Pivoting support assembly

Abstract

An assembly that is mountable to an elongate support member, the assembly comprising a pivoting unit including a bracket and a hub rotatable relative to the bracket. The elongate support member has an opening through which the shaft of a connecting bolt passes to connect the pivoting unit to the elongate support. A load arm attached to the hub pivots relative to the elongate support between an extended position and a folded position.

1 . An assembly mountable to an elongate support member, the assembly comprising:
 a pivoting unit including a bracket and a hub, with the hub having rotation relative to the bracket while said bracket remains stationary;   a connecting bolt having a shaft passing through an opening formed in the elongate support member, the shaft having a thread to be received in a threaded channel inside the hub for rotation to connect the pivoting unit to the elongate support; and   a load arm attached to the hub to pivot relative to the elongate support between an extended position and a folded position wherein in the folded position the load arm adopts an essentially parallel relationship with the elongate support.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bracket is interposed between the hub and the elongate support member. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly recited in  claim 2 , wherein the connecting bolt has a head accessible at an outer surface of the elongate support for rotation of the bolt to connect the pivoting unit to the elongate support and further to apply a restraining force restricting movement of the hub relative to the bracket. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly recited in  claim 3 , wherein the head of the bolt has a design to facilitate rotation of the bolt for connecting the pivoting unit to the elongate support and adjusting the force restricting movement of the hub relative to the bracket. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein the load arm includes at least one clamp having a cradle to receive a portion of an item to be supported by the load arm, the item secured to the cradle using a flexible retainer adapted to wrap over the portion of the item. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly recited in  claim 5 , wherein the flexible retainer is a strap having at least one latching aperture formed therein to engage a hook portion of the cradle, the strap wrapped over the portion of the item to secure the item to the load arm when the latching aperture engages the hook portion. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly recited in  claim 5 , wherein said items have tubular portions and said cradle is adapted to receive said tubular portions of said item. 
   
   
       8 . An assembly mountable to an elongate support member, the assembly comprising:
 a pivoting unit including a bracket and a hub having rotation relative to the bracket when stationary;   a connecting bolt having a shaft passing from the hub through an opening formed in the elongate support member, the shaft having a thread to be received in a threaded channel inside a rotatable object for connection of the pivoting unit to the elongate support; and   a load arm attached to the hub to pivot relative to the elongate support between an extended position and a folded position wherein the load arm adopts an essentially parallel relationship with the elongate support.   
   
   
       9 . The assembly recited in  claim 8 , wherein the bracket is interposed between the hub and the elongate support member. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly recited in  claim 9 , wherein the rotatable object is accessible at an outer surface of the elongate support for rotation to connect the pivoting unit to the elongate support and further to apply a restraining force restricting movement of the hub relative to the bracket. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly recited in  claim 10 , wherein the rotatable object is a knob designed to facilitate gripping and manual rotation of the knob for connecting the pivoting unit to the elongate support and adjusting the restraining force restricting movement of the hub relative to the bracket. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly recited in  claim 8 , wherein the load arm includes at least one clamp having a cradle to receive a portion of an item to be supported by the load arm, the item secured to the cradle using a flexible retainer adapted to wrap over the portion of the item. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly recited in  claim 12 , wherein the flexible retainer is a strap having a latching aperture formed therein to engage a hook portion of the cradle, the strap wrapped over the portion of the item to secure the item to the load arm when the latching aperture engages the hook portion. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly recited in  claim 12 , wherein the item is selected from the group consisting of recreational items that include a tubular portion sized to fit in the cradle of the at least one clamp. 
   
   
       15 . An article for supporting objects suspended from an elongate support member, the article comprising:
 a load arm attached to a hub of a pivoting unit attached to the elongate support member, the load arm adapted to pivot relative to the elongate support between an extended position and a non-supporting folded position, the load arm including at least one clamp having a cradle to receive a portion of an item to be supported by the load arm, the item secured to the cradle using a flexible retainer adapted to wrap over the portion of the item.   
   
   
       16 . The assembly recited in  claim 15 , wherein the flexible retainer is a strap having a latching aperture formed therein to engage a hook portion of the cradle, the strap wrapped over the portion of the item to secure the item to the load arm when the latching aperture engages the hook portion. 
   
   
       17 . The assembly recited in  claim 15 , wherein the item is selected from the group consisting of recreational items including tubular portions sized to fit in the cradle of the at least one clamp. 
   
   
       18 . The assembly recited in  claim 17 , wherein recreational items are selected from the group consisting of chairs, bicycles and the like. 
   
   
       19 . A process for supporting an object on an elongate support member comprising the steps of:
 providing a pivoting unit including a bracket and a hub having rotation relative to the bracket when stationary;   positioning a connecting bolt having a shaft passing through an opening formed in the elongate support member, the shaft having a thread to be received in a threaded channel inside the hub for rotation to connect the pivoting unit to the elongate support; and   adjusting a load arm, attached to the hub, to pivot relative to the elongate support between an extended position for supporting the object and a folded, non-supporting position wherein the load arm becomes essentially parallel with the elongate support.