A loading and unloading apparatus comprising:
- a mounting rack configured to removably attach to a roof of a vehicle, and including a mounting frame defining a first plane and having a front mount portion, a rear mount portion, and a pair of opposing lateral mount portions;
- a track structure extending upwardly from respective opposite lateral sides of the mounting rack, the track structure including a pair of upwardly extending trapezoidal structures, each having a front edge, a rear edge, a bottom edge extending from the front edge to the rear edge of a respective trapezoidal structure, a horizontal top edge extending parallel to the bottom edge from the rear edge to a intersection point between the front and rear edges of the respective plate, and an inclined edge extending from the intersection point to the front edge of the respective trapezoidal structure;
- a top rack slidably and pivotally connected to the mounting rack, and including a base frame defining a second plane and having a front wall portion, a rear wall portion and a pair of opposing lateral wall portions defining a container space for storing cargo;
- a bearing structure extending from respective opposite lateral sides of the top rack, adjacent a front of the top rack, and arranged to cooperate with the track structure to guide the top rack relative to the mounting rack as the bearing structure is moved rearwardly along the inclined edge from the front edge to the intersection point, and then rearwardly along the horizontal top edge from the intersection point to the rear edge, from a transporting position in which the respective first and second planes of the mounting frame and the base frame are substantially parallel to a loading/unloading position in which the second plane of the base frame is slanted and lowered with respect to the first plane of the mounting frame;
- a pivot ear fixed to the rear edge of each of the trapezoidal track structures and a trolley pivotally connected to each of the pivot ears and slidably coupled to the top rack,
- a moving mechanism adapted to move the top rack relative to the stationary mounting rack from the transporting position to the loading position and back as the top rack is pivoted about said pivot ears as the pair of trolleys slides along a bottom of the top rack and the top rack is further guided by movement of the bearing structure relative to the trapezoidal track structure along the inclined edge and the horizontal top edge of each of the upwardly extending trapezoidal structures.