Article carrier apparatus for vehicles

Claim 2

An article carrier for vehicles and the like comprising a support frame including an upright support and lateral portions extending laterally from opposite sides of said upright support, said upright support having first lower vehicle attachment means, a wheel mount projecting rearwardly from an upper portion of said support provided with wheel attachment means at its rear end, a pair of article support means extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said wheel mount along said lateral portions and positioned forwardly of said wheel attachment means so that said article support means is separated by said wheel mount and is laterally overlapped by a tire and wheel mounted on said wheel mount, said pair of article support means being connected to each other solely through said support frame, and second upper vehicle attachment means on said lateral portions including laterally spaced releasable attachment portions disposed on opposite sides of said lateral portions and above said first lower vehicle attachment means adapted for releasable attachment to said vehicle.

Claim 3

An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 including releasable hold-down means cooperating with said article support means for holding an article on said article support means.

Claim 4

An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vehicle has a pair of spaced slotted portions along a side thereof and said second vehicle attachment means includes a pair of spaced, slotted projections disposed in an upper position on the frame adapted to releasably insert into said spaced slotted portions on the vehicle.

Claim 5

An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first vehicle attachment means includes an attachment bracket adapted to releasably fasten to the vehicle, said bracket being pivotally connected to the lower end of said support frame to permit the frame to pivot downwardly from the vehicle.

Claim 6

An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wheel mount includes an elongated support member attached at one end to an upper portion of said support frame and having wheel bolts projecting outwardly from the other end of said support member for the releasable support of said tire and wheel.

Claim 7

An article carrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein said support member is in the form of a tubular body having a movable cover plate in one wall of the body adapted to move between open and closed positions to provide access to a storage zone within said body for the storage of tools and the like.

Claim 8

An article carrier for vehicles and the like comprising a support frame including an upright support with lower vehicle attachment means at the lower end of said upright support adapted for attachment to the vehicle, a wheel mount projecTing from an upper portion of said upright support having wheel attachment means at a rear end, a pair of article supports connected to said support frame and separated by a rearwardly extending portion of said wheel mount and extending laterally from opposite sides of said wheel mount and rearwardly along said wheel mount and terminating forwardly of said wheel attachment means so that the article supports are overlapped by a tire and wheel mounted on said wheel mount, and a pair of upper laterally spaced vehicle attachment means secured to said support frame disposed laterally of and forwardly of said article supports adapted for attachment to said vehicle.

Claim 9

An article carrier for vehicles and the like comprising a support frame including an upright support with lower vehicle attachment means at the lower end of said upright support adapted for attachment to the vehicle, a wheel mount projecTing from an upper portion of said upright support having wheel attachment means at a rear end, a pair of article supports connected to said support frame and separated by a rearwardly extending portion of said wheel mount and extending laterally from opposite sides of said wheel mount and rearwardly along said wheel mount and terminating forwardly of said wheel attachment means so that the article supports are overlapped by a tire and wheel mounted on said wheel mount, and a pair of upper laterally spaced vehicle attachment means secured to said support frame disposed laterally of and forwardly of said article supports adapted for attachment to said vehicle.

Claim 10

An article carrier as set forth in claim 7 including a pair of upper and lower lateral support members extending outwardly from each side of said upright support, a shelf-like base projecting outwardly from said lower support member on which said article is seated, and a hold-down member releasably connected between an outer end portion of said base and said upper lateral support member.

Claim 11

An article carrier as set forth in claim 7 wherein said base includes an open upper recessed area for retaining the lower end of an article seated therein.

Claim 12

An article carrier as set forth in claim 9 wherein said base recessed area is shaped to receive a conventional gasoline can.

Claim 13

An article carrier as set forth in claim 7 wherein said upright support includes a pair of laterally spaced upright tubular members and a pair of vertically spaced upper and lower tubular members connected to the ends of said upright tubular members.

Claim 14

An article carrier as set forth in claim 11 wherein said lateral supports include a pair of spaced upper and lower tubular members and an end member connecting the outer ends of said tubular members.

Claim 15

An article carrier for a vehicle having a tailgate with spaced lugs on each side of the tailgate, a rear vehicle body portion having a lug spaced outwardly from each said tailgate lug to define a slot therebetween, a hook carried on each side of the vehicle adapted to extend through slots in each adjacent body portion and tailgate lugs to hold the tailgate in a closed position, and frame structure on the vehicle below the tailgate, said carrier comprising a frame with an upright support having a pivotal vehicle attachment member at a lower portion of said upright support attached to said vehicle frame structure, a pair of lateral supports projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of said upright support, said lateral supports having upright end portions at their outer ends, said upright end portions having slotted vehicle attachment projections inserted into said vehicle slots and releasably held between adjacent of said body portion lugs and tailgate lugs by said hooks, a wheel mount projecting from an upper portion of said upright support and provided with wheel attachment bolts at a rear end of said wheel mount, a pair of article supports on opposite sides of the wheel mount extending along said lateral supports and terminating forwardly of said wheel bolts, said article supports including a rearwardly extending shelf-like base, said lateral supports defining a forward upright wall support for an article on said base and each article support including upper and lower lateral support members, and a hold-down member releasably connected between said upper lateral support member and said base to hold the article in place on said base.

Claim 16

An article carrier for a vehicle having a tailgate with spaced lugs on each side of the tailgate, a rear vehicle body portion having a lug spaced outwardly from each said tailgate lug to define a slot therebetween, a hook carried on each side of the vehicle adapted to extend through slots in each adjacent body portion and tailgate lugs to hold the tailgate in a closed position, and frame structure on the vehicle below the tailgate, said carrier comprising a frame with an upright support having a pivotal vehicle attachment member at a lower portion of said upright support attached to said vehicle frame structure, a pair of lateral supports projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of said upright support, said lateral supports having upright end portions at their outer ends, said upright end portions having slotted vehicle attachment projections inserted into said vehicle slots and releasably held between adjacent of said body portion lugs and tailgate lugs by said hooks, a wheel mount projecting from an upper portion of said upright support and provided with wheel attachment bolts at a rear end of said wheel mount, a pair of article supports on opposite sides of the wheel mount extending along said lateral supports and terminating forwardly of said wheel bolts, said article supports including a rearwardly extending shelf-like base, said lateral supports defining a forward upright wall support for an article on said base and each article support including upper and lower lateral support members, and a hold-down member releasably connected between said upper lateral support member and said base to hold the article in place on said base.

Claim 17

An article carrier as set forth in claim 13 wherein said end portions of the lateral supports are formed of right-angle stock having a forwardly projecting leg defining said vehicle attachment projections.

Claim 18

In carrier apparatus for supporting articles on a Jeep-type vehicle having a tailgate with lugs on each side, a lug on the vehicle body adjacent each tailgate lug defining a slot between each adjacent of said tailgate and body lugs, a tailgate fastening member operatively associated with each adjacent tailgate and body lug and vEhicle support structure below the tailgate, the combination of a carrier support frame including an upright support provided with a lower attachment member secured to the vehicle support structure below the tailgate and pivotally connected to the lower end of said upright support whereby the support frame may pivot outwardly and downwardly to facilitate opening of said tailgate, article support means supported by said frame and extending laterally outwardly from said upright support rearwardly of the tailgate, and a pair of laterally spaced vehicle releasable attachment members supported by said frame projecting forwardly into said slots on each side of the vehicle, said vehicle releasable attachment members being releasably held in said slots by said tailgate fastening members.

Claim 19

In carrier apparatus for supporting articles on a Jeep-type vehicle having a tailgate with lugs on each side, a lug on the vehicle body adjacent each tailgate lug defining a slot between each adjacent of said tailgate and body lugs, a tailgate fastening member operatively associated with each adjacent tailgate and body lug and vEhicle support structure below the tailgate, the combination of a carrier support frame including an upright support provided with a lower attachment member secured to the vehicle support structure below the tailgate and pivotally connected to the lower end of said upright support whereby the support frame may pivot outwardly and downwardly to facilitate opening of said tailgate, article support means supported by said frame and extending laterally outwardly from said upright support rearwardly of the tailgate, and a pair of laterally spaced vehicle releasable attachment members supported by said frame projecting forwardly into said slots on each side of the vehicle, said vehicle releasable attachment members being releasably held in said slots by said tailgate fastening members.

Claim 20

In carrier apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said article support means includes at least one receptacle support, a tire mount adjacent and extending along one side of said receptacle support, and a tire and wheel mounted on the tire mount in an overlapping relation to said receptacle holder.