Material or article handling – Self-loading or unloading vehicles – Loading or unloading by other carrier or mover means – and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2001-11-06
Fischetti, Joseph A. (Department: 2167)
Material or article handling
Self-loading or unloading vehicles
Loading or unloading by other carrier or mover means, and...
C414S543000, C414S462000, C414S466000, C224S570000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312210
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This version of the invention is concerned with the field of accessory devices for all terrain vehicles, frequently referred to as ATVs. More specifically, this version of the invention is concerned with accessory devices for ATVs that are releasably attached to the rear luggage rack of an ATV in order to provide additional carrying capacity and to lift and stow certain items that may possess weight in excess of that which can be readily lifted and secured by an ATV driver.
1. Prior Art
All terrain vehicles, commonly referred to as ATVs, have gained in popularity recently among outdoor recreational enthusiasts, such as hunters and campers, and also among property owners, ranchers and field hands who must travel off-road across terrain that is normally inaccessible to conventional vehicles to manage livestock, farm crops, and the like. As ATVs permit their riders to gain access to areas not available to conventional vehicles, ATVs are normally equipped with a variety of luggage racks, typically a front luggage rack attached to the ATV over the front tires and a rear luggage rack attached to the vehicle over the rear tires. These luggage racks permit hunters to carry firearms, bows, and miscellaneous hunting equipment with them to various hunting sites and to transport any game animals to various locations for weighing, cataloging, dressing, etc. Similarly, ATV luggage racks allow farmers and ranches to load and transport equipment, such as fence posts, rolls of wire, and bales of hay, to distant and widespread sites. As some of these items are relatively bulky and heavy, such as large game animals and rolls or wire, the user of an ATV finds that it is a difficult if not impossible task to lift, load, and secure such items onto a luggage rack, since such a rack is typically mounted to the ATV several feet above the ground surface. In these cases, the ATV user may attempt to lift a particular large and heavy items unaided and thus risk serious injury or aggravate an existing injury or medical condition and possibly damage the ATV if the ATV is used to brace or support the item during loading. Alternatively, the ATV user may decide to forego loading the item in question and retrieve it at a later time when help may be available in which case the item may perish as with a game animal or become lost or misplaced as with farm and ranch equipment.
What is needed then to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of conventional ATV luggage racks is the provision of a carrying or hauling device that can be releasably attached to the rear luggage rack of an ATV. Such a carrying or hauling device would be constructed in part with means to receive, lift, and stow in a secure and stable manner a relatively heavy and bulky item when said item is being transported from a pickup location and to lower said item at a destination site for quick and unaided release from said device.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Numerous designs for carrying and hauling devices have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present version of the invention. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved hauling accessory for all terrain vehicles. In these respects, the present version of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present version of the invention, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, relates to the field of accessory devices for all terrain vehicles, frequently referred to as ATVs. More specifically, this version of the invention is concerned with accessory devices for ATVs that are releasably attached to the rear luggage rack of an ATV in order to provide additional carrying capacity and to lift and stow certain items that may possess weight in excess of that which can be readily lifted and secured by an ATV driver. My version of the invention overcomes all of the shortcomings listed previously, in addition to novel aspects that will be described in detail hereinafter.
Described briefly, according to a typical embodiment, the invention presents a hauling accessory device for ATVs that is releasably attached to the rear luggage rack of an ATV. The device is comprised in the main of a telescoping jack, attachment brackets, and an upper rack and a lower rack. The upper and lower racks are attached to the telescoping jack in perpendicular arrangement so that when said device is attached to an ATV the upper and lower racks are disposed in parallel arrangement generally to the ground surface and the jack is thus disposed in perpendicular relation to the ground surface. The jack is constructed of a rectangular, stationary outer member that receives in sliding engagement a rectangular, telescoping inner member. When the inner member is fully retracted within the outer member, the lower end of the inner member does not fully retract therewith, said end attached to a base member that serves to make contact with the ground surface and stabilize the device when the inner member is fully extended. Extension and retraction of the telescoping member in relation to the stationary member is accomplished by rotation of a threaded rod member that is attached to the telescoping member in threaded engagement and to the stationary member in rotating arrangement. Upon rotation of a handle, the threaded rod turns and thus extends the inner member of the jack down towards the ground surface or up towards the stationary outer member. The various constituent parts of the hauling device can be manufactured of material that possesses characteristics appropriate for the intended duty, i.e. high strength, rigidity, light weight, and attractive appearance with aluminum, steel, and various composite materials offering the most feasible choices.
The attachment brackets, which are affixed to opposite sides of the stationary outer member of the jack, are formed with a series of apertures that receive threaded fasteners, typically U-type bolts, that are secured to the cross bars or rods of a rear luggage rack. If necessary, straight threaded fasteners are secured to the attachment brackets and an optional mounting plate so that the cross bars or rods of a rear luggage rack is disposed between the brackets and mounting plate.
The upper rack is a unitary component that is rectangular, elongate and tubular in shape and appearance. It is secured to the outer stationary member of the jack by two threaded fasteners, said fasteners disposed within apertures formed within the upper rack and within cooperating apertures formed within the attachment brackets. An elongate rod is affixed to each end of the upper rack in perpendicular relation thereto. The lower rack is an assembly component, comprised of a stationary, center member that is secured to the inner, telescoping member of the jack proximate to the base member, and two telescoping members, each telescoping member disposed in snug engagement within the cavity of the stationary center member. The telescoping members can be extended or retracted as needed to adjust the overall length of the lower rack with various positions secured by threaded fasteners that are fitted within cooperating apertures formed within the stationary center member and telescoping members.
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