GB2201924A

GB2201924A - Frail for transporting glass or other sheets on vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2201924A
Application number: GB08805343A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Repton Hadfield
Original assignee: AUTOPIA TERAKAT ACCESSORIES
Current assignee: AUTOPIA TERAKAT ACCESSORIES
Priority date: 1987-03-09
Filing date: 1988-03-07
Publication date: 1988-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-07
Also published as: GB8805343D0; GB2201924B; GB8705447D0

Abstract

The frail 1 is releasably mounted on the side of a vehicle 2 by a female member 4 sliding over a roof rack frame member 6, and a tension bolt 10 which has a hook 11 for engaging a chassis of a vehicle. A pin member 8 may be inserted through holes 5,7 to secure the parts 4,6 together. The frail has supports in the form of hardwood slats 15 and an "L" shaped lower slat 16. A arm/buffer arrangement 12,13 holds the frail at the required distance from the vehicle side and absorbs shocks. <IMAGE>

Description

GLASS FRAIL The invention relates to a glass frail, particularly one which can be mounted on or de-mounted from a vehicle.

Vehicles such as vans and lorries often have structures, called "frails", along their sides whereupon they can transport objects such as doors, wickets, fence lengths and sheets of glass. It is a requirement of such frails that they transport said objects in a substantially upright position, and flat, so that the risk of damage is minimised. However, such frails are heavy, they have to be sturdy to provide the necessary support for the articles being transported, and they increase the width of the vehicle as they effectively project laterally thereof. They therefore increase wind resistance and this factor, coupled with their weight can increase fuel consumption.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate these disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a structure for transporting an article on the side of a vehicle, wherein the structure has means whereby it is releasably mountable on an exterior mounting part of a vehicle.

The means may comprise a female part for co-operation with a male exterior mounting part.

There may be releasable securing means for securing the male and female parts together.

The releasable securing means may comprise a peg for insertion through aligned holes of the male and female parts.

The e mounting means may also comprise a tension bolt spaced from the male and female parts.

The exterior mounting part may comprise a part of a roof rack structure of a vehicle.

There may be two spaced longitudinal members each of which may carry a projecting female part and between which may be secured a plurality of spaced transverse slat members against which an object to be carried rests in use.

The lowest, in use, slat may have a substantially L-shape whereby a projecting limb of the L-shape affords a support in use for a lower part of an object to be carried.

The L-shape slat may rest on an abutment of the longitudinal members.

The longitudinal members may include a projection adapted for spacing the structure from the side of a vehicle whereby to provide an inclined article transporting surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a set of parts comprising a structure as hereinbefore defined, and a roofrack of a vehicle having a projecting part on which the structure is releasably mountable.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle on which is mounted a structure as hereinbefore defined.

Glass frails, embodying the invention, are hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a side elevational view of a frail according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a second frail according to the invention; Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail of a mounting of the frail; and Fig. 4 shows an enlarged detail of a further part of the frail.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are shown by like numerals, there is shown a structure such as a glass frail 1 for transporting, suitably a flat, article such as a sheet of glass on the side of a vehicle 2, the structure 1 having means 3 whereby it can be de-mounted from the vehicle 2.

The means 3 whereby the structure 1 can be de-mounted comprises a tube 4 with a transverse hole 5, which tube 4 has an internal cross-section which is complementary in shape and size to the external shape of an exterior mounting part of a vehicle in the form of a projecting frame member 6 of a roof rack carried by the vehicle 2. The frame member 6 has a hole 7 too, so that when the male to female connection; comprising telescopic engagement of the female part 4 and male part 6, is made and the holes 5 and 7 are aligned, a peg or pin 8 attached to the frail 1 by a flexible link such as a chain 9 can be inserted in the aligned holes 5 and 7 to hold the frame member 6 and tube 4 together, so removably or de-mountably mounting the frail 1 on the vehicle 2. The tube 4 is at the upper (in use) part of the frail 1.There is a tension bolt 10 at the bottom, in use, whereby a hook 11 of the bolt 10 can be connected with a frame member or the chassis of the vehicle 2 so that when the bolt 10 is tensioned up, the bottom part of the frail 1 is drawn towards the vehicle 2 and held firmly and securely in position. A projecting arm or stop (Fig. 2) 12 with a resilient buffer means such as a rubber pad 13 on its free end abuts the side of the vehicle 2 to support the frail 1, and to provide a shock absorber so that articles such as glass sheets are carried safely. The stop or arm 12 also ensure that a support surface of the frail is inclined to the vertical, the top being nearer the vehicle 2 than the bottom, to provide for ease and safety of transport of a pane or panes of glass.

The frail 1 comprises a generally rectangular frame of hollow section 40 x 40 mm steel hollow section tube 14, to which are secured supports such as transverse hardwood slats 15. The bottom (in use) of the frail has an L-shaped slat 16 on which the objects being transported rest.

In Fig. 2, the L-shaped slat 16 rests on an abutment 17 which has a soft or smooth buffer 18. In Fig. 2, it will be understood that, as shown, the tension bolt 10 passes through an L-shaped bracket 19, one limb 20 of which is secured to the underside of the tube 14, and the other limb 21 of which carries a through hole for passage of the bolt 10.

It will be understood that there will be a plurality of tubes 4 spaced apart a distance to marry up with a respective frame member 6 of the roof rack, and there is also a plurality of tension bolts 10. In order to demount the frail from the vehicle, it is merely necessary to remove the pin(s) 8 from the hole(s) 5 and 7, unhook the bolts 10, and lift the frail 1 bodily from the vehicle 2.

It will further be understood that the tubes 14 may be replaced by any suitable members such as rods or bars.

To erect the frail, the roof rack bars 6 are positioned to the required centre. The members 4 are slid over the members 6 to the required extent, and holes are drilled through. The pins 8, which may be sword pins, are inserted and it is ensured that they are snapped correctly in position. The bottom (in use) slat 16 is located in pre-drilled holes 22 in the support 14. The tension bolts 10 are positioned and tightened. The horizontal wooden slats 15 are then fitted using suitable screws through holes 23, 24.

If the rook rack has only two spaced parts 6, a vertical (not shown) wooden flat 14 is secured in the middle of the frail.

Claims

1. A structure for transporting an article on the side of a vehicle, wherein the structure has means whereby it is releasably mountable on an exterior mounting part of a vehicle.

2. A structure according to Claim 1, in which the means comprises a female part for co-operation with a male exterior mounting part.

3. A structure according to Claim 2, including releasable securing means for securing the male and female parts together.

4. A structure according to Claim 3, the releasable securing means comprising a peg for insertion through aligned holes of the male and female parts.

5. A structure according to any of Claims 2 to 4, the mounting means also comprising a tension bolt spaced from the male and female parts.

6. A structure according to any preceding claim, the exterior mounting part comprising a part of a roof rack structure of a vehicle.

7. A structure according to any of Claims 2 to 6, comprising two spaced longitudinal members each of which carries a projecting female part and between which is secured a plurality of spaced transverse slat members against which an object to be carried rests in use.

8. A structure according to Claim 7, the lowest, in use, slat having a substantially L-shape whereby a projecting limb of the L-shape affords a support in use for a lower part of an object to be carried.

9. A structure according to Claim 8, the L-shape slat resting on an abutment of the longitudinal members.

10. A structure according to any of Claims 7 to 9, the longitudinal members including a projection adapted for spacing the structure from the side of a vehicle whereby to provide an inclined article transporting surface.

11. A structure for transporting an article on the side of a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A set of parts, comprising a structure according to any preceding claim, and a roof rack of a vehicle having a projecting part on which the structure is releasably mountable.

13. A vehicle on which is mounted a structure according to any of Claims 1 to 11 or erected from a set of parts according to Claim 12.