Scott W Allen

US Patent:

59512318, Sep 14, 1999

Filed:

Jul 17, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/895721

Inventors:

Scott R. Allen - McKinleyville CA

Assignee:

Yakima Products, Inc. - Arcata CA

International Classification:

B60P 900

US Classification:

414462

Abstract:

A vehicle-top roof rack and boat mounting system for mounting a boat atop a roof of a car, the rack and mount is provided with a plurality of roof couplers attachable on the car roof, a plurality of crossbars attachable to the roof couplers, and a boat mounting system comprising a plurality of boat mounts. Each of the boat mounts include a crossbar grip coupled to the crossbar, a mounting frame coupled to the grip, a gimbal coupled to the mounting frame, and a roller support coupled to the gimbal. The gimbal allows the roller support to pivot with two degrees of freedom about a central gimbal point to adapt the mount to variously shaped boat hulls and to the varying curvature of each boat hull. The gimbal also adapts for the angle of loading in a one-person loading/unloading operation. The gimbal also includes a biasing mechanism operating about a first axis of rotation and a stop operating about a second axis of rotation, the biasing mechanism and the stop together putting the roller support in a predetermined neutral position prior to boat loading.

US Patent:

58200029, Oct 13, 1998

Filed:

Mar 22, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/621749

Inventors:

Scott R. Allen - McKinleyville CA

Assignee:

Yakima Products, Inc. - Arcata CA

International Classification:

B60R 900
B60R 9048

US Classification:

224324

Abstract:

A vehicle-mounted, bicycle carrier includes an elongate arm movably mounted on the carrier for movement between an engaged position in which a bicycle is fixed on the carrier, and a disengaged position in which the bicycle may be removed from the carrier. A locking mechanism mounted on the arm lockably receives a carried bicycle's pedal crank when the arm is moved to the engaged position thereby fixing the bicycle on the carrier.