Truck bed extender

• US 5,456,511 A
• Filed: 08/03/1994
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert F. Webber
• Original Assignee: Albert F. Webber
• Inventors: Webber, Albert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/285,088
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26, 296/50, 296/57.1
• US Class Current: 296/26.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/00 Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02

Abstract

A truck bed extender comprising a frame formed of a pair of opposed and spaced frame elements with each frame element adapted to be coupled to opposite sidewalls of a bed of a truck; a generally u-shaped and elongated extender pan disposed between the frame elements and adapted to be positioned within bed of a truck; an extender tailgate hingeably secured to the extender pan, the tailgate extender positionable and securable against the extender pan in a closed orientation and positionable remote therefrom in an opened orientation; a roller mechanism associated between the extender pan and frame and further adapted to be associated with a bed of a truck for allowing extension of the extender pan from a bed of a truck; and a locking mechanism associated with the roller mechansim means for setting the extension of the extender pan from a bed of a truck.

Claims

1. A truck bed extender for extending a bed of a truck and thereby increasing its useable cargo space comprising, in combination:

a rigid frame formed of a pair of symmetrically opposed and spaced frame elements, each frame element adapted to be coupled to opposite sidewalls of a bed of a truck near its tailgate, each frame element having a horizontal upper rail, a horizontal lower rail, and a pair of vertical corrugated cross beams coupled therebetween to define an essentially rectangular and planar configuration, the top rail and bottom rail each having a J-shaped cross-section with a common integral surface defining a raceway, the upper and lower rails each oriented such that the raceways face each other, each frame element further including a locking brace having a J-shaped cross-section coupled to each top rail at a location between the cross beams;

a rigid extender pan disposed between the frame elements of the frame and adapted to be positioned within bed of a truck, the extender pan having a generally rectangular corrugated bottom wall having a front edge, rear edge, and opposed side edges extended therebetween, and a pair of corrugated upstanding side walls each extended upwards from a separate side edge and each terminated at an outwardly extended lip, each lip further having an elongated guiding slot formed therealong;

a generally rectangular extender tailgate having a lower edge, upper edge, and side edges extended therebetween with the lower edge hingeably secured to the bottom wall of the extender pan at the rear edge thereof, the tailgate extender positionable in upright and against the extender pan in a closed orientation and positionable remote therefrom in an opened orientation;

a first set of four side rollers and a second set of four side rollers, each set further formed of an upper pair of side rollers and a lower pair of side rollers, the lower pairs of side rollers of the first set and the second set each coupled to opposite side walls of the extender pan and each positioned in contact with a raceway of a lower rail of the adjacent frame element for longitudinal rotatable movement therein, the upper pairs of side rollers of the first and second set each coupled to opposite side walls of the extender pan and each positioned in contact with a raceway of an upper rail of the adjacent frame element for longitudinal rotatable movement therein;

a set of four bottom rollers, each bottom roller coupled to the bottom wall of the extender pan near a separate corner and extended downwards therefrom for contact with a bed of a truck for longitudinal rotatable movement thereupon;

releasable latch means coupled to the extender tailgate for releasably securing the extender tailgate in an upright orientation against the extender pan; and

a pair of locking adjustment knobs, each locking adjustment knob disposed through a separate guiding slot of the extender pan and threadably coupled to a locking brace on a frame element for allowing extension of the extender pan from the bed of a truck to be set;

whereby when a tailgate of a truck is opened, the extender pan is extendable from the bed of a truck with the extender tailgate resting upon the tailgate, and when the extender pan is retracted and the extender tailgate is placed in a closed orientation, the tailgate of the truck is coupleable to the bed of the truck in an upright position.