26. A generally horizontal connecting panel 
28 extends between and rigidly interconnects the free end portions 30 of 
the lower edges 26 of the legs 16. Further, each of the bight portions 20 
includes an inwardly projecting portion 32 which prevents the supports 
from tightly wedging together when nested in the manner illustrated in 
FIG. 5. From FIG. 4, it may be seen that the legs 16 and 18 of each 
U-shaped member 12 and 14 are slightly divergent toward the free ends 
thereof remote from the bight portions 20. Accordingly, the supports 10 
may be reasonably tightly removably nested for compactness during storage 
and/or shipment. 
The support 10 may be constructed of sheet metal and formed from a single 
piece of sheet metal. On the other hand, the support 10 may be constructed 
of durable plastic. 
Although a single U-shaped member 12 or 14 could be used to support a 
sandbag during filling of the same with sand, such a single U-shaped 
member obviously would not have the stability that is offered by the 
support 10. A single sandbag supported by only a single U-shaped member 
could be readily upset with the first shovel full of sand placed within 
the associated sandbag or any of the first three or four shovel fulls of 
sand. However, when a pair of support members 12 and 14 are provided, 
upset of the support 10, even when only one sandbag is being filled, is 
substantially impossible. Also, the support 10 will provide a stable 
support for one or two sandbags, even if the support 10 is disposed on an 
inclined surface. Therefore, the support 10, whether being used to fill 
two sandbags or only one sandbag provides stable support for the 
sandbag(s) being filled against upset during the filling operation. This 
is extremely important when persons filling sandbags are unexperienced, 
greatly fatigued, working on an incline, working in inclement weather and 
working at a feverish pace, all of which conditions may exist 
simultaneously during a flooding averting effort. 
The foregoing is considered illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted 
to, falling within the scope of the invention.