Convertible pickup side rail apparatus

• US 5,431,472 A
• Filed: 10/06/1993
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technic Tool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Technic Tool Corporation
• Inventors: Coffland, Ronald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US08/133,553
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 296/3, 296/10, 296/41, 296/11-14, 410/110, 410/116, 224/42.45 R, 211/169.1
• US Class Current: 296/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/00 Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like

Abstract

A pickup truck side rail apparatus includes paired front and rear rail members which are pivotally mountable to opposed sidewalls along a truck bed. The rail members are stored in lowered positions in which they extend longitudinally above and parallel to the sidewalls. They are vertically spaced from the sidewalls to form longitudinal side rails above and along the sidewalls. The rail members are pivotal to upright positions. In their upright positions, the rail members extend vertically from the front and rear ends of the opposed sidewalls. A pair of overhead cross-bars can be mounted between the transversely aligned rail members when in their upright positions. The overhead cross-bars extend transversely above the pickup truck bed to form an overhead rack for carrying lengthy objects above the truck bed and cab.

Claims

1. A foldable rail apparatus for mounting to a pickup truck bed bounded by sidewalls having longitudinally extending upper surfaces, comprising:

a set of three discrete front, intermediate, and rear mounting brackets each having a bottom surface for securing the mounting bracket to the upper surface of a pickup truck sidewall with the respective mounting brackets in longitudinally, aligned and spaced positions;

a pair of front and rear rail members movably supported on the set of mounting brackets, each rail member having an inner end and an outer end;

the front and rear mounting brackets each including transversely spaced walls which extend upwardly between their bottom surfaces and transversely spaced upper edges that are parallel to the bottom surfaces to form an upwardly open channel extending longitudinally along the brackets, the inner ends of the rail members being received between the channels of the respective brackets;

the intermediate bracket including transversely spaced walls which extend upwardly between their bottom surfaces and transversely spaced upper edges that are parallel to the bottom surfaces to form an upwardly open channel to receive and elevationally support the outer ends of the rail members in longitudinal alignment with one another;

pivot pins extending transversely through the front and rear rail members and the upper portions of the channels of the front and rear mounting brackets, respectively, at locations vertically spaced above the bottom surfaces of the mounting brackets for movement of the rail members between (1) upright positions extending vertically upward from the mounting brackets where the rail members are supported only by the front and rear mounting brackets to permit the rail members to serve as supporting uprights for transverse cross-bars, and (2) lowered positions extending parallel to and constantly spaced above the bottom surfaces of the mounting brackets where the outer ends of the rail members are also releasably supported by the intermediate mounting bracket to permit the rail members to serve as longitudinal rails with open gaps under them along longitudinal spaces between the mounting brackets;

the inner ends of the rail members being extended beyond the connecting pivot pins and within the channels of the respective front and rear mounting brackets; and

releasable lock pins alternately (1) engaging the extended inner ends of the rail members and the mounting brackets at locations below the pivot pins for retaining the rail members in their upright positions, or (2) engaging the extended inner ends of the rail members at locations beyond the pivot pins for retaining the rail members in their lowered positions.

2. The foldable rail apparatus of claim 1 wherein the releasable lock pins extend through the inner ends of the rail members and aligned apertures formed across the channels of the respective front and rear mounting brackets.

3. The foldable rail apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rail members are flush with and substantially fill the areas across the upper edges of the respective channels on the three mounting brackets when the rail members are in their lowered positions.

4. A foldable rail apparatus for mounting to a pickup truck bed bounded by sidewalls having longitudinally extending upper surfaces, comprising:

two sets of three discrete front, intermediate, and rear mounting brackets each having a bottom surface for securing the mounting bracket to the upper surface of a pickup truck sidewall with the respective mounting brackets of each set in longitudinally aligned and spaced positions;

two sets of paired front and rear rail members movably supported on the respective sets of mounting brackets, each rail member having an inner end and an outer end;

the front and rear mounting brackets each including transversely spaced walls which extend upwardly between their bottom surfaces and transversely spaced upper edges that are parallel to the bottom surfaces to form an upwardly open channel extending longitudinally along the brackets, the inner ends of the rail members being received between the channels of the respective brackets;

each intermediate bracket including transversely spaced walls which extend upwardly between their bottom surfaces and transversely spaced upper edges that are parallel to the bottom surfaces to form an upwardly open channel to receive and elevationally support the outer ends of one pair of the rail members in longitudinal alignment with one another;

pivot pins extending transversely through the front and rear rail members and upper portions of the channels of the front and rear mounting brackets of each set, respectively, at locations vertically spaced above the bottom surfaces of the mounting brackets for movement of the rail members between (1) upright positions extending vertically upward from the mounting brackets where the rail members are supported only by the from and rear mounting brackets to permit the rail members to serve as supporting uprights for transverse cross-bars, and (2) lowered positions extending parallel to and constantly spaced above the bottom surfaces of the mounting brackets where the outer ends of the rail members are also releasably supported by the intermediate mounting bracket to permit the rail members to serve as longitudinal rails with open gaps under them along longitudinal spaces between the mounting brackets;

the inner ends of the rail members being extended beyond the connecting pivot pins and within the channels of the respective front and rear mounting brackets;

releasable lock pins alternately (1) engaging the extended inner ends of the rail members and the mounting brackets at locations below the pivot pins for retaining the rail members in their upright positions, or (2) engaging the extended inner ends of the rail members at locations beyond the pivot pins for retaining the rail members in their lowered positions; and

a pair of removable overhead cross-bars extending respectively between the outer ends of the front rail members and the rear rail members while the rail members are in their upright positions.

5. The foldable rail apparatus of claim 4, wherein each overhead cross-bar comprises:

pair of end brackets removably mounted to the outer ends of the rail members when in their upright positions; and

a cross-member rigidly connected to the pair of end brackets.