Glass sheet transport rack

1. A rack operable to support one or more glass sheets, said rack comprising:

a dual sided frame, wherein the dual sided frame has a first face on a first side of the dual sided frame, and a second face on a second side of the dual sided frame, each face operable to support a glass sheet in a position between about 5 and about 30 degrees from vertical and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the dual sided frame and wherein the first face and second face are closer together near a top of the dual sided frame than near a bottom of the dual sided frame;

a first knee brace operable to adjustably extend from a first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first knee brace having a first face coincident with a plane of the first face of the dual sided frame and a second face coincident with a plane of the second face of the dual sided frame and wherein the first knee brace has a cross section with respect to the longitudinal axis that is generally trapezoidal;

a first stop arm operable to extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first stop arm comprising a first longitudinal support beam and an first axial protrusion attached to the first longitudinal support beam, wherein the first axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the first face of the dual sided frame; and

a second stop arm operable to extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said second stop arm comprising a second longitudinal support beam and an second axial protrusion attached to the second longitudinal support beam, wherein the second axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the second face of the dual sided frame, wherein:

a distance between the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame is independent of a distance between the second axial protrusion of the second stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame.

2. A rack operable to support one or more glass sheets, said rack comprising:

a dual sided frame, wherein the dual sided frame has a first face on a first side of the dual sided frame, and a second face on a second side of the dual sided frame, each face operable to support a glass sheet in a position between about 5 and about 30 degrees from vertical and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the dual sided frame and wherein the first face and second face are closer together near a top of the dual sided frame than near a bottom of the dual sided frame; and

a first knee brace operable to adjustably extend from a first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first knee brace having a first face coincident with a plane of the first face of the dual sided frame and a second face coincident with a plane of the second face of the dual sided frame and wherein the first knee brace has a cross section with respect to the longitudinal axis that is generally trapezoidal;

the dual sided frame has a cross section with respect to the longitudinal axis adjacent the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame that is generally trapezoidal; and

the first knee brace has a height less than a height of the dual sided frame, and the first knee brace is approximately vertically centered with respect to the dual sided frame or above vertically centered with respect to the dual sided frame.

3. The rack of claim 2 , wherein:

the first knee brace is operable to adjustably extend along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the dual sided frame;

the first knee brace comprises a longitudinal support beam having a plurality of detents, each detent operable to maintain an outer longitudinal surface of the first knee brace at a different predetermined longitudinal distance from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame; and

each detent is a hole; and

the dual sided frame comprises:

a first knee brace tube operable to receive at least a portion of the longitudinal support beam of the first knee brace; and

a spring loaded first knee brace pin operable to engage one of the plurality of holes in the longitudinal support beam of the first knee brace.

4. The rack of claim 2 , further comprising a second knee brace operable to adjustably extend from a second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame opposite the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, wherein the second knee brace has a first face coincident with the plane of the first face of the first side of the dual sided frame and a second face coincident with a plane of the second face of the second side of the dual sided frame.

5. The rack of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first bottom beam at the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame;

a second bottom beam at a second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame; wherein:

the second longitudinal end is opposite the first longitudinal end;

the first bottom beam comprises a plurality of rollers extending through a bottom surface of the first bottom beam; and

a pick up support pipe extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, wherein the pickup support pipe is in contact with the second bottom beam of the dual sided frame, wherein:

a top side of the first bottom beam and a top side of the second bottom beam are angled downward such that the top side of the first bottom beam and the top side of the second bottom beam are higher further away from the longitudinal axis than closer to the longitudinal axis.

6. The rack of claim 2 , further comprising

a first stop arm operable to adjustably extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first stop arm comprising a first longitudinal support beam and an first axial protrusion attached to the first longitudinal support beam, wherein the first axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the first face of the dual sided frame; and

a second stop arm operable to adjustably extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said second stop arm comprising a second longitudinal support beam and an second axial protrusion attached to the second longitudinal support beam, wherein the second axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the second face of the dual sided frame, wherein:

a distance between the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame is independent of a distance between the second axial protrusion of the second stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame.

7. The rack of claim 6 , wherein the axial protrusion of the first stop arm is attached to the longitudinal support beam of the first stop arm via a hinge, said hinge having a first position wherein the axial protrusion extends substantially horizontally and a second position wherein the axial protrusion extends substantially vertically.

8. The rack of claim 6 , wherein the axial protrusion of the first stop arm is operable to engage one or more glass sheets supported by the first face of dual sided frame and prevent the one or more glass sheets from sliding parallel to the longitudinal axis toward the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame.

9. A rack operable to support one or more glass sheets, said rack comprising:

a dual sided frame, wherein the dual sided frame has a first face on a first side of the dual sided frame, and a second face on a second side of the dual sided frame, each face operable to support a glass sheet in a position between about 5 and about 30 degrees from vertical and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the dual sided frame and wherein the first face and second face are closer together near a top of the dual sided frame than near a bottom of the dual sided frame;

a first bottom beam at the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, wherein the first bottom beam is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a second bottom beam at a second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame; wherein:

the second longitudinal end is opposite the first longitudinal end;

the first bottom beam comprises a plurality of rollers extending through a bottom surface of the first bottom beam; and

a top side of the first bottom beam and a top side of the second bottom beam are angled downward such that the top side of the first bottom beam and the top side of the second bottom beam are higher further away from the longitudinal axis than closer to the longitudinal axis;

a first knee brace operable to extend from a first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first knee brace having a first face coincident with a plane of the first face of the dual sided frame and a second face coincident with a plane of the second face of the dual sided frame, wherein the first knee brace has a cross section with respect to the longitudinal axis that is generally trapezoidal;

a first stop arm operable to adjustably extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said first stop arm comprising a first longitudinal support beam and an first axial protrusion attached to the first longitudinal support beam, wherein the first axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the first face of the dual sided frame; and

a second stop arm operable to adjustably extend from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, said second stop arm comprising a second longitudinal support beam and an second axial protrusion attached to the second longitudinal support beam, wherein the second axial protrusion extends generally away from the longitudinal axis beyond the second face of the dual sided frame, wherein:

a distance between the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame is independent of a distance between the second axial protrusion of the second stop arm and the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame;

a first strap extending from the top of the dual sided frame to one of a plurality of mounting positions on the first bottom beam; and

a second strap extending from the top of the dual sided frame to one of a plurality of mounting positions on the second bottom beam, wherein the first and second straps cooperate with the downward angle of the tops of the first and second bottom beams to secure a lower edge of a supported glass sheet against the first face of the dual sided frame.

10. The rack of claim 9 , wherein:

the first longitudinal support beam of the first stop arm has a plurality of detents, each detent operable to maintain the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm at a different predetermined longitudinal distance from the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame; and

each detent is a hole; and

the dual sided frame comprises:

a first stop arm tube operable to receive at least a portion of the first longitudinal support beam of the first stop arm; and

a spring loaded first stop arm pin operable to engage one of the plurality of holes in the first longitudinal support beam of the first stop arm.

11. The rack of claim 9 , wherein the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm is attached to the first longitudinal support beam of the first stop arm via a hinge, said hinge having a first position wherein the axial protrusion extends substantially horizontally and a second position wherein the axial protrusion extends substantially vertically.

12. The rack of claim 9 , wherein the first axial protrusion of the first stop arm is operable to engage one or more glass sheets supported by the first face of dual sided frame and prevent the one or more glass sheets from sliding parallel to the longitudinal axis toward the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame.

13. The rack of claim 9 , further comprising:

a pick up support pipe extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, wherein the pickup support pipe is in contact with the second bottom beam of the dual sided frame.

14. The rack of claim 9 , wherein the first stop arm further comprises a first bumper at a first longitudinal end of the first stop arm and the second stop arm further comprises a second bumper at a first longitudinal end of the second stop arm.

15. The rack of claim 9 , further comprising a second knee brace operable to extend from a second longitudinal end of the dual sided frame opposite the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame, wherein the second knee brace has a first face coincident with the plane of the face of the first side of the dual sided frame and a second face coincident with a plane of a second face of the dual sided frame.

16. The rack of claim 9 , wherein:

the dual sided frame has a cross section with respect to the longitudinal axis adjacent the first longitudinal end of the dual sided frame that is generally trapezoidal; and

the first knee brace has a height less than a height of the dual sided frame, and the first knee brace is approximately vertically centered with respect to the dual sided frame or slightly above vertically centered with respect to the dual sided frame.