Bicycle-ski rack for automobiles

Claim 1

An automobile-mountable rack for carrying lightweight vehicles, said rack comprising: A. a pair of brackets adapted to be clamped horizontally spaced apart on the rear bumper of an automotive passenger vehicle, each of said brackets comprising 1. a top horizontal plate having a lip at its forward end, said lip being engageable with the top inner edge of a bumper, 2. a first vertical plate extending downwardly from the top plate and longitudinally therewith, 3. a further transverse vertical plate at approximately a right angle to said first vertical plate intermediate between the ends of said top plate, 4. an elongated vertical bumper-engaging clamping member extending downwardly from said top plate between said lip and transverse plate and adjustably mounted for limited movement therebetween, 5. screw clamping means supported in said transverse plate and engageable with said clamping member, 6. horizontal pivot means supported by said first vertical plate and spaced downwardly from said top plate, and 7. stop means disposed on at least the side of said pivot means between the pivot and bumper, B. a frame pivotally supported in said brackets, said frame comprising 1. a pair of generally parallel side members, 2. an end member connecting said side members at one end, and 3. a pair of angular extensions at the opposite ends of said side members, a transverse passage through each of the extensions adjacent the ends thereof, one of said passages engaging the pivot means of one of said brackets, the other of said passages engaging the pivot means of the other of said brackets, said extensions being engageable with said bracket stop means adjacent to but spaced from said pivot engaging passages whereby said frame is held spaced from the trunk lid of the automobile on which the rack is mounted such that said side members and end member overlie the rear deck of the trunk lid, and C. lightweight vehicle supporting means mounted on said frame.