Auxiliary tailgate

• US 5,911,464 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keith Richard White
• Original Assignee: Keith Richard White
• Inventors: White, Keith Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary C.
• Application Number:
  US08/961,634
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26.11
• US Class Current: 296/26.11
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence

Abstract

An auxiliary tail gate is provided including a gate assembly having a generally U-shaped configuration defined by an end extent and a pair of side extents. The side extents are mounted to the rear extent of the truck such that the gate assembly pivots about an axis which intersects both side walls of the truck, wherein the side extents of the gate assembly are adapted to slide within a plane which includes the axis.

Claims

1. An auxiliary tail gate for a pick up truck comprising, in combination:

a truck having a rear extent with a flat bottom and a pair of side walls defining an open top and an open rear, the rear extent of the truck further having a gate having a rectangular configuration with a bottom edge hingably coupled along a rear edge of the bottom for pivoting between a vertical closed orientation and a horizontal open orientation;

a pair of mounts each including a circular planar base screwably coupled to an interior surface of the side walls of the truck adjacent the open rear thereof, a tube concentrically coupled to the base and extending inwardly therefrom, and a set of diametrically opposed bores are formed therein;

a gate assembly including a plurality of spaced rails each essentially residing in a separate common plane, each rail including an end linear extent situated in parallel with the rear edge of the bottom of the truck and a pair of side linear extents coupled to ends of the end linear extent and extending therefrom in perpendicular relationship therewith to terminate at ends, the rails including a top rail and a bottom rail with ends which connect to form an arcuate portion which are coupled to the end of an intermediate rail and a pair of linear interconnect rods coupled between the end linear extents of the rails adjacent to the side linear extents thereof and extending beyond the top rail and bottom rail a predetermined distance; and

a pair of tubular interconnects including two C-shaped sleeves each with a pair of diametrically opposed apertured flanges extending therefrom for encompassing the side linear extents of the intermediate rail and further being fixed at a selectively determined point along a length thereof, one of the sleeves of each tubular interconnect having a cylinder coupled thereto which is adapted to be slidably and rotatably situated within the tube of the mounting base, the cylinder having a set of diametrically opposed apertures for allowing the selective placement of a pin through one set of the bores of the mounts and one set of the apertures of the cylinder thereby fixing the respective orientation between the rail assembly and mounts;

whereby the rail assembly may be slid along the length of the bottom and gate of the truck when the gate is in the open orientation and further rotated about an axis defined by the mounts such that the end linear extents of the rail assembly may fixedly reside in a first orientation within a vertical plane and resting on at least one of a rear portion of the bottom of the truck and the gate thereof, a second orientation within a vertical plane and resting on a central portion of the bottom of the truck, and a third orientation within a horizontal plane above the bottom of the truck.

2. A tail gate for use with a truck having a rear extent with a flat bottom and a pair of side walls defining an open top and an open rear, the tail gate comprising:

a gate assembly having a generally U-shaped configuration defined by an end extent and a pair of side extents, the side extents mounted to the rear extent of the truck such that the gate assembly pivots about an axis which intersects both side walls of the truck;

wherein the side extents of the gate assembly are adapted to slide within a plane which includes the axis; and

a mount fixed with respect to the truck each with a tube having a set of diametrically opposed bores formed therein and further including a pair of cylinders coupled to the gate assembly each having a set of diametrically opposed apertures for allowing the selective placement of a pin through the bores of the mounts and the apertures of the cylinder thereby fixing the respective orientation between the rail assembly and mounts.

3. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 2 wherein the end extent may be selectively lengthened and shortened.

4. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 2 wherein the gate assembly may be fixed about the axis.

5. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 2 wherein the side extents may be selectively precluded from sliding within the plane which includes the axis.

6. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 2 and further including a pair of linear interconnect rods coupled to the end linear extent and extended beyond a top rail and bottom rail thereof a predetermined distance.

7. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 2 wherein the gate assembly is defined by a plurality of discrete rails.

8. A tail gate for use with a truck having a rear extent with a flat bottom and a pair of side walls defining an open top and an open rear, the tail gate comprising:

a gate assembly having a generally U-shaped configuration defined by an end extent and a pair of side extents, the side extents mounted to the rear extent of the truck such that the gate assembly pivots about an axis which intersects both side walls of the truck;

wherein the side extents of the gate assembly are adapted to slide within a plane which includes the axis; and

a pair of linear interconnect rods coupled to the end linear extent and extended beyond a top rail and bottom rail thereof a predetermined distance.

9. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 8 wherein the end extent may be selectively lengthened and shortened.

10. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 8 wherein the gate assembly may be fixed about the axis.

11. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 8 wherein the side extents may be selectively precluded from sliding within the plane which includes the axis.

12. A tail gate for a pick up truck as set forth in claim 8 wherein the gate assembly is defined by a plurality of discrete rails.