US2805014A

US2805014A - Automobile rack

Info

Publication number: US2805014A
Application number: US508401A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oslund Frederick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-05-16
Filing date: 1955-05-16
Publication date: 1957-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1974-09-03

Description

F. OSLUND AUTOMOBILE RACK Sept. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1955 I Hi! r INVENTOR. Frederick Oslun d BY QMM/ FITTOBNEY5' 'Sept. 3, 1957 F. OSLUND 2,805,014

AUTOMOBILE RACK Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Frederick Oslund HTTOBNEYS AUTOMOBILE RACK Frederick Oslund, Seattle, Wash. Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,401

3 Claims. c1. 224 42.1

This invention relates to luggage racks as designed for use on the tops of passenger automobiles, and it has reference more particularly to an improved form of rack that is adapted for the carrying of luggage, or articles of various kinds, and in various ways, and which, when. not applied to an automobile, can be converted to a number of different and useful purposes.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a luggage holding rack, having a flat bottom or platform, and equipped for ready, easy and secure mounting on an automobile top, and having opposite side and opposite end frames, each independently removable from the rack to permit loading from either side or from either end or as required to best accommodate the objects being transported.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rack having novel details in construction of its side and end frames whereby they can be interfitted and interlocked at their ends to insure rigidity of assembly, and yet provide for their easy and quick disassembly when such is desired.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel mounting means for the rack that are adjustable to best accommodate them to the particular car top to which the rack is to be applied.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the details of construction of the various parts of the rack, that provides for their easy and ready assembly and use in the various ways and for the variety of purposes hereinafter disclosed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a rack of the present invention as applied to and secured upon the top of a present day passenger automobile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view and partial longitudinal section of the present rack, with a part between the end portions broken away to shorten the length of the view.

Fig. 3 is an underside view of a corner portion of the rack bottom or platform.

Fig. 4 is a section of the same taken in the plane of line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of the rack and illustrating the provision for and the manner of interfitting and interlocking end portions of an end and a side frame.

Fig. 6 is an elevation detail, showing the means for securing a side frame to the rack bottom.

Fig. 7 is a section, taken on line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The intended manner of use of the present rack on an automobile top is as shown in Fig. 1.

In its present preferred form of construction, the rack comprises a flat, rectangular, bottom forming panel 10, preferably of plywood, cut to certain predetermined dimensions. Fixed to the panel edges, about its under surface, are slats 11; these being of wood and about one inch in width and A" in thickness, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7. Also fixed to the panel 10, along its opposite side and across the end edges thereof, are angle iron bars 12, preferably of aluminum, and each having a horizontal flange 12h underlying, as shown in Fig. 3, a part of the corresponding edge slat 11, and secured by screws 13, and having a vertical flange 12v which extends to the level of the top surface of the panel. At their ends, the bars 12 are beveled, as at 15 in Fig. 3, and the beveled edges Welded together.

Extended transversely of the bottom panel 10, at its underside and close to its opposite ends, are rigid crossbars l616 of channel form; these being secured at their ends to the undersides of edge slats 11 by screws 17, as

has been shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

Fitted about opposite end portions of these cross-bars 16-46, near their opposite ends for adjustment therealong, are sleeves or collars 20, and fixed to each of these collars is a downwardly facing, flexible rubber suction cup 21; these cups being adapted to be pressed against the car top as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, to support the rack in proper position on the vehicle top.

For the fixed securement of the rack when placed on:

the car top, the bottom panel is provided at opposite sides and near each of its ends with plate 25, secured by screws 26 passed upwardly therethrough and threaded into the panel, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Each plate has a downwardly and laterally directed end portion 25a,

formed With a transverse slot 27. Straps 28 are applied across the top of the car, beneath opposite end portions of the panel 16, with opposite end portions passed outwardly through slots 27 of transversely aligned plates, and then anchored at their ends to the gutter strips 30 that extend along and are fixed to opposite sides of the car top just above the windows; this method of tieing the rack to the car top being in accordance with the usual present day method of fixing luggage carriers in place.

It is to be understood that the collars 20 are slidably adjustable along the angle bars 16-16 in order that the suction cups can be adjusted to positions that are best suited to the width and slope of the car top. It is also to be understood that while I have shown single suction cups 21 at each of the four corners of the rack, it may be found desirable to aflix short cross-bars to the collars 2t) and to apply twin suction cups to opposite ends of the cross-bars, in a manner similar to the illustration in Fig. 13.

It is also to beobserved, by reference more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, that flanged pipe sockets are fixed to the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 12, at the corners and underside of the panel 10, to receive threaded ends of pipe legs 36 to adapt the panel for use as a table top, as shown in Fig. 9.

The opposite end frames of the rack are designated in Figs. 1 and 8 in their entireties by reference numerals 4040, and the opposite side frames are designated in their entireties by numerals 41-41. Each end frame comprises three, vertically spaced, horizontal slats 42 joined at their ends by vertical angle bars 43-43, applied thereto as best shown in Fig. 5. Preferably the rack parts are fabricated of aluminum members and are riveted together for example as at 44.

The side frames 40-40 are each composed of three horizontal slats 46 joined across their opposite ends by vertical bars 47, these being inset somewhat from the ends of the slats and also project at their ends below the lower slats for close fitted reception between the edges of the flanges 12v of the angle bars 12 and panel 10. At their upper edges each end frame is equipped at each of its ends with an angular clip 50, this being fixed to the outer face and upper end portion of the corresponding vertical bar 47. This clip 50 has an end portion 50x adapted to hook around the end post 43 of the end frame member as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and to receive the adjacent edge flange of the post 43 between the clip and end portion of the top slat 46.

The lower end portions of the angle bars 43 extend below the lower slats 42 of the end frames and are adapted to be received between the corner portion of the panel 10 and the vertical flanges of the joined angle bars 12-12, these flanges being slightly outset from the panel for this purpose as has been shown particularly in Fig. 2.

The horizontal slats 46 of the opposite side frames of the rack are joined intermediate their ends by vertical bars 55, the lower ends of which are adapted to be received within the slots provided between the edges of the panel and vertical flanges of the angle bars 12, as has been illustrated'in Figs. 6 and 7, and each is there secured by a wing'headed bolt 56 that is passed inwardly through registering

holes

57 and 58, in the bar flange and lower end of the bar 55, and threaded into a metal clip 59 of angle form that is fixed to the panel edge as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. With the side frames thus secured, they cannot be lifted from the rack bottom and will be held rigidly upright along opposite sides of the panel 10.

The inturned ends 50x of clips 50 engage at their lower edges against lugs 60 on the vertical end bars 43 of the end frames and thus hold the end frames against lifting from connection with the side frames.

Assuming the rack to be assembled and mounted on a car top as in Fig. 1, it can be used for the transportation of baggage, boxes, suit cases etc. For easy loading, of such objects, one or both side frames might be removed, this being possible upon removal of the single anchoring bolts 56 that holds the rack in place.

For the hauling of lumber, it is desirable that both end frames be removed. Then the platform 10 serves to support the lumber directly thereon, and it can be efiectively secured in place by roping between the side frames, as has been shown.

By releasing the two tie straps from the car top, the rack is released for removal from the vehicle and it can then be used as a childs play pen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack of the character described having a floor forming panel and opposite side and opposite end frames; angle bars fixed to the floor panel along its opposite side and opposite end edges; each angle bar having a horizontal flange that underlies and is fixed to the panel and a vertical flange that is spaced outwardly from the panel edge; each of said opposite end frames being equipped with vertical end bars of angle iron form, with extended lower end portions removably fitted to the panel corners within the vertical flanges of the panel bounding angle bars, and opposite frames each includes as a part thereof means at their ends for effecting holding connection with the ends of said end frames, and each having a central vertical strip with extended lower end portion fitted between the corresponding panel edge and the vertical flange of the corresponding angle bar, and an anchor bolt removably applied through the bar flange and lower end portion of said strip and anchored at its inner end in the panel.

2. A rack as in claim 1 wherein the opposite end frames are equipped at their opposite ends with projecting lugs, and the said opposite side frames are equipped with angularly bent straps adapted to hook around the ends of said lug equipped frames to holdingly engage against said lugs to prevent removal of those frames from the bottom panel.

3. A rack for use on an automobile top; said rack comprising a floor forming panel, slats fixed to the underside of said floor forming panel along its opposite side edges, cross-bars fixed to said fioor forming panel, at its underside and adjacent forward and rearward ends thereof with their opposite end portions overlapped with said slats thus to space the bars from the panel, suction cup mountings applied to said bars and movable to various positions therealong and suction cups fixed to said mountings of sleeve form for functionally engaging the top of an automobile to which the rack may be applied.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,045,412 Kling Nov. 26, 1912 2,589,772 Carter et al Mar. 18, 1952 2,596,860 McCrory et al. May 13, 1952 2,654,516 Edwards Oct. 6, 1953 2,683,265 Wayne July 13, 1954 2,721,681 Daniel Oct. 25, 1955 V FOREIGN PATENTS 545,024 Great Britain May. 7, 1942