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US 4,306,660 AGranted
Bicycle stand
OwnerDavid E. Livingstoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle stand or rack is of either open framework or solid construction and has a vertically inclined hub support surface for supporting a bicycle by leaning a projecting hub portion of one wheel against such surface. Portions of the stand provide stops to prevent the wheel from rolling forward and backward from the stall space, from sliding from the hub-supporting surface and from twisting with respect to the bicycle frame. The stand may be made in modular sections for use singly to support one bicycle or in multiples to support several bicycles. The stand may also be provided with a flattened top portion to provide a seat for pedestrians.
Claims32
A stand for supporting a bicycle in a generally upright position comprising:
- structural means defining a generally planar continuous inclined sidewall portion of said stand providing a hub support surface, said hub support surface being directed upwardly and outwardly at an angle of no greater than about 30.degree. to a vertical plane,
- said structural means defining a ground-supported base for said stand and supporting and positioning said sidewall portion providing said hub support surface above said base at hub height to a bicycle wheel,
- said structural means being so disposed as to provide sufficient clearance outwardly of said hub support surface and access forwardly and rearwardly of said surface so that one wheel of a bicycle can be positioned alongside said surface,
- said inclined hub support surface being operable to support a bicycle in a near upright position by leaning one end only of a hub end portion only of one wheel only of said bicycle against said inclined hub support surface when both wheels are also ground-supported at their lower ends,
- said hub support surface being of sufficient area such that said surface is at hub height to bicycle wheels of different diameters,
- said structural means defining a set of front and rear roll stop means extending in a direction transverse to the plane of said hub support surface and being positioned fore and aft respectively of a vertical plane normal to the plane of said support surface and bisecting a wheel supported on said hub support surface along the rotational axis of the wheel to restrain the supported hub portion of the wheel from moving forwardly and rearwardly beyond the limits of said hub support surface through rolling movement of the supported wheel.
3 more elements
A bicycle stand comprising:
- structural means including a sidewall portion defining at least one generally planar vertically inclined and upwardly directed wheel hub support surface of sufficient area to be at hub height to the wheels of bicycles having different hub heights,
- said structural means providing an end of a hub portion of said wheels with access to said hub support surface,
- a single said hub support surface being operable with a ground support surface for the wheels of the bicycle to support a bicycle by leaning one end only of a hub end portion of one wheel only of said bicycle against said vertically inclined hub support surface to support said one wheel in a vertically inclined position such that said vertically inclined hub support surface applies an inwardly directed compressive supporting force to said end of said hub portion in a direction generally along the rotational axis of said one wheel and at a slight angle to the ground support surface for said wheel,
- said structural means including roll stop means engageable with said one wheel when leaning against said hub support surface for restraining forward end rearward rolling movement of said one wheel to prevent sliding movement of said end of said hub portion beyond the fore-and-aft limits of said hub support surface.
1 more element
A method of supporting a bicycle in a generally upright position comprising:
- leaning one projecting end of a hub portion of one wheel of the bicycle on one side of said wheel at an angle to the vertical of no greater than about 30.degree. against one only vertically inclined hub support surface so as to apply a compressive supporting force against said hub end portion along the rotational axis of said wheel and at a slight angle to a ground support surface for the bicycle while (1) restraining a lower sidewall portion of the tire of said wheel on the opposite side of said wheel at or near ground level against sidewise slipping movement, (2) restraining a sidewall portion of the tire of said wheel at a point below and forwardly or rearwardly of the supported end of said wheel hub portion to prevent twisting movement of said wheel relative to the frame of said bicycle, and (3) restraining said wheel against forward and backward rolling movement.
In combination, a bicycle and a stand for supporting the bicycle in a generally upright position in a manner to minimize the possibility of damaging the bicycle,
- said bicycle including a wheel having a hub including hub end portions projecting outwardly from opposite sides of said wheel,
- said stand having a generally planar upwardly directed hub support surface extending at an inclination of no greater than about 30.degree. to a vertical plane, said stand including structural means supporting said surface at the height of said hub portions of said wheel,
- the outer end of one of said hub portions engaging said hub support surface to support said bicycle by leaning said hub portion against said surface such that said surface applies a supporting force to said bicycle along the rotational axis of said wheel,
- said stand including roll stop means engageable with said wheel to restrain said wheel against forward and rearward rolling movement to retain said hub portion against said hub support surface.
1 more element
A bicycle stand comprising:
- a pair of horizontally spaced-apart continuous generally vertically extending sidewall portions joined together at their upper ends by an integral top wall portion,
- at least one of said sidewall portions being inclined toward the other said sidewall portion at an angle to the vertical of no greater than about 30.degree.,
- said one inclined sidewall portion terminating at its lower end in a horizontally extending, ground-supported foot,
- said other sidewall portion terminating at a ground-supported lower end,
- said foot defining an upwardly open wheel well for supporting the lowermost tire portion of a bicycle wheel,
- said wheel well being bounded at opposite ends and at a side opposite said one inclined sidewall portion by rim portions defining fore and aft roll stops and a side stop for restraining a bicycle wheel against rolling and side-slipping movement from said well,
- said one inclined sidewall portion extending to a height above said wheel well such that a bicycle wheel supported at its lowermost end within said well will also be supported laterally by engagement of a hub end portion of said wheel by leaning against said one inclined sidewall portion so as to provide a two-point support for a bicycle in a near-upright position.
4 more elements
A bicycle stand comprising:
- a pair of horizontally spaced-apart continuous generally vertically extending sidewall portions joined together at their upper ends by an integral top wall portion,
- at least one of said sidewall portions being inclined toward the other said sidewall portion at an angle to the vertical of no greater than about 30.degree.,
- said one inclined sidewall portion terminating at its lower end in a horizontally extending, ground-supported foot,
- said other sidewall portion terminating at a ground-supported lower end,
- said foot defining an upwardly open wheel well for supporting the lowermost tire portion of a bicycle wheel,
- said wheel well being bounded at opposite ends and at a side opposite said one inclined sidewall portion by rim portions defining fore and aft roll stops and a side stop for restraining a bicycle wheel against rolling and side-slipping movement from said well,
- said one inclined sidewall portion extending to a height above said wheel well such that a bicycle wheel supported at its lowermost end within said well will also be supported laterally by engagement of a hub end portion of said wheel by leaning against said one inclined sidewall portion so as to provide a two-point support for a bicycle in a near-upright position,
- said foot and a lower portion at said other sidewall portion including means for interconnecting similar bicycle stands in side-by-side relationship with the foot of one stand adjoining the other leg portion of an adjacent stand.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.