Yakima Products, Inc.

Watermark Paddlesports, Inc.

Daniel M Humes

Joseph J Settelmayer

Gregory A Dean

A boat rack apparatus for carrying a boat on a vehicle roof rack includes a plurality of conformable support members. Each support member has an expanse that contacts a boat hull. The expanse is supported by a rib arrangement, including a spring rib and a load rib. The spring rib underlies a flexible portion of the expanse. The load rib provides vertical support to the expanse. The support member adapts to different boat hull shapes.

Conformable boat rack

A hitch assembly for attaching a trailer to a bicycle includes a hitch unit mounted on a wheelstay assembly above the rear axle of a bicycle. The wheelstay assembly is pivotally connected at its lower ends to a skewer extending through the rear axle hub and a strut member is pivotally connected to the seat post of the bicycle and to the hitch unit. The hitch unit is rotatable about a substantially vertical first pivot axis and includes a mounting for attachment by a tongue of a trailer, such as a trailer cycle. The tongue is attached to the hitch unit so that it can swing about a substantially vertical first axis and pivot about a substantially horizontal second axis. When the hitch assembly is mounted on a suspension bicycle, it is able to move up and down, substantially vertically, as the rear wheel moves up and down relative to the frame and seat of the bicycle. That up-and-down movement of the hitch assembly provides a more comfortable ride and less vibration and shock is transmitted along the tongue to the trailed vehicle, such as a trailer cycle.

Hitch assembly for attaching a trailer to a bicycle

Apparatus for securing recreational equipment to a vehicle-mounted rack. The apparatus includes a load-carrying member adapted to carry recreational equipment adjacent a vehicle, and a clamping member adapted to secure the load-carrying member to a crossbar of the vehicle rack. The clamping member is configured to clamp to at least two different styles of crossbars to prevent relative movement between the load-carrying member and the crossbar. Optionally, the clamping member may be configured to snap onto the crossbar.

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Trinidad, CA, United States of America

Daniel M Humes