GB2354216A

GB2354216A - Game carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2354216A
Application number: GB0022541A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Rex Evans
Original assignee: A E EVANS
Current assignee: A E EVANS
Priority date: 1999-09-16
Filing date: 2000-09-14
Publication date: 2001-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-14
Also published as: GB9921775D0; GB2354216B; GB0022541D0

Abstract

A game carrier adapted for mounting on a motor vehicle comprises one or more rails 13 having means for receiving game, and further comprising a cover member 17 made up of flexible material for covering and uncovering the game receiving rails and any game carried thereon. The rails are connected to two spaced hoops 1, 3 which are dimensioned to span across the width of the vehicle such that in use there are rails disposed to at least one side of the vehicle and preferably both sides.

Description

2354216 TITLE: Game Carrier

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a game carrier.

Generally speaking a shooting party will travel by motor vehicle from a rendezvous point to various stands during the course of a shoot. Game which is shot and retrieved on a shooting expedition also has to be collected together for transportation. At present the shot game is simply put into one of the vehicles. Landrovers or other pick-up type off-road vehicles are the most common vehicles which are used and the back of such vehicles lends them to transportation of members of the shooting party from one location to another, but a separate vehicle has to be reserved for transportation of the shot game as it is not practical or desirable to put game and shooters together in the back of such a vehicle.

The present invention aims to provide a solution.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a game carrier adapted for mounting on a motor vehicle comprising one or more rails and having means for receiving game, and further comprising a cover member made up of flexible material for covering and uncovering the game receiving rails and any game carried thereon.

Preferably the carrier is mounted, in use, in a position such that the game hangs substantially vertically. Preferably there are two rails connected to two 2 supports. More particularly the rails are mounted to substantially upright members. More particularly still the upright members form part of two hoops, each of which has two upright members connected by a transverse bridging element. The bridging element is dimensioned to span across the width of a vehicle such that in use the uprights of each hoop are dis posed adjacent the opposite sides of a vehicle. Conveniently the uprights are substantially vertical and the uprights to one or both sides of the vehicle have the aforesaid rails secured thereto for receiving game. The means to receive the game conveniently comprise a plurality of hooks. More particularly the length of the uprights are such as to leave a space beneath the bridging elements which can be accommodated by personnel or other equipment using the vehicle. The hoops may be dimensioned to fit over any structure of the vehicle be it a fixed body part or removal canopy or canvas hood in the case of a pick-up type vehicle.

Conveniently the lower end of the uprights is provided with a foot which in use is engageable with a ledge of the vehicle or any canopy carried by the vehicle. Alternatively support may be provided by the bridging section engaging directly with the roof or canopy of the vehicle or by way of support feet. The support feet may be made of rubber or any other cushioning material. By this means the game carrier according to a preferred embodiment can be lifted on and off the vehicle as and when required. The aforesaid cover is secured to an upper one of the rails to permit it to be folded back to overlie the bridging section when access to the rails is required to position or remove game from the rails 3 and which can be folded back over the rail to lie along the sides of the vehicle covering any game placed on the rails. Means are provided for securing the cover when deployed, which means may comprise an elasticated loop or other fixing means.

The present invention will now be described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference only to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game carrier apparatus according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle with the game carder in position.

The game carder according to the invention comprises two hoops 1, 3 which comprise a pair of uprights 5 and a bridging element 7. The hoops are dimensioned to fit over the back of a motor vehicle, such as a pick-up vehicle, as illustrated in figure 2. In the example of figure 2 the back of the pick-up is covered by a replaceable canopy 9. The covered load spaced is accessed via tailgate 11. The uprights 5 are interconnected by two elongate longitudinally extending rails 13 disposed spaced apart one above the other and each carrying a plurality of hooks 15. The hooks in one rail are staggered relative to the hooks in the other rail. In the illustrated embodiment a -cover made of flexible waterproof fabric or plastics material 17 is attached to the upper rail 13 and can be positioned to overlie the rails 13 and any game secured on hooks 15 or it can be turned back for access to the rails. Where the vehicle has a solid hood then the cover will lie over the top of the vehicle or canopy as shown in figure 2 4 otherwise it can hang down on the inside of the rails. The lower end of each upright 5 is provided with a plastics sleeve which acts as a foot and which in use engages with a ledge 21 of the vehicle canopy or an edge of the pick-up frame. In an alternative embodiment the bridging elements 7 carry rubber feet which engage with the canopy 9.

In the illustrated embodiment the hoops 1, 3 are shown as a one piece construction but as an alternative these may be made in two or more parts with the upright slotting into the bridging elements so that the components can be broken down into smaller package prior to assembly. The uprights may be telescopically adjustable as may the bridging elements 7. The rails 13 may be provided with holes at spaced intervals to facilitate securing to the uprights at alternative longitudinal positions to suit different applications.

Claims

1 A game carrier adapted for mounting on a motor vehicle comprising one or more rails and having means for receiving game, and further comprising a cover member made up of flexible material for covering and uncovering the game receiving rails and any game carried thereo n.

2 A game carrier as claimed in claim 1 in which the carrier is mounted, in use, in a position such that the game hangs substantially vertically.

3 A game carrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which there are two rails connected to two supports.

4 A game carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the rails are mounted to substantially upright members.

A game carrier as claimed in claim 4 in which the upright members form part of two hoops, each of which has two upright members connected by a transverse bridging element.

6 A game carder as claimed in claim 5 in which the bridging element is dimensioned to span across the width of a vehicle such that in use the uprights of each hoop are disposed adjacent the opposite sides of a vehicle.

7 A game carrier as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6 in which the uprights are substantially vertical and the uprights to one or both sides of the vehicle have the aforesaid rails secured thereto for receiving game.

8 A game carrier as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7 in whiclh the length of the uprights are such as to leave a space beneath the bridging elements which can be accommodated by personnel or other equipment using the vehicle.

6

9 A game carrier as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8 which the hoops are dimensioned to fit over any structure of the vehicle be it a fixed body part or removable canopy or canvas hood in the case of a pick-up type vehicle.

A game carrier as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9 in which the lower end of the uprights is provided with a foot which in use is engagable with a ledge of the vehicle or any canopy carried by the vehicle.

11 A game carrier as claimed in claim 10 in which the support feet are made of rubber or any other cushioning material.

12 A game carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the cover is secured to an upper one of the rails to permit it to be folded back to overlie the bridging section when access to the rails is required to position or remove game from the rails and which can be folded back over the rail to lie along the sides of the vehicle covering any game placed on the rails.

13 A game carrier as claimed in claim 12 in which means are provided for securing the cover when deployed, which means comprise an elasticated loop or other fixing means.

14 A game carrier as claimed in claim 5 in which the support is provided by the bridging section engaging directly with the roof or canopy of the veh i cl e or by way of s u ppo rt feet.

A game carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the means to receive the game comprise a plurality of hooks.

16 A game carrier constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.