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Bicycle rack

  • US 4,154,382 A
  • Filed: 03/27/1978
  • Issued: 05/15/1979
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1978
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A bicycle rack comprising:

  • an elongated substantially horizontal article support frame means having an upper side, a lower side, a forward end and a rearward end, said frame means being symmetrical about a longitudinal axis extending between its ends;

    a substantially U-shaped main strut having a base portion and two substantially parallel leg portions depending therefrom;

    means rigidly attaching the base portion of said main strut to said frame means at points separated from said rearward end by approximately one-third the length of said frame means such that the two leg portions of the main strut extend downwardly from the lower side of said frame means;

    a substantially U-shaped stiffening strut having a base portion and two substantially parallel leg portions depending therefrom;

    means rigidly attaching the base portion of said stiffening strut to said frame means at points separated from said forward end by approximately one-third the length of said frame means such that the two leg portions of the stiffening strut extend downwardly from the lower side of said frame means, the end sections of said leg portions of said stiffening strut being rigidly attached to respective end sections of the leg portions of said main strut;

    a substantially V-shaped lateral bracing strut, having a base portion and two diverging leg portions, where the base portion of said V-shaped strut is shorter than the base portions of either said main strut or said stiffening strut;

    means rigidly attaching the base portion of said lateral bracing strut to said rearward end of said frame means so that it is symmetrical about said longitudinal axis and so that the two leg portions of the lateral bracing strut extend downwardly and laterally outwardly from the lower side of said frame means, the end sections of the leg portions of said lateral bracing strut being rigidly attached to respective end sections of the leg portions of the main strut;

    connecting bracket means attached to said forward end of said support frame means and to the base portion of said stiffening strut for connecting said frame means to a first part of a bicycle; and

    means for attaching the ends of the leg portions of said main strut to respective second and third parts of said bicycle,whereby the angled legs of the lateral bracing strut inhibit the rotation of the frame means about said longitudinal axis as caused by unevenly balanced loads disposed on said frame means, and the attachment of all three struts together at their ends creates a strong, rigid triangular strut design that minimizes bending moments in the leg portions of the struts as caused by the weight of the load disposed on said frame means, and wherein the teminal ends of the leg portions of said lateral bracing and said stiffening struts are flared away from the end sections of said main strut such that a strap or rope for securing a load to the rack may be looped or tied around the flared end portion.

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