Device for storing bicycles in a building

A device for storing bicycles in a building such as a garage where there is space over the hood of an automobile parked in a garage. The device includes brackets or means for attaching the device to the frame structure of the building, and a rack on which the bicycles are mounted, the rack being pivotally connected with the brackets so that the rack may be turned forwardly about its pivot to bring the rack and bicycles thereon from vertical to horizontal position. Another feature is means associated with the brackets and the rack to prevent the rack from turning the wrong way about its pivot. Another feature involves clamping means for grasping the inclined members of a bicycle frame near the center of gravity of the bicycle frame. Another embodiment includes means for mounting a rack such as above referred to at the rear end of an auto.

The invention relates to a device for storing bicycles in the upper portion 
of a garage or for mounting one or more bicycles at the rear of an 
automobile. 
In many garages in which automobiles are parked for storage there is a 
substantial volume of space at the rear of a garage over the hood of the 
parked cars which space is not ordinarily utilized. Bicycles which need to 
be stored may be parked in the garage at the sides of the parked cars, but 
space may not be available there, and there is always the danger that in 
moving the cars and bicycles in and out of the garage the bicycles will be 
run over and damaged. 
I am aware that there have been attempts to store bicycles by suspending 
them with cables and hooks, but so far as I aware these devices are 
insecure and inconvenient and do not support the bicycles with the 
solidity and ridigity which is required. 
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a device for holding 
a bicycle in a secure manner without a lot of trouble in the attachment of 
the bicycles and which can be folded to bring the bicycle from a vertical 
to a horizontal overhead position in the garage such as over the hood of 
an automobile parked in the garage. 
A further object is to provide such a device to which a bicycle can be 
securely mounted while the bicycle is in upright position and which will 
allow the bicycle easily to be swung into horizontal storage position. 
Yet another object is to provide such a device having brackets which may be 
attached to the ceiling frame structure of a garage and a rigid rack 
pivotally attached to these brackets, the rack being movable about its 
pivot from a vertical to a horizontal position under the garage ceiling. 
Another object is to provide such a bracket and rack structure which will 
allow the rack to be turned in one direction about its pivot towards 
horizontal position but not in the other direction. 
Yet a further object is to provide a device having a rigid rack structure 
to which a bicycles can be mounted, and which has the means for easily 
attaching the rack structure at the rear of an automobile.

As illustrated, the device includes a pair of spaced brackets 10 and 10a 
which are fixedly fastened to the ceiling frame structure 12 of a garage. 
Bolts or screws 13 may be used for fastening the brackets. 
A rack 11 having the parallel rigid standards 14 and 14a is provided. These 
standards are shown in their vertical position in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in 
their horizontal position in FIG. 3. As illustrated, the upper end 
portions of standards 14 and 14a are aligned with and are on the outside 
of the brackets 10 and 10a. The pin 15 extends through standard 14 and 
through bracket 10 to thereby pivotally attach standard 14 of the rack to 
the end of bracket 10, and the pin 15a extends through standard 14a and 
through 10a to pivotally attach standard 14a of the rack to the bracket 
10a. 
The rack has the spaced cross pieces 16, 17 and 18 which may be metal 
tubing and which extend transversely of the rack. These cross pieces may 
be attached permanently to the standards as by the use of screws or bolts 
extending through the tubing and into the standards. These cross pieces 
strengthen the rack and in addition pieces 17 and 18 perform special 
functions. Piece 17 has an extension 17a which passes beside the front 
wheel of a bicycle to keep the wheel from turning. (See FIG. 1 of the 
drawing.) The cross piece 18 has attached in the center thereof a cord 19, 
and this cord may have at its other end a loop which engages a hook in the 
ceiling so that the rack is held in horizontal position as shown in FIG. 
3. 
At their upper ends the standards 14 and 14a extend upwardly beyond the 
pivotal connections with brackets 10 and 10a, and the upper end portions 
20 and 20a cooperate with cross piece 22 to prevent backward turning of 
the rack about the pivot. The cross piece 22 extends transversely of the 
standards and is fixedly attached to the front edges of the brackets 10 
and 10a. The ends of piece 22 extend somewhat beyond the brackets so that 
they engage the ends of standards 14 and 14a to prevent the turning of the 
rack about the pivots in a backward direction, but will permit the rack to 
move in a forward direction about the pivots as the rack is moved from 
vertical to horizontal position. 
There is shown in FIG. 1 a bicycle B which has a front wheel 23 and the 
rear wheel 24, and has the usual inclined members 25 and 26 of the bicycle 
frame. 
The means for mounting the bicycle on the rack include the bars 27 and 28 
which have their one ends secured to the standards 14 and 14a and extend 
forwardly of the rack. Clamps 29 are secured at a medium position on bars 
28 and are for securely holding a first bicycle in spaced relation to the 
rack; and clamps 30 are secured at the ends of the bars so as to serve in 
holding a second bicycle in spaced relation to the first bicycle. These 
clamps may be of the type which has one jaw on one side of a member 25 or 
26 and another jaw on the other side of this member with a winged nut 
which may be turned to bring the clamp into firm engagement with the 
member. Padding material may be used on the inside of the clamp to avoid 
damage to the finish of the bicycle. 
When a bicycle is to be stored the device has its rack in vertical position 
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a bicycle may be ridden to a position 
alongside the rack. The inclined members 25 and 26 are placed in the 
clamps 29 and the clamps tightened. Conveniently, the clamps are mounted 
on the rods 28 at a proper angle so that the clamps line up with the 
inclined members 25 and 26, as shown in FIG. 1. A second bicycle may be 
similarly secured using the clamps 30. 
After the bicycle or bicycles are mounted on the rack the lower end of the 
rack may be swung forwardly to bring the rack into horizontal position. 
The end of cord 19 may be fastened at the ceiling of the garage to hold 
the bicycles in horizontal position until they are to be again taken from 
storage. It is particularly desirable that the bicycles be held through 
attachment with the median portion of these inclined frame members. This 
puts the attachment near the center of gravity of the bicycle whether the 
bicycles are in vertical or horizontal position. Also the structure 
whereby rods 28 are provided and the clamps mounted on the rods allow the 
clamps to be set at an angle so that they line up with the inclined frame 
members of the bicycles. 
The arrangement whereby the rack cannot be turned backwards about its pivot 
is also an advantage in that the rack is held strictly in vertical 
position and does not move away from a person when a person is attempting 
to put the bicycle in position on the rack. 
FIG. 4 shows another modification in which a rack 40 is utilized and which 
includes standards 41, 41a and cross pieces 42, 43, and 44. Cross piece 43 
has an extension 43a alongside the front wheel of a bicycle when the 
bicycle is mounted on the rack, so as to keep the front wheel from 
turning. For mounting the rack at the rear end of an automobile I provide 
the tubular holders 45 each of which is vertical and adapted to receive 
the lower ends of standards 41 and 41a therein. These holders are 
connected by a strap 46. The lower ends of holders 45 are each connected 
by a chain 47 with some part of the frame underneath the car. The bolts 48 
engage the top of the bumper at their one end and have their threaded 
portions extending through the strap. Nuts 49 may be tightened on the bolt 
to bring chains 47 into taut condition and to secure the holders 45 in 
place. Additional holes 55 may be included in the strap 46 to allow use of 
the rack in connection with bumpers of different kinds and shapes. 
The means for clamping bicycles on the rack 40 may be similar to that of 
the first embodiment herein described. The bars 50 and 51 have their four 
ends secured to standards 41 and 41a and these bars have attached to them 
the clamps 52 and 52a to hold a first bicycle, and the clamps 53 and 53a 
to hold a second bicycle. The clamps 42-42a and 43-43a are themselves 
slanted so that they are aligned with the inclined frame members of the 
bicycles. 
In assembling the device the lower ends of standards 41 and 41a are put 
into the holders 45 and a cotter key may be passed through the holder and 
the lower end portion of the standards to hold the rack in place. 
While only certain embodiments of the invention have been described in 
detail it will be apparent that many embodiments may be constructed and it 
will be apparent to those skilled in this art that many changes may be 
made and the structures varied in many ways all within the spirit of the 
invention and the scope of the appended claims.