Patent ID: 6099231
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A motor powered drive for a vehicle mounted ladder rack, the ladder rack being of the type including front and rear four bar linkage assemblies adapted to be affixed to a roof of said vehicle at longitudinally spaced locations and being coupled together by an elongated, rotatably mounted connecting rod, rotation of said connecting rod being effective to displace a ladder supporting linkage of the front and rear four bar linkages from a disposition above and parallel to said roof to a disposition along side and parallel to a side of the vehicle, said motor powered rive comprising:(a) first and second side plates held in parallel spaced relation and with front and rear, transversely extending bearing mounting plates affixed to at least one of the side plates;(b) bearing means disposed in the front and rear bearing mounting plates;(c) a threaded lead screw journaled at opposed ends thereof in said bearing means and having a traveler nut;(d) a DC motor coupled in driving relation to said lead screw;(e) an output shaft journaled for rotation in said first and second side plates at a front end thereof, said output shaft supporting a first pair of chain sprocket wheels thereon;(f) an idler shaft journaled for rotation in said first and second side plates at a location proximate the rear bearing mounting plate, said idler shaft supporting a second pair of chain sprocket wheels thereon;(g) first and second endless chains deployed about the first and second pairs of chain sprocket wheels;(h) means for coupling the traveler nut to the first and second endless chains; and(i) means for coupling said output shaft to the connecting road of the ladder rack.