Article carrier

A load carrying apparatus that attaches to the trailer hitch or receiver of a vehicle that provides a secondary hitch or receiver on the apparatus to enable the towing vehicle to carry a load on the carrying apparatus while still being able to tow a trailer or boat-trailer or the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a load carrying apparatus that attaches to the 
existing square tubular receiver for a trailer hitch of a vehicle and that 
provides a secondary hitch or receiver on the apparatus to enable the 
towing vehicle to carry a load on the carrying apparatus while still being 
able to attach a trailer or boat-trailer or the like, to the secondary 
hitch. 
BACKGROUND ART 
There are a number of package and article carrying devices describe in 
prior art, some of which use the existing square tubular receiver on the 
rear of a vehicle as a means to mount and secure said carrying devices, 
however, no one teaches a means to be able to use said devices and still 
be able to tow a trailer or boat-trailer or the like by providing a 
secondary hitch or receiver. 
Exemplary of prior art carriers which are removably interconnected with the 
bumpers of automobiles and trucks or the like are those devices 
illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,622 issued to McLain and 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,341 issued to Copelind et al. The Patent to Jordening, 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,549, discloses a prior art device for carrying 
bicycles or wheelchairs. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,414 issued to Dequevara 
shows a bicycle carrier which is mounted by the existing square, tubular 
receiver of a hitch, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,439 teaches a luggage 
carrier apparatus for a vehicle which attaches to the rear bumper. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARIES OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a carrier device that overcomes the 
drawbacks of prior art carrier devices by providing an apparatus which is 
rugged yet light weight, which is highly stable and which can be easily 
interconnected with the existing, square receiver of a trailer hitch and 
which also provides a secondary hitch to which may be attached a customary 
second vehicle such as a trailer or boat-trailer or the like. 
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is easily 
interconnected to an existing square tubular receiver which does not 
require the use of special tools. 
It is a further object to provide an apparatus that allows the towing 
vehicle to use the load carrying apparatus in between its rear portion and 
the towed vehicle. 
It is another purpose to use the area created by the device as a means to 
support varied types of containers and special brackets for mounting 
different objects such as bicycles, motorcycles, ski's and others to 
numerous to mention. 
It is a further purpose to provide a storage and/or carrying space that is 
easily accessible and removable. 
An additional purpose is to provide a storage and/or carrying space that is 
easily lockable. 
Further objects and advantages will be apparent when considered in 
connection with the following specifications and drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate 
identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 
shows a towing vehicle 10 with a carrying box or chest 11, being mounted 
or welded to main support beam 13 and also pulling a trailer 12, which is 
attached by a conventional slider shank 18 and ball joint or hitch 19 and 
pinned to main support beam by a bolt (not shown) through bolt holes 16 
and 20. 14 is a slider shank welded to support beam 13 and attached to the 
towing vehicle 10, by means of a conventional tube receptacle receiver by 
a bolt (not shown) through bolt hole 17. This conventional square tube 
receiver is ordinarily found on an automobile or other vehicle and is 
affixed to the vehicle by welding or bolting it to the frame of the 
vehicle and is normally used to receive a slider shank with a ball hitch 
to which a trailer may be hitched for towing. 15 is a tailgate while 22 
are chains for the tailgate, while 21 is the bottom of a carrying box, 
chest or frame affixed or welded to main support beam 13. 
Now it will be readily seen that our invention creates additional space 
between the towing vehicle 10, and the trailer 12, which may be used for 
many and varied embodiments of our invention and may be used with or 
without a towed vehicle. 
It will also be noted that the space thus created is readily, easily and 
quickIy available. 
It will also be noted that this area can easily be locked or secured in a 
number of ways. 
Also it is noted that the carrying device may be easily, readily and 
quickly removed from the vehicle for storage or moved to a more desirable 
place such as a campsite or the like. 
It is also readily seen that this carrying apparatus may be readily removed 
and/or placed into position without the use of special tools. 
Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is 
conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is 
recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the 
invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but 
it is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and 
all equivalent devices and apparatus.