55 or 56 respectively, when the deployed rod 60 meets the entrance edge/perimeter of the larger tube 55 or 56, and as the smaller tube 57 or 58 is continually pushed, the rod 60, 61 is pushed down into the cavity 63 that houses it. As the smaller tube 57, 58 continues to be pushed into the larger tube 55, 56, any remaining rods 60, 61 are retracted in like manner. The support rods 60, 61 may be placed at varying distances apart. One possible embodiment would utilize rods 60 that deploy in between the two extendable tubes 55-58 to prevent the kayak from dropping in between them, while another embodiment could utilize rods 61 that deploy outward from the tubes to keep the kayak from slipping off the side of the extendable tubes. Rods 60, 61 may both be deployed between the extension tubes and outwardly from the extension tubes.

Any of the embodiments of the present invention may comprise a winch or winch apparatus. In reference to FIGS. 20 through 22, the use of a winch with the kayak rack can be seen. The winch is used for pulling, hauling, and/or lifting a kayak onto the kayak rack. FIG. 20 illustrates a conventional, manual winch 80 having a frame 81, rear plate 82, a hook 84, a cable 85 (or rope or other type of line), and a handle 86 on crank 87. The rear plate 82 is the rear section of the winch 80. The rear plate 82 may be utilized as a mechanism to mount the winch 80 to the front surface of a truck bed 31. A winch 80 may be mounted directly to the vehicle or to the rack. For removability, portability, and convenience of operation, a winch may advantageously be mounted on a special winch plate 90 as shown in the winch apparatus of FIGS. 21 and 22.

As can be seen in FIGS. 21 and 22, in embodiments of the invention the winch plate 90 may define an inverted U-shape with two legs 92, 93 and connecting part 94. Front leg 92 is adapted to slide down between a truck cab and the front wall 32 of the truck bed 31. Rear leg 93 and connecting part 94 are adapted to slide over the front wall 32 of the truck bed 31. Winch plate 90 may include fasteners to affix it to the front wall 32 of the truck bed 31 without having to drill holes in the wall. FIGS. 21 and 22 show knobs 96 which may be used to turn lead screws that grip the front wall 32 and hold the winch plate 90 in place. FIGS. 21 and 22 include winch 98 which has a frame, a rear plate, a hook 84, a cable 85, and a drive 99. Winch 98 may be mounted on winch plate 90.

The set of knobs 96 are used as a mechanism to assist the winch plate to mount against a truck bed. The set of knobs are located on the winch plate. The set of knobs 96 can be adjusted and tightened down to secure the winch plate onto the rail or side of a truck bed. The cable 85 is a lengthy rope-like material used to assist leverage when placing a kayak onto the kayak rack. The hook 84 is a curved or bent fastening device used for holding and securing an object to the cable. The drive 99 may be used as a mechanism to leverage and pull the cable onto the winch. Instead of a handle drive, the winch could be powered, for example. by an electric motor, hydraulic motor, or the like.

In the winch apparatus embodiment of FIG. 22, there is an extension or arm 100 mounted to the winch plate and to which the winch 98 is mounted so that the winch is spaced away from the winch plate and the wall 32 of the truck bed 31. This arrangement may improve the process of loading a kayak or the like onto the rack from the water by means of the winch by changing the angle and/or position of the pulling force on the hook. Support bar(s) 102, 103 may be utilized to assist in the mounting of the winch onto a truck bed. The support bar(s) 102, 103 may be adjustable in length. The support bar(s) may extend out from the winch 98 or the arm 100 to the interior sides of the truck bed 31. The support bars 102, 103 can telescopically expand to the desired length to support the winch within different sized truck beds. The support bar is used to support, stabilize, and assist the winch and winch plate when the winch is pulling heavy loads.

In other embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24, there may be an extension rod 110 that may be permanently or removably attached to the rack 10 and that may swing on a hinge or mount in a slot in order to adjust the height of an attached pulley wheel 112 and to permit its retraction for storage within the confines of the base of the rack 10 when not in use. In other embodiments, the pulley 112 and attached rod 110 could be detached when not in use. The pulley 112 could be attached to the rack 10 with or without a rod 110. The purpose of the pulley 112 in all embodiments is to assist in the loading and unloading of a kayak or canoe via a rope or cable 85 attached to the kayak or canoe 50. The pulley 112 and rod 110 may also rotate, and/or other pulleys be mounted to the rack or truck, to change the angle of the assisting force depending on where the user is in relation to it. The user could thus be located outside the confines of the vehicle upon which the rack rests or within the confines of the vehicle, such as, for example, in the truck bed as they pull the rope or cable through the pulley. For example, the winch apparatus could be mounted on one side of the truck bed, and there could be more than one pulley or a series of pulleys to further facilitate the loading and unloading of a kayak or canoe, to allow the user to be on the ground beside the truck. Note that the pulley or pulleys and variations in winch mounting can be used in any embodiment of the present invention. The pulley(s) can be used with or without a hand-operated winch 80 or power winch 98 to assist the user with utilizing the present invention. The rod 110 and pulley 112 may be mounted to any of the ribs 13, 14. FIG. 23 shows rod 110 mounted to a central rib 114. FIG. 24 shows rod 110 mounted to a forward rib 116.

When using the extension rod apparatus, as shown in FIG. 23, the user initially pulls the rope or cable 85 that is going through pulley on the winch plate and onto the pulley wheel 112 that is on the extension rod 110 that is fixed at the desired angle to begin to pull the watercraft 50 up the ramp formed by the extension tubes 55, 56, 57 58. When the leading end of the watercraft being loaded onto the rack reaches a certain point, there could a mechanical trigger that releases the extension rod from its fixed upright position and allows it to drop parallel with rack, thus changing the direction of the pulling force from an angle to a more or less straight line. This trigger could occur when the watercraft has travelled far enough up the ramp to be on plane with the truck bed and the rack. The trigger could be rope or cord attached to a release mechanism that the user could pull at the opportune time to release the extension rod and let it fall parallel to the rack.

The winch and extension rod with pulley are just one possible way to assist with pulling a kayak or canoe up onto the rack. Other mechanisms involving for example, a hoist or lift, additional pulleys, block and tackle, screw mechanisms, hand or power driven, or the like may be used with the rack.

Again in reference to FIGS. 23 and 24, the extension rod 110 of the present invention is shown. The extension rod is utilized as a mechanism to assist the leverage and placement of the present invention and a kayak onto a truck bed or trailer. The extension rod 110 may be adjustable with a pulley wheel 112 at the top to compensate for steep angles when loading a kayak. The rod may pivot up and down as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. In addition, the extension rod could be retracted or fit into a slot to lock in place on the kayak rack when unused.

The winch apparatus described above will work best with a watercraft equipped with a bow eye or stern eye or similar component to which the hook can be attached for pulling. Many lighter kayaks do not have a bow eye or stern eye or similar component that is compatible with the typical winch hook. In reference to FIG. 25, a loop/ring fitting 120 is provided for a kayak 50 to which the winch cable or hook may fasten. The loop/ring 122 is the mechanism that is attached to the end of a kayak. The loop/ring fitting 120 has adjustable straps 126 with hooks 123 that tighten down on nearby surfaces, cleats, or mooring rings to secure loop/ring 122 to the kayak as can be seen in FIGS. 25A and 25B. The straps are flexible, strong and may be stretchy or adjustable to be able to fit over the front end of any kayak. In more detail, loop/ring fitting 120 includes top straps 125, bottom straps 127, and connecting straps 129. Top and bottom straps start from loop/ring 122 and spread outward to accommodate the bow of a kayak therein. Connecting straps 129 form a ring around the bow of the kayak to which the spaced out ends of the top and bottom straps are attached. Buckles or other adjustable fittings within each portion of the connecting straps 129 permit the fitting to fit snuggly on any shape or size of kayak bow. Note that FIG. 25 showing the loop/ring fitting attached to a kayak is just one possible embodiment. In other embodiments, the loop/ring could be permanently attached to the kayak via adhesive material, screws, pins, or the like.

The second embodiment could be such that instead of the two sides of the base folding on top of each other via a set of hinges (as in the previously described base ladders 11, 12), the sides could actually slide on top of each other when not in use, making it quick and easy to store or put the entire rack into the truck bed to close the tailgate while out on the lake or just when driving around with the rack in the back. The second ladder 130, i.e., the front half of the rack base that the front of the kayak would rest on (the one that is closest to the winch and rear window of the truck) may have a track, slot, or channel 136, 137 running all or most of the length of the sides 132, 134, near the top, or on the very top of the sides as shown in FIG. 19A. The first ladder 142, i.e., the back/rear half of the rack (the one closest to the tailgate) will then have a rail 146, 147 whose shape corresponds with the shape of the track/channel 136, 137 on the other ladder, allowing the track to fit snugly into the track/channel as shown in FIG. 19B. At storage time the rail 146, 147 of the back/rear half 140 of the rack can be aligned with the channel 136, 137 on the front half 130 of the rack and then pushed to the point where the sides of each side of the base are interlocked, with one on top of the other. There would then be a mechanism such as a latch that secures the bases from detaching via the rail/track system until the user is ready to deploy the rack again for its intended use. In this embodiment, where the sides of the bases are not connected and are two separate pieces, there will be a mechanism located on the exterior side of each base, on the side of the base where the two sides of the base connect in the deployed position. This mechanism will secure/affix the two sides together. This design lends itself to use of metal or plastic extrusions for the sides 132, 134, 142, 144 with the slots 136, 137 and rails 146, 147.

The third embodiment of the present invention, the two bases (the first ladder and the second ladder) can attach in other methods besides a hinge. For example, on the exterior sides of the base could be a metal track running longways. There could be an axle rod a few inches long that has a wheel on each end, with one wheel rolling on the track on one side of the base and the other wheel on the track on the other base. There could be an axle rod with the wheels on the tracks on both sides of the rack. The axle rod could be just long enough to allow the rear side of the rack (the end hanging off the tailgate when the rack is in use) to be lifted and slide over the other side of the base below, along the pipes. There could then be a mechanism to lock the two sides together.

The various embodiments could utilize various tie-downs in order to anchor or secure the rack in place in a truck bed or other vehicle when deployed.

For example, the various embodiments could utilize various kinds of braces or supports that secure the rack to the truck or trailer bed and prevent undesirable movement of the rack. The braces could be rods or bars that extend from either side of the rack to the interior side of the truck bed. FIG. 11 illustrates some options. In FIG. 11, bracing rod 47 extends from one side of the rack to one interior side of the truck bed to illustrate a rigid rod option. Bracing rod 48 likewise extends from one side of the rack to a side of the truck bed to illustrate a telescoping or adjustable bracing rod. Bracing chain 46 illustrates a chain 46 extending from a tie down loop on the truck to the rack as another option. Thus, the braces or supports could be adjustable in length and could include straps, chains, hooks, clamps, rods, beams, and the like, and may be attached with joints, fittings, couplings, universal joints, wire lock pins, cotter pins, hinges or the like on either side of the truck bed and rack for the purpose of securing the rack in the bed of the truck. FIG. 29 illustrates a strap assembly 180 with a hook 183,184 at each end of strap 182 for securing the rack in the truck or trailer. On or more anchor loops 185, or cleats, eyelets, rings, or the like may be included at any convenient position along a rack portion (such as ladder 11) to which the strap or other tie-down may be affixed.

FIG. 30 illustrates an alternate type of tie-down in the form of an extendable bracing rod 190 mounted on one side of rack 11. The bracing rod 190 may include two cylinders 191, 192, one smaller one (191) going into a larger one (192), making it adjustable in length, using for example holes 193 that line up with a pin going through them. One end of the rod