US Patent 7097409 Ladder rack system

A ladder rack for supporting a ladder in a stowage position and for moving the ladder between the stowage position and a loading/unloading position at which the ladder can be loaded onto the rack or unloaded from the rack. The ladder rack includes: a frame assembly which is mounted on a support structure such as a vehicle roof; a bed platform having a first end that is pivotally coupled to the frame assembly at a fixed position and a second end that is coupled to the frame assembly for alternative sliding and hinged movement with respect to the frame assembly; and a manually operative sliding mechanism and a manually operative pivoting mechanism for moving the bed platform between the stowage position and the loading/unloading position.