Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-11-13
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid
C414S462000, C414S546000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315181
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ladder racks, and more particularly to movable ladder racks that increases user access during ladder loading and unloading.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous devices exist for storing and securing ladders, whether for stationary applications or for ladder transport. In each device, a number of problems unique to storing and securing ladders are addressed with varying success. For example, because most ladders are bulky and long, the ability to store ladders in many environments (such as upon a vehicle) is often limited. As another example, the large size and heavy weight of many ladders can make ladder lifting, manipulation, and other movement during storage a difficult process. Several ladder rack designs employ features directed to address these problems, but at the expense of ladder racks that are often fairly complex, expensive, and bulky. Also, by the nature of their design and operation, many conventional ladder racks do not readily protect against ladder theft.
Although the problems just described are common to ladder storage and securing devices (hereinafter referred to as “ladder racks”) in any environment, vehicular applications are particularly problematic. Most conventional vehicle ladder racks require the user to lift the ladder some distance to place the ladder in the rack. Especially where heavy or long ladders are to be loaded or where only one person is available for ladder loading, this process can be rather difficult. Some conventional vehicle ladder racks also require manipulation of the ladder rack in one or more ways to position the ladder after it has been loaded in the rack. This is often necessary where the desired ladder storage position is on top of the vehicle or otherwise in a high position on the vehicle. Because such ladder movement commonly requires accompanying movement of at least part of the ladder rack in some way, the weight for a user to move in positioning the ladder can be significant. The devices sometimes used to aid in moving this weight can add a large amount of complexity and expense to the ladder rack. Also. the mechanical advantage provided by these devices is often much less than optimal.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for a ladder rack that can be used in both stationary and vehicular applications, is compact and easy to use, provides for easy ladder loading, unloading, and rack access, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, offers protection against ladder theft, and can be easily manipulated to move a ladder between ladder stowage and ladder loading and unloading positions. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a ladder rack providing for easy loading, unloading, and storage of a ladder in the rack. The ladder rack preferably has a pivot and a carriage mounted upon one or more arms attached to the pivot. A ladder is placed upon the carriage which can then be rotated via the pivot and arms from a loading and unloading position to a stowage position. In a number of highly preferred embodiments of the present invention (such as where the ladder rack is mounted upon a vehicle), the loading and unloading position is separated from the stowage position by an obtuse angle. For example, in a preferred vehicular application, the stowage position of the carriage and ladder is located substantially above or on top of the vehicle while the loading and unloading position of the carriage and ladder is located beside a vehicle and at a relatively steep angle with respect to a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the loading and unloading position and the stowage position of the carriage and arms are most preferably separated by between 200 and 270 degrees, but can be separated by a smaller (most preferably still obtuse) angle. Also in this embodiment, the carriage of the ladder rack preferably substantially overlies the ladder when in the stowage position, thereby providing for immediate and effective security against ladder theft as well as a compact ladder storage arrangement.
Some preferred embodiments of the present invention also employ a carriage that is slidable along the arms between a retracted position and an extended position. This carriage has a rung grip thereon separated a distance along the ladder rack from an opposed rung grip. Like the carriage rung grip, the opposed rung grip is preferably rotatable with the pivot. When a ladder is mounted upon the carriage rung grip and the opposed rung grip, the grips are located adjacent to respective rungs on the ladder. Either or both of these rung grips can be made adjustable to position the rung grips adjacent to ladder rungs when the ladder is loaded upon the ladder rack. By sliding the carriage and ladder along the arms toward a retracted position, the distance between the rung grips shorten, thereby gripping the ladder by compressing rungs of the ladder between the rung grips. The carriage and ladder can be moved in this manner until a desired amount of compression is attained, at which time a carriage positioning mechanism can preferably be manipulated to hold the carriage and ladder in place on the arms.
Although substantially straight translation of the carriage along the arms is employed in some highly preferred embodiments of the present invention, other types of carriage movement causing the distance between the rung grips to shorten (e.g., bringing the carriage rung grip closer to the opposed rung grip when the carriage is moved in one direction) are possible. For example, the arms upon which the carriage is mounted can be oriented in any manner so that the carriage translates therealong to move the carriage rung grip with respect to the opposed rung grip and to change the distance between the rung grips. Movement of the carriage upon the arms can be substantially straight or can be curved in any manner desired causing this distance to change. In this regard, alternatives to the preferred arms and carriage elements can be used to change the distance between the rung grips. For example, the carriage and arms can be replaced by a pivotable member upon which a rung grip (corresponding to the carriage rung grip described above) is mounted or from which the rung grip extends. When pivoted, the pivotal member swings this rung grip toward or away from the opposed rung grip to thereby change the distance between the rung grips for engaging the ladder. Other alternative structures and elements to the highly preferred carriage and arms are also possible.
The carriage positioning mechanism preferably has an engagement element releasably engagable with one of the arms upon which the carriage slides. More preferably, the engagement element is a pin that can be selectively engaged in any of a number of apertures or detents to prevent movement of the carriage (and ladder therein) with respect to the arms.
After the ladder has been engaged by the rung grips as described above, the user can preferably rotate the ladder and carriage about the pivot toward the stowage position. This rotation is preferably accomplished by a user-manipulatable lever connected to the pivot via a ratchet assembly. The lever and ratchet assembly provide mechanical advantage to a user for rotating the ladder and carriage, and preferably permit user disengagement of the ratchet to rotate the ladder and carriage in a reverse direction when desired.
One or more springs can be used to control movement of the pivot, carriage, and ladder. For example, a gas spring is preferably attached to and between the carriage and one of the arms to provide a bias force retracting the carriage along the arms. This helps a user slide the carriage and ladder to a retracted and ladder-engaged position. As another example, a gas spring is preferably attached to and between a frame upon which the ladder rack is mounted and the pivot to help control rotation of the pivot, carriage, and ladder (such as to pr
Bradley John A.
Wierschke Jeffrey A.
Adrian Steel Company
Cronin Stephen K.
Michael Best and Friedrich LLP
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