US3734367A

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Publication number: US3734367A
Application number: US00220584A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Jackson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-01-25
Filing date: 1972-01-25
Publication date: 1973-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-22

Abstract

Apparatus to be worn by an individual for carrying a canoe in an inverted position and simultaneously to be used for carrying a pack. The apparatus comprises a pack carrier adapted to be strapped to the back of the individual, and includes arms pivotally connected to the lower portion of the pack carrier and having attachment means at the distal ends of the arms for attachment to a transverse strut of the canoe. The pack carrier has second attachment means for pivotally supporting a second strut of the canoe.

Description

United States Patent [191 Jackson 1 May 22, 1973 CANOE CARRIER [76] Inventor: William S. Jackson, 308 Packard Road Apt. No. 1, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 [22] Filed: Jan. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 220,584

' [52] US. Cl. ..224/25A [51] Int. Cl. .f. ..A45f 3/15 [58] Field of Search ..224/25 A, 25 R, 8 R, 224/8 A, 5 BC, 5 P, 5 R, 5 A, 5 B, 42.45 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,375,960 Stevens et a] ..224/42.ll

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 659,364 1951 Great Britain 224/25 A Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Jer0ld M. Forsberg Attorney-Olson and Stephenson [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus to be worn by an individual for carrying a canoe in an inverted position and simultaneously to be used for carrying a pack. The apparatus comprises a pack carrier adapted to be strapped to the back of the individual, and includes arms pivotally connected to the lower portion of the pack carrier and having attachment means at the distal ends of the arms for attachment to a transverse strut of the canoe. The pack carrier has second attachment means for pivotally supporting a second strut of the canoe.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures CANOE CARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to equipment adapted for recreational and camping purposes, and especially to a carrier to be worn by an individual for carrying a camping pack and a canoe.

When traveling by canoe it frequently is necessary to transport the canoe overland. Numerous problems arise when an individual seeks to transport a canoe by himself, and especially when he must also carry a camping pack. These problems relate to the initial positioning and lifting of the canoe to a carrying position, to the carrying of the canoe, and subsequently to the unloading of the canoe. Since the individual may be traveling alone it is essential for satisfactory use that the carrier be constructed and arranged so that these operations can be performed with maximum ease and safety. The prior art devices in use heretofore leave much to be desired in these respects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a carrier adapted to be worn by an individual which has eliminated many of the problems that exist when using prior art devices.

According to a preferred form of the present invention, a combination canoe and pack carrier is provided which is adapted to be worn on the back of an individual for carrying a canoe and a camping pack. The carrier comprises a frame having vertical upright members and transverse members connected to the upright members. Straps are connected to the frame for securing the frame against the back of the wearer, said frame being adapted when secured to the back of the wearer to support a camping pack. A pair of support arms are pivotally connected to lower portions of the frame and are arranged to extend forward and upward in parallel relationship on opposite sides of the wearer. The arms have first attachment means at their distal ends for attachment to a transverse strut of a canoe, and said frame has second attachment means at its upper end for attachment to a second transverse strut of the canoe. Strap means connect the distal ends of the arms to the upper end of the frame. 7

The second attachment means are open channe1- shaped members which may be either U-shaped or Y- shaped to facilitate pivotally supporting of one of the transverse struts of the canoe when the canoe is in an inverted position. When supported in this manner, the canoe can be pivoted to a horizontal position in which the first transverse strut of the canoe will be seated in a U-shaped member at the distal end of each of the arms and in which the first strut may be cradled. Straps are then provided at said first attachment means for securing the first strut in the cradled position. The arms and the strap means are adjustable in length so that the combination canoe and pack carrier can readily be adjusted to fit the spacing between transverse strut members of any of a variety of canoes having different dimensions.

By virtue of the construction and arrangement of the combination canoe and pack carrier the canoe can easily be positioned in place for transportation by an individual, and when the individual is walking with the canoe in this position it will be balanced over his shoulders so as to enable him to carry the canoe with a minimum of effort and with maximum comfort. The straps connected to the frame for securing the frame to the back of the wearer can fit over the shoulders of the wearer so that he can quickly disengage himself from the frame in the event he encounters any difficulty while carrying the canoe. The canoe can also be removed easily from the frame merely by disconnecting the first attachment means from the first strut and allowing the canoe to pivot so that the one end of the canoe engages the ground while the canoe is pivotally supported in the second attachment means. The individual can then lift the canoe from the second attachment means and lower it to the ground with a minimum of difficulty. This arrangement also enables the individual to carry a camping pack on his shoulders in the manner that is conventional with pack carriers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved canoe and pack carrier.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view in perspective showing a combination canoe and pack carrier in position on a wearer and showing a canoe supported on the carrier;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the second attachment means of the carrier;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a lower portion of the frame of the carrier;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the first attachment means of the carrier; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing a modified form of the combination canoe and pack carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention will be described in greater detail. A combination canoe and pack carrier 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in the position that it normally is worn by an individual, and a canoe 12 is mounted in an inverted position on the carrier 10. Normally, a camping pack can be strapped to theframe 14 of the carrier 10 in the manner that is conventional, but the pack has been omitted from the drawings to better illustrate the invention. However, it is not necessary that a pack be carried when carrying the canoe. The

canoe 12 is of a standard construction having a transverse strut l6 and a second transverse strut 18.

The frame comprises a pair of vertical

upright members

22 and 24, and a plurality of

transverse members

26 and 28. Other transverse members may be employed. In the illustrated embodiment thetransverse member 26 is a rigid bar, and thetransverse member 28 is a flexible fabric material. In the conventional manner, theframe 14 includes a pair ofshoulder straps 30, only one of which is shown, for securing the frame against the back of the wearer. A pair ofsupport arms 32 and 34 are pivotally connected, as at 36 tolower portions 38 of theframe 14 and are arranged to extend forward and upward in parallel relationship on opposite sides of the wearer. Thearms 34 and 36 have first attachment means 40 at their distal ends for attachment to the first transverse strut 16 of the canoe 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the first attachment means 40 includes an elastic strap or other suitable strap orband 42 which is secured to the distal end of thearm 32 at 44 and is releasably attached to the hook 46. By virtue of this arrangement the individual wearing the combination canoe and pack carrier can easily secure the strut 16 in a cradled position in the U-shapedmember 48 at the distal end of thearm 32.

Second attachment means 50 are secured to the upper end of theframe 14 for attachment to the second transverse strut 18. The second attachment means is constructed and arranged so that the second strut 18 can be pivotally supported within the U-shaped brackets orchannel members 52 that are open at the top to facilitate positioning the transverse strut 18 within thechannel members 52.

The attachment means 50 can be secured toupright members 20 in any suitable manner, such as by thewing nuts 54 as is illustrated in FIG. 2. Also, it is desirable to have a strap means 56 connecting the distal ends of thearms 32 and 34 and the upper end of theframe 14 so that the arms will be held in an operative position for receiving the first transverse strut 16 during the mounting of the canoe to the position shown in FIG. 1. This strap means 56 may be made adjustable in length to facilitate the use of the combination canoe and pack carrier with any of a selected number of canoes having different spacing between their first and second strut members 16 and 18. Also, to facilitate adjustment, thearms 32 and 34 can be adjustable in length. Any conventional means may be used for this purpose. As shown in FIG. 1, thearms 32 and 34 can be made in two telescoping sections with springactuated retainer pins 58 adapted to be inserted into any of a series of holes 60. Likewise, for adjustment purposes the strap means 56 can have a series of holes for use in securing the strap means to the distal ends of thearms 32 and 34. Other suitable adjustment arrangements may be used, if desired.

The invention is not limited to the specific forms of the attachment means shown in FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, but other means may also be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a second attachment means 62 may be employed which is Y-shaped in configuration, and it can also be secured to the upper ends of theframe 14. The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. allows the canoe to be carried in a position that is more nearly centered over the back of the wearer so as to ease the burden of carrying the canoe 12.

It is claimed:

1. A combination canoe and pack carrier adapted to be worn on the back of an individual for carrying a canoe and pack comprising a frame having vertical upright members and transverse members connected to said upright members, straps connected to said frame for securing the frame against the back of the wearer, said frame being adapted when secured to the wearer to support a pack, a pair of support arms pivotally connected to lower portions of said frame and arranged to extend forward and upward in parallel relationship on opposite sides of the wearer, said arms having first attachment means at their distal ends for attachment to a first transverse strut of a canoe, said frame having second attachment means at its upper end for attachment to a second transverse strut of a canoe, and strap means connecting the distal ends of said arms to the upper end of said frame.

2. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is defined in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises U-shaped brackets secured to the upper ends of said vertical upright members.

3. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is defined in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises Y-shaped brackets secured to the upper ends of said vertical upright members.

4. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is de fined in claim 1, wherein said first attachment means comprises U-shaped members on the distal ends of said arms in which said first strut may be cradled, and straps for securing the first strut in the cradled position.

5. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are adjustable in length to enable the wearer to select the length of the arms most suitable for carrying a canoe.

6. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is defined in claim 5, wherein said strap means are adjustable in length.

7. Apparatus to be worn by an individual for carrying a canoe in an inverted position comprising a frame, straps connected to the frame for securing the frame in a vertical position against the back of the wearer, a pair of support arms pivotally connected to lower portions of said frame at opposite sides thereof and arranged to extend forward and upward on opposite sides of the wearer, first attachment means at the distal ends of said arms for attachment to a first transverse strut of the inverted canoe, second attachment means at the upper end of said frame for attachment to a second transverse strut of said inverted canoe, and connecting means extending between the distal ends of said arms and the upper end of said frame.

8. Apparatus that is defined in claim 7, wherein said second attachment means comprises channel members open at the top in which said second transverse strut can be pivotally supported.

9. Apparatus that is defined in claim 8, wherein said first attachment means comprises strap means for clasping said first transverse strut.

10. Apparatus that is defined in claim 9, wherein said arms and said connecting means are adjustable in length.

Claims

4. The combination canoe and pack carrier that is defined in claim 1, wherein said first attachment means comprises U-shaped members on the distal ends of said arms in whIch said first strut may be cradled, and straps for securing the first strut in the cradled position.