Ergonomic ladder rack for work vans

An ergonomically improved vehicle ladder rack has the top of its side rail(s) flush with the top surface of the rear cross-bar so that a foot portion of a ladder being transported may be made to slide off from the rack without a need for lifting it. To prevent lateral shifting of the ladder during transport on the vehicle, an abutment finger is added to the rotatable rung clamping assembly. The abutment finger blocks lateral shifting of a ladder when the rung hook is engaging a ladder rung and is non-blocking when the rung is disengaged.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to roof or ladder racks mountable on the roof of motor vehicles for transporting one or more extension ladders and/or step ladders to a work site, and more particularly to the ergonomic construction that alleviates the need for a worker to lift the ladder vertically when removing a ladder from the roof rack upon reaching a work site.

II. Discussion of the Prior Art

Work vehicles, such as commercial vans, often incorporate a roof rack adapted to support cargo of one type or another to be used at a work site. Such cargo often includes extension ladders and/or step ladders. To avoid loss of the cargo during transport and possible serious injuries to other motorists who may be traveling behind the work vehicle, various means have been devised for securing cargo and especially ladders, to the ladder rack. For example, some have used bungee cords and ropes to tie ladders in place on the vehicle-mounted roof rack, but this is generally a considerable effort, especially given the height and placement of the ladder rack on the van roof. In applicant's printed application US 2011/0214944 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, there is described a ladder rack and especially an improved clamping structure for releasably securing ladders to a roof mounted ladder rack. It comprises a pair of side rails12and14that are held in parallel spaced-apart relation by front and rear cross-bars16and18. In that design, the side rails12and14are mounted so as to be upwardly offset from the top surface of the cross-bars16and18.

A clamp member60is affixed to a shaft42that is journaled for rotation about an axis parallel to the rear cross-bar18. The clamp member in the form of an L-shaped hook can be raised and lowered by manipulating a crank82. When the clamp member60is in its raised position, such as shown inFIG. 1of the aforereferenced published application, it is made to engage a ladder rung capturing the ladder between a fixed, front clamp member22and the rotatable clamp member60. Because the side rails12and14are elevated with respect to the ladder-supporting cross-bars16and18, a worker, standing on the ground, must reach up and lift the foot portion of the ladder over the adjacent side rail which has proven to be an arduous task for some workers, especially persons of smaller stature. The present invention obviates this problem by requiring less effort in order to transfer a ladder from its transport position atop the cross bars of the roof rack on the vehicle to a removed position. In the removed position the foot of the ladder is brought down to rest on the ground while the upper portion of the ladder remains in contact with the side rail12or14and its horn37or39.

While, after-the-fact, the present invention may appear simple, it solves a practical problem of allowing a worker to more readily remove or replace ladders from and onto a van mounted roof rack without strain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pair of side rails that are held in parallel, spaced-apart relation by front and rear cross-bars. In the present invention, however, rather than having the side rails at a higher elevation than the front and rear cross-bars, the top surface of the cross-bars are made even or flush with the top surface of the side rails so that a ladder can readily be slid off the roof rack without a need to elevate the ladder to clear the side rail.

To prevent lateral shifting of a ladder during transport, there is added to the shaft of the rotatable clamping member an abutment finger that also rotates with the clamping members shaft so as to block lateral movement of a ladder when the clamping member is engaging a ladder rung but which moves to a non-obstructing position when the ladder clamping member is moved to its release position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise.

Referring first toFIG. 1, a vehicle roof rack constructed in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally by numeral10. It is seen to comprise at least one, and preferably two, tubular side rails, as at12and14, of extruded aluminum that are held in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to one another by a front cross-bar16and a rear cross-bar18. Brackets, as at20and22, are attached to T-shaped clamping ridges (not shown) formed on the undersurface of the side rails12and14. The cross-bars16and18connect to the brackets20and22such that the top-surface24of the cross-bar18is even or flush with the arcuate top surface of the side rails12and14.

As in applicant's earlier invention of the afore-referenced published application 2011/0214944 A1, affixed to the rear cross-bar18is a rear rising clamp assembly indicated generally by numeral26. First and second bearing brackets28and30are used to journal a cylindrical rod32for rotation. The bearing brackets28and30are shown clamped to the rear cross-bar18such that the shaft32is rotatable about an axis that extends parallel to the rear cross bar18.

Affixed to the shaft32is a clamp member in the form of an L-shaped hook34that is adapted to engage a rung of a ladder when rotated to a generally vertical position as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. When the clamp34is in its lower disposition as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, it does not engage a ladder rung, allowing the foot of the ladder to be shifted laterally along the top surface24of the rear cross-bar and to pass over the junction between the rear cross-bar member18and the side rail12without the need to lift the ladder as was the case with the embodiment described in the afore-referenced published application 2011/0214944.

To prevent lateral shifting of a ladder during transport when the rotatable clamp26has the hook34in its raised disposition, there is provided an abutment finger36that is affixed to the shaft32by a ring38that is riveted or otherwise affixed to the shaft32. As can be seen inFIGS. 3 and 4, when the hook34is in its raised disposition so as to engage the rung of a ladder, the abutment finger36is also elevated so as to engage a ladders side rail to prevent lateral shifting of the ladder. However, when the clamping assembly is in its lowered disposition, out of engagement with a ladder rung, the abutment finger36is recessed with respect to the upper surfaces of the side rail12and the cross-bar18thereby allowing a worker to slide the ladder's foot portion from the rear cross-bar18without needing to lift it.

As in applicant's earlier invention of the '494 application, a crank arm40is provided to facilitate rotation of the shaft32. It has been found convenient to install a generally flat shield plate42that extends over the rear-end of the side rail12so as to be in covering relation with respect to the joint or connection between the handle40and its coupling to the end of the shaft32. A spring latch44is affixed to the side rail12to capture the crank arm40when the rung clamping hook34is in its elevated disposition, such as when ladders on the roof rack are being transported to a work location.

When a worker arrives at a work site and wishes to remove an extension ladder from the vehicle's roof rack, he or she will depress the trigger on the spring latch44to open its jaws and release the crank arm40, By rotating the crank arm counterclockwise as viewed inFIG. 1, the clamp hook34will be moved from its vertical disposition, such as inFIG. 4, to the more horizontal disposition shown inFIG. 1. At the same time, the abutment finger36also rotates to a lowered disposition so that it does not interfere with the ability to slide the foot of the ladder so that its previously innermost ladder side rail no longer rests on the rear cross-bar's top surface24. The worker then lowers the ladder's foot onto the ground, keeping the upper portion of the ladder still engaged by the horn affixed to the front end of the side rail12. When the ladder is so positioned, the worker can readily move to the ladder's balance point and lift the upper end of the ladder free of the curved horn and walk with the ladder to its point of use. In that the upper surface24of the rear cross-bar18is flush with the upper surface of the side rail12, the worker is not required to lift or elevate the ladder, but only need slide the ladder off from the rear cross-bar's top surface24.