GB2179499A

GB2179499A - Bracket for mounting aerial on car roof

Info

Publication number: GB2179499A
Application number: GB08520865A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Charles Joseph Greest
Original assignee: STROMBERG GREEST Ltd
Current assignee: STROMBERG GREEST Ltd
Priority date: 1985-08-20
Filing date: 1985-08-20
Publication date: 1987-03-04
Also published as: GB8520865D0

Abstract

A bracket 10 for use in mounting an aerial or other component on the roof 11 of a vehicle comprises a base plate 14 which is provided at one end with releasable clamping means 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 for clamping the base plate to a gutter 22 of the vehicle roof and at or adjacent to the other end with means 23, e.g. a suction cup, which projects beneath the base plate so as to be engageable in use with the adjacent part of the upper surface of the vehicle roof. The bracket is provided on its upper surface with releasable catch means 26 which in use is engageable with said aerial or other component to support and retain it in the desired position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Gutter mounting bracket This invention relates to a gutter mounting bracket which is intended in use to be mounted on the roof of a car or other vehicle for the especial (but not exclusive) purpose of supporting an aerial. Thus such a vehicle is commonly provided along each side of its roof with a gutter or drainage channel which is designed to collect rain water falling on the roof and the present invention seeks to provide an improved mounting bracket which, on the one hand, can be readily connected to such a gutter and, on the other hand, can be used so as detachably to support an aerial or other component.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a gutter mounting bracket which comprises a base plate provided at one end with releasable clamping means which are adapted to clamp said base plate to the gutter of a vehicle roof and at or adjacent to the other end with suction cup means which project towards the base plate so as to be engageable with the upper surface of the vehicle roof, said base plate being also provided on its upper surface with releasable catch means which is engageable with an aerial or other component so as to retain said component in use in a position in which it is supported on said other end of the base plate.

The aforesaid releasable clamping means which are adapted to clamp this base plate to the roof gutter are preferably screw-actuated and adjustable and said releasable catch means may conveniently comprise a springloaded pivoted catch member provided at one end with a projection or other formation adapted in use to engage a co-acting recess or other formation provided in the component which is to be supported in the bracket.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a gutter mounting bracket in accordance with the invention, said bracket being shown in its operative position on the roof of a vehicle and supporting an aerial or other component thereon, and Figure 2 is a side view of the arrangement seen in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing there is shown therein a gutter mounting bracket generally indicated by reference numeral 10 which is adapted in use to support an aerial or other component on the roof 11 of a vehicle such as a car. In the drawing the component which is to be supported has a base or stand 12 and to the underside of said stand is secured a plate or strip 13 which extends across the base so as to provide between it and the adjacent undersurface of the base a gap or slot for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

The aforesaid bracket 10 comprises a base plate 14 and to the shorter flange of said base plate is connected by means of a pair of screws 15 and 16 which extend respectively through a pair of elongated apertures 17 and 18 a pair of clamping plates 19 and 20, each of said screws 15 and 16 being threadably engaged with a threaded boss such as the boss which is indicated by reference numeral 21 in Fig. 2, said bosses being connected to the clamping plate 20. The lower edges of said clamping plates 19 and 20 are arranged to engage opposite sides of a standard gutter 22 conventionally provided on the aforesaid vehicle, one such gutter extending along each longitudinal side of the roof 11.

The aforesaid base plate 14 is also provided at or adjacent to that end of the base plate remote from the aforesaid clamping plates 19 and 20 with suction cup means which conveniently comprise a pair of such suction cups, one such cup being shown and indicated in the drawing by reference numeral 23. Each cup has an enlarged head 24 which is located and retained within a slot formed in a tongue portion-25 formed in the base plate 14, each such slot being of elongated form so that the position of the associated suction cup 23 with respect to the base plate 14 can be adjusted and such adjustment allied to the adjustment available for the position of the clamping plates 19 and 20 relative to the mounting plate 14 by virtue of the aforementioned slots 17 and 18 will enable the mounting bracket to be firmly secured in any desired position on the roof of any vehicle.

The aforesaid base plate 14 of the gutter mounting bracket is also provided intermediate its ends with releasable catch means in the form of a pivoted spring-loaded catch member 26 which projects upwardly from the upper surface of the base plate 14. Said catch member 26 is pivotally connected to said base plate by means of a pair of downwardly extending parallel tongues (one of such tongues being indicated in the drawing by reference numeral 27) the tongues extending through corresponding slots formed in the base plate.

There is also provided a coil spring 28 which is secured in position by a screw 29 which extends into a screwed aperture formed in the base plate and the arrangement is such that said spring 28 spring-loads the catch member 26 to a position in which its outer end 26a is in a relatively upper position and its inner end 26b in a relatively lower position. Furthermore said inner end 26b is provided with a downwardly extending stud 30 which forms a downwardly extending projection which is adapted to enter into a corresponding aperture formed in the upper surface of said stand or base 12.The catch member 26 is outwardly tapered when viewed inside elevation and ac cordingly when it is desired to connect the aforesaid stand or base 12 to the mounting bracket 14 the catch member 16 is pivoted by depressing its outer ends 26a in order to lift the inner end 26b in order that the base or stand 12 can be pushed towards the inner end of said base plate 14 until it enters into the aforesaid gap between the strip 13 and the underside of the stand or base 12. The aforesaid downwardly extending stud or projection 30 can then be entered into the aligned aperture formed in the base or stand 12 by releasing the catch member 26 and the base or stand 12 will then be firmly held in position on the roof of the car. Said stand or base 12 will however of course be removably connected to the mounting bracket so that it is a simple matter to release it when it is desired to remove the component in question or when the vehicle is left unattended.

Claims

1. A gutter mounting bracket which comprises a base plate provided at one end with releasable clamping means which are adapted to clamp said base plate to the gutter of a vehicle roof and at or adjacent to the other end with means which project beneath the base plate so as to be engageable with the upper surface of the vehicle roof, said base plate being also provided on its in situ upper surface with releasable catch means which is engageable with an aerial or other component so as to retain said component in use in a position in which it is supported on said other end of the base plate.

2. A gutter mounting bracket as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said means which project beneath the base plate comprise a suction cup.

3. A gutter mounting bracket as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said releasable clamping means are screw-actuated.

4. A gutter mounting bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said releasable catch means comprises a springloaded pivoted catch member which is provided at one end with a projection or other formation adapted in use to engage a co-acting recess or other formation provided in the component which in use is to be supported on the bracket.

5. A gutter mounting bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.