Car top carrier

A vehicle top carrier comprising a carrier frame mounted on track structure for movement from a generally horizontal carrying position atop the vehicle to a substantially inclined loading and unloading position to one side of the vehicle. A strut has its upper end pivoted to the carrier frame. Its lower end has a pivot block which is slidably mounted on a vertical guide on the side of the vehicle. This pivot block is at the bottom of the slide when the carrier frame is in the loading and unloading position. It is raised to the top of the slide to raise the carrier frame from the loading and unloading position to an intermediate position of lesser inclination from which the carrier frame may be easily moved to the carrying position.

This invention relates generally to a vehicle top carrier for luggage and 
the like. 
One object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle top carrier 
which is easy to load and unload. 
In accordance with the invention, the vehicle top carrier may comprise a 
carrier frame adapted to support luggage and the like mounted on track 
structure for movement from a generally horizontal carrying position on 
the top of the vehicle to a substantially inclined loading and unloading 
position at one side of the vehicle. A strut has its upper end pivoted to 
the carrier frame. A pivot block on the lower end of the strut is slidably 
mounted on a vertical guide mounted on the side of the vehicle. 
The pivot block is locked at the top of the slide when the carrier frame is 
in the carrying position. It is at the bottom of the slide when the 
carrier frame is in the inclined loading and unloading position. It may be 
raised to the top of the slide to raise the carrier frame from the loadng 
and unloading position to an intermediate position of lesser inclination 
from which the carrier frame may be easily moved to the carrying position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a vehicle top carrier 
constructed according to this invention is shown mounted on a vehicle of 
any suitable type but which in this instance is of the Van type. The 
vehicle top carrier comprises a carrier frame 10, track structure 12 
mounted on the top 13 of the vehicle, a strut 14 having its upper end 
pivoted to the carrier frame, and a guide 16 on the side of the vehicle to 
which the lower end portion of the strut 14 is pivoted. 
The track structure 12 may comprise a pair of parallel tracks 18 shown as 
being in the form of simple metal bars or strips which extend cross-wise 
of the vehicle, preferably at right angles to the longitudinal center line 
thereof. These tracks 18 are spaced apart longitudinally of the vehicle as 
shown and are secured to the top surface of the vehicle as by means of 
suitable brackets 20. Preferably the ends of the tracks terminate adjacent 
to the opposite sides of the vehicle so that the tracks are centered 
laterally over the vehicle. 
The carrier frame 10 is generally in the form of a rectangle, having the 
laterally spaced parallel side bars 22 and the longitudinally spaced 
parallel end bars 24. The side and end bars 22 and 24 are rigidly secured 
together at the corners by the block assemblies 26 each consisting of two 
welded blocks 28 and 30. The blocks 28 are secured to the side bars 22 by 
nuts and bolts 32, 34 and the blocks 30 are secured to the end bars 24 by 
similar nuts and bolts 32, 34. Although other specific means may be 
employed, it will be noted that in this instance the side and end bars are 
formed with channels 35 in which the nuts are slidably positioned and 
retained against rotation, these channels having enlargements 38 for the 
insertation and removal of the nuts. 
A pair of casters 42 are mounted on the side of the carrier frame remote 
from the strut 14, at opposite sides thereof. The casters are pivoted to 
the blocks 28 on horizontal pins 46. These casters are adapted to slide on 
the respective tracks, and for this purpose each caster has depending 
laterally spaced L-shaped flanges 48 which straddle the tracks and 
terminate beneath the tracks so that the casters may slide freely on the 
tracks but are prevented from separating therefrom. These casters also 
have rollers 51 over the tops of the tracks to hold the casters down on 
the tracks and prevent vibration. Stops 52 and 54 at the opposite ends of 
the tracks determine the limits of travel of the casters. 
A pair of supports 64 are mounted on the side of the carrier frame adjacent 
to strut 14 at opposite sides thereof. These supports are preferably 
welded or otherwise secured to blocks 28 and have laterally outwardly 
extending, horizontal flanges 65 provided with anti-friction pads 66 on 
the under surface in slidable engagement with the top surfaces of tracks 
18. The supports 64 also have downwardly extending flanges 67 along the 
inner edges of tracks 18 which retain the carrier frame from moving 
laterally but permit it to lift away or separate from the tracks. 
The strut 14 has the laterally spaced side bars 60 and the connecting bars 
62. The upper ends of these side bars are pivoted to the adjacent side of 
the carrier frame by horizontal pins 63 mounted on blocks 28. 
The guide 16 mounted on the side of the vehicle is a vertical metal rail or 
bar. Stop 69 is at the top of the guide. The return bent lower end of the 
guide bar forms a lower stop. There is a pivot block 70 pivoted to the 
lower end of the strut between the side bars thereof on a pin 72. This 
pivot block has laterally spaced, L-shaped flanges 73 which extend along 
the side edges of and behind the guide bar 16 to enable the pivot block to 
slide up and down but preventing it from becoming separated from the guide 
bar. This pivot block has a detent in the form of a pin 80 which is 
axially slidably mounted in a hole 82 in the pivot block. The pin has a 
collar 84 against which a compression coil spring 85 presses, normally 
urging the pin to the extended position shown in FIG. 5, in which position 
it may extend through a hole 87 near the upper end of the guide bar 16. 
The opposite end of the spring 85 bears against an abutment 88 on the 
pivot block. 
In the operation and use of the vehicle top carrier, the carrier frame 10, 
when in carrying position, is disposed upon the tracks 18 with its casters 
at or near abutting engagement with the stops 54 and with supports 64 
resting on the tracks. In this position, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7, the 
pivot block 70 of strut 14 is near stop 69 at the upper end of the guide. 
In fact, the pivot block should be positioned so that its detent pin 80 
projects through the hole 87 in the guide bar, thereby locking the carrier 
frame 10 in the carrying position. 
The solid line position in FIG. 9 shows the carrier frame 10 disposed at a 
substantial angle to one side of the vehicle, at which time the pivot 
block at the lower end of the strut is at the very bottom of the guide bar 
16 which forms a stop for the guide block. This is the substantially 
inclined position for loading and unloading the carrier frame with luggage 
and the like. In this position, the supports 64 on the carrier frame have 
separated from tracks 18 and casters 42 engage stops 52. The carrier frame 
may be moved from carrying position to the loading and unloading position 
by releasing the detent pin 80 and manually pulling on strut 14. 
When the carrier frame 10 is ready to be moved back to the top of the 
vehicle, it is recommended that first the pivot block 70 at the lower end 
of the strut be raised to the dotted line position in FIG. 9 and then 
locked in that position by the detent pin 80. This movement of the strut 
elevates the carrier frame 10 to the dotted line position of FIG. 9 where 
it is disposed at a lesser angle to the horizontal. From this intermediate 
position, it is relatively easy to push the carrier frame back to a full 
carrying position on the tracks 18, shown in FIG. 2. 
The described structure including pin 80 is sufficient to retain the 
carrier frame in the carrying position under most conditions. However if 
additional security is desired, the carrier frame may be tied to tracks 18 
as by ropes, for example.