Portable automatic cover

A motor vehicle and cover mechanism combination comprising a motor vehicle,

• a cover adapted to be moved from a stored position to an inuse position in generally overlying relationship to at least an upper surface portion of said motor vehicle,
• means for storing said cover in roll form in its stored position supported by one end of said motor vehicle,
• means for moving said cover into different and opposite directions from said stored position to said in-use position and vice versa along a path of travel lengthwise of said motor vehicle,
• means for guiding said cover for sliding movement across said motor vehicle upper surface portion,
• means responsive to movement of said cover in at least one of said two directions for automatically raising said cover above said motor vehicle upper surface portion during movement of said cover therealong whereby contact/damage to the motor vehicle upper surface portion is precluded,
• said raising means including a plurality of support means carried by said motor vehicle for pivotal movement between a first position for holding said cover raised relative to said motor vehicle upper surface portion and a second lowered cover position about axes transverse to said path of travel, and
• means for selectively adjusting the length of said plurality of support means to provide a selected one from a plurality of predetermined spacings between said cover and said motor vehicle upper surface portion.

A cover mechanism for an object such as a vehicle, a sports field, a swimming pool, a product drying surface, a nursery plot or a vegetable plant plot, an aircraft, a ship or the like comprising

• a cover adapted to be moved from a stored position to an inuse position in generally overlying relationship to at least an upper surface portion of an associated underlying object,
• means for storing said cover in roll form in its stored position supported by one end of said associated object,
• means for moving said cover into different and opposite directions from said stored position to said in-use position and vice versa,
• means for guiding said cover for sliding movement across said object upper surface portion,
• means responsive to movement of said cover in at least one of said two directions for automatically raising said cover above said object upper surface portion during movement of said cover therealong whereby contact/damage to the object upper surface portion is precluded,
• said raising means including a plurality of support means carried by said object for movement between a first position for holding said cover raised relative to said object upper surface portion and a second lowered cover position,
• means for selectively adjusting the length of said plurality of support means to provide any desired air space between said cover and said object upper surface portion, and
• said storing means being a housing, and said housing including a plurality of drainage holes for draining liquid therefrom.

A cover mechanism for an object such as a vehicle, a sports field, a swimming pool, a product drying surface, a nursery plot or a vegetable plant plot, an aircraft, a ship or the like comprising

• a cover adapted to be moved from a stored position to an inuse position in generally overlying relationship to at least an upper surface portion of an associated underlying object,
• means for moving said cover into different and opposite directions from said stored position to said in-use position and vice versa,
• means responsive to movement of said cover in at least one of said two directions for automatically raising said cover above said object upper surface portion during movement of said cover therealong whereby contact/damage to the object upper surface portion is precluded, and
• said cover includes an upwardly opening transversely disposed generally U-shaped gutter portion along a leading end of said cover for collecting material thereby preventing such material from falling upon uncovered surface portions of the associated object.

A motor vehicle and cover mechanism combination comprising a motor vehicle, a cover adapted to be moved from a stored position to an in-use position in generally overlying relationship to at least an upper surface portion of said motor vehicle, means for storing said cover in roll form in its stored position supported by one end of said motor vehicle, means for moving said cover into different and opposite direction from said stored position to said in-use position and vice versa along a path of travel lengthwise of said motor vehicle, means for guiding said cover for sliding movement across said motor vehicle upper surface portion, means responsive to movement of said cover in at least one of said two directions for automatically raising said cover above said motor vehicle upper surface portion during movement of said cover therealong whereby contact/damage to the motor vehicle upper surface portion is precluded, said raising means including a plurality of support means carried by said motor vehicle for pivotal movement between the first position for holding said cover raised relative to said motor vehicle upper surface portion and a second lowered cover position about axes transverse to said path of travel, means for selectively adjusting the length of said plurality of support means to provide a selected one from a plurality of predetermined spacings between said cover and said motor vehicle upper surface portion, said automatic raising means being operative for also automatically permitting movement of said support means to the second position thereof upon movement of said cover toward its stored position, said cover moving means including a flexible element having a pair of runs and a bight therebetween, said bight being positioned opposite to said cover storing means, said moving means including means for moving said runs in opposite directions to cause movement of said cover in each of the two different and opposite directions of movement thereof, roller means at an opposite end of the motor vehicle from said cover storing means, said flexible element having a bight portion entrained about said roller means, said moving means being effective for rolling and unrolling said cover through said flexible element, said flexible element passing through opening means in said raising means, and guide means between said raising means and said cover for guiding the movement of said cover between the stored and in-use positions thereof.