Back to results
US 4,034,879 AGranted
Device for loading and carrying boats on top of vehicles
OwnerEric W. Cudmoreinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inner frame is telescopically positioned within an outer frame to be mounted horizontally on top of a vehicle. Folding rails for a ramp are pivotally joined to the rear end of the inner frame, and when the inner frame is extended, the ramp is positioned far enough back of a vehicle to permit a boat to be inverted while it is being supported on the top portion of the ramp. A carrier bar follows the rails and has, for connection to oarlocks, fastening means that permit a boat to be inverted easily by being rotated about the bar. The movements of the carrier bar and telescopic frame are controlled by winches.
Claims7
A vehicle top-mounted load carrier comprising:
- an upper frame to be secured horizontally above a vehicle for supporting a load to be carried and a ramp extending slantingly downwardly from an end of said upper frame to facilitate loading, said upper frame and said ramp each having a pair of parallel side rails, the rails at each side being joined together end-to-end to provide a continuous rail,
- a carrier bar extending transversely between said continuous rails, each end of said carrier bar being constrained to follow the respective one of said continuous rails and being readily movable therealong,
- fastening means connected to said carrier bar for carrying a load to be attached thereto, said fastening means being rotatable on said carrier bar for permitting a load attached thereto to be rotated about said carrier bar to the extent of inverting the load to have a suitable portion of the load facing downwardly for subsequently supporting the load, the attached load being rotated while the load is suspended between opposite ones of said side rails at a position removed from the layer end of said ramp and from the vehicle to which the upper frame is attached,
- load propelling means connected to said carrier bar for moving said carrier bar along said continuous rails to move said attached load to a position over said frame,
- supporting means connected to said upper frame for securing said upper frame above a vehicle, and said frame having transverse members for supporting said attached load.
2 more elements
A vehicle top-mounted load carrier comprising:
- an upper frame and a folding ramp extendable from the rear end of said upper frame, said upper frame and said ramp each having a pair of opposite parallel side members with channels facing each other, the rear end of each of said side members of said upper frame pivotally attached to the upper end of a respective one of said side members of said ramp such that while said ramp is unfolded a continuous inwardly facing channel is formed within at least the upper portion of each of said side members of said ramp and at least the rear portion of the respective one of said side members of said frame,
- a carrier bar extending transversely between said opposite continuous channels with the ends thereof supported within respective ones of said channels for supporting said carrier bar and any load attached thereto, bearing means on each end of said carrier bar permitting said carrier bar to be freely movable along said continuous channels while said carrier bar is maintained perpendicular to said side members, load propelling means connected to said carrier bar for moving said bar along said continuous channels, and supporting means for attaching said upper frame to a vehicle to support said upper frame above the vehicle,
- each of said side members of said upper frame comprises an outer frame member connected rigidly to said supporting means and an inner frame member telescopically mounted within the respective one of said outer frame members, said side members of said ramp being pivotally attached to respective ones of said inner frame members, rearwardly propelling means for moving said inner frame members rearwardly to etend substantially beyond the rear portion of said outer frame members, and forwardly propelling means for telescoping said inner frame members until said inner frame members are positioned substantially within said outer frame members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.