Movable load platform for a vehicle
OwnerJoseph G. Warner, Robert M. Petrovichinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a load platform translatable along rails mounted to the exterior of a vehicle, the platform being tiltably mounted upon an axle extending between the rails. Supported on the axle is a manually releasable locking mechanism in which the axle rotates, the locking mechanism acting to maintain the axle and platform in a given translational position along the rails.
Claims11
A load bearing device on a sloped surface of a vehicle, comprising:
- a pair of parallel rails mounted on the sloped surface, the rails each having one end higher on the sloped surface than the other end;
- a platform translatable up and down the sloped surface along the rails;
- a single axle extending transversely of the platform and pivotally supporting the platform, the platform and axle moving relative to one another in a direction along the rails as the platform translates along the rails;
- a wheel on either end of the axle for rolling within channels formed by the rails;
- manually releasable holding means for preventing translation of the platform along the rail, the holding means including a lock mechanism mounted to the axle so that the axle rotates within the holding means, the lock mechanism movable relative to the platform in concert with the axle.
A spare tire carrier for a vehicle wherein the vehicle includes a front end and a rearward end, a roof, a tailgate at the rearward end of the vehicle releasably fixable in a horizontal position, and a sloped panel of the vehicle disposed between the roof and the tailgate, the carrier comprising:
- a pair of parallel rails fixed to the sloped panel, one end of the rails being near the roof and the other end of the rails being near the tail gate, the rails being formed as cross-sectionally rectangular channels open toward one another, a wall of the channel being flat against the sloped panel;
- a toothed rack formed within each channel;
- a generally planar platform translatable along the rails, the platform having means for fixing a spare tire thereto so that the rearwardmost portion of the tire extends slightly beyond the rearward edge of the platform;
- an underside rack on the platform on a face of the platform oriented toward the sloped panel, the underside rack disposed parallel to the rails;
- a gear rollable along each rail in meshed engagement with the toothed rack;
- an axle extending between the rails for connecting a first wheel in one rail to a second wheel in another rail, the axle pivotally supporting the platform and having a toothed section for meshing engagement with the underside rack on the platform, so that the platform can meshingly roll on the axle while the wheels meshingly roll in the channels;
- the wheels rollable to a position at the other end of the rails so that the platform can be rotated from a position where the platform is essentially parallel to the sloped surface to a position where the platform and the tire simultaneously rest on the tailgate when the tailgate is in its horizontal position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.