Bicycle display rack

A bicycle rack for displaying bicycles in a retail situation has a wall mount member with a pair of angle irons arranged in a horizontal position attached to the wall with horizontal flanges projecting outwardly from the wall at different vertical heights. A plurality of rack members are mounted on the wall mount member and each has a vertical rod pivotal in a a pair of aligned holes in the flanges and a horizontal rail portion in the form of an angle iron turned with the apex projecting downwardly to define a channel to receive an edge of the wheel of the bicycle. A pair of angle braces extend upwardly and rearwardly from sides of the channel to a tab welded to the rod adjacent the top of the rod. A stop member in the channel prevents the wheel from moving forwardly.

This invention relates to a rack for mounting on a wall for displaying a 
plurality of bicycles. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Bicycles, as is well known, are relatively cumbersome and difficult to 
store. In a retail situation where it is required to store and display a 
large number of bicycles, the problem is exacerbated so that the stored 
bicycles are difficult to present attractively to the retail customer. In 
some cases the bicycles simply stand in a row on the floor and is 
difficult for the customer to see the attractive features of each of the 
bicycles or to access the bicycle for a closer view. In other cases racks 
are provided which are raised from the floor and store the bicycles in a 
row at a raised height. Again it is difficult for the customer to access 
the particular bicycle of interest and to see its attractive features 
since it is difficult to get to a position alongside that bicycle without 
removing it from the rack. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an 
improved rack by which bicycles can be stored in an attractive appearance 
and readily displayed for proper viewing of their features. 
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a rack for 
mounting on a wall for displaying a plurality of bicycles comprising a 
wall mount member having a first upper horizontal rail and a second lower 
horizontal rail each for mounting along the wall at a height spaced from 
the floor and a plurality of rack members each for receiving a respective 
one of the bicycles for display, the rails having pairs of holes each pair 
being aligned relative to and coaxial about a vertical axis with the axes 
spaced longitudinally along the rails, each rack member comprising a 
vertical post portion defining pin ends for projecting through a 
respective pair of the holes so that the post portion is supported on the 
rails and is maintained vertical for pivotal movement about the vertical 
axis, a horizontal rail portion attached to the post portion for pivotal 
movement therewith and projecting outwardly from the wall, the rail 
portion defining a channel for confining a bottom edge of the wheels of 
the bicycle, and a pair of angle braces each inclined from a point on the 
rail portion spaced from the post portion upwardly and toward the post 
portion with each angle brace on a respective side of the channel to hold 
the rail portion horizontal and to locate that wheel of the bicycle 
adjacent the post portion.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts 
in the different figures. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The rack for displaying a plurality of bicycles, particularly in a retail 
situation, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises a wall mount member 10 
and a plurality of rack members 11 mounted on the wall mount member each 
for receiving and supporting a bicycle part of which is illustrated at 12. 
The bicycle is of course conventional so that only the rear wheel 13 and a 
part of the frame 14 is shown with the remainder of the bicycle being 
apparent to the person skilled in the art. 
The wall mount member 10 comprises an upper horizontal rail 15 and a lower 
horizontal rail 16, each of which is formed by an angle iron so as to 
define a vertical flange 17 and a horizontal flange 18. The vertical 
flanges 17 are screwed to a wall 19 by screws 20 so as to support the 
horizontal flanges 18 in parallel spaced relationship, both of them being 
spaced from the floor. To form the rails into a rigid structure, the rails 
are interconnected by vertical connecting bars 21 which can also be formed 
as angle irons and screwed to the walls by screws 20. 
The wall mount member therefore defines the pair of horizontal flanges 18 
and these include a plurality of aligned holes 22 and 23. Thus each rack 
member is associated with a respective pair of the holes 22, 23 with those 
holes being aligned and coaxial about a vertical axis 24. The pairs of 
holes are spaced longitudinally of the rails by a distance which is 
preferably in the order of eighteen inches. 
Each rack member comprises a vertical rod 25 of a diameter to fit through 
the holes 22 and 23. In the mounted position, therefore, the rod 25 
extends through the holes 22, 23 and provides an upper pin portion 25A and 
lower pin portion 25B each projecting beyond the respective horizontal 
flange 18 so as to hold the rod in position along the axis 24 and pivotal 
about the axis 24. The rod 25 thus forms a vertical post portion mounted 
in the wall mount member. 
The rack member further includes a horizontal rail portion 26 which defines 
a channel for receiving the bottom edge of both wheels of the bicycle 12. 
The channel is defined simply by an angle iron arranged with the apex 
downwardly to define a V-shape so that the wheel simply sits in the V 
channel and is prevented from side to side movement. An inner end 27 of 
the horizontal rail portion is welded to the rod 25. 
The rack member further includes a pair of angle braces 28 and 29 which are 
connected to the horizontal rail portion at a position spaced away from 
the rod 25 and are inclined upwardly and rearwardly therefrom for 
attachment to the rod at a position adjacent the top of the rod. The angle 
braces 28 and 29 are welded to respective side edges 30 and 31 of the 
horizontal rail portion. The upper end of the angle braces is welded to a 
tab 32 which is in turn welded to the rod 25. The tab 32 is formed by a 
rectangular metal plate welded to the front side of the rod at a position 
just spaced downwardly from the rail 15. The width of the tab 32 is 
arranged so that the angle braces 28 and 29 as well as inclining upwardly 
and rearwardly also are inclined slightly inwardly so that their spacing 
reduces from the horizontal rail portion up to the tab. The spacing of the 
angle braces at the tab 32 is arranged relative to the width of the wheel 
13 of the bicycle so as to prevent significant side to side movement of 
the bicycle at the tab 32. 
The horizontal rail portion 26 sits on the upper surface of the flange 18 
of the lower rail 16. The length of the lower pin portion 25B of the rod 
25 projecting downwardly beyond the bottom edge of the horizontal rail 
portion 16 is sufficient to extend into and slightly through the flange 18 
of the bottom rail 16 to hold the rod in place. However the length of the 
upper pin portion 25A which is the length of the lower pin portion 25B is 
slightly less than the distance between the flange 18 of the upper rail 15 
and the tab 32 to allow the rack member to be lifted upwardly and the 
lower pin portion 25B of the rod removed from the bottom rail 16 to allow 
the rack member to be removed from the wall mount member. 
In order to prevent the bicycle from moving away from the post portion 
defined by the rod 25, there is provided a raised stop 35 welded in the 
interior of the horizontal rail portion and as shown this is defined by a 
portion of angle iron with the apex extending upwardly and the edges cut 
into a V-shape so as to extend to the base of the channel defining the 
horizontal rail portion. The stop member 35 is spaced from the rod 25 by a 
distance to receive a conventional bicycle wheel. 
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above 
described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made 
within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such 
spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the 
accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and 
not in a limiting sense.