Supports: racks – Knockdown – Foldable or collapsible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-26
2001-11-06
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Knockdown
Foldable or collapsible
C211S085300, C211S085700, C248S431000, C248S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to stands for supporting various items of clothing and/or recreational equipment. There are many kinds of stands used for this purpose, from a simple post having hooks to fairly elaborate hall trees.
In connection with the game of ice or street hockey, there are clothing items, such as helmets, jerseys and pants, pads of various kinds, and the hockey skates or roller blades, all of which must, at times, be temporarily stored. Anyone having a child or teenaged hockey player in the house is well aware of the clutter such items can create if not properly stored.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a unique and attractive stand which can be used to support the various items of hockey equipment and clothing and which can provide some motivation for the hockey player to hang up his or her various items of clothing and equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a stand, which is readily portable and which can be easily stored when not in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In meeting the above objectives, applicant has provided a unique stand formed of three or four support members in the form of actual hockey sticks, or simulations thereof, which are pivotally attached to a block in such a way as to permit the hockey sticks, when in one position, to be spread to provide support for the stand, and when in another position, to be essentially parallel to each other for transport or storage. The handle ends of the hockey sticks stand on the floor and the curved striking ends spread away from each other to provide arms or supports for hanging the items referred to above. Many hockey sticks include, on their curved ends, a series of holes which may be useful for attaching clothes hangers.
The block, which may be either square or triangular in cross-section, depending upon whether four or three hockey sticks are used, includes a four or three-sided well at its top end, thereby providing a shallow wall at the top of each face of the block. A slightly arcuate slot is cut in each wall and a bolt passes through each hockey stick and the slot and is secured on the inside of the wall. The slot limits the pivoting movement of the hockey sticks to a small angle sufficient to provide an adequate base for the stand. When the hockey sticks are pivoted to the opposite end of the slot, they line up parallel with each other for storage or for carrying the stand.
In one embodiment, a hole is drilled, centrally of and parallel to, the sides of the block in the bottom of the well. A rod is inserted into the hole with a cylindrical member in the shape of a hockey puck attached to the top of the rod. The puck-like member is thereby elevated significantly above the curved ends and is useful, in particular, for storing a helmet.
The stand of this invention has sufficient storage capacity that it may be used in retail establishments, for example, to hang as many as 20 shirts or other garments on hangers from the holes in the blades of the hockey sticks. The hockey puck at the top may be used to mount appropriate signs.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 243804 (1977-03-01), Underwood et al.
patent: D. 362755 (1995-10-01), Ehrmann
patent: D. 385127 (1997-10-01), Affleck
patent: 451795 (1891-05-01), Anderson
patent: 1437256 (1922-11-01), Martin
patent: 1561371 (1925-11-01), Strupe
patent: 1643271 (1927-09-01), Hansen
patent: 1896446 (1933-02-01), Goeller
patent: 5848716 (1998-12-01), Waranius
patent: 6073783 (2000-06-01), Allman
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