US2805015A - Automobile top ski and ski pole carrier - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1957 M. w. PERRY AUTOMOBILE TOP sxx AND SKI POLE CARRIER Filed Aug. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Malcolm W. Perry IN VEN TOR.

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puny 5m p 1957 M. w. PERRY AUTOMOBILE TOP sx: AND sxx POLE CARRIER Filed Aug. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 km MM R 3 R M m R m ,m w R L nm G mw 6 J R Rm Q R\ m mm Nam United States AUTOMOBILE TOPSKI AND SKI POLE CARRIER Malcolm W. Perry, Bristol, Vt. Application August 18, 1955, Serial No. 529,092

3 Claims. (Cl. 224-421) My invention relates to improvements in combined ski and ski pole carriers for transporting skis and ski poles ontop of an automobile.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a carrier including means for attaching the same to an automobile top, together with means for clamping and supporting a maximum number of pairs of skis side-by-side and horizontal and means for clamping and supporting associated ski poles for the skis in horizontal position above the skis parallel therewith.

Another object is to provide a ski rack with attaching means and pairs of fixed and movable clamping members for engaging opposite sides of the skis and which are easy to operate and will securely hold a maximum number of skis parallel with the automobile top for easy removal from the sides of the automobile.

Still another object is to provide a ski pole rack atmatched to. the ski rack for carrying the ski poles parallel with the skis and above the same and which is especially constructed and arranged for easy and quick insertion of ski poles therein sidewise.

Still another object is to provide a ski pole rack detachable from the ski rack and foldable for arrangement with the ski rack into a compact bundle for storage or carrying manually.

Yet another object is to provide a ski and ski pole carrier for the foregoing purposes which is safe to use, substantially foolproof, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects together with the precise nature of my improvements will become apparent when the following description and claims are read with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure lis a fragmentaryview in plan illustrating my improved carrier attached to an automobile top;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section of one end of the ski rack;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in transverse section and partly in rear elevation taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 66 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a cap member forming part of means for attaching the ski pole rack to the ski rack.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the carrier of my invention includes a ski rack 1 and a ski pole rack 3.

The ski rack 1 comprises a ski clamp supporting bar 5 of a length corresponding substantially to the width of an automobile top 7 and which is of rectangular crosssection, and of inverted channel bar form to provide a bottom longitudinal groove 9 therein for a purpose pres- 2,805,015 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 ently seen. The bar 5 supports at opposite sides of its transverse center longitudinally spaced pairs of ski clamps 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25', 27, 29, 31, 33, respectively, which. are alike and constructed as follows.

Each pair of ski clamps comprises a pair of'complementary fixed and relatively slidable clamping saddle mem bers 35, 37 of right angled form straddling the bar 5;

The fixed saddle members 35 are fastened to the bar 5 by screw bolts 39 passing transversely therethrough and through the bar 5 and groove 9. The slidable saddle members 37 are slidably fastened on said bar 5 for movement longitudinally thereof into and from clamping relation to the complemental fixed saddle members 37 by screw bolts 41 passing transversely therethrough and through the bar 5 and groove 9 and slidable in longitudinal slots 43 in opposite sides of the bar 5.

A coil spring 45 in the groove 9 having its ends hooked around the fastening bolts 39, 43 of each pair of complemental saddle members35, 37 urges the slidable clamping member 37 toward the fixed saddle member 35 into clamping relation thereto and normally into engagement therewith. It is to be noted that the slidable saddlemembers 37 are slidable inwardly of the bar 5 away from the fixed saddle members 35 and the springs 45 urge said members 37 outwardly of said bar 5 into clamping relation to said members 35.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fixed and slidable saddle members 35, 37 are provided with fiat tops 47, 49 for seating flatly the midportion of a ski 51 and at remote ends thereof with transverse top channel flanges 53, 55 with channels facing each other so that said flanges will fit over the sides of a ski 51 to clampingly engage the ski when the ski is positioned on the fixed and slidable saddle members 35, 37 of a pair transversely thereof and of the bar 5.

The attaching means for the ski rack 1 comprises a pairof resilient suction cups 57, 59 depending from and suitably fixed to fixed saddle members 35 and for engagement with the automobile top 7 adjacent opposite sides thereof, to anchor the rack 1 on said top in transverse position relative thereto with the bar 5 spaced above said top. Further attaching means for the rack 1 is also provided adjacent the ends of the. rack outwardly of the suction cups 57 comprising a pair of hold-down hooks 61 for engagement under the top gutters 63 on the top 7 and which are each swingably mounted on the bar 5'by a pair of eye screws 65,. 67 connected by a turnbuckle 69 for tightening the hook. The hooks 61. are swiveled on the eye screws 65 while the eye screws 67 are inserted in the groove 9 and pivot-ed on securing1screw bolts 39 of fixed saddle members. 3.5Tadjacent the endsot the bar 5.

The skipole rack 3 surmounts the ski rack 1 coplanar therewith and comprises a pair of clip supporting bars 71 arranged end-to-end with confronting ends 73 pivoted, as at 75, in the upper end of a yoke 77 rising from the bar 5 in the transverse center of said bar and on which said clip supporting bars 71 are vertically swingable for a purpose presently seen. The yoke 77 comprises a pair of opposite vertical check plates 79 straddling the bar 5 and bolted, as at 81, to opposite sides of said bar 5. A cap 83 straddles the upper ends of the check plates 79 and is secured thereto by the pivots and said cap 83 is notched, as at 85, to limit upward swinging of the clip supporting bars 71 to vertical position.

Longitudinally spaced resilient clips 87 are provided on the bars 71 and which open toward the outer free ends of said bars 71 for insertion of ski poles, as at 89, sidewise therein in horizontal position and parallel with the skis 51, there being one clip 87 for each pair of ski clamps spaced above the same. The clips 87 are suitably fixed at closed ends thereof to angle brackets 91 secured on top of said bars 71 by screws 92.

A tension spring 93 anchored at its ends to a pair of the angle brackets 91 on opposite sides of the yoke 7.7 to dispose said spring abovethe pivots 75 urges the clip supporting bars 71 into upswung position.

'Locking means is provided for holding the clip supporting bars 71 down in horizontal positionin opposition to the spring 93. This means comprises a pair of locking dogs 95 having shoulders 97 thereon for lockably engaging in the outer ends of the ski clamp supporting bar 5.v The dogs 95 are provided with lower cam ends 99 for engaging the outer ends of the bar as the bars 71 are swung downwardly into horizontal position and are pivoted, as at 98, at upper ends thereof to the outer ends of said bars 71 to swing inwardly and outwardly of said ends of bar 5. Tension springs 101 are connected to said dog 95 and to the clip supporting bars 71 to swing the dog inwardly to engage the shoulders in the outer ends of the bar 5. As the clip supporting bars 71 swing toward horizontal position, the cam ends 99 engage the ends of bar 5 and swing the dogs 95 outwardly to stretch the springs 101 so that when the shoulders 97 register with the groove 9, said shoulders snap into the ends of bar 5 to lock the clip supporting bars 71 down against upward swinging by the spring 93.

In operating the described carrier, the same is attached in the manner described, the clip carrying bars 71 are swung down and locked down and the ski poles 89 inserted sidewise in the clips 91 from the sides of the top 7. Bars 71 are then unlocked so that the springs 93, which are of the requisite strength, swing said bars 71 upwardly, as shown in Figure 2, with respect to one bar, to elevate the ski poles. This provides for ready access to the pairs of ski clamps 11 to 33 for clamping of skis 51 therein in the manner and in the position described by inserting the skis 51 in said clamps sidewise from the sides of the top 7. When the ski rack 1 is thus loaded, the clip supporting bars 71 are swung downwardly and locked down by the dogs 95.

The carrier may be readily detached for storage or other purposes by releasing the hooks 61 and pulling the suction cups 57 loose. The ski pole rack 3 may be detached from the ski rack 1 by removing the bolts 81 and the clip supporting bars 71 may then be folded on the pivots 75 into the yoke 77, that is, between the check plates 79, into parallel back-to-back relation for compact arrangement with the ski rack 1 parallel therewith to form with the ski rack a compact bundle for storage purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said bar attachable to an automobile top to support said bar on an automobile top transversely thereof, and pairs of fixed and slidable clamping members on said bar spaced longitudinally thereof for clamping skis at opposite sides of the skis in transverse position relative to said bar, each of said pairs of clamping members including a fixed and a spring-loaded slidable saddle member.

2. In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said bar attachable to the top of an automobile top to support said bar on an automobile top transversely thereof, a yoke rising from the transverse center of said bar, a pair of bars having confronting ends pivoted to said yoke for vertical swinging of said pair of bars, angle brackets on top of said pair of bars spaced along the same, ski pole holding clips on said brackets spaced thereby from said pair of bars and opening toward the other ends of said pair of bars, and a tension spring connected to a pair of said brackets and overlying said yoke to swing said pair of bars upwardly.

37 In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said bar attachable to an automobile top to support said bar on an automobile top transversely thereof, pairs.

of complemental fixed and slidable clamping members on said bar spaced longitudinally thereof for clamping skis at opposite sides thereof in transverse position relative to said bar, a pair of ski pole rack bars surmounting said first named bar coplanar therewith and having confronting ends, a member rising from the transverse center of the first named bar and pivotally supporting said rack bars at their confronting ends for vertical swinging, and ski pole retaining clips on said rack bars swingable downwardly in response to downward swinging of said ski poles, said pairs of clamping members and said ski pole retaining clips being relatively arranged for vertical alignment with respect to each other in response to downward swinging of said ski poles. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Germany Dec. 28, 1953

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