DEVICE FOR ATTACHING LOADING RAMP TO PICKUP TRUCK TAILGATE

• US 3,756,440 A
• Filed: 04/25/1972
• Issued: 09/04/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald F. Kutz, Gerald G. Raap
• Original Assignee: Donald F. Kutz, Gerald G. Raap
• Inventors: Raap, Gerald G., Kutz, Donald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/247,412
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 214/85,85.1 296/61 14/71,72
• US Class Current: 414/537
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/435 the ramp being attached to or making part of the side- or tailboards of the vehicle

Abstract

A mounting assembly for use in supporting a loading ramp from truck tailgate in an operative rearwardly and downardly inclined position when the tailgate is in an open position and for swinging of the tailgate to a stored position overlying the inner surface of and supported from the tailgate when the latter is in its raised closed position.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for use in supporting a loading ramp from a truck tailgate in an operative position inclined rearwardly and downwardly when the tailgate is in an open position and also in a manner allowing the ramp to be swung to a stored position overlying the inner surface of and supported from the tailgate when the latter is in its raised closed position, said mounting assembly comprising an elongated guide member including means carried by its opposite end portions for securement to the inner surface of a tailgate adjacent the free swinging edge portion thereof, a pair of followers slidingly disposed on said guide member for movement therealong and also supported from said guide member for rotation thereabout, a pair of anchor members for support from opposite side portions of one end of a loading Ramp, one of said anchor members being oscillatably supported from one of said followers for angular displacement relative thereto about an axis disposed generally normal to said guide member, the other anchor member being readily removably secured to the other follower, a third anchor member for securement to the side portion of the other end of said loading ramp corresponding to the side portion thereof from which said other anchor member is to be secured, said third anchor member being readily removably securable to said other follower.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated guide member comprises a cylindrical member, said followers each including sleeve portions slidably and rotatably mounted on said guide member.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein each of said sleeve members includes an integral pivot pin portion projecting outwardly therefrom at generally right angles relative thereto, said anchor members each comprising an eye member rotatably and telescopically receivable over the corresponding pivot pin portion.

4. The combination of claim 3 including retaining means readily removably engageable with each of said pivot pin portions outwardly of the corresponding eye member for releasably securing said eye members on said pivot pin portions.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means carried by the opposite end portions of said guide member define opposing sockets in which the opposite ends of said guide member are captively retained.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said assembly further includes an abutment member for securement to a hinged lateral extension of said loading ramp and to be carried by the end of the free swinging edge portion of the ramp extension for abutting engagement with said guide member.

7. In combination with a vertically swingable vehicle tailgate, an elongated ramp structure, an elongated guide member supported from and extending along the free swinging edge of said tailgate, a pair of followers slidably and oscillatably mounted on said guide member for movement therealong and angular displacement about axes generally paralleling said guide member, said ramp including opposite end and opposite side marginal portions, the opposite ends of one of said end marginal portions including first and second attaching means readily releasably attached to said followers, said first attaching means and the corresponding follower including coacting means attaching the first attaching means to the corresponding follower for angular displacement of the ramp relative to the follower about an axis disposed generally normal to said axes, and third attaching means carried by the other end of said ramp at the side thereof from which the first attaching means is supported readily releasably attachable to the follower to which the first attaching means if attached.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said side of said ramp from which the first and third attaching means are supported includes a pivoted extension secured thereto for swinging movement between an extended substantially coplanar position projecting outwardly of the corresponding side of the ramp and a folded inoperative position folded over and superimposed on said ramp, the end of the free swinging edge portion of said extension corresponding to the end of said ramp from which said first and second attaching means are secured including an abutment overlyingly engageable with said elongated guide member when said first and second attaching means are attached to said followers.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said elongated guide member comprises a cylindrical member, each of said followers including a sleeve rotatably and slidably disposed on said cylindrical member.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein each of said sleeves includes a laterally outwardly projecting pivot pin portion, said attaching means each including an eye portion rotatably and slidably receivable over the corresponding pivot pin portion.