Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of side rails, at least one cross bar and a pair of bracket members secured at opposite ends of the cross bar for adjustably supporting articles thereon along said side rails. In one embodiment each bracket member includes a rotator having a circumferential camming surface which urges a locking member out of engagement with portions of the side rails to permit the cross bar to be adjustably positioned along the side rails. In another embodiment each bracket member includes a lever member which has a circumferential camming surface used for urging the locking member out of locking engagement with its associated side rail. In yet another embodiment each bracket member includes a slide member having a longitudinal camming surface. The slide member is moved longitudinally to urge the locking member into an open position to allow the bracket member to be adjustably positioned along the side rails.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier for securing cargo and other like items elevationally above the roof of a vehicle. The vehicle article carrier includes pair of support members fixed to the roof of the vehicle, a bracket member disposed on each of the support members and a cross bar extending between the bracket members. Each of the bracket members is slidably positionable along its associated support member. Each support member further includes a main channel having a depending lip portion which includes an aperture or notch formed therein. The aperture or notch is adapted to positively engage with a hook of the associated bracket member to even more positively secure the bracket member to the support member.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of one-piece, integrally formed side rail members. Each side rail member has a side rail portion and a pair of end supports integrally formed with terminal ends of the side rail portion. The side rail portion includes a hollow area formed therein and extending along the entire length of the side rail portion. Each end support further includes an inaccessible hollow portion in communication with the hollow portion formed in the side rail portion. Each side rail member forms a lightweight yet rigid member which does not require molding lines, seams or other markings on any portion of the outer surface which is clearly visible to an observer once the side rail members are mounted on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The cost of manufacture is also reduced because the number of molding tools needed to manufacture the side rail member is reduced, as is the complexity and time to assemble the side rail members to an outer body surface of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a rotatable cross bar which simultaneously causes bracket members at each end of the cross bar to be locked and unlocked in accordance with rotational movement of the cross bar. A cross bar supporting member is disposed at each end of the cross bar and includes a camming portion. The camming portion of each supporting member simultaneously causes a clamping member to be moved between locked and unlocked positions when a user engages an actuating member associated with one of the bracket members and concurrently rotates the cross bar. Thus, there is no need for cables or other members to extend through the cross bar to accomplish the simultaneous locking and unlocking of both of the bracket members.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of bracket members lockably engageable with a pair of slats, wherein each of the bracket members has a rotatable thumb wheel, a locking member and a spreader block disposed within the locking member. The locking member is threadably engaged with a threaded shaft fixedly secured to the thumb wheel such that rotational movement of the thumb wheel in a locking direction linearly displaces the locking member. A spreader block having a pair of tapered walls causes a pair of arm portions of the locking member to be cammingly spread apart as the locking member is linearly displaced such that the arm portions engage within a channel of the slat to cause the bracket member to be clampingly engaged with the slat. The spreader block allows the arm portions to be retracted when the thumb wheel is rotated in an unlocking direction such that the entire bracket member can be removed from the slat without any disassembly.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of slats, at least one cross bar and a pair of bracket members secured to the cross bar for adjustably positioning the cross bar along the slats. Each of the bracket members includes a housing having a camming portion and an actuating member which may be rotated between locked and unlocked positions. The actuating member includes a securing post which is attached to a flexible locking plate. When in the locked position, portions of the locking plate engage with the slat to clamp the bracket member to the slat while the securing post extends into an aperture in the slat to positively prevent movement of the bracket member along the slat. Moving the actuating member to its unlocked position causes the locking plate to be flexed to cause the portions which were previously in clamping engagement with the slat are urged out of clamping engagement generally simultaneously with lifting of the securing post out of the aperture in the slat.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of side rails, at least one cross bar and a pair of bracket members secured at opposite ends of the cross bar for adjustably supporting articles thereon along said side rails. In one embodiment each bracket member includes a rotator having a circumferential camming surface which urges a locking member out of engagement with portions of the side rails to permit the cross bar to be adjustably positioned along the side rails. In another embodiment each bracket member includes a lever member which has a circumferential camming surface used for urging the locking member out of locking engagement with its associated side rail. In yet another embodiment each bracket member includes a slide member having a longitudinal camming surface. The slide member is moved longitudinally to urge the locking member into an open position to allow the bracket member to be adjustably positioned along the side rails.

Abstract: A clamp apparatus for securing an independent article securing implement to a support bar of an existing vehicle article carrier without requiring any disassembly of the support bar from the vehicle article carrier. The clamp apparatus includes a first body portion and a second body portion. The first body portion includes a channel portion and a hook portion and the second body portion includes a base portion slidably engageable within the channel portion, and a hook portion. The first and second body portions are clamped over a support bar through the use of an elongated threaded fastener and fastening nut, which provides a significant degree of adjustability to accommodate support bars having varying cross-sectional widths. A pair of elongated, slot-like openings are formed in the first body portion and a pair of openings are also formed in the second body portion.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a pair of one-piece, integrally formed side rail members. Each side rail member has a side rail portion and a pair of end supports integrally formed with terminal ends of the side rail portion. The side rail portion includes a hollow area formed therein and extending along the entire length of the side rail portion. Each end support further includes an inaccessible hollow portion in communication with the hollow portion formed in the side rail portion. Each side rail member forms a lightweight yet rigid member which does not require molding lines, seams or other markings on any portion of the outer surface which is clearly visible to an observer once the side rail members are mounted on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The cost of manufacture is also reduced because the number of molding tools needed to manufacture the side rail member is reduced, as is the complexity and time to assemble the side rail members to an outer body surface of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier 10 forming a low, aerodynamic profile when secured to an outer body surface of the vehicle. The vehicle article carrier includes a pair of slats each having channel portions which are adapted to reside at least partially within channels formed in the outer body surface of the vehicle during manufacture of the vehicle. The low profile of the slats serves to reduce the degree to which a pair of bracket members and at least one cross bar secured to the bracket members projects above the outer body surface, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal and improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle article carrier. In preferred embodiments each slat includes a plurality of tie-down loops integrally formed therewith. The bracket members each incorporate a manually movable locking member adapted to lockably engage with the slat to hold the bracket member at a desired position along the slat.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a locking mechanism disposed within a bracket member. The locking mechanism includes an actuating member having first and second camming surfaces, a locking pin and a clamping member. As the actuating member is moved to an unlocked position, the first camming surface cooperates with the locking pin to urge the locking pin out of engagement with an aperture in a channel of a support member of the vehicle article carrier. Simultaneously, the second camming surface causes the clamping member to be moved out of clamping engagement with shoulder portions of the channel member. When the actuating member is moved from the unlocked to the locked position, the first camming surface allows a first spring to urge the locking pin back into engagement with the aperture in the channel member.

Abstract: A ski rack having a pair of integrally formed hook portions and a pair of integrally formed channels which are adapted to help enable the ski rack to be secured to a cross bar or other like support member of an existing vehicle article carrier. The ski rack includes a pair of independent securing members also having a pair of hook portions which slidably engage within the pair of integrally formed channels and cooperate with the integrally formed hook portions to clamp the ski rack to an associated cross bar of the existing vehicle article carrier. The independent securing members of the ski rack are further adjustable to accommodate cross bars of varying cross-sectional widths and do not require any disassembly of the cross bar or any other component part of the vehicle article carrier before the ski rack is to be secured to the cross bar.

Abstract: An adapter apparatus for securing the slats, or outer rail end or center supports, of a vehicle article carrier to an outer body surface of a vehicle. The adapter apparatus has a plurality of groups of openings for enabling attachment of a slat having previously formed openings to a variety of vehicles having different spacings of holes drilled therein, which would otherwise normally require additional drilling of holes in the slat or additional drilling of holes in the outer body surface to enable direct alignment of the holes in the slat with the holes in the outer body surface of the vehicle. The adapter apparatus, through its plurality of groups of openings, enables the adapter apparatus to be secured to vehicles having openings in their outer body surfaces which differ in spacing, and which otherwise would require additional drilling of holes in either the slats or the outer body surface to secure the slats thereto.

Abstract: A method for forming one-piece end support for a vehicle article carrier.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having a locking mechanism disposed within a bracket member. The locking mechanism includes an actuating member having first and second camming surfaces, a locking pin and a clamping member. As the actuating member is moved to an unlocked position, the first camming surface cooperates with the locking pin to urge the locking pin out of engagement with an aperture in a channel of a support member of the vehicle article carrier. Simultaneously, the second camming surface causes the clamping member to be moved out of clamping engagement with shoulder portions of the channel member. When the actuating member is moved from the unlocked to the locked position, the first camming surface allows a first spring to urge the locking pin back into engagement with the aperture in the channel member.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier having an adjustable cross rail. The vehicle article carrier includes a pair of side rails positioned longitudinally along an outer body surface of a vehicle such as a roof. The side rails each include a side rail member and a pair of brackets secured fixedly to the side rail member at opposite ends of the side rail member. The brackets are further fixedly secured to the outer body surface. Each of the side rail members and a selected pair of the brackets include channels formed therein in communication with each other. A cross rail is positioned perpendicularly between the channels and is movable slidably between an operative position between the side rail members, elevationally above the outer body surface, and a stored position between the selected pair of brackets closely adjacent the outer body surface. In the stored position the cross rail offers minimal wind resistance and generates minimal wind noise even when the vehicle is traveling at relatively high speeds.

Abstract: A vehicle article carrier apparatus adapted for use with a cargo bed of a vehicle such as a pick-up truck. The apparatus generally comprises a pair of cross rails each having a length sufficient to span the width of the cargo bed and to be supported on upper surfaces of the sidewalls of the cargo bed. A securing mechanism includes a threaded bolt and a threaded nut which clampingly secures a bracket to an inner lip portion of the sidewall and an undersurface of the cross rail to thus secure the cross rail to the sidewalls of the cargo bed. When an optional lock member is locked in place via a key, a threaded nut housed therein cannot be loosened when the lock member is in a locked position, and therefore the cross rail cannot be moved from the cargo bed.