Jac Products, Inc.

Artur K Rak

Donald R Potter

John S Cucheran

Jeffrey M Aftanas

Brian E Henderson

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of bracket members which are disposed on a pair of slats, and where each bracket member includes a rotatable actuating member incorporating a camming mechanism for allowing each bracket member to be quickly and easily placed in locked and unlocked positions relative to its associated slat. Each bracket member includes a camming member which is threadably engaged with a threaded shaft of the actuating member. A locking member is also operably engaged with the camming member and is moved between locked and unlocked positions by movement of the camming member when an operator rotates the actuating member. The apparatus incorporates a limited number of independent component parts and the majority of the component parts are disposed within a housing of the bracket member so as not to be exposed to rain, ice, snow, etc. The bracket members therefore are able to be quickly and easily locked and unlocked relative to their respective slats to allow a cross bar secured to the bracket members to be quickly and easily repositioned along the slats. In an alternative preferred embodiment the actuating member incorporates a torque limiting mechanism which prevents an excessive tightening force from being applied by a user to the actuating member, which excessive tightening force could damage internal components of the bracket member and/or the slat.

Vehicle article carrier

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of bracket members which are disposed on a pair of slats, and where each bracket member includes a rotatable actuating member incorporating a camming mechanism for allowing each bracket member to be quickly and easily placed in locked and unlocked positions relative to its associated slat. Each bracket member includes a camming member which is threadably engaged with a threaded shaft of the actuating member. A locking member is also operably engaged with the camming member and is moved between locked and unlocked positions by movement of the camming member when an operator rotates the actuating member. The apparatus incorporates a limited number of independent component parts and the majority of the component parts are disposed within a housing of the bracket member so as not to be exposed to rain, ice, snow, etc. The bracket members therefore are able to be quickly and easily locked and unlocked relative to their respective slats to allow a cross bar secured to the bracket members to be quickly and easily repositioned along the slats.

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of side rails, at least one cross bar and a pair of bracket members secured at opposite ends of the cross bar for adjustably supporting articles thereon along said side rails. In one embodiment each bracket member includes a rotator having a circumferential camming surface which urges a locking member out of engagement with portions of the side rails to permit the cross bar to be adjustably positioned along the side rails. In another embodiment each bracket member includes a lever member which has a circumferential camming surface used for urging the locking member out of locking engagement with its associated side rail. In yet another embodiment each bracket member includes a slide member having a longitudinal camming surface. The slide member is moved longitudinally to urge the locking member into an open position to allow the bracket member to be adjustably positioned along the side rails. A plurality of arrangements are disclosed for securing the slide member to the bracket member while permitting sliding movement of the slide member.

A vehicle article carrier having a rotatable cross bar which simultaneously causes bracket members at each end of the cross bar to be locked and unlocked in accordance with rotational movement of the cross bar. A cross bar supporting member is disposed at each end of the cross bar and includes a camming portion. The camming portion of each supporting member simultaneously causes a clamping member to be moved between locked and unlocked positions when a user engages an actuating member associated with one of the bracket members and concurrently rotates the cross bar. Thus, there is no need for cables or other members to extend through the cross bar to accomplish the simultaneous locking and unlocking of both of the bracket members.

Vehicle article carrier having single side releasable locking mechanism

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of bracket members lockably engageable with a pair of slats, wherein each of the bracket members has a rotatable thumb wheel, a locking member and a spreader block disposed within the locking member. The locking member is threadably engaged with a threaded shaft fixedly secured to the thumb wheel such that rotational movement of the thumb wheel in a locking direction linearly displaces the locking member. A spreader block having a pair of tapered walls causes a pair of arm portions of the locking member to be cammingly spread apart as the locking member is linearly displaced such that the arm portions engage within a channel of the slat to cause the bracket member to be clampingly engaged with the slat. The spreader block allows the arm portions to be retracted when the thumb wheel is rotated in an unlocking direction such that the entire bracket member can be removed from the slat without any disassembly.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Artur K Rak