U.S. patent application number 10/732729 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-22 for carousel device for storing guns.
Invention is credited to Beattie, Patrick J., Cleveland, Terri P., Kingston, Ronald J., Lynch, Peter F., Matijas, Daniel A., Osiecki, Scott W., Pallo, R. David, Paris, Chad P., Rhode, Torsten, Wildman, Kelvin H..
Application Number | 20040140235 10/732729 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34272354 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040140235 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cleveland, Terri P. ; et
al. |
July 22, 2004 |
Carousel device for storing guns
Abstract
A carousel device for storing at least one gun in a generally
upright position is provided. The device generally includes a base
and a upper support section and a generally upright pole member
positioned therebetween. The base has an upper surface with at
least one recess formed therein where the recess includes an outer
contact portion for contacting a butt of the gun. The upper support
section has a receiving portion defined in the outer circumference
thereof for receiving a barrel of the gun. The upright member has a
longitudinal axis and is positioned between the base and the upper
support member. The distance between the outer contact portion and
the longitudinal axis is less than the distance between the
receiving portion and the longitudinal axis, which allows the gun
to be stored in a generally upright position on the carousel
device.
Inventors: |
Cleveland, Terri P.;
(Holley, NY) ; Beattie, Patrick J.; (Rush, NY)
; Pallo, R. David; (Fairport, NY) ; Rhode,
Torsten; (Canandaigua, NY) ; Wildman, Kelvin H.;
(Honeoye Falls, NY) ; Lynch, Peter F.;
(Skaneateles, NY) ; Osiecki, Scott W.;
(Skaneateles, NY) ; Kingston, Ronald J.;
(Syracuse, NY) ; Paris, Chad P.; (Coram, NY)
; Matijas, Daniel A.; (Weedsport, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAECKLE FLEISCHMANN & MUGEL, LLP
Suite 200
39 State Street
Rochester
NY
14614-1310
US
|
Family ID: |
34272354 |
Appl. No.: |
10/732729 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60433154 |
Dec 13, 2002 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/315.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 81/005 20130101;
F41A 23/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/315.11 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/00 |
Claims
1. A device for storing at least one gun in a generally upright
position, the gun having a barrel and a butt, said device
comprising: a base having an upper surface, wherein the upper
surface includes an outer contact portion for contacting the butt
of the gun; an upper support section having a receiving portion for
receiving the barrel of the gun; and an intermediate member coupled
between the base and the upper support member, wherein the base and
the upper support member have a common longitudinal axis, and
wherein the distance between the outer contact portion and the
longitudinal axis is less than the distance between the receiving
portion and the longitudinal axis thereby allowing the gun to be
positioned in a generally upright position.
2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving portion
is defined in the outer circumference of the upper support
section.
3. The device as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least
one fastening strap for retaining the barrel in the receiving
portion.
4. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a storage
compartment.
5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the storage
compartment is mounted to a top surface of the upper support
section.
6. The device as recited in claim 5, wherein the storage
compartment includes a plurality of drawers and a bungee cord
connected to the storage compartment by a plurality of knobs that
are coupled with the storage compartment.
7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the base includes at
least one recess that is adapted to contact at least a portion of
the butt of the gun.
8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the base and the upper
support section are rotatable relative to a support surface.
9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediate
member is oriented in a generally vertical direction.
10. The device as recited in claim 9, wherein the common
longitudinal axis is the longitudinal axis of the intermediate
member.
11. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the
base and the upper support section are circular.
12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the radius of the
base is less than the radius of the upper support member.
13. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is
positioned within a cavity of an enclosure.
14. A device for storing at least one gun in a generally upright
position, the gun having a barrel and a butt, said device
comprising: a circular base having an upper surface, wherein the
upper surface has at least one recess formed therein, the recess
including an outer contact portion for contacting the butt of the
gun; a circular upper support section having a receiving portion
for receiving the barrel of the gun, the receiving portion being
defined in the circumference of the upper support section; and a
generally upright member coupled between the base and the upper
support member, wherein the upright member has a longitudinal axis,
wherein the distance between the outer contact portion and the
longitudinal axis is less than the distance between the receiving
portion and the longitudinal axis, wherein the base and the upper
support section are rotatable relative to a support surface, and
wherein the radius of the base is less than the radius of the upper
support member.
15. The device as recited in claim 14, further comprising at least
one fastening strap for retaining the barrel in the receiving
portion.
16. The device as recited in claim 14, further comprising a storage
compartment.
17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein the storage
compartment is mounted to a top surface of the upper support
section.
18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the storage
compartment includes a plurality of drawers and a bungee cord
connected to the storage compartment by a plurality of knobs that
are coupled with the storage compartment.
19. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the device is
positioned within a cavity of an enclosure.
20. A device for storing at least one gun, the gun having a barrel
and a butt, said device comprising: a base; an upper support
section; a generally upright member coupled between the base and
the upper support member, wherein the base and the upper support
member are rotatable relative to a support surface; and means for
storing the gun on the base and the upper support section in a
generally upright position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/433,154, filed on Dec. 13, 2002.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to a device for storing guns.
In particular, the present invention relates to a carousel device
with a plurality of barrel receiving portions for storing guns in
an upright position.
[0004] Conventional gun stands are typically mounted adjacent to a
wall or on the inside wall of a safe, and hold a nominal number of
guns. Presently, if one wishes to store a large number of guns, a
proportionately large amount of space must be devoted to a suitable
gun stand. In addition to the space occupied by the gun stand
itself, a significant area surrounding the gun stand must be kept
clear so that the owner can have unobstructed access to the
guns.
[0005] Additionally, conventional gun stands are tee-pee style,
wherein the upper portion, or barrel of the gun leans away from the
owner, towards the center of the rack. This configuration requires
excessive reaching and makes it difficult to remove a gun from the
rack. None of the existing devices are adaptable for storing guns
with the barrels extending in an upright position for ready manual
engagement.
[0006] Accordingly, there exists a need for a gun storage device
that ameliorates the aforementioned drawbacks and deficiencies. The
present invention fills these needs as well as other needs.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In order to overcome the above stated problems and
limitations there is provided a carousel device for storing at
least one gun in a generally upright position.
[0008] The device generally includes a base and a upper support
section with a generally upright pole member positioned
therebetween. The base has an upper surface with at least one
recess formed therein where the recess includes an outer contact
portion for contacting a butt of the gun. The upper support section
has a receiving portion defined in the outer circumference thereof
for receiving a barrel of the gun. The upright member has a
longitudinal axis and is positioned between the base and the upper
support member. The distance between the outer contact portion and
the longitudinal axis is less than the distance between the
receiving portion and the longitudinal axis, which allows the gun
to be stored in a generally upright position and increase the
accessibility of the guns. In addition, the base and the upper
support section may be circular and rotate relative to a support
surface. Further, the radius of the base may be smaller than the
radius of the upper support section to reduce the amount of floor
space taken up by the device.
[0009] Additionally, the device may include one or more storage
cells to allow of the storage of additional items such as, but not
limited to, permits, binoculars, barrels, or pistols. The storage
cell may be positioned on a top surface of the upper support
section and include features such as drawers and bungee cord
devices. The present invention may also include one or more
fastening straps that operate retain the barrel of the gun within a
barrel receiving portion of the upper support section.
[0010] Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the
present invention will be set forth in part in the description
which follows, and will in part become apparent to those in the
practice of the invention, when considered with the attached
figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification
and are to be read in conjunction therewith, wherein like reference
numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views,
and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a carousel device
according to the present invention located within a safe with the
safe door being removed;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a barrel receiving section of
the device shown in FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the barrel receiving
portion shown in FIG. 2 having a storage cell positioned
thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, there is
shown a carousel gun storage device 10 in accordance with the
present invention. In general, carousel gun storage device 10 may
include a base 9, a support pole 8, and an upper support section
11. Device 10 may rotate relative to a support surface about a
longitudinal axis 26 and allows one or more guns 14 to be stored in
a generally upright position. It will be understood that device 10
may be positioned within a safe or other type of enclosure as best
seen in FIG. 1.
[0016] As best seen in FIG. 1, base 9 generally rests on a support
surface and is adapted to provide support for a butt portion 27 of
gun 14. Base 9 may include at least one recess 24 defined in a top
surface thereof to prevent butt 27 from sliding relative to base 9.
In particular, an outer contact portion 25 of at least one recess
24 is adapted to engage or otherwise come into contact with at
least a portion of the outer surface of butt 27 to reduce the
sliding on base 9. In the case where base 9 does not include one or
more recesses 24, it will be understood that outer contact portion
25 is the outermost point relative to the longitudinal axis of pole
8 in which butt 27 is in contact with the top surface of base
9.
[0017] Base 9 may rotate relative to the support surface about
longitudinal axis 26, which mat be the same as the longitudinal
axis of support pole 8. Pole 8 may extend in a generally vertical
direction and is positioned between base 8 and upper support
section 11. Furthermore, an additional embodiment is contemplated
wherein support pole 8 has an inner cavity suitable for storing
additional guns while still allowing for the storage of guns in an
upright position.
[0018] As best seen in FIG. 2, upper support section 11 may have
one or more barrel receiving portions 12 adapted to receive the
barrels 13 of one or more guns 14. Barrel receiving portions 12 may
be defined in the periphery and are positioned about the
circumference of upper support section 11. The shape of the
receiving portions 12 in upper support section 11 may accommodate
various barrel styles such as, but not limited to, double barrel,
side-by-side, and under and over.
[0019] In order to keep the gun in a substantially upright position
and maintain a relatively small base or footprint for maximizing
available floor space, the distance (DI) between the outer contact
portion 25 of at least one recess 24 and a common longitudinal axis
26 is less than the distance (D.sub.2) between the at least one
recess 12 and common longitudinal axis 26. As stated above, the
common longitudinal axis 26 may be the longitudinal axis of pole 8.
The orientation of the barrel receiving portion 12 relative to
outer contact portion 25 of base 9 is relevant due to the non-axial
alignment of the barrel and butt of a gun as best seen in FIG. 1.
With this arrangement, the radius of the base 9 may be less than
the radius of upper support section 11 thereby allowing for easier
removal of guns and requiring less floor space. Guns with barrels
mounted in an upright position are easier to retrieve than guns
with barrels tilted toward the center of the rack. Furthermore,
while base 8 and upper support section 11 are shown in the drawings
as being circular, it will be understood that these components may
also be formed in other shapes.
[0020] With further reference to FIG. 2, one or more straps 21 may
be used to retain the guns 14 within barrel receiving portions 12
formed in carousel gun storage device 10. As stated above, barrel
receiving portions 12 are defined in an outer surface 5 of the
barrel receiving section 11. Straps 21 may have a fixed end 6 and a
fastening end 7, wherein fixed end 6 is fixedly attached to the
outer surface 5 on one side of receiving portion 12. In order to
secure a gun in the rack, strap 21 extends across receiving portion
12 and is removably attached to the opposing side of the outer
surface 5 by fastening end 7. It will be understood that straps 21
may have a hook and loop type fasteners (i.e., VELCRO) for easy
attachment and removal, however other types of fasteners are also
within the scope of the present invention. If hook and loop type
fasteners are used, the straps will have hook type fasteners on one
side of the strap and loop type fasteners on the opposite side of
the strap thereby allowing for fastening end 7 of a first strap to
be fastened to the outer side of fixed end 6 of a second strap used
for an adjacent receiving portion 12.
[0021] As best seen in FIG. 1, upper support section 11 of the
carousel gun storage device 10 has an upper surface 15 that may be
used to support a storage cell 16. Storage cell 16 may be used to
store peripheral items such as, but not limited to, permits,
binoculars, barrels, or pistols. Storage cell 16 may consist of one
or more drawers 17 as well as a bungee cord network for securing
articles to the outside surface of storage cell 16. As best seen in
FIG. 3, the bungee cord network is comprised of a length of bungee
cord 18 attached to an outer surface 20 of storage cell 16 by a
plurality of knobs 19. The elastic property of the bungee cord
allows for the secure storage of items between bungee cord 18 and
outer surface 20 of storage cell 16.
[0022] The carousel gun storage device 10 of the present invention
may serve as a stand alone device, or be positioned within the
interior of a safe, as illustrated in FIG. 1. By positioning the
rack 10 within the safe, the owner can easily access the desired
gun by rotating the rack. Once the desired gun is positioned before
the owner, one may unfasten the strap to free the barrel from the
barrel receiving portion and remove the gun.
[0023] The present invention overcomes or ameliorates the drawbacks
and deficiencies in the prior art. Specifically, the present
invention allows for guns to be stored in an upright position by
making the distance between the outer contact portion 25 of at
least one recess 24 and a common longitudinal axis less than the
distance between the at least one recess 12 and the longitudinal
axis. With this arrangement, the radius of the base portion may be
smaller than the radius of the upper support section thereby
allowing for easier removal of guns, while requiring less floor
space. Furthermore, when the carousel gun rack is positioned in a
safe, rotating the gun carousel grants the user easy access to the
desired gun, eliminating the need for bending or reaching deeply
into the safe.
[0024] While particular embodiments of the invention have been
shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not
limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled
in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings.
Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope
of the foregoing disclosure of the invention without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
* * * * *