Rack mountable on a trailer hitch ball
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A trailer-hitch ball mountable carrier rack comprising:
- a pair of arms each having a first end and an opposite second end with ball-engaging means adapted to engage a trailer ball hitch on a vehicle, said ball-engaging means being supported on said first end of each arm;
a foldable cross-piece interconnecting the arms intermediate their ends, the cross-piece being articulated for movement between a collapsed position and an interlocking position;
the second ends of the arms being adjacent one another and the ball-engaging means on the first ends of the arms being remotely spaced apart in a released position when the cross-piece is in its collapsed position;
the second ends of the arms being remotely spaced apart and the ball-engaging means on the first ends of the arms being adjacent one another in an operative position when the cross-piece is in its interlocking position;
adjustable clamp means counted on said first ends of the arms, the clamp means including a pair of plates supported on said first ends of the arms, and adjustable fastener means cooperating with the plates for selectively applying an increased adjustable compressive locking force on the ball-engaging means in operative position and for releasing such clamping forces; and
the cross-piece in its interlocking position being in a relaxed, unfolded and aligned condition when the ball-engaging means is in operative position and subjected to said compressive locking force by the clamp means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A carrier rack includes a trailer-hitch ball-engaging mount selectively movable by articulated linkage between a released position and an operative position engagable with a trailer-hitch ball. In the operative position of the ball-engaging mount, an adjustable clamp selectively increases compressive forces of the mount on the ball to a desired loading. The linkage is configured and dimensioned to ensure that it is in a relaxed condition when the ball-engaging mount is in its operative position and subjected to the increased compressive forces applied by the adjustable clamp.
44 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A trailer-hitch ball mountable carrier rack comprising:
-
a pair of arms each having a first end and an opposite second end with ball-engaging means adapted to engage a trailer ball hitch on a vehicle, said ball-engaging means being supported on said first end of each arm; a foldable cross-piece interconnecting the arms intermediate their ends, the cross-piece being articulated for movement between a collapsed position and an interlocking position; the second ends of the arms being adjacent one another and the ball-engaging means on the first ends of the arms being remotely spaced apart in a released position when the cross-piece is in its collapsed position; the second ends of the arms being remotely spaced apart and the ball-engaging means on the first ends of the arms being adjacent one another in an operative position when the cross-piece is in its interlocking position; adjustable clamp means counted on said first ends of the arms, the clamp means including a pair of plates supported on said first ends of the arms, and adjustable fastener means cooperating with the plates for selectively applying an increased adjustable compressive locking force on the ball-engaging means in operative position and for releasing such clamping forces; and the cross-piece in its interlocking position being in a relaxed, unfolded and aligned condition when the ball-engaging means is in operative position and subjected to said compressive locking force by the clamp means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification