Attachment mechanisms for securing utility racks to vehicles

An object carrying device for use with a vehicle roof having a protrusion, the object carrying device comprising:

• opposed supports, each support including
• a housing,
• a structure having a first end retained at least partially within said housing and a second end extending outwardly of said housing and including at least one hook portion adapted to selectively engage the protrusion of the roof, and
• a threaded fastener having a bolt head terminating within said housing and a second threaded end extending outwardly of said housing;
• and
• a cross rail disposed between said opposed supports and including a slot, wherein an upper end of each of said supports is received within said slot and an inner side wall of said slot including a threaded member selectively engaging said second threaded end of said fastener such that movement of said fastener relative to said threaded member moves said supports with said hook portion parallel to said cross rail such that said hook portion selectively engages the protrusion of the roof.

An object carrying device for use with a vehicle roof having a protrusion, the object carrying device comprising:

• a support adapted to move parallel to a carrier bar, the support including
• a housing,
• a clip mechanism having a first end retained at least partially within said housing and including a threaded member, and a second end extending outwardly of said housing and including two opposing hook portions adapted to selectively engage the protrusion of the roof and a web defined therebetween;
• and
• a threaded fastener having a first end with a bolt head terminating within said housing adjacent a fixed anchor point and a second threaded end passing through said web and selectively engaging said threaded member of said clip mechanism, movement of said threaded fastener selectively moving said hook portions toward and away from each other as said threaded fastener is rotated with respect to said fixed anchor point to move said threaded member of said clip mechanism with respect to said second threaded end of said threaded fastener to attach said clip mechanism to the protrusion of the roof.

A support for removably attaching an object carrying device to a vehicle roof, the vehicle roof having a protrusion, and wherein said support comprises:

• a housing;
• a clip mechanism having a threaded member, a first end retained at least partially within said housing and a second end extending outwardly of said housing and including opposing hook portions adapted to selectively engage the protrusion of the roof and a web defined between said opposing hook portions;
• and
• a threaded fastener having a first end with a bolt head terminating within said housing, wherein said first end engages a fixed anchor point within said housing, and a second end passing through said web, wherein said threaded member of said clip mechanism selectively engages said second end of said fastener to move said hook portions relative to said anchor point to attach said clip mechanism to the vehicle.