Patent ID: 8028878

Claim:
An equipment carrier adapted for mounting to a vehicle, comprising: a hub including a plurality of adjacent hub sections, wherein the hub sections are pivotable about a hub axis; an engagement arrangement that extends between and connects the hub sections together, wherein the engagement arrangement includes a transverse engagement member and is movable in a direction along the hub axis between an engaged position in which the engagement member secures the hub sections together to prevent relative movement between the hub sections, and a disengaged position in which the engagement member releases engagement of the hub sections to enable movement of one or more of the hub sections relative to each other about the hub axis; a first frame member configured to engage the vehicle at a first location, wherein the first frame member defines a pair of spaced apart hub connection areas, wherein the hub connection areas are secured to first and second spaced apart ones of the hub sections; a second frame member configured to engage the vehicle at a second location, wherein the second frame member defines at least one hub connection area that is secured to a third one of the hub sections; and an equipment support member interconnected with at least a fourth one of the hub sections and adapted to support one or more items of equipment; wherein the hub sections are pivotable about the hub axis when the engagement arrangement is in the disengaged position to allow relative movement between the equipment support member and the frame members, and wherein movement of the engagement arrangement to the engaged position prevents movement between the hub sections to thereby prevent relative movement between the first frame member, the second frame member and the equipment support member.