Camper cycle carrier

Claim 2

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, supporting means engaged with one end portion of said base beam and supporting the same in cantilever fashion, and pivot means supporting said supporting means, carried by the vehicle and guiding said supporting means and said base beam for swinging said base beam toward and away from the vehicle, said supporting means including a dogleg post having a lower portion inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the vehicle and an upper portion inclined from said lower portion upwardly toward the vehicle when said base beam is disposed alongside the vehicle, the upper side of said base beam being disposed substantially perpendicular to said lower portion of said dogleg post so that said base beam upper side is tilted sideways away from the vehicle.

Claim 3

The cycle carrier defined in claim 1, in which the base beam has substantially flat parallel opposite upright side disposed, respectively, substantially coplanar with the opposite sides of the lower portion of the post, and diagonal braces spaced transversely of the base beam and extending between and secured to opposite sides of the base beam and opposite sides of the post, respectively.

Claim 4

A cycle carrier for an automotive camper, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, supporting means attached to the rear portion of the camper for supporting said beam behind the camper for swinging between a position with its length extending transversely of the camper and a position swung away form the rear of the camper, latch means engageable between said base beam and the camper when said base beam is swung into a position with its length extending transversely of the camper for preventing swinging of said base beam away from the camper, means engageable with said latch means by swinging of said base beam toward the camper to move said latch means into latching condition, the camper having a rear door, and means operable by opening movement of the camper door to release said latch means for enabling said base beam to be swung away from the camper.

Claim 5

A cycle carrier for an automotive camper, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, supporting means attached to the rear portion of the camper for supporting said beam behind the camper for swinging between a position with its length extending transversely of the camper and a position swung away form the rear of the camper, latch means engageable between said base beam and the camper when said base beam is swung into a position with its length extending transversely of the camper for preventing swinging of said base beam away from the camper, means engageable with said latch means by swinging of said base beam toward the camper to move said latch means into latching condition, the camper having a rear door, and means operable by opening movement of the camper door to release said latch means for enabling said base beam to be swung away from the camper.

Claim 6

A cycle carrier for an automotive camper having a rear door and a rear step beneath the door, comprising a base beam for supporting the cycle, attaching means for the carrier attached to the rear portion of the camper at one side for supporting said base beam behind the camper with its length extending transversely of the camper, a dogleg post supporting said base beam from its lower portion in cantilever fashion, said post including said lower portion inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the camper and an upper portion inclined from said lower portion upwardly tOward the camper when said base beam is disposed close alongside the rear of the camper, the upper side of said base beam being disposed substantially perpendicular to said lower portion of said dogleg post so that said base beam upper side is tilted sidewise away from the camper, said base beam having substantially flat opposite upright sides tilted sidewise and disposed respectively substantially coplanar with the opposite sides of said lower portion of said dogleg post, diagonal braces spaced transversely of said base beam and extending between and secured to opposite sides of said base beam and opposite sides of said post, respectively, wheel guard rods spaced apart transversely of the length of said base beam, secured to opposite sides of said base beam and extending upwardly above the upper side of said base beam substantially coplanar with said opposite sides of said base beam, respectively, pivot means connecting the upper and lower end portions of said dogleg post to said attaching means for swinging of an end portion of said base beam laterally between a position close alongside the rear of the camper and a position swung away from the camper, pivot means connecting said laterally swinging end portion of said base beam to an adjacent portion of said base beam for downward swinging of said laterally swinging end portion of said base beam relative to said adjacent portion of said base beam to form a ramp along which the cycle can be wheeled in loading it onto said base beam, slip joint means carried by the adjacent ends of said downwardly swingable base beam portion and said adjacent base beam portion, said slip joint means being engageable to support said downwardly swingable base beam portion from said adjacent base beam portion in substantially aligned relationship, latch means engageable between said base beam and the camper step for preventing swinging of the laterally swinging end portion of said base beam away from the camper, and latch-releasing means operable to release said latch means for enabling the laterally swinging end portion of said base beam to be swung away from the camper.

Claim 7

A cycle carrier for an automotive camper having a rear door and a rear step beneath the door, comprising a base beam for supporting the cycle, attaching means for the carrier attached to the rear portion of the camper at one side for supporting said base beam behind the camper with its length extending transversely of the camper, a dogleg post supporting said base beam from its lower portion in cantilever fashion, said post including said lower portion inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the camper and an upper portion inclined from said lower portion upwardly tOward the camper when said base beam is disposed close alongside the rear of the camper, the upper side of said base beam being disposed substantially perpendicular to said lower portion of said dogleg post so that said base beam upper side is tilted sidewise away from the camper, said base beam having substantially flat opposite upright sides tilted sidewise and disposed respectively substantially coplanar with the opposite sides of said lower portion of said dogleg post, diagonal braces spaced transversely of said base beam and extending between and secured to opposite sides of said base beam and opposite sides of said post, respectively, wheel guard rods spaced apart transversely of the length of said base beam, secured to opposite sides of said base beam and extending upwardly above the upper side of said base beam substantially coplanar with said opposite sides of said base beam, respectively, pivot means connecting the upper and lower end portions of said dogleg post to said attaching means for swinging of an end portion of said base beam laterally between a position close alongside the rear of the camper and a position swung away from the camper, pivot means connecting said laterally swinging end portion of said base beam to an adjacent portion of said base beam for downward swinging of said laterally swinging end portion of said base beam relative to said adjacent portion of said base beam to form a ramp along which the cycle can be wheeled in loading it onto said base beam, slip joint means carried by the adjacent ends of said downwardly swingable base beam portion and said adjacent base beam portion, said slip joint means being engageable to support said downwardly swingable base beam portion from said adjacent base beam portion in substantially aligned relationship, latch means engageable between said base beam and the camper step for preventing swinging of the laterally swinging end portion of said base beam away from the camper, and latch-releasing means operable to release said latch means for enabling the laterally swinging end portion of said base beam to be swung away from the camper.

Claim 8

The cycle carrier defined in claim 4, in which the latch-releasing means includes a member located in the path of swing of the camper door for engagement by the camper door in being opened to release the latch means.

Claim 9

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, said base beam including two end sections relatively movable lengthwise between a contracted relationship in which the adjacent ends of the end sections are interengaged to hold such end sections in alignment and an extended relationship in which said end sections are disposed with their lengths at an angle to each other, supporting means engaged with one end section of said base beam and supporting the same in cantilever fashion, and pivot means supporting said supporting means and guiding said supporting means and said base beam for swinging said base beam toward and away from the vehicle when the end sections of said base beam are in contracted aligned relationship.

Claim 10

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, said base beam including two end sections relatively movable lengthwise between a contracted relationship in which the adjacent ends of the end sections are interengaged to hold such end sections in alignment and an extended relationship in which said end sections are disposed with their lengths at an angle to each other, supporting means engaged with one end section of said base beam and supporting the same in cantilever fashion, and pivot means supporting said supporting means and guiding said supporting means and said base beam for swinging said base beam toward and away from the vehicle when the end sections of said base beam are in contracted aligned relationship.

Claim 11

The cycle carrier defined in claim 6, and latch means interengaged between the two ends sections of the base beam when they are in contracted relationship for holding them in such contracted aligned relationship.

Claim 12

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle and including two end sections, supporting means supporting a first one of said base beam end sections for swinging laterally between a position alongside the vehicle and a position swung away from the vehicle, means supporting the other end section of said base beam for swinging downward relative to the first end section of said base beam to form a ramp along which the cycle can be wheeled in loading it onto said base beam, and slip joint means for interconnecting the adjacent ends of said base beam end sections to support said other base beam end section and said first base beam end section in substantially aligned relationship.

Claim 13

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle and including two end sections, supporting means supporting a first one of said base beam end sections for swinging laterally between a position alongside the vehicle and a position swung away from the vehicle, means supporting the other end section of said base beam for swinging downward relative to the first end section of said base beam to form a ramp along which the cycle can be wheeled in loading it onto said base beam, and slip joint means for interconnecting the adjacent ends of said base beam end sections to support said other base beam end section and said first base beam end section in substantially aligned relationship.

Claim 14

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, supporting means engaged with one end portion of said base beam and supporting the same in cantilever fashion, pivot means supporting said supporting means, carried by the vehicle and guiding said supporting means and said base beam for swinging said base beam toward and away from the vehicle in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical axis, and cycle-retaining means for holding the cycle on said base beam in a position leaning sideways relative to said pivot means in all such swung positions of said base beam, said supporting means including a dogleg post having a lower portion inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the vehicle and an upper portion inclined from said lower portion upwardly toward the vehicle when said base beam is disposed substantially parallel to an adjacent side of the vehicle, said cycle-retaining means holding the cycle leaning sideways so that the plane of the cycle wheels and the lower inclined portion of said dogleg post are substantially in registration, said base beam being essentially articulated whereby the portion of said base beam remote from said supporting means may swing downward to ground level relative to said one end portion of said base beam.

Claim 15

A cycle carrier for an automotive vehicle, comprising a base beam engageable by the wheels of a cycle for supporting the cycle, supporting means engaged with one end portion of said base beam and supporting the same in cantilever fashion, pivot means supporting said supporting means, carried by the vehicle and guiding said supporting means and said base beam for swinging said base beam toward and away from the vehicle in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical axis, and cycle-retaining means for holding the cycle on said base beam in a position leaning sideways relative to said pivot means in all such swung positions of said base beam, said supporting means including a dogleg post having a lower portion inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the vehicle and an upper portion inclined from said lower portion upwardly toward the vehicle when said base beam is disposed substantially parallel to an adjacent side of the vehicle, said cycle-retaining means holding the cycle leaning sideways so that the plane of the cycle wheels and the lower inclined portion of said dogleg post are substantially in registration, said base beam being essentially articulated whereby the portion of said base beam remote from said supporting means may swing downward to ground level relative to said one end portion of said base beam.