Gymnasium floor covering storage and cleaning rack
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a floor covering storage and dispensing rack including a frame equipped with extendable members having castors. Floor lock anchors are also provided on the frame. Upper frame members of the rack support rollers in spaced relation and a crank or motor is provided to rotate the rollers to wind floor covering onto the rollers for storage. Perforated end caps are provided on the rollers to limit access to moving parts. An elongated cleaning head consisting of a pair of brushes is provided on a frame member. Floor covering passes over at least one brush when the floor covering is retrieved or dispensed to remove dirt prior to storage or reuse.
1. In a rack for use in retrieving, cleaning and storing floor covering for temporarily covering a floor to be protected, said rack including: a frame having a rectangular base including two side members, and front and rear frame members; and extendable members provided with floor engaging casters secured to each of the side members to move outwardly of the front and rear frame member, a lower frame member respectively at a front frame member, a respective first and second upright sides secured to each side member of the base, the first and second upright sides being joined at their upper ends; a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted between the first and second upright sides in a vertically spaced, parallel relationship above the front and rear edges of the frame; brackets for mounting the rollers, pins extending through the rollers on both sides of the brackets wherein an apertured end cap is provided on each end of the roller and retained by an adjacent one of the pins extending through holes in sides of the apertured cap, means for rotating a selected roller of the plurality of rollers for extending through said apertured cap and engaging the pin whereby as said floor covering is returned to storage upon said selected roller by operating the means for rotating the roller in order to retrieve the floor covering from the floor for storage.
2. A rack for use in retrieving, cleaning and storing floor covering for temporarily covering a floor to be protected, said rack comprising: a frame having a rectangular base including two side edges, a front edge, and a rear edge; and a respective first and second upright sides secured at each side edge of the base, the first and second upright sides being joined at their upper ends; and a plurality of rollers for storing the floor covering are rotatably mounted between the first and second upright sides in a vertically spaced; parallel relationship above the front and rear edges of the frame; means for rotating a selected roller of the plurality of rollers; ground engaging means on the base and on each extendable member and locking floor engaging means on the base; and an elongated cleaning head extending upwardly at an angle to the frame, said cleaning head comprising a cleaning material on a pair of mutually opposed cleaning material supports, and means for removably securing the cleaning material supports to the frame: whereby a floor covering is passed through said cleaning head when said floor covering is returned to storage upon said selected roller by operating the means for rotating in order to clean the floor covering as it is being retrieved from the floor for storage wherein ends of the rollers are provided with apertured end caps retained by pins extending across the rollers and passing through apertures in the end caps, the pins being engaged by means for rotating a selected roller while limiting access to ends of the pins and moving parts on the ends of the rollers for safety reasons.