Vehicle-carrying rack

Claim 1

A VEHICLE-CARRYING RACK FOR THE TOP OF A VEHICLE HAVING DRAIN GUTTERS AT OPPOSITE SIDES, COMPRISING AN ARTICLE SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND TRANSVERSELY OF THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE, LEGS FORMED AT THE OUTER ENDS OF THE SUPPORT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEGS PROVIDING FEET WHICH REST IN THE GUTTER AND HOLD THE SUPPORT SPACED FROM THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE, A LEG CLAMP MOUNTED NEAR THE LOWER END OF EACH LEG HAVING A PART ENGAGED WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE GUTTER, A SCREW EXTENDING THROUGH THE LEG CLAMP FROM THE OUTSIDE INTO THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEG, SAID SCREW BEING OPERATIVE TO DRAW THE LEG CLAMP AND LEG TOGETHER TO BIND THE GUTTER THEREBETWEEN, ARTICLE CLAMPS MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORT PARALLEL TO ITS UPPER SIDE, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE ARTICLE CLAMPS TO THE SUPPORT, LATCH MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE DISTAL ENDS OF THE ARTICLE CLAMPS FOR SECURING THE ARTICLE CLAMPS IN CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUPPORT, EACH LATCH MEMBER COMPRISING A CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER MOUNTED WITH ITS OPEN SIDE FACING THE LEG, SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE LEG OVER THE LEG CLAMP, THE BACK AND FLANGES OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER COVERING THE DISTAL ENDS OF THE SUPPORT AND ARTICLE CLAMP AT THAT END AND, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EDGES OF THE LEG, FORMING AN ENCLOSURE ABOUT THE LEG CLAMP RENDERING IT INACCESSIBLE, THE EDGE PORTIONS OF THE FLANGES CROSSING THE DISTAL ENDS OF THE SUPPORT AND ARTICLE CLAMP PREVENTING ACCESS TO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LATCH MEMBER CONTAINING A HOLE ADJACENT ITS LOWER END ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE HEAD OF THE SCREW TO HOLD THE ARTICLE CLAMP IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTICLE SUPPORT, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE LATCH MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HEAD OF THE SCREW COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE CORD ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE INNER SIDE OF THE LATCH MEMBER, SAID CORD BEING OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND BETWEEN THE LINTELS OF THE DOOR AND DOOR FRAME OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVING AT ITS INNER END A RIGID PART TOO LARGE TO PASS BETWEEN THE LINTELS OF THE DOOR AND DOOR FRAME WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED.