Abstract:
A portable firearm rack can accommodate modern firearms via the alignment of slots with other elements. An attachable lower stiffener can support a firearm butt while an attachable upper stiffener can support the barrel or fore stick. Rifle parts, such as scopes, pistol grips, handles, or rear sights can pass through the slot and thereby not interfere with securely supporting the firearm. A firearm stand can be produced by supporting a firearm rack with a support or with another firearm rack. Two identical firearm racks can be used to produce a firearm stand.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The embodiments claimed herein claim the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/599,730, entitled “Portable Firearm Stand”, which was filed Aug. 7, 2004. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     Embodiments relate to the fields of firearms, firearm racks, and firearm stands. Embodiments also relate to the fields of portable firearm racks and firearm stands where light weight materials are used to produce racks and stands that fold up for transports and storage and unfold for deployment.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Equipment racks and stands have been used throughout recorded history. Certain kinds of equipment, such as firearms, are of a more recent origin and impose different requirements on historical racks and stands. Gun racks commonly hold guns in a horizontal or vertical position with varying degrees of security. Current implementations are similar to their predecessors that hold spears and agricultural implements.  
         [0004]     The typical gun rack is a metal, wood, or plastic structure that is mounted to a larger object, such as a building wall. The rack has a lower support and an upper support. The lower support supports a gun butt while the upper end supports the barrel or fore stock. The gun itself is simply leaned into the rack where it is relatively secure from falling. Some gun racks have attachments for securing or locking guns. A barrel clip is a small rigid device usually attached near the top of the gun rack. In the open position, a gun barrel can be placed into the clip while in the closed position it holds the barrel. Some gun racks use straps. A few gun racks use straps or other kinds of attachments to hold guns with their muzzles down. Those skilled in the arts of gun storage, tool storage, or item storage know of many different clips, straps, or other attachments that hold guns to gun racks.  
         [0005]     A gun stand is a gun rack with a support. In other words, a gun rack is supported by another object while a gun stand supports itself. Those skilled in the arts of storage or furniture know of many different stands and types of stands that can securely support a firearm or other item.  
         [0006]     Historical firearm racks and stands have been successfully employed for centuries. As long as they can remain in position, they work well. One of the problems often encountered with historical racks and stands is that they are mobility impaired. Firearms on display or in long term storage rarely move. Historical racks are sufficient. Most firearm owners, however, occasionally want to use their firearm, such as for hunting or target practice. They take their gun off the rack and into the field. Firearm racks are present in the field.  
         [0007]     One solution to keeping firearms in the field is to use mobile firearm racks. A mobile rack is a rack mounted to a vehicle. Another solution is to transport a standard firearm rack or stand. Neither solution is ideal because vehicles can move and thereby take the gun rack and any firearms on it. Those lucky enough to retain their firearms no longer have a gun rack. On the other hand, transporting a standard rack or stand entails the same effort as transporting any other furniture.  
         [0008]     A further problem encountered with most common firearm racks and stands is that they do not accommodate rifle scopes or pistol grips very well. A rifle scope or a large rear sight can be unwieldy to store. A prime example of such a firearm is a military issue M16. The M16 in a barest configuration has a pistol grip extending down, and a rear sight/handle assembly extending up. These guns can easily take up two spaces in a standard gun rack.  
         [0009]     Problems with mobility and the secure support of certain firearms such as scoped rifles and M16s point up the shortcomings of conventional methods and systems. A need exists for improved methods and systems for conveniently transporting and deploying firearm racks and firearm stands that can accommodate modern weapons.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY  
       [0010]     The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.  
         [0011]     It is therefore one aspect of the embodiments to overcome the shortcomings in current technology with a first rack made from a sheet, a lower stiffener, an upper stiffener, slots, and hinge sections. The sheet is a sheet of material stiff enough for use in a firearm rack, such as a sheet of eighth inch plywood. The upper and lower stiffeners are horizontally attachable to the sheet. The lower stiffener, attachable near the bottom of the sheet, also serves as a shelf that can support the butt end of a firearm. The upper stiffener, attachable near the top of the sheet, also serves as rest for the barrel or fore stock. There are slots in the sheet to accommodate a rifle scope, rear sight, hand grip, or pistol grip because, for example, the scope of scoped rifle with its butt on the lower stiffener can impact the sheet and prevent the upper stiffener from supporting the barrel. A slot on the sheet supplies a place for the scope such that the butt can rest on the lower stiffener and the barrel can rest on the upper stiffener. Hinge sections are attached to the top of the sheet.  
         [0012]     Another aspect of the embodiments is that the lower stiffener, upper stiffener, and hinge sections are formed into the sheet. A plastic firearm rack can be molded as a single piece that incorporates the sheet, stiffeners, slots, and hinge sections.  
         [0013]     A further aspect of the embodiments is a second rack that also has an upper stiffener, lower stiffener, slots and hinge sections. When placed back-to back with the first rack, the slots in the second rack do not overlap while the hinge sections align. Each rack has a back because each sheet has a back. The front of the rack and the sheet is the side with the stiffeners. The hinge sections align so that they can be used to form hinges. Some hinges can be formed by aligning the hinge sections and snapping them together while others require additional parts, such as a hinge pin, to hold the hinge together. Those skilled in the arts of cases, furniture, and mechanical devices know of many different hinge solutions that can be used to movably join two sheets.  
         [0014]     An aspect of certain embodiments is a firearm stand that is formed by placing two firearm racks back to back, hinging them together at the top, and separating them at the base. A travel stop can be used to control the separation between the bottom edges of the first and second racks. Ropes, strings, or straps are often used as travel stops. Another common travel stop is the hinged piece that locks the legs of a ladder apart. The firearm stand is the motivation for aligning the slots in the sheets so as not to overlap because a firearm part sticking through a slot on one side of the rack should not impede a firearm part sticking through a slot on the other side of the stand. Furthermore, a shelf can be attached between the bottom edges of the racks. The shelf can hold items off the ground below while the sheets protect them from the environment above. A further refinement that leads to less expensive manufacture is to form the stand from two identical firearm racks.  
         [0015]     Another aspect of certain embodiments is that the lower stiffener can be detached from the rack or rotated out of the way. The upper stiffener can be similarly detachable or rotated. In this manner, the firearm racks or stand consume a much smaller volume for storage or shipment.  
         [0016]     Yet another aspect of certain embodiments is to use attachable supports to hold the firearm rack in a near vertical position. A firearm stand is described above where two racks are used to support one another. Here, a simple support is used instead such that a single rack can be deployed as a firearm stand. Instead of using an attachable support, an attachable tree strap can be used to secure the rack to an object such as a tree, vehicle bumper, or wall. An attachable suction cup can be used to secure the rack to a smooth surface such as a vehicle door or window.  
         [0017]     Further aspects of certain embodiments are to use various devices to secure or protect a firearm within the rack or stand. Barrel clips, straps, and firearm attachments are discussed above. A flexible sheet can be attached to and cover the rack or stand for protection from the elements.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the present invention and, together with the background of the invention, brief summary of the invention, and detailed description of the invention, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a firearm rack in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates non-overlapping slots in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates a firearm stand with a cover in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates a barrel strap and a barrel clip in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrates a firearm rack with an attachable tree strap and attachable suction cups in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates a firearm rack with an attachable support deployed in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  illustrates firearm racks attached via attachment points in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates a firearm attachment in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  illustrates a detachable or hinged lower stiffener in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  illustrates a firearm rack with folded in upper stiffener and folded in lower stiffener in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  illustrates a high level flow diagram of producing a firearm rack in accordance with an embodiment;  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  illustrates a high level flow diagram of producing a firearm stand in accordance with an embodiment; and  
         [0031]      FIG. 13  illustrates an upper stiffener with notches in accordance with an embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0032]     The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate one or more embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.  
         [0033]      FIG. 1  illustrates a firearm rack  100  in accordance with an embodiment. A sheet  101  has an attachable upper stiffener  102  attached near the top edge and a lower stiffener  103  attached near the bottom edge. The lower stiffener  103  is held in place with braces  104 . Slots  105  in the sheet provide clearance for rifle parts, such as a rifle scope, such that a rifle can be properly supported when the rifle butt is on the lower stiffener  102  and the barrel is on the upper stiffener  102 . Hinge sections  106  are attached to or formed into the top of the sheet  101 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates non-overlapping slots in accordance with an embodiment. A sheet  101  has two slots  201 . An identical sheet with identically positioned slots can be placed back to back with the sheet  101 . The slots in the identical sheet would be in offset positions  202  on the first sheet.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  illustrates a firearm stand  300  with a cover  301  in accordance with an embodiment. The firearm stand  300  is made from two firearm racks  100 . The firearm racks  100  are joined at the top by a hinge  303  that is formed using the hinge sections that are already part of each firearm stand  100 . An attachable shelf  302  is shown attached between the firearm racks  100 . The shelf  302  illustrated in  FIG. 3  is attached to each firearm rack  100  with a hinged assembly, although other attachment types can be used. Furthermore, the shelf  302  is shown attached near the ground whereas a shelf  302  can instead be attached at any height above the ground that is supportable by the firearm racks  100 . A single shelf  302  is illustrated attached within the firearm stand  300  whereas multiple shelves can also be advantageously attached within the firearm stand  300 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates a barrel strap  402  and a barrel clip  401  in accordance with an embodiment. Barrel straps  402  and barrel clips  401  are discussed above. Here, a barrel strap  402  is shown attached to an upper stiffener  102  that is attached to a sheet  101 . A firearm can be secured by putting it in place and then attaching the barrel strap  402  to a barrel strap attachment  403 . A gun clip  401  is also shown attached to the upper stiffener  102 . The barrel strap  402  and the barrel clip  401  are both aligned with slots  105 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 5  illustrates a firearm rack  100  with an attachable tree strap  502  and attachable suction cups  501  in accordance with an embodiment. The tree strap  502  and suction cups  501  are as discussed above. A tree strap attachment  503  is shown attached to the firearm rack  100 . The tree strap attachment  503  can be used to secure the free end of the tree strap  502 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  illustrates a firearm rack  100  with an attachable support  601  deployed in accordance with an embodiment. The attachable support  601  is deployed by attaching it to the firearm stand  100  such that the firearm stand  100  is supported in a nearly vertical position. A travel stop  602  locks the attachable support in position. As illustrated, the travel stop  602  is of the hinged variety often used on ladders. It is also possible for a support to be rotationally attached to the firearm stand  100  such that it is rotated into the firearm stand  100  for storage instead of being detached.  
         [0039]      FIG. 7  illustrates firearm racks  100  attached via attachment points in accordance with an embodiment. Here, the stiffeners and slots of the firearms racks  100  are not shown for illustrative purposes. Each firearms rack  100  has left attachment points  701  and right attachment points  702  that line up when two firearm racks  100  are placed side by side. The firearm racks  100  can be attached via the left attachment points  701  and the right attachment points  702 . If necessary, clips or similar fasteners can be used to ensure that the firearm racks  100  are attached securely.  
         [0040]      FIG. 8  illustrates a firearm attachment  801  in accordance with an embodiment. The firearm attachment  801  is shown attached to the sheet  101  above the upper stiffener  102 . In actuality, the firearm attachment  801  can be attached to the firearm rack  100  in any position as long as it is aligned with a slot  105 . Here, the firearm attachment  801  is shown as a strap. Those skilled in the art of firearm storage are aware of many other types of firearm attachments that can also be used to secure a firearm to a firearm rack. Ideally, a firearm can be attached in a muzzle down or muzzle up orientation.  
         [0041]      FIG. 9  illustrates a detachable or hinged lower stiffener  901  in accordance with an embodiment. A detachable lower stiffener  901  is the same as an attachable lower stiffener because it can be attached and detached. The reason for using a detachable lower stiffener is that the firearm rack can then be stored into a smaller volume. A rotating lower stiffener  901  can remain attached to the sheet  101 , but can be folded out of the way as shown in  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 10  illustrates a firearm rack  100  with folded in upper stiffener  1001  and folded in lower stiffener  901  in accordance with an embodiment. The upper stiffener  1001  and lower stiffener  901  are shown folded against the sheet  101 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  illustrates a high level flow diagram of producing a firearm rack in accordance with an embodiment. After the start  1101 , a sheet is obtained  1102  and the slots are created  1105 . The upper stiffener and the lower stiffener are attached  1103 , the hinge sections are attached  1104  and the process is done  1106 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  illustrates a high level flow diagram of producing a firearm stand in accordance with an embodiment. After the start  1201  a first firearm rack is produced  1202  and then a second firearm rack is produced  1203 . The two firearm racks are placed back to back to align the hinge sections  1204  and then the hinges are formed  1205  by snapping together the hinge sections, pushing in a hinge pin, or some other method. Finally, the shelf is attached  1206  before the process is done.  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  illustrates an upper stiffener  102  with notches  1301  in accordance with an embodiment. Placing a notch  1301  in the upper stiffener  102  creates a place where a firearm barrel can rest. A notch  1301  can restrict the side to side motion of a firearm barrel and thereby provide a more stable firearm rest.  
         [0045]     It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features, aspects and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.