Article carrier

Claim 2

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slate fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slot which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of aid bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means movable pivotally about an end portion thereof for moving each said locking means generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members.

Claim 3

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secure don a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly form said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent it opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slot for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means for causing said locking means to move generally linearly into and to of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable said detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members.

Claim 4

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secure don a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly form said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent it opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slot for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means for causing said locking means to move generally linearly into and to of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable said detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members.

Claim 5

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced form said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each said locking means being caused to move into locking engagement with said portion of its respective said slat when its respective said actuating means is moved into a position wherein its outer surface is generally flush with an outer surface of its respective said bracket member, and out of locking engagement with said portion of its respective said slat when said outer surface of said actuating means is moved into a position wherein it is not generally flush with said outer surface of its respective said bracket member.

Claim 6

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced form said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each said locking means being caused to move into locking engagement with said portion of its respective said slat when its respective said actuating means is moved into a position wherein its outer surface is generally flush with an outer surface of its respective said bracket member, and out of locking engagement with said portion of its respective said slat when said outer surface of said actuating means is moved into a position wherein it is not generally flush with said outer surface of its respective said bracket member.

Claim 7

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means movable pivotally about an end portion thereof for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each said locking means becoming lockably engaged with said portion of its respective said slat as each said locking means is urged toward said exterior automobile body surface and disengaged from each said portion when moved away from said exterior automobile body surface.

Claim 8

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface, each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means movable pivotally about an end portion thereof for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each said locking means becoming lockably engaged with said portion of its respective said slat as each said locking means is urged toward said exterior automobile body surface and disengaged from each said portion when moved away from said exterior automobile body surface.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each said locking means is pivotally secured to its respective said actuating means.

Claim 10

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means movable pivotally about an end portion thereof for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each of said locking means being urged into locking engagement with each of said portions as said actuating members are moved into a position wherein an outer surface of each of said actuating members is generally flush with an outer surface of its respective said bracket member, and out of locking engagement with each of said portions when an end portion of each said actuating member is manually pulled outwardly of its associated said bracket member, thereby causing each said actuating member to pivot about its respective said end portion and assume a position wherein its outer surface is not flush with said outer surface of its respective said bracket member.

Claim 11

An article carrier for an automobile comprising: a plurality of parallel slats fixedly secured on a generally horizontally extending exterior automobile body surface each of said slats extending generally longitudinally of the automobile and having a bottom portion adapted to be disposed in generally facing relation toward the automobile body surface and defining an inner edge and outer edge and an outer side portion extending upwardly from said outer edge and an inner side portion extending upwardly from said inner edge and including a channel spaced from said inner and outer edges; a pair of bracket members each having a lowermost surface adapted to slide along said channels; a restraining bar extending laterally between and secured adjacent its opposite ends to said pair of bracket members; each of said pair of bracket members including elongated locking means movable generally linearly relative to each of said bracket members within a vertical plane extending through said restraining bar and cooperable with a portion formed on said inner side portion of each said slat which protrudes laterally of each said slat for detachably securing and allowing longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and each of said bracket members at various positions along said slats; and each of said bracket members further including actuating means movable pivotally about an end portion thereof for causing each said locking means to move generally linearly into and out of locking engagement with its respective slat to thereby enable detachable securement and longitudinal adjustment of said restraining bar and said bracket members; each of said locking means being urged into locking engagement with each of said portions as said actuating members are moved into a position wherein an outer surface of each of said actuating members is generally flush with an outer surface of its respective said bracket member, and out of locking engagement with each of said portions when an end portion of each said actuating member is manually pulled outwardly of its associated said bracket member, thereby causing each said actuating member to pivot about its respective said end portion and assume a position wherein its outer surface is not flush with said outer surface of its respective said bracket member.