Vehicle top carrier
First Claim
1. A vehicle top carrier comprising:
- guide members rigidly mounted on top of the vehicle;
a carrier frame mounted on the guide members for movement from a generally horizontal transport position atop the vehicle to an inclined position displaced from the vehicle; and
a support arm assembly pivotally mounted at each of its terminal ends respectively to the carrier frame and to a vertical surface on the vehicle, the support arm assembly including means for shortening the effective distance between the terminal ends of the support arm, thereby to produce a further inclination of the carrier frame.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle top carrier having guide members rigidly mounted on top of the vehicle, a load carrying frame mounted on the guide members for movement from a generally horizontal position atop the vehicle to an inclined loading and unloading position displaced from the vehicle, and a support arm assembly pivotally mounted at each end respectively to one end of the carrier frame and a vertical surface on the vehicle. The support arm assembly includes a pair of pivotally joined segments releasably secured in a rigid and generally linear relationship to each other. After the carrier frame has been slidably displaced to a partially inclined position, the support arm segments are released from their locked engagement with each other and are allowed to pivot about their adjoining ends, resulting in further inclination of the carrier frame to a more accessible loading and unloading position.
44 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A vehicle top carrier comprising:
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guide members rigidly mounted on top of the vehicle; a carrier frame mounted on the guide members for movement from a generally horizontal transport position atop the vehicle to an inclined position displaced from the vehicle; and a support arm assembly pivotally mounted at each of its terminal ends respectively to the carrier frame and to a vertical surface on the vehicle, the support arm assembly including means for shortening the effective distance between the terminal ends of the support arm, thereby to produce a further inclination of the carrier frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a vehicle top carrier having guide members rigidly mounted on the top of the vehicle and a carrier frame slideably mounted on the guide members for movement from a generally horizontal transport position on top of the vehicle to an inclined loading and unloading position displaced from the top of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:
a support arm pivotally mounted at each of the first and second ends respectively to the carrier frame and to a generally vertical surface on the vehicle, the support arm comprising a plurality of linear arm segments, each arm segment pivotally joined to the adjacent segment, and each arm segment releasably secured in a generally linear fashion to the adjacent segment.
Specification