Pivotable Patents (Class 224/502)
  • Patent number: 5664717
    Abstract: A pivoting equipment carrier adapted for use with a vehicle having a receiver hitch for receiving said pivoting equipment carrier. The pivoting equipment carrier is movable between a first closed position, wherein equipment carried by the pivoting equipment carrier is held at a desired spaced distance from a rear bumper of the vehicle, and a second clearance position, wherein the equipment is swung rearwardly and outwardly to one side of the vehicle in order to permit full and unobstructed access to a rear entry of the vehicle. The invention includes a first fixed horizontal support arm adapted to be aligned generally parallel with the rear vehicle bumper, and a second movable horizontal support arm pivotally connected to the first fixed horizontal support arm by a first hinge pivot assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Inventor: Brian K. Joder
  • Patent number: 5642844
    Abstract: A tree stand carrier for an ATV comprised of a U-shaped support comprised of a pair of vertical supports and a horizontal support joined at lower ends of the pair of vertical supports. Each of the pair of vertical supports has an outwardly extending edge portion thereby forming a vertical chamber. The horizontal support has an upwardly extending edge portion thereby forming a horizontal chamber. The U-shaped support is securable to an ATV for transportation of a tree stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Inventor: Roger Rector
  • Patent number: 5641108
    Abstract: A bicycle and ski carrier for attachment to a common trailer type receiver hitch on an automobile. The main member (6) of the carrier contains trays(18) to support bicycles by the top tube of their frame. A ski support (9) holds skis under their rear binding in a vertical position. A hinged, locking lid (13) is used to lock either bicycles or skis against the carrier's main member (6) for security. A horizontal telescoping member (4) which supports the main member (6) allows main member (6) to be raised for additional ground clearance for ski tails and rotate 90 degrees to a position perpendicular to the axis of the automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Inventor: Darin Ewer
  • Patent number: 5615814
    Abstract: An equipment carrier assembly for mounting to a snowplow mounting bracket includes at least one and preferably a pair of carrier stands each including a lower platform for supporting equipment thereon and an upright mast mounted to and extending upwardly from the lower platform for attaching equipment thereto, a lower shaft latching mechanism attached on and extending between the lower platforms of the carrier stands for mounting the carrier stand to the snowplow mounting bracket, and upper slide locking mechanisms on the upright masts of the carrier stands for securing the carrier stands to the snowplow mounting bracket. The carrier stands of the assembly may be intercoupled to one another by components attached to and extending respectively between the lower platforms and upper masts of the carrier stands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Inventor: George A. Dechant
  • Patent number: 5564611
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a wheel carrier which is adapted to be mounted exclusively to a cross tube of a receiver bracket assembly, which is typically attached to the underside of a motor vehicle and which is used to facilitate attachment of a trailer hitch in the form of a ball mount assembly. The simple manner in which the wheel carrier attaches to the receiver bracket assembly greatly decreases the necessary mounting time and avoids the necessity of drilling holes in the body and/or bumper. The wheel carrier has a carrier member, a wheel support member connected to the carrier member and adapted to support a motor vehicle wheel, and a mounting mechanism for mounting the carrier member exclusively to the cross tube of the receiver bracket assembly. The cross tube typically has a cross-sectional shape which is substantially square.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Inventor: Raywood C. Weiler
  • Patent number: 5560525
    Abstract: A load carrier arrangement for mounting a load holder on a vehicle. The vehicle includes a roof and a rear door and/or a trunk lid. The load carrier includes a rack disposed across the roof of the vehicle and fastened at a rear portion thereof. A carrier device having the load holder for carrying a load behind the vehicle in a load carrying position of the carrier device is also provided. The carrier device is pivotally arranged about a substantially horizontal pivot axis directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the carrier vehicle. The pivot-arrangement connecting the carrier device to the rack allows the carrier device and a load holder to be pivoted upwardly from the load carrying position to an elevated position not interferring with the opening of the rear door and/or the trunk lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Industri AB Thule
    Inventors: Hubert Grohmann, Magnus Christiansson
  • Patent number: 5544799
    Abstract: A swing away cargo carrier assembly for use with a vehicle having a receiver-type hitch includes a main support tube adapted for insertion into the receiver hitch and extending rearwardly therefrom, a main extension arm attached to the main support tube and extending laterally along the rear of the vehicle, a pivot support member attached to and extending rearwardly from the main extension arm, a swing arm attached to the pivot support member and means, such as a frame, attached to the swing arm for supporting a cargo container. A releasable device, such as a stop and lock member, for retaining the swing arm in a retracted position are also included in the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Inventor: Ralph L. Didlake
  • Patent number: 5536130
    Abstract: A storage container for mounting externally to the rear of an automobile and which comprises a substantially rigid container the container having an articulated mounting to enable it to be mounted to the rear of an automobile and when mounted be movable between a raised position providing ground clearance for forward travel of the automobile and a lowered position proximate to the ground to facilitate loading and unloading of the container and to provide clearance to allow a rear upwardly lifting door of the automobile to be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Inventor: Kieron J. D. Edensor
  • Patent number: 5529231
    Abstract: A carrier attached to a vehicle to enable articles such as bicycles to be transported. The carrier comprising an article support member rotatably coupled to a substantially horizontal base member. The base member is designed to be securely inserted within a standard hitch receiver commonly found on many vehicles. The article support member includes a support column oriented in a generally vertical direction and a holding member generally perpendicular to said support column for securing the articles. The carrier further comprises a resistive member coupled to the article support member and the base member to drastically lessens the rotational speed of the article support member during unloading of the article and accessing of a rear hatch door of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Red Rock Industries
    Inventor: Ronald J. Burgess
  • Patent number: 5522530
    Abstract: An apparatus for detachably securing a hand truck having a base and a pair of side rails. The apparatus has a frame mounted to the vehicle. The frame has a pair of claws, each claw is pivotably mounted to the frame for rotatable movement between an open released position and a closed retained position. A bar is slideably carried by the frame for movement between a first position and a second position. The bar is slideably connected to the claws so that the claws pivot between the open/released position and the closed/retained position as the bar moves between the first position and the second position. The bar and claws are movable by movement of the hand truck. A latch secures the bar in the second position. A switch remote from the latch operates a release mechanism to release the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Inventor: Carl A. Boettcher
  • Patent number: 5518159
    Abstract: An article carrier adapted to be detachably interconnected with a vehicle such as an automobile, truck or trailer. The article carrier includes a connector member adapted to be telescopically received within a tubular member affixed to the vehicle and a carrier assembly carried by the connector member and a fixed arm and a swingable arm to which a generally vertically extending column and one or more outwardly extending article supporting elements is connected. The fixed arm and the swingable arm are disposed in a side-by-side relationship and are uniquely interconnected so that the arc through which the swingable arm can swing is limited. A novel clamping mechanism is provided to securely interconnect the connector members of the device with the tubular hitch in a manner to positively prevent relative vibratory movement between the members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Inventor: Orlando DeGuevara
  • Patent number: 5518156
    Abstract: A cooker mounting assembly operable to rotatably receive a charcoal cooker assembly thereon and readily connected to a portion of a vehicle for support. The cooker mounting assembly includes 1) a vehicle anchor assembly secured to a portion of the vehicle; 2) a telescoping support assembly connected to the vehicle anchor assembly operable to be moved from a storage transport to a usage position; and 3) a cooker support assembly mounted between the telescoping support assembly and the charcoal cooker assembly. The cooker support assembly allows for rotation of the charcoal cooker assembly to a desired usage and storage position. Another embodiment of the cooker mounting assembly provides a pivotal connector assembly which allows not only rotational adjustment but vertical adjustment of the charcoal cooker assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Inventor: Ronald L. Lehman
  • Patent number: 5467910
    Abstract: A load carrying platform for vehicles having a front or rear mounted plow frame including, a rectangular metal frame with connecting ears that mate with the connecting ears of the plow frame in a hinged relation and elevate the frame to approximately bumper level and a pair of chains that attach to the outer edge of the fame and connect to the top of the plow frame for support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Inventors: Donald H. Ritter, Daniel S. Ritter
  • Patent number: 5456514
    Abstract: Pickup truck bed organizer apparatus includes a layer of flat belting material in which a plurality of panels is defined by a plurality of cuts. Each panel extends between the sides of the material and is pivotable from a down position to an up position. The panels are under tension in their up position due to the inherent properties of the material and return to their down position as part of the layer material when goods which are against them are removed. The panels are pivoted to divide the cargo or bed area of the truck into any of a plurality of separate compartments for organizing goods or cargo or for holding the cargo in any or all of the various compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Inventor: Kendall Justice