US3734322A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Freighting frames for automobiles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-07-14
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Granted: 1973-05-22
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Expires: 1991-07-14
Abstract
Abstract A freighting frame which is capable of being mounted upon an automobile having a rear bumper and a rear deck comprises two telescopingly nested rectangular elongate half-frames, one of which is a mounted half-frame, the other being withdrawable on rollers. By resting one end of the withdrawn half-frame on the roadway and pin-joining its forward end to the mounted half-frame an incline is provided along which heavy articles may be slid to load them. Each half-frame comprises a pair of longitudinal side beams having vertical webs and horizontal upper flanges spaced by transverse bars. The mounted half-frame is carried on a pair of rear posts fixed to the webs and adjustable in length and pivotedly secured on bumper brackets, and also carried by an intermediate pair of posts standing on resilient suction-cup feet adjacent the rear window. When in the transport mode the nested half-frames have their upper flanges clampedly interlocked at each end to rigidify the composite side beams so formed, permitting very light sheet metal construction - e.g., aluminum alloy - to safely carry larger loads at high vehicle speed.
Inventors
- 👤 W Vaillancourt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 08:01
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60P; B60P3/00; B60P3/06; B60P3/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
259 words
A freight transport structure for demountable mounting upon an automobile having a rear bumper and a rear deck, comprising a pair of half-frames each comprising a spaced pair of parallel side beams having a vertical web and an inturned integral upper flange, respective side beams of each half-frame being interconnected by a series of spaced transverse beam elements, two pairs of struts having their one ends adapted for demountable mounting respectively upon said bumper and upon said rear deck and having their other ends fixed exteriorly in spaced relation along respective webs of a mountable half-frame of said pair, the other half-frame having opposed channel side beams spaced to permit free insertion and withdrawal between webs of said mountable half-frame, means to connect flange end portions of said withdrawable half-frame to flange end portions of said mountable hlaf-frame when said half-frames are in longitudinally aligned end-to-end relation to extend an inclined loading trackway from a road, and means to secure respective half-frames in telescoped relation to form a unified freight transport structure comprising: protuberances extending out of the surfaces of upper flanges of one half-frame and mating recesses formed in opposed surface portions of the upper flanges of the other halfframe, and clamp means carried by web portions of the mountable half-frame, said clamp means being actuatable to clamping position to engage a lower flange of said withdrawable half-frame to cause relative movement entering said protuberances into associated recesses to clampedly interlock end portions of said half-frames, and being actuatable to release position to effect disengagement of said half-frames.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
259 words
A freight transport structure for demountable mounting upon an automobile having a rear bumper and a rear deck, comprising a pair of half-frames each comprising a spaced pair of parallel side beams having a vertical web and an inturned integral upper flange, respective side beams of each half-frame being interconnected by a series of spaced transverse beam elements, two pairs of struts having their one ends adapted for demountable mounting respectively upon said bumper and upon said rear deck and having their other ends fixed exteriorly in spaced relation along respective webs of a mountable half-frame of said pair, the other half-frame having opposed channel side beams spaced to permit free insertion and withdrawal between webs of said mountable half-frame, means to connect flange end portions of said withdrawable half-frame to flange end portions of said mountable hlaf-frame when said half-frames are in longitudinally aligned end-to-end relation to extend an inclined loading trackway from a road, and means to secure respective half-frames in telescoped relation to form a unified freight transport structure comprising: protuberances extending out of the surfaces of upper flanges of one half-frame and mating recesses formed in opposed surface portions of the upper flanges of the other halfframe, and clamp means carried by web portions of the mountable half-frame, said clamp means being actuatable to clamping position to engage a lower flange of said withdrawable half-frame to cause relative movement entering said protuberances into associated recesses to clampedly interlock end portions of said half-frames, and being actuatable to release position to effect disengagement of said half-frames.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein said interlocking protuberances and recesses are located in the forward and rearward end portions of each upper flange and each clamp is located on a web portion laterally adjacent thereto.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 2 wherein said recesses are formed in the upper flanges of said withdrawable half-frame and said interlocking protuberances comprise cone-headed rivets rivetted on the upper flanges of the moutable half-frame and protruding downwardly, tHe head height being sufficiently less than the clamp-induced entering movement of one half-frame relative to the other to allow free sliding of the withdrawable half-frame when said clamp means are actuated to release position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
70 words
a freight transport frame as set forth in claim 3 wherein said withdrawable half-frame has an integral lower flange inturned with respect to each web and includes a convexly downwardly curved ridge merging with the web, and wherein opposed lower flanges are interconnected at their rearward ends by a foot bar adapted to frictionally engage the road when said half-frame is connected in aligned loading relation with said mountable half-frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 3 wherein the apical angl of said cone heads is between about 30* to 45*.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 2 wherein said transverse beam elements are secured respectively along the upper and the lower surfaces of the upper flanges of said mountable and said withdrawable half-frames and beam elements of the mountable half-frame overlie elements of the withdrawable half-frame when said half-frames are in unified relation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
93 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein a rearward pair of said struts depend adjustably from the rear end of said mountable half-frame and are adapted to make pivoted connection with bracket means fixed on said bumper and wherein th other pair of struts depend adjustably intermediate the ends of said half-frame so as to be adapted to bear adherently resiliently upon an area of said deck just forward of a luggage compartment and are connectable by their upper ends with the vehicle body lower margins by tension straps.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means securing said frames together in aligned loading relation comprises guide projections extending normal to the webs of the mountable half-frame adapted to provide support for forward ends of said lower flanges, and pin connecting means insertable in registered apertures in the forward and rearward ends respectively of the upper flanges of said withdrawable and mountable half-frames.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
85 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 8 wherein said projections comprise roller means, spaced pairs of axles fixed in web-supported depending brackets journalling said rollers thereon, said rollers having their cylindric surfaces tangent to a common plane lying below the webs of the mountable half-frame a distance such that when both half-frames are assembled in transport relation said rollers provide guided rolling engagement of said withdrawable half-frame along said ridges and a clearance space is provided between corresponding adjacent parallel upper flanges.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 9 wherein said rollers have disc flange portions integral therewith located adjacent the web, having an axial thickness such as to provide a running clearance between respective webs of said withdrawable and said mountable half-frames when being assembled or separated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 9 wherein the recesses comprise apertures formed by a piercing die drawing the sides of the aperture outwardly of the flange surface and forming the interior surface to the conicity of the protuberances to be engaged therein, but porviding an inter-flange clearance with said protuberances laterally immovably seated in the apertures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
A freight transport frame as set forth in claim 11 wherein the clamps are toggling devices having a hook-shaped member movable in a direction normal to the planes of each half-frame for applying lifting pressure to said lower flanges and clamping said disc flanges between adjacently opposed webs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-21 | 1976-11-20 | 1977-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-21 | 1980-11-20 | 1981-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-21 | 1984-11-20 | 1985-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |