Patent ID: 6857839

Claim:
An apparatus adapted to be attached to a rear portion of a vehicle for facilitating the storing and unloading of a component, said apparatus comprising: a vehicle attachment arm having a first end adapted to be attached to a mounting location on a vehicle and a second end; a component attachment arm having a first end adapted to be attached to a mounting location on a component and a second end; a connector member having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion of said connector member connected to said second end of said vehicle attachment arm, said second portion of said connector member connected to said second end of said component attachment arm, said connector member being operable to move said component attachment arm relative to said vehicle attachment arm whereby when the component attachment arm is attached to the component, the component is moved between a stored position on the vehicle and an unloaded position on the ground; wherein said connector member includes a planetary gear assembly having a ring gear meshed with a plurality of planetary gears disposed radially interiorly of said ring gear, a sun gear disposed radially interiorly of said planetary gears and meshed with said planetary gears, and a receiver member on which said planetary gears and said sun gear are mounted, and wherein said first portion of said connector member includes said receiver member and said second portion of said connector member includes said ring gear.