Field of the Invention This invention relates to a configurable storage rack, for securely supporting a multiplicity of rowing boats during storage, and more particularly to a storage rack which is capable of being collapsed when the storage rack is in its normally upright position.

Background to the Invention

At present, handling and storage of rowing boats and related equipment such as oars is typically managed by the users manually lifting and moving these boats and equipment to and from rowing sheds to transporting equipment such as trolleys and or direct to water. Conventional rowing boat storage racks are typically made of fixed horizontal and vertical struts up to a height generally set by how far a rowing boat user/s can safely lift to when storing and removing their rowing boat, which often restricts the number of rowing boats that can be stored vertically or horizontally within a defined storage area. Further, these conventional storage racks are typically fixed dimensionally for the one type of rowing boat, limiting the ability to store varying size and weight rowing boats. The increase of occupational safety regulation and requirements has also limited the amount of weight a person can carry and how high they can lift it

Conventional rowing boat storage racks are generally made of strong materials such as steel, and are therefore heavy and awkward to move, hence they require dedicated landscape or floor space to sit, which often restricts the number and type of boat storage racks that can be used within a defined storage area, hence again restricting the number of rowing boats that can be stored safely and effectively. Further, rowing boat storage areas such as boat sheds tend to exist close to water foreshores where the price of land and floor space areas is relatively high and often scarce, exacerbating the cost effectiveness of conventional rowing boat storage rack systems.

It Is an object of this present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a rowing boat storage rack system which reduces the incidence and amount of physical injury due to lifting heavy rowing boats, thereby permitting users to more easily and safely move rowing boats to and from storage.

It is another object of this present invention to provide a rowing boat storage rack system which reduces the floor area required to stand a boat storage rack system, thereby permitting users to increase the number of boat storage racks within a defined storage floor space area, which correspondingly increases the number of rowing boats that can be stored,

Summary of Invention

The present invention provides a boat storage rack system comprising at least one "L" shaped frame, a head beam with a roller assembly, a winch assembly, a winch control, at least one rack arm with a roller assembly, a roller linkage assembly and a safety guard. The arrangement is such that the "L" shaped frame is preferably a right angle frame with a vertical straight back and horizontal flat based bottom made of a metal material or any other suitable material, which is strong, durable and meets the requirements of the invention. On the front face and near the bottom of the "L" shaped frames is a plurality of fixed struts aligned horizontally between each "L" shaped frame. Fixed on top and aligned horizontally between the top of the "L" shaped frames is fixed at least two struts which preferably have a winch assembly removably attached in their centre with braces angled down towards the inside and bottom of the "L" shaped frames to provide stability.

It is preferred that the winch assembly has a swivel hook that removably connects to the centre of the head beam. Preferably the head beam aligns horizontally between the "L" shaped frames and is fixed at either end to a roller assembly. Connected to the winch assembly is the winch control that has at least one switch or button which is adapted to activate and deactivate one or more features of the winch assembly. It is preferred that the top side of the horizontal flat based bottom is preferably adapted with fixed rollers that removably engage with the inside of an inverted "U" channel to enable the user to easily slide this channel to retrieve and or store a rowing boat from the lowest point of the "L" shaped frames. Preferably fixed to the rear bottom of the vertical straight back and aligned upwards is the safety guard which provides protection between the storage rack user and the roller linkage assembly.

It is preferred that the roller assembly removably connects to the roller linkage assembly to enable users to adjust the required height of the rack arm to accommodate varying heights of rowing boats, and is preferably attached at the rear end of the rack arm.

Description of the Drawings So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages and objects of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarised above may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof illustrated in the appended drawings, which lorm part of this specification. It is noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may adroit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG.1 is a perspective view of a rowing boat storage rack;

FIG .2 is a side view of FIG. 1 ;

FIG.3 is a front view of FIG. 1 ;

FIG.4 is a detailed perspective view of the roller assembly with rack arm;

FlG.5 is a detailed perspective view of the lower part of the "L" shaped frame;

FIG.6 is a detailed perspective view of safety guard; and

FIG.7 is a detailed perspective view of rollers and channel.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The rowing boat storage rack system will be discussed tor loading, securing, lifting and lowering a multiplicity of rowing boats of varying sizes and shapes, however as will be appreciated the use of the boat storage rack system is not limited thereto and may be used to load, secure and lift other water craft. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7, a rowing boat storage rack is generally referred to as 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, is illustrated;

This invention provides a rowing boat storage rack 1 system includes at least one "L" shaped frame 2, a head beam 3 with a roller assembly 4, a winch assembly 5, a winch control 6, at least one rack arm 7 with a roller assembly 8, a roller linkage assembly 9 and a safety guard 10.

The arrangement is such that the "L" shaped frame 2 is preferably a right angle frame with a vertical straight back 11 and horizontal flat based bottom 12 made of a metal material or any other suitable material, which is. strong, durable and meets the requirements of the invention. Fixed on top and aligned horizontally between the top of the "L" shaped frames 2 is fixed two struts 13 which preferably have a winch assembly 5 removably attached to the pivot pin 14 in the centre 15 of these struts 13, and equidistance either side from this centre 15 along each strut 13 is fixed a brace 16 which angles outwards and down fixing to the rear and bottom end of the vertical straight back 11 to provide lateral stability. Preferably the winch assembly S has a swivel hook 17 hanging down underneath that removably connects to a bolt IS fixed in the centre of the head beam 3. Preferably the head beam 3 aligns horizontally between the "L" shaped frames 2 and has fixed a roller assembly 4 at either end that removably fit around the vertical straight back 11 of the "L" shaped frame 2, with the roller assembly 4 removably connected by an adjustable length tumbuckle 19 to the closest rack arm 7 underneath.

Preferably at the front and rear at the bottom of the horizontal flat based bottom 12 of the "L" shaped frame 2 are holes 20 on either side of the frame bottom 12 to enable the user of the storage rack 1 to secure the frame 2 to the underneath ground to minimise unwanted movement. Fixed on top and between the "L" shaped frames 2 are two horizontally aligned struts 13 which have anti-wear material attached on the inside facing surfaces to minimise wear from frictional movement from braces 16 which have a pivot pin 14 fixed between the centre 15 of the struts 13 that is free to rotate around the pin's 15 axis which provides a hanging point to removably attach the winch assembly 5. The top side of the horizontal fiat based bottom 12 is preferably adapted with fixed rollers 21 that removably engage with die inside of an inverted "U" channel 22 to enable the channel 22 to move forwards and backwards from the vertical straight back 1 1 to enable the user to easily retrieve and or store a rowing boat from the lowest point of the "L" shaped frame 2.

The safety guard 10 is preferably made of a rigid and strong sheet material with a profile shape that is fixed at the rear bottom of the vertical straight back 11 and aligned vertically upwards to midway along the vertical straight back 1 1 to provide protection between the user and the moving parts of the boat storage rack 1 with a top opening 23 wider than its base 24 and large enough to enable the roller assemblies 8 and roller linkage assemblies 9 to move unimpeded up and down, the vertical straight back 11 with or without a rowing boat by the winch assembly 5,

Attached beneath the winch assembly 5 is preferably a swivel hook 17 with a pivoting point 25 at the top of the hook 18 which removably attaches below to a bolt 18 fixed in the centre 15 of the head beam 3. Connected to the winch assembly 5 is the winch control 6 that has at least one switch or button which is adapted to activate and de-activate one or more features of the winch assembly 5 and retractable locking pin 26 which has provided a physical key lockout mechanism for the user to hold the head beam 3 and connected rack arm 7 at any particular height. Preferably the winch control 6 extends down vertically to a height that is accessible by the user and enables the user to easily and remotely control the winch assembly 5 to move the head beam 3 and connected rack arm 7 up or down with or without rowing boats. Preferably the retractable locking pin 26 is fixed liorizontally and aligned parallel within the safety box 27 above the head beam 3 which when activated by the sensor 28 removably engages with the straight through hole of the locking plate 29. Preferably the head beam 3 aligns horizontally between the "L" shaped frames 2 and has fixed at either end of the beam 3 a roller assembly 4 that removably fits around the vertical straight backs 1 1 of the "L" shaped frame 2. The head beam 3 is preferably adapted with an anti-wear material at either end to ensure the beam 3 does not wear by contact with the surface of the vertical straight back 1 1 when moving up and down. Preferably the locking plate 29 is fixed vertically to the top of a strut 30 which removably engages with the retractable locking pin 26 when the top end of the locking plate 29 touches the sensor 28 to lock the head beam 3 at its highest vertical storage position. The roller assembly 4 is preferably adapted to be removably connected to an adjustable length tumbuckle 19 positioned vertically along the front side 31 of the vertical straight back 11 and is preferably removably attached at the rear end of the closest rack, arm 7 to enable users to adjust the required height of the closest rack arm 7 to accommodate varying heights of boats. The roller assembly 4 preferably has provided a front 32 and rear roller 33 that are positioned tightly on the outer and inner side of the vertical straight backs 11 to roll up and down when the winch assembly 5 is activated by the winch controls 6. Preferably the roller assembly 4 is held in position around the vertical straight backs 11 by parallel metal plates 34 that are mirror images of each other and are aligned at an angle upwards from the head beam 3 which have holes 35 to removably engage with the axial of the front 32 and rear roller 33. The adjustable length turnbuckle 19 has provided an adjustable hook and eyelet at both ends which removably engage with the front metal plate 34 and the rear end of the closest rack arm 7. Advantageously, the front 32 and rear roller 33 assist in reducing lateral movement of the head beam 3 whilst maintaining a preferred vertical movement of the roller assembly 4. The rack arm 7 is preferably adapted to be removably attached at the rear to the roller assembly 8 and positioned perpendicularly forwards from the front side 31 of the vertical straight back 11 and horizontally above the flat based bottom 12 which is made of a metal tube like material or any other suitable material, which is strong, durable and meets the requirements of the invention with anti-wear material attached on the top surface. The roller assembly 8 preferably has provided a front 36 and rear roller 37 that are aligned relatively to each other at an angle from the horizontal upwards from the front roller 36 to the rear roller 37 and positioned tightly on the front and rear side of the vertical straight backs 11 to roll up and down when the winch assembly 5 is activated by the winch controls 6. Preferably the roller assembly 8 is held in position around the vertical straight backs 11 by metal plates 38 of a similar shape with holes 39 to removably engage with the axial of the front 36 and rear roller 37. The roller linkage assembly 9 has provided a connecting strap with holes 40 at either end to removably engaged around the axial of the front roller 36 of a roller assembly 8 and then subsequently removably engaged around the axial of another front roller 36 of the underneath roller assembly 8 to provide a secure link between each row of rack arms 7. The roller linkage assembly 9 is provided with varying lengths to accommodate the varying heights of boats. Advantageously, the front 36 and rear roller 37 assist in reducing lateral movement of the rack arm 7 whilst maintaining a preferred vertical movement of the roller assemblies 9. Finally, it is to be understood that the inventive concept in any of its aspects can be incorporated in many different constructions so that the generality of the preceding description is not to be superseded by the particularity of the attached drawings. Various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.