Spray Booth Spray Racks

Abstract

A paint rack having an attachment support bar, three leg portions, and three grate attachment portions, the three grate attachment portions matably attachable to a floor grate, the three leg portions mounted on top of the three grate attachment portions and extending upwardly from the grate attachment portions, the attachment support bar connected to the three leg portions, and extending upwardly from the three leg portions.

Claims

1. A combination paint rack and floor grate assembly comprising: a floor grate comprising a plurality of horizontal bars and a plurality of crossing bars oriented perpendicular to the horizontal bars forming rectangular slits; a paint rack; the paint rack comprising an attachment support bar, three leg portions, and three grate attachment portions, the three grate attachment portions matably attached to the floor grate, the three leg portions mounted on top of the three grate attachment portions and extending upwardly from the floor grate, the attachment support bar oriented generally perpendicular to the floor grate and connected to the three leg portions, and extending upwardly from the three leg portions; and a paint stand attachment removably connected to the paint rack on the attachment support bar.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein: the three grate attachment portions comprise horizontal slits located near the bottom of the three leg portions capable of being matably mounted to the plurality of bars or the plurality of crossing bars of the grate, the horizontal slits being aligned in a plane parallel to the grate and the slits opening on the same end so they can be simultaneously slid onto the grate; and wherein the three leg portions comprise two mirrored front leg portions and a third back leg portion oriented from the front leg portions in the direction of the openings of the slits, the back leg portion having a locking pinhole matable with a locking pin, the locking pin being capable of being inserted into the locking pinhole in a downward direction securing the back leg portion to the grate by forming a closed loop.

3. The combination of claim 1 further comprising: a swinging bar located between two of the three leg portions the swinging bar being rotatably connected to each of the two leg portions; and a locking foot pedal, the locking foot pedal comprising a hooking portion matable to the grate and a pedal portion, wherein the locking foot pedal swings from a first unlocked position down to a second locked position when a downward force is applied to the pedal portion, thereby securing the paint rack to the grate by a friction lock.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein: the three leg portions comprise two mirrored front leg portions and a third back leg portion; the swinging bar is located between the two mirrored front leg portions; the grate attachment portions attached to the two front leg portions comprise downward facing U-shaped brackets capable of being matably mounted to the plurality of bars or the plurality of crossing bars of the grate; and the grate attachment portion attached to the third back leg portion comprises a horizontal C-shaped bracket aligned in a plane parallel to the grate and the opening of the C-shaped bracket oriented inwards towards the swinging bar and capable of being slid onto the grate.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein: the grate attachment portions are detachable from the leg portions and are secured to the leg portions using nut and bolt attachments.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein: the paint stand attachment is removably connected to the paint rack by a nob and screw locking mechanism.

7. The combination of claim 1 further comprising: a second attachment support bar oriented generally at an angle from the attachment support bar; and a second paint stand attachment removably connected to the paint rack on the second attachment support bar.

8. A paint rack comprising: an attachment support bar, three leg portions, and three grate attachment portions, the three grate attachment portions matably attachable to a floor grate, the three leg portions mounted on top of the three grate attachment portions and extending upwardly from the grate attachment portions, the attachment support bar connected to the three leg portions, and extending upwardly from the three leg portions.

9. The paint rack of claim 8 wherein: the three grate attachment portions comprise horizontal slits located near the bottom of the three leg portions capable of being matably mounted to the floor grate, the horizontal slits being aligned in a plane parallel to the grate and the slits opening on the same end so they can be simultaneously slid onto the grate; and wherein the three leg portions comprise two mirrored front leg portions and a third back leg portion oriented from the front leg portions in the direction of the openings of the slits, the back leg portion having a locking pinhole matable with a locking pin, the locking pin being capable of being inserted into the locking pinhole in a downward direction securing the back leg portion to the grate by forming a closed loop.

10. The paint rack of claim 9 wherein: the back leg portion comprises a sleeve aligned with the locking pinhole capable of receiving the locking pin therein.

11. The paint rack of claim 8 further comprising: a swinging bar located between two of the three leg portions the swinging bar being rotatably connected to each of the two leg portions; and a locking foot pedal, the locking foot pedal comprising a hooking portion matable to the grate and a pedal portion, wherein the locking foot pedal swings from a first unlocked position down to a second locked position when a downward force is applied to the pedal portion, thereby securing the paint rack to the grate by a friction lock.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein: the three leg portions comprise two mirrored front leg portions and a third back leg portion; the swinging bar is located between the two mirrored front leg portions; the grate attachment portions attached to the two front leg portions comprise downward facing U-shaped brackets capable of being matably mounted to the plurality of bars or the plurality of crossing bars of the grate; and the grate attachment portion attached to the third back leg portion comprises a horizontal C-shaped bracket aligned in a plane parallel to the grate and the opening of the C-shaped bracket oriented inwards towards the swinging bar and capable of being slid onto the grate.

13. The paint rack of claim 12 wherein: the grate attachment portions are detachable from the leg portions and are secured to the leg portions using nut and bolt attachments.

14. The paint rack of claim 8 wherein: the paint stand attachment is removably connected to the paint rack by a nob and screw locking mechanism.

15. The paint rack of claim 8 further comprising: a second attachment support bar oriented generally at an angle from the attachment support bar; and a second paint stand attachment removably connected to the paint rack on the second attachment support bar.

16. A method of painting in a downdraft paint booth comprising: providing a paint spray apparatus and a paintable object; providing a paint rack, an attachment support bar, three leg portions, and three grate attachment portions, the three grate attachment portions matably attachable to a floor grate, the three leg portions mounted on top of the three grate attachment portions and extending upwardly from the grate attachment portions, the attachment support bar connected to the three leg portions, and extending upwardly from the three leg portions; mating the paint rack to the floor grate and securing the paint rack in place; providing a paint stand attachment and connecting the paint stand attachment to the attachment support bar; mounting the paintable object onto the paint stand attachment; and painting the paintable object.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein: the paint rack comprises a swinging bar located between two of the three leg portions the swinging bar being rotatably connected to each of the two leg portions; a locking foot pedal, the locking foot pedal comprising a hooking portion matable to the grate and a pedal portion, the three leg portions comprise two mirrored front leg portions and a third back leg portion; the swinging bar is located between the two mirrored front leg portions; the grate attachment portions attached to the two front leg portions comprise downward facing U-shaped brackets capable of being matably mounted to the plurality of bars or the plurality of crossing bars of the grate; and the grate attachment portion attached to the third back leg portion comprises a horizontal C-shaped bracket aligned in a plane parallel to the grate and the opening of the C-shaped bracket oriented inwards towards the swinging bar.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein: mating the paint rack to the floor grate comprises: sliding the C-shaped bracked onto a bar of the grate, mounting the U-shaped brackets onto the grate, and swinging the locking foot pedal from a first unlocked position down to a second locked position by applying a downward force is to the pedal portion, and securing the paint rack to the grate by a friction lock.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features of my invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following brief descriptions of drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred paint rack assembly coupled with a floor grate.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the preferred paint rack of FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a paint rack assembly coupled to a floor grate.

[0031] FIG. 4a is a perspective view of the paint rack assembly of FIG. 3 in a locked position.

[0032] FIG. 4b is a close up perspective view of the locking mechanism of the paint rack assembly of FIG. 3.

[0033] FIG. 5a is a perspective view of the paint rack assembly of FIG. 1 in a locked position in combination with a Y-attachment.

[0034] FIG. 5b is a perspective view of the combination of FIG. 5a with the Y-attachment mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0035] Referring now the drawings with more specificity, the present invention essentially provides an improved paint stand or paint rack that is particularly effective at coupling with a grate, typically a floor grate used in modern downdraft paint booths. Such coupling provides for stability while minimizing floor footprint.

[0036] Looking now to FIG. 1, paint rack 10 is a preferred embodiment of a paint rack which may preferably be coupled to industrial grate 11. Paint rack 10 may preferably be fabricated out of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and/or other analogous metallic alloys and may be comprised of solid bars or hollow tubes to increase strength or decrease weight depending on the needs of the user. Paint rack 10 according to the present invention, preferably comprises, an attachment support bar 20, three leg portions 30, 31, 32, and three grate attachment portions 40, 41, 42, and paint stand 50.

[0037] The attachment support bar 20 preferably comprises the main body of paint rack 10 and is preferably at least 12 inches in length, and 1 inch in diameter. However, in alternate embodiments it may be shorter or longer depending on the height of the user and size of the piece to be painted. In some embodiments it may be forked or branched to support additional or unconventionally shaped painted pieces.

[0038] Bar 20 is connected to legs 30, 31, 32 at or near branching point 21 located at the bottom of bar 20. The legs are preferably molded or welded to the attachment bar 20, but may also be operably connected to the bar using screws, bolts, or adjustable pressure points if the user desires flexibility over stability and permanence. In the present invention, front legs 30, 31 are mirrored and connect with grate attachments 40, 41 respectively. Grate attachments 40, 41 are, typically downward facing C, U, or W brackets that are adapted for connecting with a floor grate 11. In at least one embodiment attachments 40, 41 are 2¼″ in length and ⅛″ to ¼″ in width so as to adapt to the most typical grates currently utilized in downdraft booths, however other sizes are contemplated to fit to other industrial grates. As shown with greater specificity in FIG. 2, attachments 40, 41 are preferably attached using a nut-and-bolt attachment method with nuts 60, 61, cooperatively mating with bolt 66 inside of sleeve 65. In certain embodiments, bolt 66 is capable of swinging freely, and in other embodiments it is tightened to immobility. Looking to back leg 32, it is preferably offset the mirrored front legs and provided with a forwards facing C-shaped attachment 42. Attachment 42 is preferably attached using nut 63 and bolt 62, but in certain embodiments it is contemplated that the attachment 42 is welded to leg 42 to create a permanently affixed attachment point. Typically, slit 43 is greater than one inch in depth and attachment 42 is ⅛″ to ¼″ in width so as to adapt to the most typical grates currently utilized in downdraft booths.

[0039] Operably connected to bolt 66 is foot pedal 70. Foot pedal 70 may swing freely on bolt 66, may swing be attached or welded to sleeve 65, may be welded to bolt 66, or may be tightly mounted to bolt 66 so as to only rotate when a significant force, such as a kick or step is applied. Foot pedal 70 comprises, at least, pedal 71, hook 72, and attachment point 73. In operation, a user may place his or her foot onto pedal 71 and apply a downward force, thus swinging foot pedal 70 around attachment point 73 and operably securing hook 72 around a portion of grate 11. This operation secures paint rack 10 in place onto grate 11. To remove the rack 10, a user simply may exert an upward force onto pedal 71 and the apparatus will be released from grate 11.

[0040] Attached to or near the top of bar 20 is paint stand 50, in both FIGS. 1, 2 a representative paint stand is shown. Paint stand 50 is preferably mounted to support bar 20, preferably using adjustable button screw 51 for simple replacement of the paint stand attachments. A representative paint stand as at 50 may also preferably have padding 52 to prevent damage to the automotive or other parts being painted. While only one, representative paint stand or attachment 50 is shown, it is contemplated that several, alternative paint stands of varying shapes may be utilized and cooperatively adapted to fit with paint rack 10 in order to accommodate the many types of automotive parts that are likely to be seen in a paint shop.

[0041] Looking now to FIG. 3, paint rack 110 is a preferred embodiment of a paint rack which may preferably be coupled to industrial grate 111. Paint rack 110 may preferably be fabricated out of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and/or other analogous metallic alloys and may be comprised of solid bars or hollow tubes to increase strength or decrease weight depending on the needs of the user. Paint rack 110 according to the present invention, preferably comprises, an attachment support bar 120, three leg portions 130, 131, 132, and three grate attachment portions 140, 141, 142, and paint stand 150.

[0042] Bar 120 is connected to legs 130, 131, 132 at or near branching point 121 located at the bottom of bar 120. The legs are preferably molded or welded to the attachment bar 120, but may also be operably connected to the bar using screws, bolts, or adjustable pressure points if the user desires flexibility over stability and permanence. In the present invention, front legs 130, 131 are mirrored and comprise near the bottom portions with grate attachment points 140, 141 respectively. Grate attachment points 140, 141 are, typically slits preferably at least one inch deep for connecting with a floor grate 111. The depth and width of these slits can be modified so as to adapt to the most typical grates currently utilized in downdraft booths, and can be easily adapted if booths are changed in the marketplace. Looking at back leg 132, it is preferably offset the mirrored front legs and provided with an attachment point 142 similar in construction to attachment points 140, 140. However, attachment 142 is shown with greater specificity in FIGS. 4a, 4b. Attachment point 142 is cooperable with pin 160 which provides stability by locking the paint rack 110 to grate 111. Specifically, pin 160 locks into locking pinhole 161 which may preferably have a snap or snapping joints to selectively secure the pin. Then, pin 160 passes through sleeve 162 and into sleeve 163 thereby locking the rack into place by surrounding a portion of the grate as shown in FIG. 4b.

[0043] Attached to or near the top of bar 120 is paint stand 150, in both FIGS. 3, 4 a representative paint stand is shown. Paint stand 150 is preferably mounted to support bar 120, preferably using adjustable button screw 151 for simple replacement of the paint stand attachments. A representative paint stand as at 150 may also preferably have padding 152 to prevent damage to the automotive or other parts being painted. While only one, representative paint stand or attachment 150 is shown, it is contemplated that several, alternative paint stands of varying shapes may be utilized and cooperatively adapted to fit with paint rack 110 in order to accommodate the many types of automotive parts that are likely to be seen in a paint shop.

[0044] Looking now to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the invention is shown. This device is generally equivalent to the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2. In such an embodiment support bar 20 may have extended end 26 that is matably cooperable with Y-attachment or Y-bar 70. Y-attachment 70 is preferably mounted to support bar 20 or extended sleeve 26 using Y-bar sleeve 75. Preferably Y-attachment sleeve 75 has using adjustable button screw 77 for simple removal, or for adjusting the height of the Y-attachment. Angled bar 76 preferably extend at an angle from sleeve 75, the angle preferably being between 20 and 50 degrees from vertical. A representative Y-attachment as at 70 may also preferably comprise a crossbar 71 and padding 72 to prevent damage to the automotive or other parts being painted. In certain embodiments, crossbar 71 is attached to tube 73 which is mountable at angled bar 76 and may preferably be tightened using adjustable button screw 74. In certain embodiments the top section of the Y-attachment is not removable and adjustable as shown, but rather bar 76 and sleeve 73 form a single bar, or may preferably be permanently secured together such as by welding.

[0045] Accordingly, although the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments, it is not intended that the novel arrangements be limited thereby, but that modifications thereof are intended to be included as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the foregoing disclosures and the appended drawings.