Abstract: A weather-protected, self-loading car-top carrier adapted to transport bulky loads and described in an embodiment suited for the transport of small motorized vehicles such as used by handicapped persons comprises a fixed rail assembly and a weather-protected carrier which, in response to operator control, moves along the rail assembly to provide access to a weather-protected storage space encompassed by the carriage assembly and includes provision for the automatic loading, under operator control, of bulky, heavy, awkward loads which would be difficult to handle by most persons and essentially impossible by one having limited or no use of their lower limbs.

Abstract: A self-loading, weather protected carrier for raising or lowering an object to and from the top of a motor vehicle and for transporting the object on a motor vehicle. The carrier comprises a horizontally disposed base adapted to be mounted on the roof of a motor vehicle and having a transverse guide affixed thereto, a carriage extendably carried by transverse guide and movable at a vehicle top level between a load/unload position and a travel position, a generally L-shaped tilt frame, pivotally mounted on carriage and rotatable between a generally upright position for loading and unloading the object and a generally horizontal position for storing the object on motor vehicle, a linkage mechanism attached to tilt frame and responsive to the carriage being extended into the load/unload position to rotate tilt frame to upright loading position, and a hoist mounted on the tilt frame for raising and lowering the object.

Abstract: A loader mechanism particularly suited for loading and unloading wheelchairs from a carrier mounted on top of a vehicle automatically lifts the wheelchair from a position adjacent the driver's door and pulls it up into and stores it within the vehicle top carrier. When use of the wheelchair or other object stored in the carrier is desired, the procedure is reversed and the system automatically unloads and places the wheelchair or other object alongside the door of the vehicle so that it then can be used.

Abstract: A loader mechanism particularly suited for loading and unloading wheelchairs from a carrier mounted on top of a vehicle has a base frame member mounted on hinges along one edge of the vehicle top. The base frame member is raised and pivoted upwardly on the hinges beyond vertical when it is desired to load objects into or unload objects from the loader mechanism. In this latter position, additional mechanism is used to open a cover of the loader mechanism in a clam shell manner along second hinges attaching the cover to the base frame member along the edge of the base frame member opposite the edge which is hingedly attached to the vehicle top. When the cover is open and the base frame member is in its generally vertical position, an object such as a wheelchair is raised into and lowered from the loader mechanism by a cable which is wound into and unwound from the loader mechanism.

Abstract: A closure for sliding arcadia doors utilizes a pair of telescoping tubes biased to their telescoped or closed position by an internal interconnecting tension spring and employs a pneumatic system and a bleeder valve to control the rate of closing or telescoping of the tubes once they have been opened against the bias of the tension spring. A locking mechanism uses a locking bar and a pair of brackets, one connected to the corner of the door frame and the other mounted on the door for movement with it, (1) to lock the door closed, (2) permit the door to be opened using the door closer so that it is automatically closed by the closer, or (3) to permit the door to be used in its normal manner as if the door closer was not present.

Abstract: An automobile trunk loading apparatus for loading wheelchairs, outboard motors and the like into the trunk of an automobile comprises a carrier frame on which the object to be located may be removably attached. The frame is connected at the end which is to extend into the interior of the trunk to a pair of chain-like track elements which are constructed of interconnected oppositely facing U-shaped channel links having engaging surfaces to limit the radius of curvature attainable by the chain in the direction extending upwardly from the trunk floor to a minimum radius and to limit the radius of curvature on the opposite side thereof to approximately a straight line. When an object is located in the trunk in a loaded position, the chain-like track elements lie flat on the floor of the trunk. To remove an object, the frame nearest the edge of the trunk is lifted up sufficiently to clear the trunk and then pulled horizontally out of the trunk.