Cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle

Claim 2

In combination: an automotive vehicle having a rear bumper, and a cycle carrier on said vehicle comprising a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a crossmember extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle including sleeves extending through openings in and rigidly joined to said vehicle bumper and slidably receiving the front ends of said frame bars, and means releaseably securing said frame bars in said sleeves, an elongate cycle-supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent frame bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests oN said frame bars and an inclined cycle-loading position wherein the other and of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position, and means for releaseably attaching a cycle to said channel bar.

Claim 3

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a cross member extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle comprising rectangular sleeves slidably receiving the front ends of said frame bars and adapted to be fixed within openings in the rear bumper of said vehicle, and means releaseably securing said frame bars in said sleeves, an elongate cycle-supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent frame bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle-loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position, and means for releaseably attaching a cycle to said channel bar.

Claim 4

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a cross member extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle comprising rectangular sleeves slidably receiving the front ends of said frame bars and adapted to be fixed within openings in the rear bumper of said vehicle, and means releaseably securing said frame bars in said sleeves, an elongate cycle-supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent frame bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle-loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position, and means for releaseably attaching a cycle to said channel bar.

Claim 5

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a crossmember extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle, an elongate cycle supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent frame bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle-loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position, and means for releaseably attaching to said channel bar a cycle having a kick stand, said cycle attaching means comprising a transverse bracket below and extending beyond the sides of said channel bar and rigidly fixed to the under side of said channel bar in a position below the kick stand of said cycle when the latter is located in travel position on said channel bar, a hook carried by said bracket and engageable over a projection on said cycle, and means for drawing said hook downwardly toward said bracket to force said kick stand against said bracket.

Claim 6

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a crossmember extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle, an elongate cycle supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent frame bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle-loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position, and means for releaseably attaching to said channel bar a cycle having a kick stand, said cycle attaching means comprising a transverse bracket below and extending beyond the sides of said channel bar and rigidly fixed to the under side of said channel bar in a position below the kick stand of said cycle when the latter is located in travel position on said channel bar, a hook carried by said bracket and engageable over a projection on said cycle, and means for drawing said hook downwardly toward said bracket to force said kick stand against said bracket.

Claim 7

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a crossmember extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle, an elongate cycle-supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent fraMe bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably attaching a cycle to said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position comprising a frame member joined to said crossmember and extending below and in supporting contact with the under side of said channel bar when said channel bar is in travel position, a removable fastener extending through aligned holes in said frame member and channel bar, and a depending flange on said other end of said channel bar engageable with the rear end of the adjacent frame bar in said travel position, and a releaseable fastener joining said flange and latter frame bar.

Claim 8

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a frame including a pair of spaced parallel frame bars of rectangular cross section having front and rear ends, and a crossmember extending between and rigidly joining said bars between their ends, means for attaching the front ends of said bars to the vehicle to support said frame in a horizontal elevated position on the vehicle, an elongate cycle-supporting channel bar extending between and over the rear ends of said frame bars and having an upwardly opening channel, compound hinge means mounting one end of said channel bar on the rear end of the adjacent fraMe bar for vertical swinging movement of said channel bar between an elevated travel position wherein said channel bar rests on said frame bars and an inclined cycle loading position wherein the other end of said channel bar is disposed to rest on the ground such that said channel bar is inclined to permit a cycle to be rolled onto and from said channel bar, means for releaseably attaching a cycle to said channel bar, means for releaseably securing said channel bar in a travel position comprising a frame member joined to said crossmember and extending below and in supporting contact with the under side of said channel bar when said channel bar is in travel position, a removable fastener extending through aligned holes in said frame member and channel bar, and a depending flange on said other end of said channel bar engageable with the rear end of the adjacent frame bar in said travel position, and a releaseable fastener joining said flange and latter frame bar.