Abstract:
The present invention provides a rotating implement storage device to store garden implements and similar tools in garages, tool sheds, or like storage facilities where storage space has traditionally been linear along a wall. The device of the present invention permits more efficient use of limited storage space by providing a suspended, rotating carousel attached to a mounting bracket having a plurality of retaining hooks or brackets about the periphery of the carousel upon which a variety of implements are retained. Preferably, the device is mounted to a solid support and has a swivelling S-shaped rigid shaft from which the rotating storage carousel is suspended thereby allowing the carousel to rotate freely and providing for improved storage of various implements as well as improved accessability to those implements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of The Invention 
     The present invention relates to implement storage devices; and, more particularly, to rotatable implement storage devices for storing garden implements and the like. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In modern American suburbia, the garage has become the storage receptacle for a myriad of items that are necessary for work and recreation. The need for this storage space has become so acute that many suburban dwellings contain a 3-car garage even though the occupants own only two vehicles. In many instances, a recreational vehicle, such as a boat or a 4-wheel drive occupies the third bay; but in most cases, it is utilized for storage and as a work area. Items such as bicycles, sports equipment, garden furniture, wheelbarrows, trash cans, and work shops containing wrenches, power tools, and other implements for repairing various electrical and/or mechanical apparatuses, throughout the house, are generally stored in the garage. 
     Gardening has become a recreational pastime of suburbia, and the lawns and gardens of the occupants of suburban dwellings have become a source of pride and even, in some cases, competition. For example, automatic-timed sprinkler systems assure vigilant watering of both shrubbery and lawn, and many commercial services provide lawn fertilization, weed control, aeration, and the like. Traditionally, the implements for gardening, which can include very intricate devices, have been stored in the garage or, in some cases, a tool shed. Hand implements, such as rakes, hoes, shovels, picks, and the like, traditionally have been stored either in a corner of the garage or hung linearly along the wall on hooks, nails, clips or the like. Many implement handles contain a hole or other attachment means which allows the implement to be secured to these nails or hooks. 
     Unfortunately, the space utilization of these lineal storage methods is not optimum, and valuable space in an already crowded garage or tool shed that could be used for other purposes is wasted. Moreover, in order to access the tools stored lineally on the wall, one must approach the tools directly beneath their placement on the wall, often necessitating that items beneath the stored tools be moved or vehicles backed from the garage in an effort to facilitate access to the desired tools. 
     Various methods for storing items have been proposed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,864,039 issued to DeWitt M. Brownson, Jun. 21, 1932, shows a utensil holder mounted horizontally to a bracket on a kitchen wall adjacent to a stove or range for hanging kitchen utensils, such as knives, forks, spoons, or ladles, which are used daily in connection with culinary work. In one embodiment, a rotatable disk is provided wherein the periphery is formed with radial notches or grooves to receive hooks or nails which are driven into the free end of the handles of the utensils so that the latter may depend from the circular formation of the disk. While this device provides for the storage of small implements in a relatively small space on a disk, the implement itself must be configured with some kind of hook or retention device to depend from the rack. Additionally, this utensil holder would not be applicable for retaining or holding large implements such as rakes, hoes, shovels, or the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,644 issued to Joseph A. Weld, Jr. on Mar. 7, 1989, shows a circular rack much like a pie rack with hooks and tongs upon which bridles and other equestrian gear are laid so that they may be rotatably brought into view. Again, this would be inappropriate for a garden implement-retaining device. Likewise, there are a myriad of references for circular tie racks, both motorized and unmotorized, which allow ties to be draped over hooks on a wheel or disk which can be rotated from its center in order to bring the ties into view. Again, the configuration would not be operable with regard to large garden implements, and the method of retaining the ties is to lay the tie or garment over a hook such as bathroom hook on a door or the like. 
     Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a rack or device which allowed ease of accessibility to large tools, such as gardening implements, while maximizing the use of comparatively minimal amounts of space It would also be advantageous to have a storage means that could be mounted directly to the ceiling or the walls, thereby allowing effective use of available space while removing garden implements from the floor space of the garage or tool shed. Finally, it would be advantageous to have an implement storage device wherein the means for attaching or storing the implement allowed accessibility from a station not directly proximate the wall where other items are stored as well as permitting ease of implement retrieval by a single movement of the wrist. This last characteristic is an especially important consideration for elderly people. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A garden implement storage device has now been discovered that overcomes the above-described deficiencies of the prior art. The present invention provides an implement storage device that permits improved accessibility to stored garden implements and tools while maximizing available storage space. In accordance with the invention, the apparatus comprises a solid support-mourited rotating implement rack having releasable means for hanging, retaining, and storing garden tools, other large implements, or the like. 
     The rotating implement storage device of the instant invention comprises mounting bracket means adapted for mounting or suspending the device from a solid support, such as a wall or a ceiling in a garage, tool shed, or like storage facility; a carousel having at least one set of retention means for retaining an implement; and a support shaft having a first end and a second end with the first end adapted for supporting attachment to the mounting bracket means and the second end rotatably attached to the carousel. Preferably, at least a portion of the retention means is peripherally mounted on the carousel. 
     The mounting bracket means is preferably a U-channel, having at least two holes or openings passing there through, in spaced apart relation along the length of the U-channel, into which fasteners are inserted for mounting the U-channel onto a solid support. The mounting bracket means also can be a bar, which can be either solid or hollow, or a plate. The fasteners include screws, toggle bolts, or any other suitable means for attaching a mounting bracket to a solid support, as known and practiced by those skilled in the art. The mounting bracket means can be made of a wide variety of rigid materials, such as, for example, wood, plastics, metals, composites, fiberglass, or any other suitable material known and used by those skilled in the art. 
     In an alternate embodiment of the instant invention, the mounting bracket means further comprises implement retaining means for retaining and supporting implements or tools. 
     In accordance with the invention, the support shaft may be of any configuration that allows the carousel to rotate freely while supporting the various implements or tools stored thereon and while permitting a person to reach any and all of those implements conveniently. Such configurations would include an S-shaped support shaft and an L-bracket that is bent at a substantially right angle, making an L-shaped, rigid shaft. In another aspect, when the device is mounted onto a solid support, such as a ceiling, the support shaft is a straight, unbent shaft having a first end and a second end opposite the first. In this preferred aspect, the long axis of the shaft is aligned substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the mounting bracket means. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the rotating implement storage device further comprises support shaft attachment means fixedly attached to the mounting bracket means, preferably comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart retaining brackets, having aligned apertures in each, to allow a pin or swivel to pass there through for swiveling the support shaft and the rotatably attached carousel from a fixed, user-accessible position to a storage position. The support shaft is attached to the support shaft attachment means proximate to the first end of the shaft by any known means for attaching a support shaft to a support shaft attachment means, including screws, bolts, pins, or the like inserted through apertures in the shaft and the aligned apertures in the support shaft attachment means. The carousel is rotatably attached to the second end of the support shaft. The support shaft, whether straight, S-shaped, or L-shaped, may be solid or hollow and can be made from a wide variety of rigid materials, including wood, composites, plastics, metals, or the like. In a preferred aspect, the shaft is made of steel. 
     In accordance with the invention, the carousel includes a hub or center portion, rotatably attached to the second end of the support shaft, which permits rotary motion of the carousel relative to the stationary support shaft. Preferably, the carousel is of a circular shape having a rim around the periphery, spokes disposed across the interior of the carousel to provide rigidness and support; and a plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means fixedly attached around the rim of the carousel for releasably retaining and supporting the implements suspended thereon. In another embodiment, a plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means are fixedly attached along the length of the spokes for releasably retaining and supporting the implements placed thereon. The implement retaining means may include brackets, hooks, friction grips, or any other hardware capable of removably supporting garden implements and tools and of being peripherally attached to the rim of the carousel and/or fixedly attached along the length of the spokes. The carousel can be of any shape or design, such as, for example, a circle, disc, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, oval, or the like, that allows implements to be hung and stored on implement retaining means disposed around the periphery of the carousel and/or along the length of the spokes. For illustrative purposes only, the carousel is discussed herein with reference to a circular design. 
     In order for the carousel to rotate freely on the end of the support shaft, a bearing assembly is used. The bearing assemblies that can be utilized are known in the art. For example a sleeve bearing, a ball bearing, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the support shaft is S-shaped to allow clearance for the carousel to rotate when the rack is mounted flush to a wall. 
     The rotatable implement storage device can be made of wood, metal, plastics, fiberglass, or any other suitable rigid and durable material but is preferably made of steel. The dimensions of the rotatable implement storage rack may be of any suitable size. The mounting bracket means is preferably between about 26 inches and about 60 inches long, with 32 inches being preferred. The support shaft preferably has an overall length of between about 15 inches and 36 inches, and preferably 22 inches long. The carousel preferably has a diameter of between about 10 and about 25 inches, but in a preferred embodiment the carousel is about 20 inches in diameter. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and further objects of the invention will become more readily apparent as the invention is more fully understood from the detailed description to follow, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the implement storage device of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred mounting bracket means of the instant invention as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the carousel shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a detailed exploded view of certain components of the carousel shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is top view of another embodiment of the carousel of the instant invention shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the rotatable attachment of the carousel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the rotating implement storage device  10  of the instant invention. In accordance with the invention, the device  10  comprises a mounting bracket means  12 , which can be mounted on or suspended from a solid support, such as, for example, a wall or a ceiling of a garage, tool shed, or other storage facility. As better shown in FIG. 2, the preferred mounting bracket means  12  of the instant invention comprises a U-channel having a front side  11 , a back side  13  opposite the front side  11 , and an under side  15  fixedly attached to and connecting both the front side  11  and the back side  13 . The back side  13  is substantially longer than the front side  11  and is positioned to fixedly attach to a solid support (not shown). In a preferred embodiment, at least one implement retaining means  18  such as a hook, bracket, or friction grip is fixedly attached in spaced apart relation to the mounting bracket means  12  for hanging and storing garden implements or similar tools thereupon. The implement retaining means  18  is fastened to mounting bracket means  12  by inserting the implement retaining means  18  through opening  14  as shown in FIG.  2 . The mounting bracket means  12  is attached to a solid support by means of at least two holes or openings  16  placed in spaced apart relation along the length of the mounting bracket means  12  and running through the back side  13  and the front side  11  into which fasteners are inserted for fixedly attaching mounting bracket means  12  to the solid support. The fasteners (not shown) may include screws, nails, or any other suitable means known in the art. 
     A support shaft attachment means  20 , comprising a pair of holding brackets having opposing, aligned apertures  30  and  32  to accept a fastener, is fixedly attached perpendicular to and proximate the center of mounting bracket means  12 . The first end  22  of support shaft  24 , containing a mounting hole  28  there through, slidably inserts into the holding brackets  20  in order to attach the support shaft  24  to the mounting bracket means  12 . A suitable fastening means  26  is then inserted through the hole  30  in the holding brackets  20  through hole  28  in support shaft  24  and then out through opening  32 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the support shaft attachment means  20  is a pair of holding brackets which allows support shaft  24  to rotate about fastener  26 . Thus, the pair of holding brackets  20  attaches to mounting bracket means  12  in a manner to allow support shaft  24  to rotate and swivel with respect to the mounting bracket means  12 , thereby permitting the support shaft  24  and the suspended carousel  36  to swivel and move from a fixed user-accessible position to another fixed storage position when the device is empty. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a top view of a preferred embodiment of the carousel  36  of the instant invention. The carousel  36  contains a hub  37  having a hub surface  39 . The hub  37  is rotatably attached to the second end  34  of support shaft  24 , permitting rotary motion of the carousel  36  relative to the support shaft  24 . In a preferred embodiment, the carousel  36  is of a circular shape having a rim  38  around the periphery, spokes  40  disposed across the diameter or interior length of carousel  36  to provide rigidness and support, and a plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means  42  fixedly attached around the rim  38  of the carousel  36  for releasably retaining and supporting the implements placed thereon. In another embodiment, a plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means  44  are fixedly attached along the length of the spokes  40  for releasably retaining and supporting a variety of implements or tools placed thereon. The implement retaining means  42  and  44  may include brackets, hooks, friction grips, or any other hardware capable of removably supporting garden implements and tools. The carousel  36  is preferably made of metal, though it can be made of any suitably rigid and durable material, such as, for example, wood, fiberglass, or plastic. 
     As seen in FIG. 1, the carousel is rotatably mounted on the second end  34  of support shaft  24  by means of a bolt  62 . As better seen in FIG. 4, a sleeve bearing  52 , having an outer race  56  with a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the inner race  58  of the center mounting aperture  54  and load bearing shoulder  57  having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the inner race  58  of the center mounting aperture  54 , is inserted into the center mounting aperture  54  with the outer race  56  of the bearing  52  contacting the inner race  58  of the center mounting aperture  54  and the surface  60  substantially flush with the upper surface of the hub  37 . The lower surface of hub  37  rests on the load bearing shoulder  57 . Threaded bolt  62 , which is disposed beneath the bearing  52 , extends through the bearing center opening  64 , the center mounting aperture  54 , the center aperture  67  of spacer washers  66 , and then into the threaded portion(not shown) of nut  68  retained on the second end  34  of support shaft  24 . The threaded bolt  62  is tightened such that bolt threads  63  engage the threaded portion of nut  68  in a conventional manner. A secure assembly is provided wherein the carousel  36  rotates freely about the stationary support shaft  24 . Thus, particular garden implements or tools placed on the implement retaining means  42  and  44 , such as brackets, hooks, or friction grips, are easily located by rotating the carousel  36  until the desired tool is in view and readily accessible. 
     When the device  10  is mounted onto a solid self-standing support, such as a wall, the support shaft  24  is preferably an S-shaped, rigid shaft. As shown in FIG. 1, a first end  22  of the support shaft is substantially perpendicular to the mounting bracket means  12 ; a middle section is at a substantially right angle to the first end  22 ; and a second end  34  is substantially parallel to the first end  22  and at a substantially right angle to the middle section. 
     Another embodiment of the instant rotating implement storage device  100  comprising alternate means for rotatably attaching the carousel  136  to the support shaft  124  is shown in FIG.  6 . As better seen in FIG. 5, the carousel  136  is of a circular shape having a substantially square hub  137 , a rim  138  around the periphery, spokes  140  disposed across the diameter or interior length of carousel  136  to provide rigidness and support, and a plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means  142  fixedly attached around the rim  138  of the carousel  136  for releasably retaining and supporting the implements placed thereon. A plurality of radially or outwardly extending implement retaining means  144  are fixedly attached along the length of the spokes  140  for releasably retaining and supporting a variety of implements or tools placed thereon. The implement retaining means  142  may include brackets, hooks, friction grips, or any other hardware capable of removably supporting garden implements and tools. The carousel  136  is preferably made of metal, though it can be made of any suitably rigid and durable material, such as, for example, wood, fiberglass, or plastic. 
     As better seen in FIG. 6, the substantially square hub  137  of carousel  136  is rotatably attached to the second end  134  of support shaft  124 , permitting rotary motion of the carousel  136  relative to the support shaft  124 . The second end  134  of support shaft  124  has a male threaded member  141  which descends vertically from the second end  134 . Proximate the upper portion of the male threaded member  141 , and disposed about the second end  134  and fixedly attached thereto is washer or plate  135 . The male threaded member  141  is inserted through the mounting aperture  139  in the hub  137  and into a threaded locknut  143 . The bearing surface between washer  135  and hub  137  is lubricated with any suitable, commercially available lubricant, such as, for example, graphite, grease, or oil. The load bearing surface of locknut  143  is likewise lubricated. Thus, particular garden implements or tools placed on the implement retaining means  142  and  144 , such as brackets, hooks, or friction grips, are easily located by rotating the carousel  136  until the desired tool is in view and readily accessible. 
     It will be realized that the rotatable implement storage rack  10  can be made of wood, metal, plastics, fiberglass, or any other suitable rigid and durable material, but it is preferably made of steel. It also will be realized by the skilled artisan that a plurality of spaced apart support shafts each having a rotatable carousel can be suspended from a single mounting bracket to increase storage capacity. The preferred dimensions of the rotatable implement storage rack  10  may be of any suitable size. The mounting bracket means  12  is preferably between about 26 inches and about 60 inches long, with 32 inches being preferred. The support shaft  24  preferably has an overall length of between about 15 inches and 36 inches but is preferably 22 inches long. The carousel  36  preferably has a diameter of between about 10 inches and about 25 inches, but in a preferred embodiment the carousel  36  is about 20 inches in diameter. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, including particular materials and size parameters, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and variations to the same can be accomplished without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and that such modifications are clearly contemplated herein. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended nor should any be inferred.