Vehicle article holder

An article carrier for a motor vehicle comprising a pair of side rails adapted to be mounted to the roof of a vehicle in spaced apart relationship and extend longitudinally of the length of the vehicle. The side rails define a guideway therein, further defined by upper and lower surfaces. First and second pairs of stanchions are provided supporting a cross rail therebetween generally perpendicular to the side rails. Each of the stanchions have a bottom wall with engaging members integral therewith extending therefrom and received in the guideways and slidable therein. The guideways capture the engaging members therein and permit only sliding movements of the engaging members therein. A recess is defined in the bottom all of the stanchions and a clamping member is received in the recess. The clamping member is rotatable in the recess and has a camming portion extending into the guideway. The camming portion has lands thereon arranged to engage one of the upper and lower surfaces when in a first position to clamp the stanchion in the side rails and when in a second position to permit sliding movement of the stanchion engaging members in the guideways of the side rails.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an adjustable vehicle article carrier which is 
particularly useful on the type of vehicles known as station wagons. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Article carriers or so called roof racks are popular as a useful accessory 
for motor vehicles. Such roof racks commonly include spaced apart 
supporting or side rails secured to the roof of a motor vehicle extending 
longitudinally of the vehicle and have article restraining bars or cross 
rails extending therebetween. Usually, these restraining bars or cross 
rails are adjustable in spacing therebetween on the supporting side rails 
so as to enable varying size articles to be restrained therebetween or 
tied thereto. 
In such cases, the restraining bars or cross rails will have members on the 
ends thereof interfitting on opposite ends thereof with the support or 
side rails in sliding engagement, and will include fastening means to 
secure the restraining bar or cross rails in a given position with respect 
to the side rails. 
A typical arrangement includes an assembly of four stanchions which support 
the side rails a given distance above the roof of the vehicle. The side 
rails are generally an extrusion a guideway therein and means are provided 
on the ends of the restraining bars interfitted into these guideways. 
Means will also be affixed to the restraining bars or cross rails at 
either end thereof to in some manner clamp the restraining bars to the 
side rails in a preselected position. The fastening means in some cases 
include devices operated by an Allen head wrench and in other cases 
include a locking cam. Varied and diverse locking mechanisms have been 
proposed. 
These known article carriers generally comprise many parts, require 
secondary assembly operations particularly in the clamping mechanisms and 
are not easily assembled to the roof of an automobile. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved article 
mounting structure for the roof of an automotive vehicle which is easy to 
manufacture and install on such vehicle and requires no secondary assembly 
operations, but only the assembly of a minimal number of pieces to provide 
the complete structure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly stated, the invention in one form thereof, comprises an article 
carrier for a motor vehicle comprising a pair of side rails adapted to be 
mounted to the roof of a vehicle in laterally spaced apart relationship 
which extend longitudinally of the length of the vehicle. The side rails 
are identical in configuration. The side rails define a guideway or 
channel therein defined by upper and lower surfaces. First and second 
pairs of stanchions are provided, each pair supporting a cross rail 
therebetween generally perpendicular to the side rails. Either one or both 
pairs of stanchions have a bottom wall with engaging means integral 
therewith extending therefrom which are received in the guideways and are 
slidable therein. The guideways capture the stanchion engaging means 
therein and permit only sliding movement of the engaging means therein. A 
recess is defined in the bottom wall of the stanchions and a clamping 
member is received in said recess and rotatable therein. The clamping 
member has a camming portion extending into the guideway with lands 
thereon arranged to engage one of the upper and lower surfaces defining 
the guideway when in a first position to clamp a stanchion in the side 
rails, and when in a second position to permit sliding movement of the 
stanchion engaging means in the of the side rails. 
The construction facilitates assembly to the roof of a vehicle. In 
assembly, the side rails with the stanchions and cross rails mounted 
thereto are located on the roof of a vehicle and the side rails are 
secured to the roof. Then the only further assembly steps required are the 
provision of end caps on the side rails. The end caps are secured to the 
ends of the side rails with a common fastening means and prevent withdrawl 
of the stanchions from the side rails. 
Either on or both of the stanchion pairs may be slidable in the side rails. 
An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article 
carrier or roof rack for an automobile. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article 
carrier or roof rack for an automobile which is easily installed on the 
automobile. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a new an improved article 
carriers roof rack which is easily installed on an automobile without any 
secondary assembly operations. 
The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are 
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion 
of this specification. The invention, however, together with further 
objects and advantages thereof may best be appreciated by reference to the 
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
As shown in FIG. 1 an article carrier or roof rack 10 is mounted to the 
roof of an automotive vehicle 11 of the station wagon type. Article 
carrier 10 comprises spaced apart side rails 12 and 13 mounted 
longitudinally with respect to the length of the vehicle by any one of 
several means hereinafter stated. Rail 12 has a forward end cap 12a and a 
rear end cap 12b while rail 13 has a forward end cap 13a and a rear end 
cap 13b. 
The end caps are identical in construction, however, two are mirror images 
of the others as will hereinafter be made apparent. Slidably mounted in 
rails 12 and 13 are a first set of stanchions 14 and 15 carrying a cross 
memeber or rail 16 therebetween at the forward end of the roof of vehicle 
11. Towards the rear end of the roof vehicle 11 are a second set of 
stanchions 17 and 18 having a cross member or rail 19 therebetween. As 
will hereinafter be pointed out, the stanchions together with the 
associated cross member are slidably adjustable along the length of the 
roof. One set of stanchions may be fixed if desired, and only the other 
slidable in side rails 12 and 13. While the following descriptions shows 
stanchion pairs 14 and 15 as slidable, this stanchion pair may by fixed 
and the rear stanchion pair slidable. 
Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which shows rail 12 fastened to the roof of 
vehilce 11 by means of a plurality of fastening members 20 (only one 
shown) which may be in the form of sheet metal bolts, riv nuts, or molly 
jack nuts. Such fasteners are used at spaced apart intervals along the 
length of each of rails 12 and 13 and additionally extend through each of 
the end caps 12a, 12b, 13a, and 13b as hereinafter described. 
Received within and disposed below each of rails 12 and 13 is a gasketing 
material 22 which is extruded with ears 23 and 24 received within 
elongated openings 25 and 26 respectively within rails 12 and 13 as more 
clearly shown in FIG. 5. 
The end caps 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b are mounted to the roof of the vehicle 
11 by fastening members 20a extending through the ends of rails 12 and 13 
into the end caps. The end caps are formed to telescopically fit into the 
rails 12 and 13, or vice versa. 
The end caps provide a stop for a channel in the side rails, hereinafter 
described. The fastening members 20 and 20a extend through both the side 
rails and the end caps. Further definition of the end caps is not 
necessary inasmuch as this merely goes to the the esthetic purposes of the 
design. While four end caps are required, only two different types are 
required, one being the mirror image of the other. 
Reference is now made to FIGS. 5 and 6 for a description of the 
construction of the rails 12 and 13. Each of the rails are identical and 
designed to fit a sloping or slightly curved portion of the roof of a 
vehicle 11. The rails have sidewalls 27 and 28 with a lower bridging 
portion 29 extending between side walls 27 and 28. The fastening means as 
exemplified by the reference numeral 20 in FIG. 3 extend through member 
29. The rails further define a longitudinally extending guideway or 
channel 30 which is generally horizontally extending. 
Channel 30 is defined by a lower wall 32 having a longitudinal opening or 
passage 33 therein and an upper wall 34 having another longitudinal 
opening or passage 35 therein. The walls 32 and 34 define opposed surfaces 
on either side of channel 30. The purpose of the passages 33 and 35 are 
hereinafter described. 
Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 4. A stanchion as exemplified by 
stanchion 14 has projections 38 defined thereon which are telescopically 
received into the cross members as exemplified by cross member 16 in FIGS. 
3 and 4. The cross members receive fastening devices in the form of bolts 
39 therethrough extending into each of the projections 38 on the 
stanchions. The cross members 16 and 19 are also extrusions and are formed 
to receive elongated plastic pads 40 therein which extend across the cross 
members. Each of the stanchions have engaging means in the form of 
inverted T-shaped members 42, 43 and 44 thereon as shown in FIG. 3 by 
member 42. These T-shaped members are preferably integral with the bottom 
wall 45 of each of the stanchions and are received and captured in channel 
30. The T-shaped members as shown are inverted and as exemplified in FIG. 
3 by member 42 each has a stem portion 42a and a cross head portion 42b. 
Thus, one or both pairs of stanchions, when permitted may freely slide 
along the rails 12 and 13 in channels 30. 
Reference is now specifically made to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Defined in the 
stanchions, as identified by the stanchion 14 in FIG. 4 is a recess 46 in 
the bottom wall 45 thereof which recess is defined between T-shaped 
members 43 and 44. 
Received within this recess is a clamping member generally indicated by the 
reference numeral 48 which includes a hand operated handle 49. Clamping 
member 48 has a portion 49a (FIGS. 5 and 6) overlying bottom wall 45 and 
the edges of recess 46 defined therein of the stanchions and a portion 50 
of reduced diameter which is received within recess 46 to provide 
stability. Clamping member 48 further has a shank portion 52 which is 
received in passage 35 and a camming portion 53 which is received within 
channel 30. Camming portion 53 has lands 54 and 55 defined thereon which 
are adapted to either contact or not contact the underside of wall 34 and 
frictionally clamp a stanchion to a rail. Optionally, the lands 54 and 55 
could be defined on the underside of camming portion 53 and engage lower 
wall 32. 
In FIG. 5, the lands 54 and 55 are shown in frictional and clamping 
engagement with members 32 and 34 which is also the condition in FIG. 4. 
In the position shown of clamping member 48 in FIG. 6 it will be noted that 
the lands as indicated by land 54 are not in a clamping position and will 
allow the stanchions to slide freely on the rails 12 and 13. 
The clamping member 48 further have a lower boss 56 thereon received 
between the edges of wall 32 in channel 33. This boss 56 provides a means 
of guiding clamping members 48 in the slide rails. Thus there is no 
tendency for the clamping member to be withdrawn or move out of recess 46. 
The stanchions 14, 15, 17 and 18 are all one piece cast constructions 
including the integral T-shaped members 42, 43 and 44. The side rails 12 
and 13 are extrusions as are the cross members 16 and 19. The clamping 
device 48 is formed in one piece. 
It will apparent that this roof rack may be easily assembled to the roof of 
an automotive vehicle merely by assembling the stanchions with cross rails 
16 and 19 thereon then aligning the rails 12 and 13 on the roof of the 
vehicle, fastening the side rails to the roof by use of suitable fastening 
devices through bridging members 27 and then applying the finishing 
touches by joining the end caps to the side rails. 
This construction as previously pointed out, utilizes only a small number 
of different pieces. Its easy to install on an automobile and requires no 
secondary assembly operations after the side rails have been secured to 
the automobile. 
It may thus be seen that the objects of the invention set forth, as will as 
those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently 
attained. While a preferred embodiment of the invention have been set 
forth for purposes of disclosure, modifications to the disclosed 
embodiment of the invention, as well as other embodiments thereof, may 
occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are 
intended to cover all embodiments of the invention and modifications to 
the disclosed embodiment which do not depart from the spirit and scope of 
the invention.