CA1244858A - Tailgate capable of extending truck box - Google Patents
Tailgate capable of extending truck boxInfo
- Publication number
- CA1244858A CA1244858A CA000469117A CA469117A CA1244858A CA 1244858 A CA1244858 A CA 1244858A CA 000469117 A CA000469117 A CA 000469117A CA 469117 A CA469117 A CA 469117A CA 1244858 A CA1244858 A CA 1244858A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tailboard
- end panel
- box
- pivot pins
- extension unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D33/00—Superstructures for load-carrying vehicles
- B62D33/08—Superstructures for load-carrying vehicles comprising adjustable means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D33/00—Superstructures for load-carrying vehicles
- B62D33/02—Platforms; Open load compartments
- B62D33/023—Sideboard or tailgate structures
- B62D33/027—Sideboard or tailgate structures movable
- B62D33/0273—Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
An extension unit for installation on a truck box having spaced side walls and a floor includes a rectangular tailboard adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along one long side of the tail- board and an end panel pivotally connected to the other long side of the tailboard. Two double hinges connect the end panel to the tailboard with each hinge comprising two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate joining these pins. Two side panels are each pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel. These can be swung from a storage position adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Preferably connecting devices are provided to attach each side panel to a respective side wall of the truck box.
An extension unit for installation on a truck box having spaced side walls and a floor includes a rectangular tailboard adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along one long side of the tail- board and an end panel pivotally connected to the other long side of the tailboard. Two double hinges connect the end panel to the tailboard with each hinge comprising two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate joining these pins. Two side panels are each pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel. These can be swung from a storage position adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Preferably connecting devices are provided to attach each side panel to a respective side wall of the truck box.
Description
L~35~3 This invention relates to vehicle body extensions and in particular an extension unit suitable for installation at the rear end of a truck box.
It is well known to provide a tailgate or tailboard at the end of the box body of a pick-up type truck. The well known tailgate can be used to close the rear end of the truck box or can be swung to a horizontal position for loading purposes. Sometimes the cargo or material being carried is too large or too lGng to permit the tailgate to be closed, often necessitating that the material or cargo be secured in some manner so that it can be safely transported. If the material has been improperly secured or not secured at all, it sometimes is lost or damaged when some or all of it falls from the rear of the truck. ~ot only is this costly in terms of material, but it can also be quite hazardous and may cause a road accident.
The problem has become more acute in recent years as small truck manufacturers have been down-sizing their 20`~ vehicles in order to achieve a truck that is both inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to operate. This has resulted in pick-ups with shorter boxes, such as six foot boxes. In addition small trucks with relatively small truck boxes have become popular from the standpoint of style and appearance. There may also be other reasons why a normally àdequate truck box is in fact quite short for storage purposes. One reason for this is that many pick-up type trucks have been converted to propane consumption and many of these trucks have their propane tanks located inside the box. Other types of fuel storage tanks are also stored in truck boxes, particularly in the case of construction vehicles. The result is that many of the pick-up type trucks being used at the present time do not have sufficient capacity in terms of the length of their boxes to hold standard size material such as eight foot lengths of lumber safely and easily.
, Vehicle body extensions have been known and taught in the past. For example United States Paten-t
It is well known to provide a tailgate or tailboard at the end of the box body of a pick-up type truck. The well known tailgate can be used to close the rear end of the truck box or can be swung to a horizontal position for loading purposes. Sometimes the cargo or material being carried is too large or too lGng to permit the tailgate to be closed, often necessitating that the material or cargo be secured in some manner so that it can be safely transported. If the material has been improperly secured or not secured at all, it sometimes is lost or damaged when some or all of it falls from the rear of the truck. ~ot only is this costly in terms of material, but it can also be quite hazardous and may cause a road accident.
The problem has become more acute in recent years as small truck manufacturers have been down-sizing their 20`~ vehicles in order to achieve a truck that is both inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to operate. This has resulted in pick-ups with shorter boxes, such as six foot boxes. In addition small trucks with relatively small truck boxes have become popular from the standpoint of style and appearance. There may also be other reasons why a normally àdequate truck box is in fact quite short for storage purposes. One reason for this is that many pick-up type trucks have been converted to propane consumption and many of these trucks have their propane tanks located inside the box. Other types of fuel storage tanks are also stored in truck boxes, particularly in the case of construction vehicles. The result is that many of the pick-up type trucks being used at the present time do not have sufficient capacity in terms of the length of their boxes to hold standard size material such as eight foot lengths of lumber safely and easily.
, Vehicle body extensions have been known and taught in the past. For example United States Paten-t
2,872,239 issued February 3, 1959 to G.W. Bowness et al teaches such an extension comprising a tailboard with an end panel hingedly connected to the rear end of the tailboard. The end panel can be folded against the inside surface of the tailboard when extension of the vehicle body is not required. Two side panels are hingedly connected to the side edges of the end panel. Pins can be used to detachably connect the side panels to the sides of the truck body. A serious difficulty with this known construction is that it is difficult if not impossible to raise the end panel to its vertical position and to put the side panels in place for transporting cargo after the cargo or materials have been loaded into the truck body. This arises from the fact that the materials or cargo will interfere with this operation if they are so large or long that they extend into the region of the extension unit.
Very earlier United States Patent 1,919,063 issued July 18, 1~33 to ~. Hubbard describes a car-type vehicle that can be converted in the rear to hold cargo in the same manner as a pick-up truck. There are a pair of interconnecting flaps movably supported at the rear of the vehicle. Also extensions are provided which can be pivoted about a vertical axis to a rearward position where they provide sidewalls for the box extension. One of the flaps can be secured in a rearwardly extended position to provide a rearward continuation of the floor and the other flap can be secured in a vertical position to provide a tailgate.
According to the present invention, an extension unit for installation on a box body having spaced side walls and a floor includes a rectangular tailboard adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along one long side of the tailboard and an end panel pivotally connected to the other long side of the tailboard. Double hinge means connect the end panel to the tailboard and comprise two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins and a S~
connecting plate extending between and joining the pins. I
Two side panels are each pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel and swingable from a storage position adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Preferably the double hinge means comprises at least two space-apart double hinge members, each of which comprises the two pivot pins, a mounting plate connecting the hinge member to an inside surface of the tailboard and holding a first of the pivot pins, a second mounting plate connecting the hinge member to the outer major surface of the end panel and holding the second of the pivot pins, and the aforementioned connecting plate.
According to another aspect of the invention, an extendible truck box comprises spaced side walls, a floor and a rectangular tailboard pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along the bottom edge of the tailboard.
The tailboard is swingable from a vertical, box-closing position to a horizontal loading position. An end panel is pivotally connected by double hinge means to the top edge of the tailboard and swingable through 270 degrees from a storage position adjacent an inside surface of the tailboard to a loading position below the horizontally arranged tailboard. The double hinge means comprises spaced-apart, parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate extending between and joining the pins. Two side panels are each hinged to a respective side edge of the end panel and swingable from a storage position immediately adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of example, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspec-tive view taken from the rear end and left side of a truck box showing an extension unit constructed in accordance with the invention attached to the rear end of a truck box;
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line II-II of Figure 1 but showing the end panel and attached side panels swung 270 degrees to a position below the tailboard;
Figure 3, which appears on the same sheet as Figure 1, is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the end panel and side panels raised to a vertical position for enclosing the end of the box;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the extension unit in the transport position;
Figure 5, which appears on the same sheet as Figure 2, is a view of the front of the end panel taken from the inside of the truck box;
Figure 6, which appears on the same sheet as Figures 2 and 5, is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the tailboard raised to the vertical position;
Figure 7 is a detailed front view illustrating the preferred construction of the end panel; and Figure 8 is a detailed side view illustrating the preferred construction of the side panel.
An extension unit 10 constructed in accordance with the invention is shown attached to the rear of a truck box body 12 of a typical pick-up style truck. The box body has two spaced side walls 13 and 14 and a floor 16. The extension unit 10 includes several main components including a rectangular tailboard 18 adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor 16 as shown, an end panel 20 and two side panels 22 each of which is pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel.
The tailboard 18 can be constructed in a manner similar to a standard tailboard and can be supported in the usual manner. As shown in Figure 2, the preferred tailboard is double walled for strength and is ribbed at 24 for added rigidity. A pivot pin 26 connects each bottorn corner of the tailboard to the adjacent side wall of the truck box. In order to support the tailboard in the extended, horizontal loading position, a foldable metal strap support 28 is provided at each side of the tailboard in a well known manner. Each of these supports is pivotally connected at its bottom end to the side edge of the tailboard and is pivotally connected at its top end to the sidewall of the truck box. Instead of the foldable metal strap shown, short lengths of chain can also be used for this purpose.
The construction of the end panel 20 is shown in Figure 7. It can be made from 1/8 inch thick 1020 steel plate which is bent inwardly at the edges to form a top flange 30, bottom flange 32 and side flanges 34. The four flanges can be welded at the four corners to provide increased strength and rigidity. Preferably a suitable brace member 36 is spot welded onto the inside surface of the end panel. The brace can be made of 1/16 inch thick 1020 steel. The spot welds can be applied along outwardly extending flanges 37 and 38 located at the top and bottom of the brace. The cross-section of the brace 36 can be seen in Figure 2. The centre portion 40 of the brace is spaced a short distance from the inside surface of the end panel. Drilled in the centre of the section 40 is a hole 42 provided for passage of a bolt or rivet to hold a securing clasp 44, the purpose of which will be described further hereinafter.
Because the outer surface of the section 40 of the brace i5 recessed inwards from the edges of the four flanges, it will be appreciated that there is a rectangular 5~
space whose perimeter is defined by the flanyes 30, 32, and 34 into which the side panels 22 can be folded when they are not in use. The end panel 20 is also drilled at 45 and 46 to provide a number of holes for fastening the double hinge members described hereinafter to the end panel.
The preferred construction of each side panel 22 will now be described with reference to Figure 8. Each side panel is constructed from a single piece of preferably 1/8 inch thick 1020 steel that is bent along three edges to provide a top flange 50, a side flange 52 and a bottom flange 54. These flanges are welded together at the two corners where they meet. A small slot is provided at 56 for fastening the side panel to the side of the truck box in the manner described hereinafter. Located along the edge opposite the side flange 52 are bolt or rivet holes 58 for fastening the side panel to the adjacent edge of the end panel 20 by means of hinges 60. Also formed approximately in the centre of the side flange 52 is a slot 62 which can be seen in Figure 5. In one preferred embodiment the slot 62 is 1 inch long by 1/4 inch wide, large enough to accommodate one end of the aforementioned clasp 44. As indicated in Figure 6, the clasp 44 can be turned sideways to engage the two slo-ts 62 and thus secure the side panels in their storage position. The use of the clasp to secure the side panels is also important when the end panel is in the loading position shown in Figure 2. If the clasp 44 were not used, the side panels would tend to swing out in this position.
The extension unit is provided with double hinge means connecting the end panel 20 to the tailboard 18. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the double hinge means comprises two spaced-apart double hinge members 64 but it will be appreciated that further hinge members or only one could be employed if desired. Each of these hinge members comprises two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins 66 ,~ :
5~
and 68 and a connecting plate 70 extending between and joining these pins. In addition there is a fir.st mounting plate 72 connecting each hinye member to an inside surface of the tailboard 18 and holding the pivot pin 6~. This mounting plate is curved at one end to bend around the edge of the tailgate. Because of the curve in plates 72, the lower edges of the side panels will rest on the tailboard 18 as required when the side panels are in the transport position of Figure 2. Each mounting plate 72 can be fastened by four screws 73 to the tailboard as shown in Figure 4. There is also a second mounting plate 7~
connecting each hinge member to the outer major surface of the end panel 20 and holding the second pivot pin 68. The plate 74 is mounted by five screws 76 to the end panel.
The use of the double hinges has the distinct advantage of permitting the end panel to be swung through 270 degrees rom the storage position shown in Figure 1, where the end panel is located adjacent an inside surface of the tailboard, to a loading position below the horizontally arranged tailboard, the latter position being shown in Figure 2. Moreover with the end panel in the loading position shown in Figure 2, after the materials or cargo have been loaded, the side panels 22 can easily be swung outwardly to a position perpendicular to the end panel. It is then a simple matter to pivot the end panel and side panels 180 degrees so that they assume the position shown in Figure 3 and enclose completely the end of the truck box.
As shown in Figure 1, each side wall 13, 14 of the truck box is provided with a U-shaped member 80 that can be used to detachably connect a respe-ctive side panel 22 to the side wall. The member 80 is supported in a bracket 82 that can be bolted or riveted to the side wall of the box. The hole formed by the member 80 accommodates a clip 84. It will be understood that the clip is - 9 - ~
connected after the U-shaped member has been inserted through the aforementioned slot 56 in the side panel. The U-shaped members 80 and brackets 82 are helpful as well when the tailgate is in -the Figure 6 position. ~he rnembers 80 and their brackets will tend to stop unwan-ted movemen-t of the tailgate, particularly when the -truck is stopping.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 3, -the preferred side panels 22 are dimensioned so that their height is substantially equal to the height of the end panel 20 and their length (the horizontal dimension in Figure 3) is at least as great as the height of the tailgate (that is the vertical dimension when the -tailgate is upright). In actual fact the height of each side panel is slightly less than that of the end panel to permit each side panel to be accommodated in the recess formed by the flanges extending about the periphery of the end panel.
This helps to make the extension unit less bulky and to save cargo space when the extension unit is not being used.
The length of the side panels must be sufficient to enable them to be connected to the side walls of the box.
It will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made to the extension unit disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly all such modifications and changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included as part of this invention.
Very earlier United States Patent 1,919,063 issued July 18, 1~33 to ~. Hubbard describes a car-type vehicle that can be converted in the rear to hold cargo in the same manner as a pick-up truck. There are a pair of interconnecting flaps movably supported at the rear of the vehicle. Also extensions are provided which can be pivoted about a vertical axis to a rearward position where they provide sidewalls for the box extension. One of the flaps can be secured in a rearwardly extended position to provide a rearward continuation of the floor and the other flap can be secured in a vertical position to provide a tailgate.
According to the present invention, an extension unit for installation on a box body having spaced side walls and a floor includes a rectangular tailboard adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along one long side of the tailboard and an end panel pivotally connected to the other long side of the tailboard. Double hinge means connect the end panel to the tailboard and comprise two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins and a S~
connecting plate extending between and joining the pins. I
Two side panels are each pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel and swingable from a storage position adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Preferably the double hinge means comprises at least two space-apart double hinge members, each of which comprises the two pivot pins, a mounting plate connecting the hinge member to an inside surface of the tailboard and holding a first of the pivot pins, a second mounting plate connecting the hinge member to the outer major surface of the end panel and holding the second of the pivot pins, and the aforementioned connecting plate.
According to another aspect of the invention, an extendible truck box comprises spaced side walls, a floor and a rectangular tailboard pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor along the bottom edge of the tailboard.
The tailboard is swingable from a vertical, box-closing position to a horizontal loading position. An end panel is pivotally connected by double hinge means to the top edge of the tailboard and swingable through 270 degrees from a storage position adjacent an inside surface of the tailboard to a loading position below the horizontally arranged tailboard. The double hinge means comprises spaced-apart, parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate extending between and joining the pins. Two side panels are each hinged to a respective side edge of the end panel and swingable from a storage position immediately adjacent the end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to the end panel.
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of example, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspec-tive view taken from the rear end and left side of a truck box showing an extension unit constructed in accordance with the invention attached to the rear end of a truck box;
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line II-II of Figure 1 but showing the end panel and attached side panels swung 270 degrees to a position below the tailboard;
Figure 3, which appears on the same sheet as Figure 1, is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the end panel and side panels raised to a vertical position for enclosing the end of the box;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the extension unit in the transport position;
Figure 5, which appears on the same sheet as Figure 2, is a view of the front of the end panel taken from the inside of the truck box;
Figure 6, which appears on the same sheet as Figures 2 and 5, is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the tailboard raised to the vertical position;
Figure 7 is a detailed front view illustrating the preferred construction of the end panel; and Figure 8 is a detailed side view illustrating the preferred construction of the side panel.
An extension unit 10 constructed in accordance with the invention is shown attached to the rear of a truck box body 12 of a typical pick-up style truck. The box body has two spaced side walls 13 and 14 and a floor 16. The extension unit 10 includes several main components including a rectangular tailboard 18 adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of the floor 16 as shown, an end panel 20 and two side panels 22 each of which is pivotally connected to a respective side edge of the end panel.
The tailboard 18 can be constructed in a manner similar to a standard tailboard and can be supported in the usual manner. As shown in Figure 2, the preferred tailboard is double walled for strength and is ribbed at 24 for added rigidity. A pivot pin 26 connects each bottorn corner of the tailboard to the adjacent side wall of the truck box. In order to support the tailboard in the extended, horizontal loading position, a foldable metal strap support 28 is provided at each side of the tailboard in a well known manner. Each of these supports is pivotally connected at its bottom end to the side edge of the tailboard and is pivotally connected at its top end to the sidewall of the truck box. Instead of the foldable metal strap shown, short lengths of chain can also be used for this purpose.
The construction of the end panel 20 is shown in Figure 7. It can be made from 1/8 inch thick 1020 steel plate which is bent inwardly at the edges to form a top flange 30, bottom flange 32 and side flanges 34. The four flanges can be welded at the four corners to provide increased strength and rigidity. Preferably a suitable brace member 36 is spot welded onto the inside surface of the end panel. The brace can be made of 1/16 inch thick 1020 steel. The spot welds can be applied along outwardly extending flanges 37 and 38 located at the top and bottom of the brace. The cross-section of the brace 36 can be seen in Figure 2. The centre portion 40 of the brace is spaced a short distance from the inside surface of the end panel. Drilled in the centre of the section 40 is a hole 42 provided for passage of a bolt or rivet to hold a securing clasp 44, the purpose of which will be described further hereinafter.
Because the outer surface of the section 40 of the brace i5 recessed inwards from the edges of the four flanges, it will be appreciated that there is a rectangular 5~
space whose perimeter is defined by the flanyes 30, 32, and 34 into which the side panels 22 can be folded when they are not in use. The end panel 20 is also drilled at 45 and 46 to provide a number of holes for fastening the double hinge members described hereinafter to the end panel.
The preferred construction of each side panel 22 will now be described with reference to Figure 8. Each side panel is constructed from a single piece of preferably 1/8 inch thick 1020 steel that is bent along three edges to provide a top flange 50, a side flange 52 and a bottom flange 54. These flanges are welded together at the two corners where they meet. A small slot is provided at 56 for fastening the side panel to the side of the truck box in the manner described hereinafter. Located along the edge opposite the side flange 52 are bolt or rivet holes 58 for fastening the side panel to the adjacent edge of the end panel 20 by means of hinges 60. Also formed approximately in the centre of the side flange 52 is a slot 62 which can be seen in Figure 5. In one preferred embodiment the slot 62 is 1 inch long by 1/4 inch wide, large enough to accommodate one end of the aforementioned clasp 44. As indicated in Figure 6, the clasp 44 can be turned sideways to engage the two slo-ts 62 and thus secure the side panels in their storage position. The use of the clasp to secure the side panels is also important when the end panel is in the loading position shown in Figure 2. If the clasp 44 were not used, the side panels would tend to swing out in this position.
The extension unit is provided with double hinge means connecting the end panel 20 to the tailboard 18. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the double hinge means comprises two spaced-apart double hinge members 64 but it will be appreciated that further hinge members or only one could be employed if desired. Each of these hinge members comprises two spaced-apart parallel pivot pins 66 ,~ :
5~
and 68 and a connecting plate 70 extending between and joining these pins. In addition there is a fir.st mounting plate 72 connecting each hinye member to an inside surface of the tailboard 18 and holding the pivot pin 6~. This mounting plate is curved at one end to bend around the edge of the tailgate. Because of the curve in plates 72, the lower edges of the side panels will rest on the tailboard 18 as required when the side panels are in the transport position of Figure 2. Each mounting plate 72 can be fastened by four screws 73 to the tailboard as shown in Figure 4. There is also a second mounting plate 7~
connecting each hinge member to the outer major surface of the end panel 20 and holding the second pivot pin 68. The plate 74 is mounted by five screws 76 to the end panel.
The use of the double hinges has the distinct advantage of permitting the end panel to be swung through 270 degrees rom the storage position shown in Figure 1, where the end panel is located adjacent an inside surface of the tailboard, to a loading position below the horizontally arranged tailboard, the latter position being shown in Figure 2. Moreover with the end panel in the loading position shown in Figure 2, after the materials or cargo have been loaded, the side panels 22 can easily be swung outwardly to a position perpendicular to the end panel. It is then a simple matter to pivot the end panel and side panels 180 degrees so that they assume the position shown in Figure 3 and enclose completely the end of the truck box.
As shown in Figure 1, each side wall 13, 14 of the truck box is provided with a U-shaped member 80 that can be used to detachably connect a respe-ctive side panel 22 to the side wall. The member 80 is supported in a bracket 82 that can be bolted or riveted to the side wall of the box. The hole formed by the member 80 accommodates a clip 84. It will be understood that the clip is - 9 - ~
connected after the U-shaped member has been inserted through the aforementioned slot 56 in the side panel. The U-shaped members 80 and brackets 82 are helpful as well when the tailgate is in -the Figure 6 position. ~he rnembers 80 and their brackets will tend to stop unwan-ted movemen-t of the tailgate, particularly when the -truck is stopping.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 3, -the preferred side panels 22 are dimensioned so that their height is substantially equal to the height of the end panel 20 and their length (the horizontal dimension in Figure 3) is at least as great as the height of the tailgate (that is the vertical dimension when the -tailgate is upright). In actual fact the height of each side panel is slightly less than that of the end panel to permit each side panel to be accommodated in the recess formed by the flanges extending about the periphery of the end panel.
This helps to make the extension unit less bulky and to save cargo space when the extension unit is not being used.
The length of the side panels must be sufficient to enable them to be connected to the side walls of the box.
It will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made to the extension unit disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly all such modifications and changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included as part of this invention.
Claims (12)
1. An extension unit for installation on a box body having spaced side walls and a floor comprising a rectangular tailboard adapted to be pivotally mounted at the rear end of said floor along one long side of said tailboard, an end panel pivotally connected to the other long side of said tailboard, double hinge means connecting said end panel to said tailboard and comprising two spaced-apart, parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate extending between and joining said pins, and two side panels each pivotally connected to a respective side edge of said end panel and swingable from a storage position adjacent said end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to said end panel.
2. An extension unit according to claim 1 wherein said double hinge means comprises at least two spaced-apart double hinge members, each of said hinge members comprising said two pivot pins, a first mounting plate connecting the hinge member to an inside surface of said tailboard and holding a first of said pivot pins, a second mounting plate connecting the hinge member to the outer major surface of said end panel and holding the second of said pivot pins, and said connecting plate.
3. An extension unit according to claim 2 including means for releasably securing said side panels in the storage position.
4. An extension unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein said connecting plate has a length in the direction perpendicular to said pivot pins at least as great as the combined thickness of said end panel and side panels with the latter in their storage position.
5. An extension unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3 including two foldable metal strap supports for supporting said tailboard in a horizontal loading position, each of said supports being pivotally connected at one end to a respective side edge of said tailboard.
6. An extension unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein each side panel has a height substantially equal to the height of the end panel and a length at least as great as the height of said tailboard.
7. An extension unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein said end panel is constructed from braced steel plate and said side panels are made from substantially flat steel plates.
8. An extension unit according to claim 2 or 3 wherein each first mounting plate is bent so as to extend around an upper edge of said tailboard.
9. An extendible truck box comprising spaced side walls, a floor, and a rectangular tailboard pivotally mounted at the rear end of said floor along the bottom edge of the tailboard, said tailboard swingable from a vertical, box-closing position to a horizontal loading position, an end panel pivotally connected by double hinge means to the top edge of the tailboard and swingable through 270 degrees from a storage position adjacent an inside surface of said tailboard to a loading position below the tailboard when the latter is arranged horizontally, said double hinge means comprising spaced-apart, parallel pivot pins and a connecting plate extending between and joining said pins, and two side panels each hinged to a respective side edge of said end panel and swingable from a storage position immediately adjacent said end panel to a box extension position perpendicular to said end panel.
10. An extendible truck box according to claim 9 wherein said double hinge means comprises at least two spaced-apart double hinge members, each of said hinge members comprising two pivot pins, a first mounting plate connecting the hinge member to an inside surface of said tailboard and holding a first of said pivot pins, a second mounting plate connecting the hinge member to the outer major surface of said end panel and holding the second of said pivot pins, and said connecting plate.
11. An extendible truck box according to claim 9 or 10 including means for detachably connecting each side panel to a respective side wall of the box when said side panels are in the box extension position.
12. An extendible truck box according to claim 9 wherein said first mounting plate is bent so as to extend around an upper edge of said tailboard.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000469117A CA1244858A (en) | 1984-11-30 | 1984-11-30 | Tailgate capable of extending truck box |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000469117A CA1244858A (en) | 1984-11-30 | 1984-11-30 | Tailgate capable of extending truck box |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1244858A true CA1244858A (en) | 1988-11-15 |
Family
ID=4129273
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000469117A Expired CA1244858A (en) | 1984-11-30 | 1984-11-30 | Tailgate capable of extending truck box |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1244858A (en) |
Cited By (14)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5328225A (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1994-07-12 | Nissan Research And Development, Inc. | System mountable to a tailgate of a pick-up truck to improve the utility thereof |
| US5468038A (en) * | 1994-09-06 | 1995-11-21 | Sauri; Gregory M. | Multiple configuration tailgate extender |
| US5765892A (en) * | 1995-10-05 | 1998-06-16 | Covington; James Roy | Extension apparatus for a vehicle cargo area |
| US5820188A (en) * | 1996-02-21 | 1998-10-13 | Nash; Kevin M. | Truck bed extender apparatus |
| US6378926B1 (en) | 2001-01-04 | 2002-04-30 | Rick Renze | Truck bed extender |
| EP1369272A2 (en) * | 2002-06-09 | 2003-12-10 | Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH | Motor vehicle with a tailgate |
| US9452793B1 (en) * | 2015-10-27 | 2016-09-27 | Larry A. Quick | Truck bed extension apparatus |
| US9452782B1 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2016-09-27 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US9592860B1 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2017-03-14 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US9789913B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2017-10-17 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US9834260B2 (en) | 2015-10-27 | 2017-12-05 | Quick Extend-A-Bed, Llc | Truck bed extension apparatus |
| US10029741B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2018-07-24 | Nicholas J. Singer | Mega elongator |
| FR3142740A1 (en) * | 2022-12-01 | 2024-06-07 | Renault S.A.S. | DUMPKIT EXTENSION DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE WITH REAR DROPPER |
| FR3142739A1 (en) * | 2022-12-01 | 2024-06-07 | Renault S.A.S. | DUMPKIT EXTENSION DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE WITH REAR DROPPER |
-
1984
- 1984-11-30 CA CA000469117A patent/CA1244858A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (17)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5328225A (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1994-07-12 | Nissan Research And Development, Inc. | System mountable to a tailgate of a pick-up truck to improve the utility thereof |
| US5468038A (en) * | 1994-09-06 | 1995-11-21 | Sauri; Gregory M. | Multiple configuration tailgate extender |
| US5765892A (en) * | 1995-10-05 | 1998-06-16 | Covington; James Roy | Extension apparatus for a vehicle cargo area |
| US5820188A (en) * | 1996-02-21 | 1998-10-13 | Nash; Kevin M. | Truck bed extender apparatus |
| US6378926B1 (en) | 2001-01-04 | 2002-04-30 | Rick Renze | Truck bed extender |
| EP1369272A2 (en) * | 2002-06-09 | 2003-12-10 | Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH | Motor vehicle with a tailgate |
| US9452793B1 (en) * | 2015-10-27 | 2016-09-27 | Larry A. Quick | Truck bed extension apparatus |
| US9834260B2 (en) | 2015-10-27 | 2017-12-05 | Quick Extend-A-Bed, Llc | Truck bed extension apparatus |
| US9592860B1 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2017-03-14 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US9789913B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2017-10-17 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US9452782B1 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2016-09-27 | Nicholas J. Singer | Pick up truck elongator |
| US10029741B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2018-07-24 | Nicholas J. Singer | Mega elongator |
| US10124836B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2018-11-13 | Nicholas J. Singer | Mega elongator |
| US10611414B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2020-04-07 | Nicholas J. Singer | Mega elongator |
| US11110971B2 (en) | 2015-12-04 | 2021-09-07 | Nicholas J. Singer | Mega elongator |
| FR3142740A1 (en) * | 2022-12-01 | 2024-06-07 | Renault S.A.S. | DUMPKIT EXTENSION DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE WITH REAR DROPPER |
| FR3142739A1 (en) * | 2022-12-01 | 2024-06-07 | Renault S.A.S. | DUMPKIT EXTENSION DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE WITH REAR DROPPER |
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