Secure bicycle rack and carrier

A bicycle rack for securing a bicycle against theft and/or for transporting comprises a base support member, an elongated vertically extending post member secured at a lower end to said base member and extending upwardly therefrom to a top end above the crank axle of a bicycle, the post member being tubular for receiving a crank arm, with an inner slot in an inner wall extending from the top for receiving the crank axle, and an outer slot in an outer wall for receiving a pedal shaft for positioning the pedal outside the post when the crank is received therein, a cap for receiving a lock, and a coupling shaft extending from the base for mounting into a hitch socket on a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to bicycle racks and carriers and pertains 
particularly to an improved combined bicycle rack and carrier. 
Existing bicycle or bike racks and carriers present two main problems. 
First of all they do not present or provide reasonable secure means to 
prevent theft of the bike. Secondly, they fail to provide simple and 
reasonably secure attachment to a vehicle. 
Most bicycle carriers or racks for mounting on automobiles are mounted to 
the roof or to the rear bumper of the vehicle. These carriers are 
typically complex and have numerous clamps and brackets for attachment to 
various positions on the body of the automobile. 
There have been bicycle racks developed recently which attach directly to 
and are supported by a trailer or towing hitch on the vehicle. However, 
these also have some drawbacks, most notably a lack of stability and 
security. 
It is therefore desirable that an improved rack be available that is 
secure, stable and simple of construction and attachment. 
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is the primary object of the present invention to overcome the 
aforementioned problems of the prior art. 
In accordance with a primary aspect of the present invention, a bicycle 
rack comprises base support means, and locking means comprising elongated 
vertically extending post means means secured to and extending upwardly 
from said base means for receiving a crank arm, with inner slot means for 
receiving the crank axle, and outer slot means for receiving a pedal shaft 
for securing a bicYcle in place. Another aspect of the invention includes 
means for mounting the rack to the towing hitch of a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a bicycle 
rack and carrier in accordance with the present invention. A portion of a 
bicycle, designated generally by the numeral 36, is illustrated with the 
crank and pedal assembly positioned to be received in the lock post 20. 
The rack and carrier is designed to attach to the rear of a vehicle 
directly to the hitch mount structure on the back of an automobile. It is 
designed so that the entire rack and bicycles are entirely supported 
solely bv the towing hitch structure, without the necessity for either 
attachment brackets, clamps or the like being attached o secured to other 
portions of the vehicle. 
Referring specifically to FIG. 1, a rack in accordance with the invention 
is illustrated in a perspective view. The illustrated structure comprises 
a hitch post member or bar 10, secured to and extending forward from a 
base plate member 12, for insertion into a square tubular socket of a 
hitch mount 46. Current hitch mounts on the back of automobiles have a 
frame portion attached to the under frame of the vehicle, with a 
rearwardly projecting usually square tubular post 46 forming a rearwardly 
directed socket 48 for receiving a square hitch post with a typical ball 
or other trailer type hitch coupling thereon. The hitch post is removable 
from the socket when not in use. The present bike carrier and rack is 
adapted to mount directly to that socket by means of the forwardly 
extending post 10. 
The bike carrier or rack, in accordance with the invention, has a solid 
hitch post or bar 10 extending forward from a base plate 12, as can be 
seen in the top view (FIG. 2), for extending into and detachably 
connecting into the socket 48 of the hitch assembly 46. The hitch post 10 
will be a one-quarter inch steel tube for a two inch hitch, and solid bar 
for a one and one-quarter inch hitch. Means may be provided, such as cams 
and screws for engaging and biasing the post 10 for insuring a snug and 
secure fit within the socket so that the rack is stable and secure. 
A pair of wheel receiving channel rails 14 and 16 extend transverse to the 
hitch post 10 and are mounted to and supported directly on the base plate 
12. These channels are to receive the wheels of a bicycle (FIG. 4). A pair 
of crank receiving lock post members 18 and 20 are secured at the lower 
end directly to the base plate 12, such as by welding or the like, and 
extend directly upward therefrom. These posts are preferably square or 
rectangular tubular members slotted on the side facing toward and the side 
facing away from the respective wheel channels for receiving the crank 
axle and pedal shaft of a bicycle. These posts serve to secure and lock 
the bicycle in place on the carrier assembly. 
A post 18 is associated with channel 14, and a post 20 is associated with 
channel 16, and are longitudinally offset along the axis of the channels 
to accommodate closer spacing of the channels with bikes therein. As can 
be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the post 20 has a short slot 24 in the wall 
thereof facing and adjacent to the channel 16, and an elongated slot 22 in 
the wall of the post away from the channel 16. The post 18 is similarly 
constructed to accommodate the crank of a bicycle in channel 14. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upwardly extending posts are square 
hollow tube members, with slots 22 and 24 formed in the walls on the sides 
directly adjacent (inner wall) and opposite (outer wall) the respective 
channels. The posts are provided with a long slot 22 in the outer wall 
opposite the channel 16, and a short slot 24 in the inner wall adjacent to 
channel 16. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the tubular post 20 is adapted to receive a crank arm 
38, the short slot 24 receives the axle 40, and the long slot 22 away from 
the channel is adapted to receive the pedal shaft 44 to permit the pedal 
42 to extend outward from the post. A bike to be placed in channel 16 is 
lifted above and positioned over the rack (FIG. 1), and lowered such that 
the crank is extended into the upwardly extending post 20 (FIG. 4). The 
crank arm 38 is positioned with the pedal 42 extending beyond slot 22 to 
the outside of the post 20, and the shaft or axle 44 of the pedal 
extending downward along the slot 22 while the crank journal or axle 40 
extends into slot 24. 
Once the bike is in place, a cap 26, as shown in FIG. 4, is inserted down 
into the upper end of the post 20, with the lower end of the cap engaging 
the crank axle and then secured in place by a thumb screw extending 
through a hole in the post. Slots formed in the cap and in the upper end 
of the post are adapted to align and to receive a suitable lock device, 
such as a padlock or a cable. For most bikes, if the rack suitably fits 
the bike and pulls it and locks it securely against and into the channels, 
the bike is secured without the necessity of cables and the like. Most 
bikes require that the front wheel be loosened and pulled downward out of 
the forks to be removed. With the bike secured snugly against the channel, 
the front wheel cannot be removed. 
Most modern bikes also require that the rear wheel be moved forward and 
down out of its slot from the frame to remove it. Similarly, it may also 
be restrained in the rack against removal by the channels. 
In addition, a cable slot 30 is provided in the side of the post 20, which 
corresponds or aligns with a cable slot 32 within the upper end of the 
post. An elongated slot or bore 34 also accommodates various positioning 
vertically of a thumb screw (not shown) threadably extending into bore 28 
of the cap 26. The cable slot permits the use of the cable to provide 
additional security, such that the cable 10 extends through the slot and 
through the wheels and frame of the bike to provide additional security. 
While the channels 14 and 16 are preferred in the overall arrangement, the 
center post locking configuration can be utilized without the channels. 
Such an arrangement would be wherein the base plate is secured to a 
suitable supporting surface, such that the wheels of the bicycle are 
preferably supported on a support surface. While it is not essential that 
the bike be supported on such a surface, it is preferable for stability 
and other reasons. For example, the base plate may be secured in the bed 
of a truck or van, such that multiple posts may be secured for the 
securing of multiple bikes within a truck or van. It may also be secured 
on a concrete pad or the like to provide a stationary security rack. 
While I have illustrated and described m invention by means of specific 
embodiments, it is to be understood that numerous changes and 
modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.