Patent ID: 7896604

Claim:
An apparatus for loading an article from a supporting surface into an all terrain vehicle, comprising: a) an all terrain vehicle having front and rear ends, a front hood area, and a rear cargo basket, said hood having a raised rail extending along front and side edges of said hood; b) a winch disposed on said front end of said all terrain vehicle, a cable being disposed on said winch, said cable having a first end to permit it to be attached to the article and a second end connected to said winch, said which being actuated by an operator; c) a tripod being disposed on said front hood area of said all terrain vehicle, two rigid legs of said tripod having lower ends pivotally engaged with a front section of said rail, a third rigid leg of said tripod having an unattached distal end, a pulley being disposed on said tripod, wherein said tripod has a raised position with the distal end of said third leg being removably fitted into a notch of a base member, and a folded position behind a front section of said rail, said third leg of said tripod folded back and nested between said two legs resting directly on said hood area, wherein said pulley is disposed at an apex of said tripod in said raised position for receiving said cable from said winch; d) a sled having first and second ends, wherein said first end is disposed on said rear cargo basket and said second end rests on the supporting surface; and, e) wherein said first end of said cable can be attached to the article on the supporting surface and the article can be pulled up said sled into said rear cargo basket when said winch is actuated by said operator.