Abstract:
A bicycle support rack to suspend bicycles from a garage or other structure ceiling and including an electric powered winch with means to secure the winch to the ceiling, a support frame arranged to be raised to the ceiling with the winch and pressed against the ceiling by a lift frame having hooks thereon for attachment of bicycles to be suspended and control means to operate the winch to raise and lower the lift frame while said lift frame is connected to and suspended beneath the secured support frame.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates to bicycle storage racks and is particularly concerned with bicycle storage racks that can be positioned for use in a garage, or the like.  
         [0006]     2. Prior Art  
         [0007]     It is common for people to place bicycles in a garage or other storage facility so that the bicycle will not be stolen or damaged by other people or the weather. Frequently, such bicycles are simply placed alongside a car that is parked in the garage, or they are simply moved into the garage into an area that is not used by a parked vehicle. Other this means that a vehicle is left parked outside. If bicycles that are to be stored in a garage and to be positioned alongside a vehicle have to be moved into and out of the garage, past a vehicle in the garage, there is a significant chance that the vehicle will be scratched or otherwise damaged. Of course, it is possible to move the vehicle before moving bicycles in and out along the sides of the garage. This, however, is often inconvenient and time consuming and may require additional assistance from a vehicle driver. Even if the vehicle is moved out of the garage and then moved back in after bicycles have been positioned along the garage walls or in areas adjacent the parking space of the vehicle, the bicycles are still obstructing movement around the vehicle when the vehicle in the garage.  
         [0008]     Many people provide a hook projecting from a garage wall or even suspended from a ceiling to hold bicycles up off the floor of the building and out of the way when not being used. However, lifting of the bicycles to the height of the fixed hooks is rather difficult. Such lifting can be particularly difficult for young children, so bicycles are often left on the floor and are not moved out of the path of an incoming vehicle.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is a principal object of the invention to provide a way for easily suspending bicycles in a raised, out of the way position, in a garage or the like.  
         [0010]     Another object is to provide a way of easily positioning bicycles to a raised storage position while also providing for easy retrieval of the bicycles for use.  
         [0011]     Still another object is to provide an overhead support system for bicycles and the like, that is easily and safely accessed and manipulated, even by children, youths or others of varying physical strength capabilities.  
         [0012]     Yet another object is to provide a quick lift apparatus that is easily secured to a garage ceiling.  
       FEATURES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     It is a principal feature of the invention to provide a lift frame that will support bicycles and the like, and that can be easily raised near to a garage ceiling and easily lowered to a height at which suspended bicycles can be easily removed.  
         [0014]     Other features of the invention include a reversible, electric motor powered winch; means for securing the winch to a ceiling structure of a garage, or the like; means for attaching a cable of the winch to a lift frame; a support frame elevated by operation of the winch and lifting of the lift frame to be in ceiling engagement; means for securing the support frame to the ceiling; and support legs interconnecting the support and lift frames during operation of the winch to raise and lower the lift frame relative to the fixed support frame.  
         [0015]     Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     In the Drawings  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bicycle support rack of the invention mounted to a structure ceiling and with the lift rack in a lowered position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2A , a side elevation view of the bicycle support rack, with bicycles attached and the lift rack in the lowered position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2B , a side elevation view as in  FIG. 2A , but with the lift rack raised; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 3 , a pictorial sectional view of the bicycle support rack taken from below and inside end racks of the frames and showing only one suspended bicycle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]     Referring Now the Drawings  
         [0022]     In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the bicycle support rack is shown generally at  10 .  
         [0023]     Support rack  10  includes a winch assembly  12 , a lift frame  14  and a support frame  16 . Two sets of legs  18  and  20  interconnect the lift frame  14  and support frame  16 .  
         [0024]     Winch assembly  12  includes electric motor  24  that drives a winch  26  in either a forward or a reverse rotation. A winch cable  28  is turned onto the winch  26  when the motor drives the winch in a forward direction and turns to allow the cable to release from the winch and to be payed out when the winch is driven in a reverse direction.  
         [0025]     Electric motor  24  has an upper cowling  30 . A support rod  32  extends through the cowling to be fastened at appropriate intervals to overhead floor joists (not shown), or overhead stringers (not shown) of a ceiling  40  from which the bicycle support rack  10  is to be suspended. The electric winch assembly  12  is positioned between the opposite ends of support rod  32  when the support rod is fixed to the ceiling, shown fragmentarily at  40 . The cross-sectional shapes of rod  32  and the passage through cowling  30  prevent rotation of the winch assembly  12  relative to the rod  32 .  
         [0026]     A control switch  42 , having forward and reverse buttons  44  and  46 , respectively, is connected to the motor  24  by an electrical cord  48 . It will be apparent that a toggle switch or a wireless control switch (not shown) could as well be used to control forward and reverse operation of electric motor  24 . Motor  24  is connected in conventional fashion to an AC electrical circuit.  
         [0027]     Lift frame  14  includes a preferably rectangular framework  50  having a pair of spaced apart side rails  52  and  54 , interconnected by a pair of spaced apart end rails  56  and  58 . A cross-brace  60  is fixed to the side rails  52  and  54 , intermediate their lengths. Cross-brace  60  has a pair of legs  62  and  64 , inclined inwardly and downwardly (during use of the bicycle support rack  10 ) from the side rails  52  and  54  to the cross-brace  60  that serves as an anchor member.  
         [0028]     An eye bolt  68  is fastened into the center of cross-brace  60  and a hook  70  on the free end  72  of winch cable  28  is secured to the eye bolt. Hooks  76  are spaced along and threaded into, or otherwise secured to, the side rails  52  and  54 . Hooks  76  receive and support bicycles  80 , as will be further described.  
         [0029]     Support frame  16  also preferably has a rectangular configuration, with spaced apart side rails  80  and  82  interconnected by spaced apart end rails  84  and  86 . Side rails  80  and  82  of support frame  16  extend parallel to side rails  52  and  54  of the lift frame  14 .  
         [0030]     Legs  90  and  92  each have one end pivotally connected at  93  to outer frame surfaces of parallel extending, straight L-shaped side rails  80  and  82 , respectively, and adjacent to end rails  86 . The opposite ends of legs  90  and  92  have rollers  94  journaled thereto. The rollers  94  travel in roller guides  96  and  98  that are mounted to an inner frame surface of the parallel straight side rails  52  and  54  of the lift frame  14 . One end of each of the legs  100  and  102  is pivotally connected at  104  to an inner frame surface of a side rail  52  or  54  of lift frame  14 . The other ends of legs  100  and  102  have rollers  106  thereon to travel in roller guides  108  and  110  fixed to the outside of support frame  16  on L-shaped side rails  80  and  82 .  
         [0031]     A reinforcement brace  107  extends between the ends of legs  90  and  92  having rollers  94  intermediate their ends, to prevent twisting of the legs and to provide lateral stability to the lift frame  14 .  
         [0032]     Legs  90  and  100  are journaled on a pivot pin  111  midway of the length of each leg. A spacer washer  112  on the pivot pin holds the legs  90  and  100  apart during movement of the legs and prevents binding of the legs.  
         [0033]     Similarly, legs  92  and  102  are journaled midway their lengths on a pivot pin  114  and a spacer washer  116  holds the legs  92  and  102  apart as they move.  
         [0034]     The bicycle support rack  10  is positioned for use by mounting the electric motor powered winch  26  to a ceiling  40  of a structure in which bicycles are to be stored, using the support rod  32 . Winch cable  28  is released and payed out to extend through support frame  16  and to be connected to eye bolt  68 . Winch  26  is then operated to take up cable  28 . This raises the lift frame  14  and the smaller support frame  16  to place the support frame against the ceiling  40 . The L-shaped side rails  80  and  82  of the support frame are then bolted, screwed, nailed, strapped, or otherwise secured in place. During movement of lift frame  14  up and down, legs  90 ,  92 ,  100  and  102  hold the lift frame  14  parallel to support frame  16 .  
         [0035]     The cross-brace  60  and legs  62  and  64  straddle the winch assembly  12  and allows the lift frame  14  to hold the support frame against ceiling  40 , while screws, nails, etc. are inserted through the side and end members of the support frame to hold the frame as it is secured to the ceiling, joists or stringers.  
         [0036]     As the lift frame  14  is lowered away from the ceiling mounted fixed support frame  16 , by release of the winch cable  28 , the rollers on the ends of legs  90 ,  92 ,  100  and  102  travel in roller guides  96 ,  98 ,  108  and  110 . The legs  90 ,  92 ,  100  and  102  hold the side rails of the lift frame parallel to the side rails of the support frame during travel of the lift frame  13  with respect to the support frame.  
         [0037]     A safety strap  120  has a free end  122  secured to anchor member  66  of cross-brace  60  and is suspended from a conventional spring loaded housing  124  that is secured to the support rod  32 . The safety strap, as is well known, will pay a strap  120  out of the housing  124  as the lift frame descends at a pre-determined rate. However, if the descent rate of the lift frame rapidly increases, the pay out of the strap  128  will stop. This, of course, will prevent potential injury to a person located beneath the descending lift frame  14  at a time when the rate of descent of the lift frame exceeds a set safety limit.  
         [0038]     When lift frame  14  has been lowered to a desired position, the winch motor is stopped and one or more bicycles can be attached to the hooks  76  extending beneath the lift frame  14 . Generally, each bicycle  80  is turned upside down and a pair of hooks  76  engage the front and rear wheels of the bicycle. Thereafter, the winch can be operated to raise the lift frame  14  and the suspended bicycle(s) until lift frame  14  is pressed upwardly against the legs  90 ,  92 ,  100  and  102  and the support frame  16 .  
         [0039]     Suspended bicycles  80  are retrieved by operating the control switch means  42  of the winch to release and pay out cable  28  and to lower the bicycle(s) to a convenient height at which they can easily be removed by a user.  
         [0040]     Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been herein described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.