Curved Load Support for Use on a Vehicle

Abstract

A load carrier or extender arm suitable for use on pick-up trucks or other vehicles includes telescoping curved bars that allow adjustment of the height of a load support cross arm or other support surface relative to a vehicle hitch receiver in which the device is mounted. The curvature of the two members increases the elevation of the device to avoid bottoming out. The rear curved member is part of a T-shaped load support with a cross arm extending laterally of the curved member. The extender arm is especially suited for transporting boats, canoes and kayaks in a pick-up truck.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An extender arm for supporting a load extending beyond a vehicle, the extender arm comprising:
 a hitch connection section mountable to a hitch receiver on the vehicle;   a first curved extender bar section extending upwardly from the hitch connection section and extending upwardly from a rear end of a vehicle when the extender arm is mounted in the hitch receiver on the vehicle;   a second curved extender bar section attachable to the first curved extender bar section and telescoping relative thereto; and   a load support member mounted on the second curved extender bar section;   the second curved extender bar section being shiftable relative to the first curved extender bar section to both alter the length of the extender arm and to shift the load support member vertically along a curved path so that the extender arm will support loads at different elevations relative to the hitch connection section and the hitch receiver to which the hitch connection section is mounted; wherein curvature of the first and second extender bars and relative movement of the first curved extender bar section and the second extender bar section along a curved path defines a series of different heights for the load support member.   
     
     
         24 . The extender arm of  claim 23  wherein the second curved extender bar section is insertable into the first curved extender bar section. 
     
     
         25 . The extender arm of  claim 23  wherein the hitch connection section has a length only sufficient to be mounted to a hitch receiver, the remaining sections of the extender arm being curved so that the elevation of the extender arm increases continuously from the hitch receiver. 
     
     
         26 . The extender arm of  claim 23  wherein the load support member comprises a bar extending transversely from the second curved extender bar section. 
     
     
         27 . The extender arm of  claim 26  wherein the bar extends laterally beyond the second curved extender bar section on both sides thereof to form a cross bar. 
     
     
         28 . The extender arm of  claim 27  wherein attachment ears extend upwardly from the cross bar. 
     
     
         29 . The extender arm of  claim 23  wherein the first and second curved extender bar sections each comprise hollow tubes. 
     
     
         30 . The extender arm of  claim 23  wherein the second curved extender bar section includes a plurality of spaced holes extending through a concave upper side thereof and the first curved extender bar section includes at least one hole in a concave upper side thereof so that the second extender bar section can be pinned relative to the first extender bar section in number of different positions to vary the length of the extender arm. 
     
     
         31 . An extender arm for supporting a load extending beyond a vehicle to which the extender arm is attachable, the extender arm comprising:
 an extender tube attachable to a hitch receiver on the vehicle, the extender tube being continuously curved for the majority of its length;   a T-shaped support member having a curved bar to which a cross bar is fixed, the curved bar being mounted on the continuously curved extender tube and telescoping relative thereto between multiple positions , so that the length and height differential between opposite ends of the extender arm can be varied, so that the extender arm can be used with vehicles in which the elevation between the load and the hitch receiver differs wherein curvature of extender tube and curved bar and relative movement of the first extender tube and the curved bar along a curved path defines a series of different heights for T-shaped support member.   
     
     
         32 . The extender arm of  claim 31  wherein the curved bar is insertable into the continuously curved extender tube. 
     
     
         33 . The extender arm of  claim 31  wherein both the extender tube and the curved bar comprise hollow members having a rectangular cross section. 
     
     
         34 . The extender arm of  claim 33  wherein the cross bar comprises a circular cylindrical member. 
     
     
         35 . The extender arm of  claim 34  wherein the cross bar comprises a hollow member with a constant cross section including multiple, mutually transverse internal strengthening ribs. 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus for transporting a boat in a pick-up truck having a bed and a hitch receiver mounted on the rear of the pick-up truck, the apparatus comprising;
 a first extender bar insertable into the hitch receiver on the rear of the pick-up truck;   a second extender bar extending from the first extender bar and telescoping relative thereto, wherein both the first extender bar and the second extender bar are curved along a constant radius of curvature in a section in which the first and second extender bars relatively telescope;   a cross bar fixed to the second extender bar so that as the second extender bar telescopes relative to the first extender bar, the elevation of the cross bar relative to the hitch receiver being changed along a curved path having the same radius of curvature as the first and second extender bars to level the boat relative to the pick-up truck bed and to support a portion of the boat extending beyond the pick-up truck bed.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the second extender bar is curved along its entire length. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the cross bar has a circular cylindrical cross section so that the boat can slide along the cross bar as the boat is loaded into the pick-up truck bed.