Patent Publication Number: US-10321758-B2

Title: Gun rack

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to gun racks. In particular, the invention relates to gun racks having moving elements to allow a small footprint and easy transportation when not in use. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Current commercially available gun racks are large and bulky, have few options for display and setup, and are not easily portable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, and other, exemplary problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages of the conventional systems, it is an exemplary aspect of the present invention to provide a gun rack which is easy to move from location to location, quick and convenient to set-up for use, and has the ability to utilized in a variety of display configurations. 
     It is, therefore, an exemplary feature of the present invention to provide structures and methods for easily displaying multiple guns. 
     Some embodiments of this novel design allow for five different display configurations, giving it a great deal of versatility to meet the many different needs of gun owners, instructors, manufacturers, and retailers. 
     As the design can allow the gun rack to fold flat, essentially to the footprint of the main base, the rack can easily be stored behind a door, gun safe, or other out of sight area. This same feature also allows some embodiments of the racks to be easily stackable, so that ten gun racks can easily fit into a compact car. This provides great utility for firearms instructors, retailers, and weapon manufactures which need to display a multitude of firearms at one time. 
     In a first exemplary aspect of the invention, to achieve the above and other features and purposes described herein, is a rack including a main body, and an arm connected to the main body so as to be disposed in an opening of the main body when in a storage position, and so as to extend from a front face of the main body when in a display position. The arm includes a base portion connected to the main body, and a gun support extending from the base portion so as to form a gun rest. 
     An exemplary aspect of the invention includes a leg connected to the main body so as to allow the leg to swing outward from the main body, a slot in the main body configured such that the leg, when in the closed position, fits within the slot, and a restraining member attached to the main body which limits the outward rotation of the leg. 
     This may allow the rack to be free standing on a flat surface while allowing the rack to be compact to allow for easy storage. Indeed, with the arms and legs able to fit into openings in the main body, the area occupied in the storage position is essentially the size of the main body. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the arm further includes a base portion, and a gun support, the gun support extending from the base portion in a direction away from a bottom of the base portion. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the gun support includes an angled gun rest which extends from the base portion at an acute angle relative to a bottom of the base portion. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the gun support includes a flat gun rest which extends from the base portion at an angle approximately perpendicular to a bottom of the base portion. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the angled gun rest is on a side of the gun support opposite the flat gun rest. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, one side of the main body includes two securing holes on either side of a center hole, the center hole having a projection extending toward a center of the center hole. 
     An exemplary aspect of the invention also includes a locking device connected to the main body and configured so as to restrain rotational movement of the arm when the locking device is in an engaging position. 
     An exemplary aspect of the invention also includes a fastener attaching the arm to the main body so as to allow the arm to rotate relative to the main body. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the main body includes receiving slots in the main body at a side of the opening, and the arm includes groves in a base portion on a side of the base portion opposite the gun support, the grove being configured so as to fit into the receiving slots when the arm is in the display position. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, an end face of the gun support includes a projection shaped so as to fit within the receiving slots to secure the arm when in the storage position. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the arm is disposed perpendicular to the main body when in the display position. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the arm is disposed parallel to the main body when in the storage position. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the main body includes a center portion adjacent to the opening, the center portion having grooves formed therein, and a pistol shelf having an insert portion configured to fit within the grooves, and a platform connected to the insert portion. The platform may be formed so as to be parallel with top of the main body 
     Another exemplary aspect of the invention is a rack including a main body, and a plurality of arms connected to the main body, so as to be disposed in openings of the main body when in the storage position, and so as to be disposed perpendicular to the main body when in a display position. The plurality of arms each include a base portion connected to the main body, and a plurality of gun supports extending from the base portion so as to form gun rests. 
     Some aspects of the invention include a plurality of locking devices connected to the main body and configured so as to restrain rotational movement of the plurality of arms when the locking devices are in an engaging position. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the gun support includes an angled gun rest which extends from the base portion at an acute angle relative to a bottom of the base portion, and the gun support includes a flat gun rest which extends from the base portion at an angle approximately perpendicular to a bottom of the base portion. 
     Another exemplary aspect of the invention is a first rack as described above, a second rack as described above, and a connecting member connecting the first rack to the second rack. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the connecting member is configured so as to engage with the locking device. 
     In an exemplary aspect of the invention, the connecting member includes a main portion, and a head portion. In this embodiment, the bottom of the main portion tapers inward toward a length-wise center axis of the main portion then outward from the length-wise center axis so as to form a bottom groove of the head portion, and a top of the main portion tapers outward from the length-wise center axis so as to form a top groove of the head portion. 
     The above aspects may provide a versatile gun rack able to be easily transported and set up with minimal effort. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other purposes, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a prospective view of the front of an exemplary embodiment of the gun rack with arms and legs in the closed positions; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a prospective view of the back of the gun rack of  FIG. 1  with arms and legs in the closed positions; 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a prospective view of the front of the gun rack of  FIG. 1  with the arms in the display position with a close-up view of a locking device; 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates Detail B of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the gun rack of  FIG. 1  with the arms in the display position; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of the front of the gun rack of  FIG. 1  with the arms omitted; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a prospective view of an exemplary embodiment of the gun rack with arms and legs in the open positions; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the gun rack of  FIG. 6  with the arms and legs in the tabletop display position; 
         FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of the gun rack in the tabletop position holding a variety of long guns; 
         FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of the gun rack in the vertical position holding a variety of long guns; 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates a top view of an exemplary left arm; 
         FIG. 10B  illustrates a side view of an exemplary left arm; 
         FIG. 11A  illustrates a top view of an exemplary right arm; 
         FIG. 11B  illustrates a side view of an exemplary right arm; 
         FIG. 12A  illustrates an exemplary embodiment with a pistol shelf; 
         FIG. 12B  illustrates a top view of an exemplary pistol shelf; 
         FIG. 12C  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary pistol shelf; 
         FIG. 13A  illustrates a side view of an exemplary locking device; 
         FIG. 13B  illustrates a front view of an exemplary locking device connected to the main body in the open and closed position; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a perspective view of two gun racks joined together; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the bottom connecting member engaged with an embodiment of the gun rack; 
         FIG. 16  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the top connecting member; 
         FIG. 17  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a gun rack in the storage position; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates an arm and the main body of the gun rack of  FIG. 17  in an engaged state; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a second arm and the main body of the gun rack of  FIG. 17  in an engaged state; 
         FIG. 20  illustrates a perspective view of the gun rack of  FIG. 17 ; 
         FIG. 21  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of two of the gun racks of  FIG. 17  in the tent display position; 
         FIG. 22  illustrates exemplary embodiment of the gun rack of  FIG. 17  in the hanging/vertical position; and 
         FIG. 23  illustrates exemplary embodiment of the gun rack of  FIG. 17  in the table-top position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-23 , there are shown exemplary embodiments of the method and structures according to the present invention. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-16 , an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a main body  1  on to which two arms  2  are attached by fasteners  3 . The fasteners  3  can be attached to base portions  4  of arms  2  and may be a hinge or any other connector which allows relative rotational movement between the arm  2  and the main body  1 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when arms  2  are in the storage position, the arms  2  are housed in openings  5  of the main body  1 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , when arms  2  are rotated to the display position, the arms  2  are moved outside of openings  5  of main body  1 . In some embodiments, arms  2  may be rotated ninety degrees from the storage position, so as to be adjacent to and perpendicular to main body  1  when in the display position. As can be seen in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 , openings  5  may extend through the entirety of main body  1 , so as to form through holes. This can lead to a reduced weight for the gun rack  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , leg  14  is attached to main body  1  through the use of a fastener  16 , which may be a hinge device, so as to allow leg  14  to swing outward from main body  1 . Leg  14  is also attached to main body  1  by a retaining member  17 , which limits the outward movement of leg  14 . As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , retaining member  17  may include a leg locking mechanism  18  which allows the leg  14  to be locked into the tabletop setup position. Slots  15  are formed so as to allow the legs  14  and retaining member  17  to fit within slots  15  when the legs  14  are not extended (e.g., see  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 A). This allows gun rack  100  to maintain a flat profile for maximum portability/stack-ability. Alternatively, in some embodiments, retaining member  17  may be a mechanism which only prevents outward movement past a certain point in the tabletop setup position, such as a cord. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , while the arms  2  are in the display position, locking devices  6  may be moved to the arm engaging position so as to secure arms  2  from moving rotationally toward or away from their respective openings  5 . As seen in  FIG. 13A , locking devices  6  may be U-shaped members having two side portions  7  extending from a center portion  8 . Center portion  8  may be connected to main body  1  by a fastener  9  so as to allow locking device  6  to rotate from within cut-out  10  towards arm  2 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 6 , when in the locking position, side portions  7  may be disposed on opposite sides of arms  2 , to prevent rotation of arms  2 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when in the closed position, locking device  6  is disposed in cut-out  10 . Cut-out  10  may be a though hole in main body  1 . In some embodiments, locking device  6  may be formed such that, when in the locking position, side portions  7  are held in place around locking arm  2  through friction and/or a tight/press fit so as to clamp arm  2  between side portions  7 . In addition, in some embodiments as shown in  FIGS. 3B, 10A and 11A , a spring plunger  29  (or other elastic member or nub) may be included in the top and/or bottom of arm  2  so as to allow the plunger to extend once the locking device  6  is in place. This can provide an additional level of securing to the locking device  6  and reduce the needed manufacturing tolerances required to hold the locking device  6  in place when holding arm  2 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 10B and 11B , the arms  2  have a plurality of gun supports  11  which extend from the front side of base portion  4 . Gun supports  11  are configured so as to hold a firearm. As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a long gun (e.g., shotgun, rifle, assault rifle, over-under shotgun, etc.) may be held by one gun support  11  on each arm  2 . 
     Gun supports  11  may include an angled gun rest  12 , which is angled relative to main body  1 . Side walls  27   a  and  27   b  may be provided with angled gun rest  12 . In some embodiments, side walls  27   a  and  27   b  extend perpendicular to angled gun rest  12 . 
     Gun supports  11  may also include a flat gun rest  13 . Side walls  28   a  and  28   b  may be provided with flat gun rest  13 . In some embodiments, side walls  28   a  and  28   b  may be perpendicular to flat gun rest  13 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIGS. 10B and 11B , a first portion of gun support  11  extends from the base portion  4  in a direction perpendicular to the back side base portion  4  so as to form flat gun rest  13 . A second portion of gun support  11  extends from the base portion  4  in a direction angled toward to first portion of gun support  11 , so as to so as to form angled gun rest  12 . From the angled gun rest  12 , gun support  11  then extends in a direction perpendicular from angled gun rest  12  and then curves to as to present a rounded surface to prevent unnecessary abrasion of the resting firearm. Angled gun rest  12  may be formed so as to form a notch in base portion  4 . Gun support  11  then extends parallel to base portion  4 , past flat gun rest  13 , then perpendicular to base portion  4 , then back toward flat gun rest  13  approximately parallel to base portion  4 , so as to form one of side walls  28   b.    
     In some embodiments, as can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , the flat gun rest  13  on one of arms  2  may be offset relative to the flat gun rest  13  of the other of arms  2 . This can allow the firearms to sit relatively flat in the horizontal direction while displayed. After much experimentation with various long gun types, it has been ascertained that an offset of about ⅝ of an inch provides the most consistent horizontal profile over a range of long gun types (e.g., shotguns, rifles, assault rifles, over-under shotguns, etc.) In these embodiments, the receiver is often slightly lower than the barrel, so that with the offset, the gun is displayed in a horizontal position, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     Similarly, as can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , the angled gun rest  12  on one of arms  2  may be offset relative to the angled gun rest  12  of the other of arms  2 . This can allow the firearms to sit in a relatively flat in the horizontal direction while displayed. After much experimentation with various long gun types, it has been ascertained that an offset of about ⅝ of an inch provides the most consistent horizontal profile over a range of long gun types (e.g., shotguns, rifles, assault rifles, over-under shotguns, etc.) In these embodiments, the long gun will face to the right, as the receiver is often slightly lower than the barrel, so that the gun is displayed in a horizontal position, as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A, 6 and 7 , when an exemplary embodiment of gun rack  100  is in a tabletop display position, legs  14  may be extended from slots  15  of main body  1 . The legs  14  extend outward from main body  1  such that when arms  2  are in the display position, legs  14  extend from a side of main body  1  opposite the side of main body  1  from which arms  2  extend from. Angle G can be any appropriate angle, such as between 40-60 degrees. Angle G is approximately 50 degrees as shown in  FIG. 7 . When in the closed position, legs  14  are disposed within slots  15 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , angled gun rest  12  may be angled approximately 40-50 degrees relative to the back side of base portion  4 , as shown in angle A. This allows angled gun rest  12  to hold firearms essentially upright when gun rack  100  is in the tabletop setup position to allow for proper display and balance. 
     In another display position, as shown in  FIGS. 3A, 4 and 5 , gun rack  100  may be turned upside-down and used in a vertical position. In the vertical position, gun rack  100  is oriented so that the flat gun rest  13  faces upwards to allow firearms to be rested thereon. Gun rack  100  may be secured by a strap  22  to be hung in the vertical position. Strap  22  may be a custom made harness or a simple rope. As shown in  FIGS. 3A, 4 and 5 , strap  22  can be passed through holes  23  and looped over projection  24  which is formed in projection hole  25 . This allows gun rack  100  to be hung from a door (e.g., a regular room door, a folding closet door, etc.) or any other structure to which strap  22  can be secured. Gun rack  100  can also be propped up against a surface in an approximately vertical position to allow the use of flat gun rests  13  without suspending the gun rack  100 . In yet another option, gun rack  100  may be hung from a surface using handle  26  or projection hole  25 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12A , the main body  2  includes a center portion  33  adjacent to the opening  5 , the center portion  33  having grooves  34  formed therein. A pistol shelf  35  can be inserted into a groove  34  so that a pistol can be held by pistol shelf  35  and either angled gun rest  12  or flat gun rest  13 . Separate grooves  34  can be provided for flat gun rests  13  and angled gun rest  12 . As shown in  FIG. 12B , the pistol shelf  35  includes an insert portion  36  configured to fit within the grooves  34 , and a platform  37  connected to the insert portion  36 . The platform  37  is designed so as to be parallel with top of the main body  1 . The butt or handle of a pistol sits on platform  37  while the barrel sits on angled gun rest  12 . Two pistols can share platform  37  while using angled gun rests  12  on opposite arms  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , the tent display position involves the use of two gun racks  100  together. In this display position, the two racks  100  are positioned in an inverted V position connected to each other by a bottom connecting member  30  and a top connecting member  40 . The bottom connecting member  30  connects a bottom of the first rack  100  to a bottom of the second rack  100  while the top connecting member  40  connects the top portions of the two racks. 
     In some embodiments, as can be seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the bottom connecting member  30  is configured so as to engage with the locking device  6 . As seen in  FIG. 15 , the bottom connecting member  30  includes a main portion  31  and a head portion  32 . A bottom of the main portion  31  tapers inward toward a length-wise axis B of the main portion  31  then outward from the length-wise axis B so as to form a bottom groove  38  of the head portion  32 . A top of the main portion  31  tapers outward from the length-wise axis B so as to form a top groove  39  of the head portion  32 . This shape allows the bottom connecting member  30  to lock the two gun racks  100  together at a certain distance. If desired, bottom connecting member may have multiple bottom grooves  38  and top grooves  39 , so as to allow a variable angle display angle and distance between the bottoms of the two racks  100 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 21 , connecting member  30  may have a head portion  32  which elastically moves away from axis B. 
     As seen in  FIG. 16 , the top connecting member  40  includes a bolt  41  and a wing-nut  42 . Alternatively, the top connector may be formed similarly to bottom connecting member  30  and may engage with a locking device  6  disposed on the top of the gun rack  100 . 
     The gun rack  100  may be made of any appropriate material. For instance, main body  1 , arms  2 , legs  14 , etc. may be made of wood, plastic, resin, acrylic, etc. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 17-23 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the manner of securing arms  202  in the display and storage positions vary from those of gun rack  100 . Otherwise, gun rack  200  includes similar elements, which operate in a similar manner, to those of gun rack  100 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 17 , gun rack  200  has arms  202  which connect to main body  201  through receiving cut-outs/slots  250  formed in the main body  201  at a side of opening  205 . The cut-outs  250  have an upper groove  253  with an inner side wall  254 , an outer side wall  255 , and a top portion  256  between the side walls. The cut-outs  250  also have a lower groove  257  with an inner side wall  258 , an outer side wall  259 , and a bottom portion  260  between the side walls. An end face  251  of the gun support  211  includes a projection  252  shaped so as to fit within slots  250  to secure the arm  202  when in the storage position. In particular, projection  252  can fit within the lower groove  257  to hold arm  202  in place in the storage position. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 17-19 , arm  202  also includes T-shaped groves  270  formed in a base portion  204  of arm  202 , on a side of the base portion  204  opposite the gun support  211 . The groove  270  is configured so as to fit into cut-out  250  when the arm  202  is in the display position so that T-portion  271  engages with cut-out  250 . When in the display position, arm  202  extends from main body  201 . In some embodiments, arm  202  is disposed perpendicular to the main body  201  in the display position. When in the storage position, the arm  202  is disposed parallel to the main body  201  in opening  205 . An advantage of arms  202  connecting to main body  201  through a plurality of cut-outs  250  and T-shaped grooves  270  is that the multiple connection points provide great stability to the arms  202  generally and specifically when a gun is lifted or pulled from the gun rack  200 , so that no portion of arm  202  pulls away from main body  201 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 20 and 23 , leg  214  is attached to main body  201  through the use of a fastener  216 , which may be a hinge device, so as to allow leg  214  to rotate outward from main body  201 . Leg  214  is also attached to main body  201  by a retaining member  217 , which limits the outward rotation of leg  214 . As seen in  FIG. 20 , retaining member  217  may include a leg locking mechanism  218  which allows the leg  214  to be locked into the tabletop display position. Slots  215  are formed so as to allow leg locking mechanisms  218  and legs  214  to fit within slots  15  when the legs  214  are not extended. This allows gun rack  200  to maintain a flat profile for maximum portability/stack-ability. 
     Alternatively, in some embodiments, retaining member  217  may be a mechanism which only prevents outward movement past a certain point in the tabletop setup position, such as a cord. 
     The arms  202  have a plurality of gun supports  211  which extend from the front side of base portion  204 . Gun supports  211  are configured so as to hold a firearm. A long gun (e.g., shotgun, rifle, assault rifle, over-under shotgun, etc.) may be held by one gun support  211  on each arm  202 . 
     Gun supports  211  may include an angled gun rest  212 , which is angled relative to main body  201 . Side walls  227  may be provided with angled gun rest  212 . In some embodiments, side walls  227  extend perpendicular to angled gun rest  212 . 
     Gun supports  211  may also include a flat gun rest  213 . Side walls  228  may be provided with flat gun rest  213 . In some embodiments, side walls  228  may be perpendicular to flat gun rest  213 . 
     As with gun rack  100 , in some embodiments of gun rack  200 , the flat gun rest  213  on one of arms  202  may be offset relative to the flat gun rest  213  of the other of arms  202 . This can allow the firearms to sit in relatively flat in the horizontal direction while displayed. After much experimentation with various long gun types, it has been ascertained that an offset of about ⅝ of an inch provides the most consistent horizontal profile over a range of long gun types (e.g., shotguns, rifles, assault rifles, over-under shotguns, etc.) In these embodiments, the receiver is often slightly lower than the barrel, so that with the offset, the gun is displayed in a horizontal position. 
     Similarly, the angled gun rest  212  on one of arms  202  may be offset relative to the angled gun rest  212  of the other of arms  202 . This can allow the firearms to sit in a relatively flat in the horizontal direction while displayed. After much experimentation with various long gun types, it has been ascertained that an offset of about ⅝ of an inch provides the most consistent horizontal profile over a range of long gun types (e.g., shotguns, rifles, assault rifles, over-under shotguns, etc.) In these embodiments, the long gun will face to the right, as the receiver is often slightly lower than the barrel, so that the gun is displayed in a horizontal position. 
     When gun rack  200  is in a tabletop display position, legs  214  may be extended from slots  215  of main body  201 . The legs  214  extend outward from main body  1  such that when arms  202  are in the display position, legs  214  extend from a side of main body  201  opposite a side of main body  201  from which arms  202  extend. When in the closed position, legs  214  are disposed within slots  215 . 
     Angled gun rest  212  may be angled approximately 40-50 degrees relative to a line perpendicular to the back side of base portion  204 . This allows angled gun rest  212  to hold firearms essentially upright when gun rack  200  is in the tabletop setup position to allow for proper display and balance. 
     As seen in  FIG. 22 , gun rack  200  may be turned upside-down and used in a vertical position. In the vertical position, gun rack  200  is oriented so that the flat gun rest  213  faces upwards to allow firearms to be rested thereon. Gun rack  200  may be secured by a strap to be hung in the vertical position. The strap or rope can be passed through holes  223  and looped over projection  224  which is formed in projection hole  225 . This allows gun rack  200  to be hung from a door (e.g., a regular room door, a folding closet door, etc.) or any other structure to which a strap can be secured. Gun rack  200  can also be propped up against a surface in an approximately vertical position to allow the use of flat gun rests  213  without suspending the gun rack  200 . In yet another option, gun rack  200  may be hung from a surface using handles  226  or projection hole  225 . 
     The main body  202  includes a center portion  233  adjacent to the opening  205 , the center portion  233  having grooves  234  formed therein. A pistol shelf  35  can be inserted into a groove  234  so that a pistol can be held by pistol shelf  35  and either angled gun rest  212  or flat gun rest  213 . Separate grooves  234  can be provided for flat gun rests  213  and angled gun rest  212 . The pistol shelf  35  includes an insert portion  36  configured to fit within the grooves  234 , and a platform  37  connected to the insert portion  36 . The platform  37  is designed so as to be parallel with top of the main body  201 . The butt or handle of a pistol sits on platform  37  while the barrel sits on angled gun rest  212 . Two pistols can share platform  37  while using opposite angled gun rest  212 . 
     Like gun rack  100 , two gun racks  200  may be positioned in an inverted V position, connected to each other by a bottom connecting member  30  and a top connecting member  40 . As seen in  FIG. 21 , the bottom connecting member  30  connects a bottom of the first rack  200  to a bottom of the second rack  200  while the top connecting member  40  connects the top portions of the two racks. In some embodiments, the bottom connecting member(s)  30  and/or the top connecting member(s)  40  are configured so as to engage with the connecting holes  241  and through holes  223 . 
     Similar to gun rack  100 , gun rack  200  may be made of any appropriate material. In some embodiments of gun rack  200 , the main body  201  and arms  202  may be formed of a somewhat flexible material, such as a plastic or resin, to allow the projection  252  to be secured to slot  250  to keep arm  202  in place when in the storage/closed position. As seen in  FIG. 17 , additional grooves may also be provided in to top or bottom sides of opening  205  so as to engage with arms  202 . 
     While the invention has been described with respect to guns, the rack can be used to display any appropriate item of similar shape or would fit within the portable rack. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
     Further, it is noted that, Applicant&#39;s intent is to encompass equivalents of all claim elements, even if amended later during prosecution.