Bicycle rack
BACKGROUND 
     1. The Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to hitch-mounted devices for holding bicycles on the back of a vehicle, and more particularly, to novel systems and methods for a device for holding multiple bicycles on the back of a vehicle with minimal extension therebehind. 
     2. The Background Art 
     Many bicycle racks hold only two bicycles. In addition, some racks extend too far behind the carrying vehicle. Some racks, when loaded, protrude more than three feet, the legal limit in some states. Many racks prevent access to the back of the carrying vehicle, such as for opening a door or trunk, without removal of the rack. Racks may lack means to lock bicycles in a way that they may be easily removed. Furthermore, many racks require purchase and installation of special hitch apparatus for mounting a rack. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to resolve these problems. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device easily attachable to a hitch of a vehicle. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device easily loaded with bicycles. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device that does not exceed the legal extension limit when loaded with two or four bicycles. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device sufficiently elevated to preclude contact with the ground when passing through a ditch or equivalent. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device that may be lowered to provide access to the rear of the vehicle. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a device adaptable to carry up to six bicycles at once. 
     Consistent with the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a bicycle rack is disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention as including a hitch-mounted device for holding a plurality of bicycles at the rear of a vehicle, while still remaining within legal extension limits for the vehicle. 
     The device or apparatus may include a first member or post extending substantially vertically, having attached substantially perpendicularly thereto a second member or trunnion to fit a hitch on the vehicle. The trunnion may extend rearwardly to form or otherwise connect to a lower arm. The lower arm may extend away from the hitch to connect to a third member or tray extending substantially horizontally, and substantially perpendicularly with respect to the lower arm. The tray may be adapted to hold the rear wheel of a bicycle. The lower arm may be extendible away from the hitch for carrying additional bicycles in a similar manner. 
     At a top end of the post, and substantially perpendicularly with respect thereto, a fourth member or top arm may extend substantially horizontally away to support a box-like structure or block. The top arm and block form a fork mount. The block may have slots formed therein adapted to hold one end of the front fork of a bicycle attached to the apparatus. 
     Two pairs of metal arms extend from opposite sides of the post to form a yoke. Each pair of arms connects to the post to extend away therefrom, being adapted to support the two sides of a front wheel removed from a bicycle. The arms are moveable (pivotable as illustrated) with respect to the post, having means for securing (such as quick-release axle locks as illustrated) the wheels to one end of a pair of the arms. An attachment structure for securing the front fork to the fork mount, and for securing the front wheel to the yoke (pair of arms) may be provided for each bicycle. 
     In use, an apparatus in accord with the invention may be employed by removing a front wheel from a first bicycle to be loaded, placing the front wheel between the pair of arms in the yoke, and securing the axle at the center of the wheel to the ends of each arm of the pair of arms forming the yoke. 
     The rear wheel may be then placed on the tray, the front fork being secured to the sides of the fork mount on the top arm. The process may be repeated for a second bicycle positionable opposite the first bicycle to extend away therefrom in a mirror-image fashion illustrated. 
     Adding more bicycles may be accomplished by extending the apparatus. For example, a user may add an extension to the lower arm for holding the rear wheels and so forth, to position additional bicycles away from the vehicle in a fashion similar to that of the first two bicycles as described above. The apparatus may be extended to hold up to 3 pairs of bicycles and may be adapted to hold more bicycles. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a rear isometric view (with respect to a mounting vehicle) of an apparatus made according to the invention for holding bicycles on a vehicle, illustrated with two bicycles thereon having their front wheels removed and supported by the apparatus; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the bicycles removed; and 
     FIG. 3 is a rear isometric view of the fork mount and a quick release skewer, a type of locking device for securing a fork of a bicycle to the fork mount, of the apparatus of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in FIGS. 1 through 3, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but it is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     The presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
     In FIGS. 1-3, an apparatus 10, for attachment to a receiver 12, also referred to as a hitch mount 12, of a vehicle 11, may include a post 14 connectable to the receiver 12 by a trunnion 16. The post 14 extends upwardly from a first or lower end 18A, connected to the trunnion 16, to a second or upper end 18B. One end, a front end, of the trunnion 16 may be secured to the hitch mount 12, while the other end, back end, may be adapted to supportively connect to the post 14. A lower arm 21 may extend from the trunnion 16 or post 14 to support a tray 22. The apparatus 10 may be extended, such as by extending the lower arm 21, for holding additional bicycles (not shown) oriented as the bicycles 26A, 26B. 
     A tray 22 may be secured to the lower arm 21 connected to the trunnion 16 to extend horizontally away for supporting the rear wheels 24A, 24B of bicycles 26A, 26B thereon. A top arm 28 may extend away from the top end 18B of the post 14 for supporting blocks 29 for receiving the front fork 32A of the bicycle 26A. Alternatively, terms such as &#34;support&#34; or &#34;fork mount&#34; and the like may be used to indicate the entire fork mount 30, the assembly including the top arm 28 and blocks 29 adapted to provide support of a front fork 32A of a bicycle 26A by the post 14. 
     A yoke 33 may comprise arms 34A, 34B extending away from the post 14 for supporting the front wheel 36A of the bicycle 26A. A skewer assembly 38 replaces the front wheel 36A in the fork 32A for securing the front wheel 36A to the block 29 of the fork mount 30. The arms 34A, 34B may be pivotably attached proximate the end 39A of the yoke 33 to move with respect to the post 14, thus facilitating the front wheel 36A resting against the post for support. The arms 34A, 34B may be secured at one end 39A to the post 14 by fasteners such as bolts. The axle 70A of the front wheel 36A may serve as a bolt to secure the wheel 36A between the arms 34A, 34B at an end 39B opposite the post 14. 
     A lock loop 40 may be attached to the post 14 for receiving a lock, cable or the like. The chain or cable may then be threaded through the bicycle 26A at a convenient location, such as near the intersection of the down tube 46A and the seat tube 42A, and firmly locked. Once locked the cable or chain may prevent accidental release of a bicycle 26A during transit, or unauthorized, intentional removal by theft. 
     In general, a bicycle 26A includes a seat tube 42A, crank housing 44A, down tube 46A top tube 48A, head tube 50A, seat stays 52A, chain stays 54A, with handlebars 56A, and a seat 58A. A crank assembly 60A includes pedals 62A and cranks 64A rotatable with respect to the crank housing 44A. 
     Rotatably secured in the head tube 50A may be a front fork 32A connected to be turned by the handlebars 56A. The fork 32A has tines 66A connected at the head end 68A of the fork 32A, separated at an axle end 69A, and adapted to receive an axle 70A of the front wheel 36A. 
     The axle 70A may be removed from the tines 66A with the front wheel 36A. When the rear wheel 24A of the bicycle 26A may be set into the tray 22, the head tube 50A with the tines 66A are pivoted, about the rear wheel 24A, toward the fork mount 30. 
     The block 29 of the fork mount 30 may be fastened, such as by bolting, to the upper arm 28. In securing the bicycle 26A to the apparatus 10, the axle 70A may be replaced through the tines 66A by a skewer assembly 38 having a skewer 72 to fit through the slots 74 to extend across the block 29. The skewer 72 may be one of many types known in the art. The quick-release type shown may be one suitable type of skewer 72 having adjustment nuts 74 and a quick-release lever 76 for applying and releasing tension on the skewer 72. When tension is released, the skewer may be selectively moved upwardly 80A and downwardly 80B along the slots 78 to adjust for the size of the bicycle 26A extending from the tray 22 to the fork mount 30. 
     The post 14 may be secured to the trunnion 16 to be pivotable or tiltable away from the vehicle 11. A pin 82 may be removed from securing the post 14 in an upright position to permit tilting of the post 14. The post 14 may be tilted away from the vehicle 11 toward a position lying down with respect to an upright position. Thus, a user may open a door or otherwise gain access to the rear of the vehicle 11 without unloading the bicycles 26A, 26B or removing the apparatus 10. 
     In one embodiment, the trunnion 16 and lower arm 21 may have a combined length of from about 18 inches to about 2 feet as desireable and necessary to support the total number of bicycles 26A, 26B to be carried. The upper arm 28 may extend from about 7 to about 10 inches from the post 14 as desireable and necessary to fit the bicycles 26A, 26B properly. The lower arm 21 and upper arm 28 may be extended, as discussed above. The apparatus may accommodate additional bicycles 26A up to six in one presently preferred embodiment. More bicycles 26A are possible in an apparatus 10 made in accordance with the invention, however. 
     The tray 22 may be from about 3 feet to about 6 feet long, and may be `V`-shaped. The tray 22 may also be provided with clamps 83 placed to secure the rear wheel 24A in place in the tray 22. The arms 34A, 34B may be sized to hold the front wheel 36A, but may conveniently be sized from about 1 foot to about 2 feet long. 
     In one embodiment, a stand may be provided to replace the receiver 12, for supporting and stabilizing the apparatus 10 on a surface. Thus, the apparatus 10 is adaptable to serve as a compact storage device for bicycles 26A when not in use for transit. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.