Patent Publication Number: US-11034282-B2

Title: Vehicle attachable cargo rack assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relate to cargo rack assemblies and more particularly pertain to a new cargo rack assembly for transporting firewood. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a frame, which comprises a base that is rectangularly shaped. A pair of end rails is coupled singly to and extends perpendicularly from opposing end members of the base. A front rail is coupled to a front member of the base and extends between the pair of end rails so that the frame is configured to stack pieces of wood. A hitch attachment that is coupled to the front rail is three point type and thus complementary to, and configured to couple to, a three point hitch that is coupled to a first type of vehicle, such as tractor, positioning a user to lift and transport the frame. A shank that is coupled to the base and extends from the front member is complementary to, and configured to couple to, a hitch receiver that is coupled to a second type vehicle, such as a pickup, sport utility vehicle, or all-terrain vehicle, positioning the user to transport the frame. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a rear isometric perspective view of a vehicle attachable cargo rack assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new cargo rack assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the vehicle attachable cargo rack assembly  10  generally comprises a frame  12 , which in turn comprises a base  14  that is rectangularly shaped. Each of a pair of end rails  16  is coupled singly to and extends perpendicularly from a respective opposing end member  18  of the base  14 . A front rail  20  is coupled to a front member  22  of the base  14  and extends between the pair of end rails  16  so that the frame  12  is configured to be stacked with pieces of wood. 
     The front rail  20  comprises a top member  24  and a pair of vertical members  26 . The top member  24  is coupled to and extends between the pair of end rails  16  distal from the base  14 . Each vertical member  26  is coupled to and extends between the top member  24  and the front member  22 . The pair of vertical members  26  is positioned equally distant from the opposing end members  18 . 
     The wood could be stacked between the pair of end rails  16  with each piece of wood positioned substantially perpendicularly to the front rail  20 . Longer pieces of wood could be stacked so that the longer pieces extend over the opposing end members  18 . A crossmember  28  is coupled to and extends between the opposing end members  18  of the base  14 . The crossmember  28 , or other supporting element, such as, but not limited to, plates, grates, and the like that could be coupled to the base  14 , is configured to support shorter pieces of wood that are positioned substantially perpendicularly to the front member  22  and a rear member  30  of the base  14 . 
     Each of a pair of crossbars  32  is coupled to and extends between the front member  22  and the rear member  30  of the base  14 . The pair of crossbars  32  is positioned to rigidify the base  14 . The pair of crossbars  32  are positioned equally distant from the opposing end members  18 . 
     A hitch attachment  34  is coupled to the front rail  20 . The hitch attachment  34  is three point type so that the hitch attachment  34  is complementary to a three point hitch. The hitch attachment  34  is configured to be coupled to a three point hitch of a first type of vehicle, such as a tractor, as shown in  FIG. 7 , positioning a user to lift and transport the frame  12 . The tractor would allow the user to transport firewood, for example, from a source to a storage area, and from the storage area to proximate to an end use site, such as a porch of a home. 
     The hitch attachment  34  comprises a first coupler  36  and a pair of second couplers  38 . The first coupler  36  is coupled to the top member  24  of the front rail  20  equally distant from the pair of end rails  16 . Each second coupler  38  is coupled to a respective vertical member  26  of the front rail  20 . The first coupler  36  is configured to selectively couple to a corresponding coupler of an upper arm of the three point hitch. Each second coupler  38  is configured to selectively couple to a corresponding coupler of a respective upper arm of the three point hitch to couple the frame  12  to the vehicle. Three point hitches can be fitted with a variety of corresponding couplers, so the present invention anticipates the first coupler  36  and the pair of second couplers  38  comprising a variety of types of first couplers  36  and the pair of second couplers  38  are configured to couple to the variety of corresponding couplers of the three point hitch. 
     The first coupler  36  comprises a pair of tabs  40  and a pair of orifices  42 , or other type of implement coupling means, such as, but not limited to, bolts, rings, and the like. Each tab  40  is coupled to and extends from the top member  24 . Each orifice  42  is positioned in a respective tab  40  so that the pair of orifices  42  is configured to be aligned with a pair of corresponding orifices of the corresponding coupler of the upper arm. The pair of orifices  42  and the pair of corresponding orifices are positioned for insertion of a first pull pin  44 . 
     The pair of second couplers  38  comprises a pair of brackets  46  and a rod  48 , or other type of implement coupling means, such as, but not limited to, bolts, rings, and the like. The brackets  46  are C-shaped, with each bracket  46  being coupled to a respective vertical member  26 . The rod  48  is coupled to and extends between the pair of brackets  46  so that the rod  48  is configured to couple to the corresponding couplers, such as upward facing hooks, of the upper arms of the three point hitch. 
     A shank  50  is coupled to the base  14  and extends from the front member  22 . The shank  50  is complementary to a hitch receiver that is coupled to a second type of vehicle, such as a passenger vehicle, sport utility vehicle, pickup, ATV, and the like, so that the shank  50  is configured to be selectively coupled to the hitch receiver, positioning the user to transport the frame  12 . The second type of vehicle would allow the user to transport the firewood longer distances, for example, from the storage area to a camping site. 
     The shank  50  is removably couplable to the base  14 . A pair of first holes  52  is positioned in the shank  50  proximate to a respective opposing end  54  of the shank  50 . The pair of first holes  52  is configured to be aligned with a matching pair of holes that is positioned in the hitch receiver. The pair of first holes  52  and the matching pair of holes is positioned for insertion of a receiver pull pin  56  to removably couple the shank  50  to the hitch receiver, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The pair of first holes  52  comprises two pairs of first holes  52  that are positioned in the shank  50  proximate to the opposing ends  54  of the shank  50 . 
     A connector  58  that is coupled to the rear member  30  is configured to reversibly couple to the shank  50  to removably couple the shank  50  to the base  14 , with the shank  50  extending past the front member  22  and parallel planarly with the base  14 . 
     The connector  58  comprises a first tube  60  and a pair of first connecting holes  62 . The first tube  60  is coupled to a lower face  64  of the rear member  30 . The first connecting holes  62  are positioned in the first tube  60  so that the pair of first connecting holes  62  is positioned to be aligned with a respective pair of first holes  52 . The pair of first connecting holes  62  and the respective pair of first holes  52  are positioned for insertion of a locking pin  66  to removably couple the shank  50  to the base  14 . 
     A second tube  68  is coupled to the front member  22  so that the second tube  68  is aligned with the first tube  60 . The shank  50  extends through the second tube  68  when the shank  50  is coupled to the first tube  60 , positioning the second tube  68  is to stabilize the shank  50  relative to the frame  12 . 
     A pair of second connecting holes  70  is positioned in the second tube  68  so that the pair of second connecting holes  70  is positioned to be aligned with a respective pair of first holes  52 . The pair of second connecting holes  70  and the respective pair of first holes  52  are positioned for insertion of the locking pin  66  to removably couple the shank  50  to the base  14 , with the shank  50  extending through the first tube  60  and past the rear member  30  of the base  14 . In this configuration, the front member  22  is distal to a rear of the vehicle relative to the rear member  30 . 
     A pair of fasteners  72  is coupled singly to the opposing end members  18  of the frame  12 . Each fastener  72  is configured to couple to a complementary fastener  82  that is coupled to a respective opposing terminus of a strap  74  positioning the user to tighten the strap to secure the pieces of wood to the frame. Each fastener  72  may comprise a ring  76  that is configured to insert a respective hook  78  of a tie down strap  80 , positioning the user to tighten the tie down strap  80  to secure the pieces of wood to the frame. The fastener  72  and the complementary fastener  82  also may comprises other complementary fastening pairs, such as, but not limited to, quick connects, buckles, snaps, and the like. 
     In use, the assembly  10  would be coupled to vehicle that has a three point hitch, such as a tractor, using the hitch attachment  34 , to allow the user to use the frame  12  while harvesting wood and transporting the wood to a storage site. This setup also could be used to position the frame  12 , with the wood stacked upon it, on a porch of a home for easy access to the wood. The assembly  10  also can be coupled to a vehicle that has a hitch receiver, such as a pickup, ATV, and the like, using the shank  50 , to allow the user to transport the wood further distances, such as to a campsite. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.