Bracket For Retaining Items In A Stored Position

Abstract

A clip or bracket releasably mountable to a rail having elongated perforations to retain one or more items in a stored position when not in use. In a simple embodiment, the clip is formed of a continuous length of metal or plastic rod having a pair of parallel legs for insertion through the mounting rail perforation, and a three-sided enclosure which, in cooperation with the surface of the mounting rail, form a four-sided enclosure for retaining the stored item. In a second, preferred embodiment, a bracket is formed with an integral, three-sided wall with one or more latching members affixed to one of the walls for releasably attaching the bracket to the mounting rail with portions of the latching member(s) extending through one of the perforations. In one form, a pair of three-sided retainers are connected to one another with latching member(s) mounted between adjacent walls of the two retainers. The invention has particular utility in the cargo transportation field where the brackets may be mounted to the conventional mounting rails currently in use in many trucks and trailers for supporting likewise conventional load bars to restrain cargo against movement during transport.

1 . An article for mounting upon a substantially vertical surface to support one or more elongated items in a stored position, said article comprising: 
 a) means for releasably attaching said article to said surface in a predetermined orientation;    b) a pair of side members extending substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to said surface when in said orientation; and    c) an end member extending between said side members substantially parallel to and spaced from said surface when in said orientation, whereby said side members and said end member form, in conjunction with said surface, a four-sided enclosure of appropriate size for extension therethrough and support of said elongated item in a stored position against said surface.    
   
   
       2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said article is formed from a continuous length of elongated rod having first and second, terminal ends and bent between said ends to a configuration providing said attaching means, said side members and said end member.  
   
   
       3 . The article of  claim 2  wherein said article has a pair of substantially U-shaped portions each of said portions having a first leg terminating at one of said terminal ends and a second leg integrally attached to said first leg and to a respective one of said side members.  
   
   
       4 . The article of  claim 3  wherein said surface has at least one pair of perforations and said attaching means comprise said U-shaped portions, said first leg of each of said U-shaped portions extending through a respective one of said perforations when in said orientation.  
   
   
       5 . The article of  claim 4  wherein said first and second legs are substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to said side members.  
   
   
       6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said side members comprise first and second walls joined by said end member with opposing surfaces of said wall members in substantially parallel, spaced relation.  
   
   
       7 . The article of  claim 6  wherein said end member comprises a third wall formed integrally with said first and second walls, the latter extending from said end wall to respective first and second free edges.  
   
   
       8 . The article of  claim 7  wherein said first and second free edges are substantially parallel to said third wall, said first free edge being spaced from said third wall by a distance less than said second free edge is spaced from said third wall.  
   
   
       9 . The article of  claim 8  wherein said surface includes at least one perforation and said first free edge rests upon a portion of said surface and said second edge extends through said perforation when said article is in said orientation.  
   
   
       10 . The article of  claim 9  wherein said attaching means comprises at least one latch member mounted to said second wall.  
   
   
       11 . A bracket for releasable attachment to a conventional mounting rail of the type having a planar surface with a plurality of elongated, spaced perforations, to support an elongated item in a stored position, said bracket comprising: 
 a) first and second substantially planar side walls;    b) an end wall extending between and attached to each of said side walls maintaining the latter in parallel relation to one another;    c) latch means engageable with said mounting rail to support said bracket upon said surface in an orientation wherein said side walls extend perpendicularly outward from said surface and said end wall extends parallel to and spaced from said surface, whereby said side walls and end wall cooperate with said surface to form a four -sided enclosure through which said elongated item may extend.    
   
   
       12 . The bracket of  claim 11  wherein said end wall is formed integrally with said side walls.  
   
   
       13 . The bracket of  claim 12  wherein said side walls extend from said end wall to respective free edges each parallel to the plane of said end wall, the free edge of said first side wall being spaced from said end wall by a distance less than the free edge of said second side wall is spaced from said end wall.  
   
   
       14 . The bracket of  claim 13  wherein said free edge of said first side wall rests upon said planar surface and the free edge of said second side wall extends through one of said perforations when said bracket is mounted to said support rail in said orientation.  
   
   
       15 . The bracket of  claim 11  wherein said latch means is mounted to at least one of said side walls.  
   
   
       16 . The bracket of  claim 15  wherein said latch means comprises a pair of latch members each pivotally mounted to one of said side walls for rotation with respect thereto between latched and unlatched positions.  
   
   
       17 . The bracket of  claim 16  and further including a spring biasing said latch members toward rotation to said latched position.  
   
   
       18 . The bracket of  claim 15  and further including stabilizing means fixedly attached to at least one of said side and end walls and contacting said planar surface when said bracket is supported upon said surface in said orientation.  
   
   
       19 . The bracket of  claim 15  wherein said latch means includes a first portion mounted to one of said side walls and a second portion integrally formed with said one side wall.  
   
   
       20 . A system for retaining elongated items in a stored position, said system comprising, in combination: 
 a) a rigid plate fixedly mounted to supporting structure and having at least one, vertically oriented, elongated perforation of predetermined shape;    b) at least one article having a first portion extending through said perforation to releasably mount said article upon said plate, and a second portion extending outwardly from said surface and at least partially defining a passageway through which a vertically oriented, elongated item may pass; and    c) at least one elongated item extending through said passageway and retained by said second portion of said article in a vertical orientation.    
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said supporting structure is an interior side wall of a cargo space of a vehicle.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein said elongated item is a load bar for use in securing cargo within said cargo space.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein said cargo space includes a floor and wherein one end of said load bar rests upon said floor.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said first portion of said article includes latch means.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein at least a portion of said latch means is movable between latching and unlatching positions.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said second portion of said article includes a pair of side members and an end member which, together with a portion of said surface, define said passageway.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said side members comprise a pair of substantially planar side walls extending perpendicularly to said surface in spaced, parallel relation to one another, and said end member comprises a substantially planar end wall extending between said side walls and parallel to said surface.  
   
   
       28 . A bracket for releasable mounting upon a mounting rail of the type having a planar surface with at least one vertically elongated perforation to retain an elongated member in a vertically oriented, stored position, said bracket comprising: 
 a) a first retainer defining at least a portion of a first passageway having a first, central axis along which one of said elongated members may extend;    b) a second retainer defining at least a portion of a second passageway having a second, central axis along which another of said elongated members may extend;    c) means fixedly attaching said first and second retainers to one another with said first and second axes substantially parallel; and    d) latching means cooperable with said mounting rail to mount said first and second retainers thereon with said first and second axes substantially vertically oriented.    
   
   
       29 . The bracket of  claim 28  wherein said first and second retainers each include a pair of side walls and an end wall and are fixedly attached to one another with a side wall of said first retainer in adjacent, parallel relation to a side wall of said second retainer.  
   
   
       30 . The bracket of  claim 29  wherein said latching means are mounted between said adjacent side walls of said first and second retainers.  
   
   
       31 . The bracket of  claim 30  wherein said latching means comprise at least one latch member mounted for pivotal movement between latching and unlatching positions.  
   
   
       32 . The bracket of  claim 30  wherein said latching means comprise a pair of latch members each mounted for pivotal movement between latching and unlatching positions, and at least one spring biasing said latch members toward movement to said latching position thereof.