Abstract:
A load carrier has a pair of rails each being affixed to one of the two side walls of the open bed of a pickup truck. Each rail has a longitudinally extending slot along which a bar slides. A bracket is connected to each bar. The two ends of a stringer are connected to the two brackets so that stringer extends transversely across the open bed for supporting a load. Instead of bars, clamps are used to connect the brackets to the rails.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to carriers for pickup trucks and more particularly to a carrier which is removably attached to the side walls of the open bed of a pickup truck and which supports loads above the open bed.  
           [0002]    The carrying capacity of a pickup truck is limited not only by the size of its open bed but by the height of the side walls and tail gate which define the bed. For example, if a pickup truck is used to carry particulate material, such as sand and gravel, the height of the side walls and tail gate will govern the quantity of particulate material that the truck will carry.  
           [0003]    I have invented a load carrier for a truck which is attached to the upper edge of the side walls of a pickup truck and which support loads above the open box. It does not matter whether the side walls and tail gate are high or low. Thus, the capacity of the truck is no longer limited by the height of its side walls and tail gate.  
           [0004]    My load carrier can be used in conjunction with a conventional tonneau cover for a pickup truck. Such covers are usually attached by snap fasteners to rails located on the upper horizontal margins of the side walls of the truck. According to one embodiment, a bar is received in a slot in each rail and slides along the length of the rail. The bar can be positioned where it is most convenient and bolted or screwed in place to prevent it from moving. A bracket is attached to each bar and to the bracket is attached a stringer which supports a load.  
           [0005]    According to another embodiment of the load carrier, a clamp is provided for connecting a bracket to each rail and side wall of the truck. Like the first embodiment, the bracket connects the stringer to the truck. The clamp can be connected anywhere along the length of the side wall so that the position of the stringer can be adjusted to where it is most convenient.  
           [0006]    Loads such as skis, bicycles, sheets of plywood, lengths of lumber and so on can be tied to the stringer so that they are above the upper margins of the side walls and tonneau cover if there is one.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Briefly, the load carrier of my invention includes a pair of rails which are affixed to the upper margin of each side wall of a pickup truck. Each rail has a longitudinally extending slot along which a bar slides. A bracket is connected to each bar and a stringer is connected to the brackets in the two rails. The stringer extends transversely across the open bed for supporting a load.  
           [0008]    The second embodiment of the load carrier has a pair of rails each adapted to rest on the upper margin of each side wall of the truck. A clamp connects a bracket to each rail and each side wall of the truck. A stringer is connected to the brackets and extends transversely across the open bed. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The load carrier of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of load carriers in conjunction with the open bed of a pickup truck and a tonneau cover for the bed;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial sections of a stringer to which a load is connected;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the components of the load carrier together with a portion of the side wall of the truck;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is an elevation of the components illustrated in FIG. 4;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is an perspective view of the components of a second embodiment of the load carrier;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is an elevation of the carrier illustrated in FIG. 6.  
         [0016]    Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    With reference to FIG. 1 an open bed, generally  10 , of a pickup truck has a pair of side walls  12 ,  14  and a tail gate  16 . A rail  18  extends along the upper horizontal margin of side wall  12  and a like rail (not illustrated) extends along the length of the upper margin the other side wall  14 . A number of grommets  20  are spaced along the length of the rail for receipt of dome fasteners attached to tonneau cover  22 . Two spaced load carriers  24 ,  26  are connected to the rails and extend across the open bed  10 .  
         [0018]    With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, rail  18  has lower and upper flanges  30 ,  32  and a vertical web  34  which interconnects the two flanges. The rail is seated on pad  35 . An upper lip  36  extends downward from an edge of the upper flange  32  and a lower lip  38  extends upwardly from the edge of the lower flange. A number of apertures are spaced along the length of the upper flange. One of those apertures is identified as  39  in FIG. 5.  
         [0019]    The lips, web and the portion of the upper and lower flanges which extend therebetween define a slot  40  which extends the length of the rail. A bar  42 , rectangular in section, is received in the slot and is free to slide therein. Lips  36 ,  38  confine the bar in the slot. Apertures  46  are formed in the upper wall of the bar. The latter apertures open into threaded bores which extend downwardly into the bar  
         [0020]    A bracket  48  has a horizontal wall  50 , a vertical wall  52  and an intermediate wall  53  which extends therebetween. Apertures  54  are formed in the horizontal wall. The spacing between the apertures  54  is the same as that between apertures  39  in the upper flange and between the apertures  46  in the bar. The bracket can be connected to the upper flange and to the bar by means of connecting means such as screws  55  which pass through the apertures in the horizontal wall of the bracket, through the apertures in the upper flange and into the threaded bores in the bar. Each screw will accordingly pass through apertures which register or correspond with one another. The apertures which are in register or correspond in position with one another are those which offer a passageway for a screw.  
         [0021]    The bracket can be positioned where it is most convenient. Once in that position, the bar can be moved until it is beneath the bracket and its apertures are in register with those in the bracket and upper flange. Screws can then be passed through those apertures to connect the bracket to the rail.  
         [0022]    A stringer  60  has an end which is connected to the vertical wall  52  of the bracket by means of screws which pass through apertures in the wall and into threaded bores in the stringer.  
         [0023]    The length of stringer  60  is adjustable. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the stringer is made up of a rod  62  of square cross-section and a sleeve  64  having an elongated opening  66  of the same cross-section as the rod but slightly larger so that the rod may slide freely in the opening. A handle  68  is pivotally attached to the sleeve and has an inner end  70  which moves into and out of contact with the rod as the handle pivots. When the inner end is out of contact with the rod as illustrated in FIG. 2, the rod may freely slide in the sleeve so that the length of the stringer can be adjusted. When the inner end contacts the rod, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the bar is fixed in position and the length of the stringer is no longer adjustable.  
         [0024]    With reference again to FIGS. 4 and 5, on the side of the rail opposite the slot, a track  72  is formed. A slider  74  is free to slide along the track. A socket  76  of a snap fastener is connected to the slider. The head or rounded portion of the fastener is attached to the outer edge of tonneau cover  22  for removable attachment of the cover to the rail.  
         [0025]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, two or more stringers can be attached to the truck. Each end of the stringer is attached to a rail by a bracket. A load can be connected to the stringers by ropes, spring clips and the like. Once connected, the load will be above the open bed and will occupy no space in it.  
         [0026]    With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, rail  80  has the same construction as rail  18  and rests on pad  81  which in turn rests on the upper horizontal margin  82  of the side wall of the track. The rail is attached the side walls of a pickup truck in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. Bracket  83  has a first horizontal wall  84  and a first vertical wall  86 . An intermediate wall  88 , offset from the angle of the two walls  84 ,  86  extends downwardly from the rear edge of wall  84  and terminates at the lower edge of wall  86 . A second vertical wall  90  extends downwardly from the front edge of wall  84  and terminates at a second horizontal wall  92 .  
         [0027]    A stringer  94  is attached by screws or other means to the first vertical wall  86 . Holes are provided in the stringer and like holes are provided in the vertical wall for this purpose. The stringer serves the same function as stringer  60  of the previous Figures.  
         [0028]    Wall  84  of the bracket rests on the upper flange  100  of rail  80 . Wall  92  is seated on a pad  102  which rests on margin  82  of the side wall of the truck. Wall  84  is not attached to the rail nor is wall  92  attached to the side wall of the truck.  
         [0029]    A clamp, generally  110 , has jaws  112 ,  114  which contact wall  92  and the underside  82   a  of the margin of the side wall of the truck. The jaws are interconnected by means of a threaded stud  116  having a head  118  which when rotated in one direction causes the jaws to separate from one another and when rotated in the opposite direction causes the jaws to approach each other. The clamp is of conventional construction.  
         [0030]    In operation, the bracket is clamped to the rail and side wall of the truck in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7. No screws, bolts or other connectors are needed for this purpose apart from the clamp. The position of the bracket can be positioned where the stringers will be most conveniently located. Its position can be anywhere along the length of the side walls.  
         [0031]    The load carrier of FIGS. 6 and 7 is simple of construction. It is made up of components which in most cases are of conventional construction and widely available. For example, the clamps which are used to attach the carrier to the truck may be of a variety of different constructions. There is no requirement for clamps to be of a particular shape or size.  
         [0032]    It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the load carrier illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of my invention as defined in the following claims.