AU641615B2

AU641615B2 - Bicycle carrier

Info

Publication number: AU641615B2
Application number: AU3382493A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Dragoljub Pavlovich
Original assignee: DRAGOLJUB PAVLOVICH
Current assignee: DRAGOLJUB PAVLOVICH
Priority date: 1993-02-26
Filing date: 1993-02-26
Publication date: 1993-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-02-26

Description

P/00/01 2 AUSTRALIA Regulation 3.: Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT Invention BIC)YCIE The following statement is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- I. .I

AIL

T This invention relates generally to detachable carrying racks, bars and the like for vehicles and more particularly concerns an adjustable bicycle carrier which can be bolted onto and removed from the tow bar of a niotor vehicle such as a sedan.

According to the invention there is provided an adjustable bicycle carrier for removable attachment to a motor vehicle, the carrier comprising a frame with an upright supporting at a top end thereof a cross arm adjustably bolted onto the top of the upright by means Off: of a threaded bolt and nut whereby the cross arm can be clamped at any angle with respect to the upright for adjustably andi detachably cradling inclined main frame members of a bicycle, the cross arm also having a socket or aligned apertures at each end thereof for passing a bolt therethrough to tiltably clamp thereto by a nut a U-shaped bracket for cradling therein a main frame fee* member of a bicycle, the upright also having adjustably tiltably mounted thereon by a bolt passed through an aperture and clamped by a nut, a bracket adapted to cradle a bicycle pedal crank arm the lower end of the upright having a square spigot adapted to be fitted into a square socket on a tow bar adaptor bracket for, bolting the carrier onto and unbolting it from a tow bar, the spigot and the socket of the adaptor bracket having aligned holes therein for passage therethrough of a threaded locking pin, wherein the upright is prevented from spinning within the socket, the front wheel of a bicycle is prevented from spinning and the pedal crank -lais prevented from turning when a bicycle is on the carrier by means of straps or ties adapted to be passed around a wheel when a bicycle main frame member is on the U-shaped bracket bracket and around a bicycle pedal crank when the pedal crank is on its cradling bracket, Preferably, each strap has a central aperture through which a bolt can be passed or the strap can be placed upon the bolt and wherein the strap is clampable to the carrier when a corresponding nut is screwed onto the bolt to prevent the strap dropping off when undone, each strap having VELCRO fastening means adjacent each end.

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o ooo ooo ooo oooe -2passed around a bicycle main frame mmbTr ppr-+t-ng bracket and around a pedal crank rpectively, each strap having a central apert e through which a bolt can be passed or vice ver a and being clampable onto the carrier wher a rresponding nut is screwed onto the bolt, e strap having fastening means adjacent each Preferably, a separate number plate is provided for the bicycle carrier of the invention, the 10 number of the separate number plate corresponds to that of the carrying vehicle number plate and has a clampable ring thereon which is adapted to be removably clamped upon the carrier between the lower end of the upright and the top of an adaptor bracket plate, the separate t, 15 number plate also being provided with a light powered from a towing socket via a lead and plug.

Some non-limiting examples of embodiments or practical arrangements of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, 20 in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of one embodiment of an assembled, adjustable bicycle carrier according to the invention.

Figure 1A is a front view of an adaptor socket for fitment to the tow bar of a vehicle.

Figure 1B is a side elvation of the adaptor of Figure 1A.

Figure 2 is a side view of another embodiment w f in the form of an adjustable bicycle carrier extension -3member according to the invention for fitment to the socket of Figures 1A and 1B.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the adjustable bicycle carrier of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown ai adjustable bicycle carrier for vehicles, the carrier comprising a frame with an upright 10 of tubular box-section mild steel supporting at a top end thereof a cylindrical tubular pipe cross arm 11 which forms a 10 large T-piece with the upright. Referring to Figure 3, the middle of the cross arm is adjustably bolted onto the top of the upright by means of a threaded bolt 12 Swhich has one or cut-off head end welded to the upright, the bolt is adapted to pass through a hole passing S 15 through the cross arm and a nut 13 can be screwed onto the other and threaded end of the bolt 12. A set of opposed grip washers 14 are respectively fixed by welding onto the upright and the cross arm in gripping alignment a-d the cross arm can be clamped at any S 20 selected angle with respect to the upright. The cross arm 11 has welded to each end a small T-piece sleeve 16 respectively and each sleeve forms a socket for a modified threaded bolt 17, 18, one or head end of which has welded thereto a U-shaped bracket 19, respectively and when a threaded nut 21, 22, is screwed onto the other end of the respective bolt so that each bracket 19, 20 can be tiltably clamped at the correct angle corresponding to the angle of the main fore and -4detachably cradling these bicycle main frame members, There is also adjustably and tiltably mounted upon the upright 10 a bracket 23 which is adapted to cradle a bicycle pedal crank arm. This bracket 23 has a cut-off bolt head welded to it and the shaft of the bolt is passed through aligned holes in the upright to enable a nut 24 to be screwed onto the threaded other end of the bolt to clamp the bracket 23 into a pre-selected position. All of the brackets 19, 20 and 23 are preferably provided with rubber sleeves to protect the bicycle frame and crank members respectively. The lower end of the upright is adapted to fit inside a square socket 26 formed as part of an adaptor bracket 25 (see Figure provided with a bolt hole 27 which enables the bicycle carrier to then be removably bolted onto the tow bar 28 of a vehicle such as a sedan. Referring to Figure 2, an extension member can be provided to enable more than one carrier to be attached to the same vehicle tow bar by placing the spigot at the lower end of 20 the upright 110 into the socket 26 of the adaptor

B.

bracket 25 of Figure 1. Other parts of the extension member are the same as in Figures 1 and 3 with a "100" prefix. The extension arm 110a of the extension member carries a socket 110b and both the spigot and socket have aligned threaded holes for a locking pin 110c as in the embodiment of Figures 1, 1A and 1B. The drop height of the lower spigot end of each upright is limited by the collar 29 in Figures 1 and 3 or the collar 127 in Figure 2. The arrangement of cross arm and bicycle main frame cradling members and pedal crank cradling members of the extension member of Figure 2 is the same as that of Figures 1 and 3. In the event that there is a likelihood of the vehicle number plate being obscured by the carrier, before the lower end of the upright is passed into the socket a number plate 30 can be clamped there'-etween by passing the square ring 31, previously fixed to the number plate. The number plate can be fitted with a light 32. The lower end of the upright 10 has aligned holes in it such as that labelled 33 which in turn align with a pair of aligned holes 34 in the socket so that the upright can be locked into place by means of the threaded pin 35. The front wheel of a bicycle is prevented from spinning and the pedal crank S 15 is prevented from turning when a bicycle is on the carrier by means of plastic straps such as that shown and labelled 31 which can be looped around the bicycle main frame member supporting bracket 19. To prevent them falling off and being lost, these straps have a central aperture through which a bolt can be passed or vice versa and are then clampable onto the carrier when a corresponding nut is screwed onto the bolt. The straps have on each end thereof co-operating loop and hook fabric means such as that sold under the registered trade mark VELCRO.

An advantage of the carrier of the invention is that it can be adjusted or adapted to fit any type or size of bicycle and being of low compact construction, childrens' bicycles can be loaded and unloaded -6more reacUly by childrerh For main frame members of different tb.ickness~ different size supporting brackets nay be u~'ed and these are interchangeable.

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Claims

1. An adjustable bicycle carrier for removable attachmient to a motor vehicle, the carrier comprising a frame with an upright support ing at a top end thereof a cross arm. adjustably bolted onto the top of the upright by means of a threaded bolt anc' nut whereby the cross arm can be clamped at any angle with respect tj the upright for adjustably and detachably cradling inclined main frame members of a bicycle, the cross arm also having a socket or aligned apertures at each end thereof for passing a bolt therethrough to tiltably clamp there- to by a nut a U-zhaped bracket for cradling therein a main frame member of a bicycle, the upright also having adjustably tiltably mounted thereon by a bolt passed through an aperture and clamped by a nut, a bracket adapted to cradle a, bicycle pedal crank arm, the lower end of the upright having a square spigot adapted to be fitted into a square socket on a tow bar adaptor bracket f or bolting the carrier onto and unbolting it from a tow bar, the spigot and the socket of the adaptor bracket having aligned holes therein for passage therethrough of a threaded locking pin whereby the upright is prevented from spinning within the socket, the front wheel of a bicycle is prevented from spinning and the pedal crank is prevented from turning when a bicycle Is on the carrier by means of straps or ties adapted to be passed around a wheel when a bicycle main frame member is on a U-shaped supporting bracket and around a bicycle pedal crank when the pedal crank is on its cradling bracket. -8-

2, The carrier according to claim I wherein each strap~has a central aperture through wnich a bolt can be passed or the strap can be placed upon the bolt and wherein the strap is clampable to the carrier when a corresponding nut is screwed onto the bolt to prevent the strap dropping off when undone, each strap having VELCRO fastening means adjacent each end.

3. The carrier according to claim 1 or 2 which includes a separate number plate which bears the same number as that of the carrying vehicle and which has ring thereon adapted to be passed over the lower end of 66 the upright and to be removably clamped between the lower end and the top of the adaptor bracket, the separate number plate also being provided with a light powered from a towing socket via a lead and plug, 6*o 66 DATED this 29th day of June, 1993 0oc6 DRAGOLJUB PAVLOVICH B Pno By MEy Patent Attorney JOHN L. DAVIES CO. ABSTRACT An adjustable bicycle carrier for vehicles has a T-piece frame with an upright (10) of tubular box-section mild steel and a cross arm (11) adjustably bolted on top of the upright (10) and with a T-piece sleeve (15, 16) at each end forming a socket for a bolt (17, 18,) which has a U-shaped, bicycle frame cradling brackets (19, 20) on it tiltably clampable onto the cross arm at the angle of main frame members of a bicycle; another bracket (23) bolted to the upright, adjustably cradles a bicycle pedal crank; the bottom of the upright (10) fits into a Ssquare socket (26) of an adaptor bracket (25) boltable onto the tow bar (28) of a sedan; an extension carrier member enables more than one carrier to be used simultaneously; a number plate (30) with a light (32) clamps onto the upright base by square ring (32) the upright bases and sockets have aligned locking pin holes (34) and pins; a front wheel of a bicycle is prevented irom spinning and the pedal crank is prevented from S" turning when a bicycle is on the carrier by means of plastic straps with VELCRO strips.