Telescopic cover assembly for open bed vehicles

A telescoping cover assembly for the open bed of a vehicle comprising front and rear cover sections movable relative to each other is disclosed. The assembly provides a versatile enclosure which permits selective access to all areas of the vehicle bed without the burden of removing the cover. Furthermore, this structure is sectionally removable, or tiltable to a vertical telescoped position which allows ready use of the open bed for large cargo transport. The sections are lockable in various positions to insure safety and security.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to covers for open bed vehicles, and 
specifically to a telescoping cover assembly for open bed vehicles. 
The last few years have seen a marked increase in consumer interest in 
recreation vehicles of all designs, including self-powered campers, 
trailers and "toppers" which fit on the open bed of a vehicle such as a 
pickup truck. It is this latter category which seemingly enjoys the most 
activity, due to the versatility they add to pickup trucks already owned 
by individuals such as contractors, farmers, constructors, and sportsman. 
The most common type of pickup cover is that which is of one piece 
construction and is removably affixed to the walls of the truck bed. To 
remove these devices, one must either employ a system of jacks or enlist 
the assistance of several good sized men. These one piece structures offer 
limited versatility in that they may be used only as a camper and as a 
means for storage; however, large cargo items cannot be loaded into the 
truck bed without completely removing the topper itself. Also, these one 
piece devices do not offer ready access to all portions of the truck bed; 
i.e., the only way to reach items stored in the front of the bed is to go 
in through the tail gate area. 
Several movable open bed covers, including telescopic covers, are known in 
the prior art. Attention is directed to the following U.S. patents which 
disclose bed covers which are either movable or pivotable to expose the 
bed area; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,768,858; 3,762,762; 3,765,716 and 3,785,698. 
Telescopic covers, more related to the instant invention, are shown and 
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,165,352; 3,762,763; 3,640,565, and 
3,578,379. While the patents mentioned above represent a type of cover 
available to the trade, none possess the improved cover sections, guides, 
mountings, and tail gate structures disclosed herein, nor the improved 
construction by which the cover sections may be pivoted either 
individually or as a unit away from the open bed to provide unrestricted 
access to the bed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide a rigid cover for an open bed 
vehicle that provides protection for cargo and people from the elements. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a rigid cover for an open bed 
vehicle that provides protection against unwarranted entry. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a telescoping cover 
assembly that allows easy outside access to all portions of the vehicle 
bed. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a telescoping cover 
assembly which may easily be repositioned to allow unlimited cargo height 
and over 90% bed length usage. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a multi-sectional cover 
assembly which is extremely easy to remove and install. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a telescoping cover 
assembly which may be removed and installed without the use of tools. 
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a telescoping 
cover assembly which has selectable locking positons to insure safety. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a unique tail gate hinge 
which permits the removal of the gate without the use of tools. 
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a unique tail 
gate hinge structure which permits the tail gate to be pivoted through an 
arc of approximtely 270.degree.. 
It is an even still further object of this invention to provide a unique 
section locking structure which enhances the ease of the overall assembly 
operation. 
It is an even still further object of this invention to provide a unique 
locking structure which is easy to install and operate. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a unique roller track 
design which permits the cover sections to be easily removed or pivoted to 
a position which leaves the vehicle bed substantially unobstructed. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a unique utility rack on 
multiple cover sections which permits access to the vehicle bed without 
the necessity of removing objects on the utility rack. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a cover for an open bed 
vehicle that is easy to manufacture, rugged in use and inexpensive in 
operation. 
The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention 
providing a telescoping cover assembly for the open bed of a vehicle 
comprising front and rear cover sections movable relative to each other. 
The assembly provides a versatile enclosure which permits selective access 
to all areas of the vehicle bed without the burden of rmoving the cover. 
Furthermore, the structure is sectionally removable, or tiltable to a 
vertical telescoped position which allows ready use of the open bed for 
large cargo transport. The sections are lockable in various positions to 
insure safety and security.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The following detailed description is directed to a cover assembly having 
novel characteristics which provide a versatility heretofore unknown in 
the prior art. The cover assembly provides a complete access to the 
vehicle bed by a unique arrangement which allows easy opening of both the 
front and the rear thereof. The sectional construction and unique track 
and roller assembly provide a cover which is easily removed or tilted to 
allow the transportation of bulky cargo items. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, there is shown with the general 
designation 1, a cover assembly according to the instant invention affixed 
to the open bed of a common pickup truck. The bed of the vehicle is 
defined forwardly by the cab section 2, the side sections 2 and 4 and the 
rear tailgate 6. Cover assembly 1 is comprised primarily of a forward 
bulkhead 15 which is affixed to the cab section 2 and sealingly engages 
forward cover section 7 which in turn sealingly engages in a telescoping 
manner rearward cover section 8. Tailgate 9 is affixed to rear cover 
section 8 by a pair of hinges 11 and 12 and locked in position by a lock 
mechanism generally designated 14. Each of the cover sections 7 and 8 
further include a locking mechanism, only one of which, 13, can be seen in 
these figures. These locking mechanisms will be described in further 
detail below. Cover section 7 further includes a holding mechanism 10 on 
the top thereof which, under certain circumstances to be described below, 
will holdingly engage the handle 14 on tail gate 9. It should be readily 
apparent that any desired trim or window arrangements can be incorporated 
in the apparatus without affecting or interferring with the operation of 
the general assembly. For example, side windows such as 16 may be added in 
either or all of the cover sections or a window 17 in the tail gate may 
prove advantageous. 
FIG. 2 shows the versatility of movement of the cover sections 7 and 8. 
Cover section 7 has been moved rearwardly to expose the forward portion of 
the truck bed and allow a complete access to that area. Rear cover section 
8 has been moved slightly forward to allow a more complete access to the 
rear portion of the truck bed. It should be realized that this figure 
merely shows that the two cover sections may be moved relative to each 
other, and that the amount or distance of movement shown is not 
necessarily a limitation. For instance, if section 7 were in its foremost 
position, section 8 could be telescoped substantially completely within 
section 7 to allow access to at least one half of the bed of the vehicle. 
Obviously, this is a distinct advantage when it is desired to transport 
cargo which is higher than the top portion of the cover sections. 
In FIG. 3, the rear cover section 8 has been telescoped into forward cover 
section 7 and the two have been substantially smultaneously pivoted 
through an angle of approximately 90.degree.. The tail gate is shown to 
have been opened fully and the handle 14 engaged with the holding device 
10 on cover section 7. In this position, the cover assembly is fairly 
rigid, but it would be well within the scope of this invention to add a 
holding device of some type to insure that the two cover sections remained 
in the upright position during travel. By positioning the cover sections 
as shown in this figure, or, more accurately, with the upright sections 
moved close to cab 2, at least 90% of the length of the truck bed is 
available for the transportation of cargo. Additionally, a repositioning 
such as shown allows unlimited cargo height transportion. Obviously, this 
is very advantageous inasmuch as one may reposition the cover assembly and 
carry large bulky cargo items without completely removing the cover 
assembly. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 7, the novel roller and track assembly 
arrangement will be described. A pair of tracks 21 and 22 are, 
respectively, affixed to the tops of bed side walls 3 and 4. Since the 
tracks are identical to each other, only track 22 wil be described in 
detail. An elongate substantially flat plate member 23 is affixed to the 
top of side member 4, by conventional means not shown, and extends 
substantially from the front thereof near cab 2 to the rear thereof. Best 
seen in FIG. 6, the plate member 23 has affixed thereto, or integral 
therewith, roller retainers 24 and 26. Walls of the roller retainers are 
such that they close the rollers and prevent them from escaping, while at 
the same time allowing free movement thereof along the track within the 
retainer. Retainer 24 extends substantially the same length as the plate 
23; however, roller retainer 26 is substantially shorter and extends 
approximately one half the length of the side of the truck bed. As best 
seen in FIG. 7, each of the cover sections 7 and 8 include a plurality of 
rollers affixed to the bottom thereof in a cantilevered fashion. This 
figure is a longitudinal cross section through the cover sections and only 
shows one side thereof, or, in other words, each of the rollers shown in 
this figure is represented by a pair of rollers one on each side of the 
cover sections. Front cover section 7 includes three rollers, a forward 
roller 7, a rear roller 28 and a middle roller 29. Rear cover section 8 
includes a forward roller 31 and a rear roller 32. 
Cross sectional view 6 has had rollers 28 and 31 added thereto to better 
show the telescoping relationship between the cover sections. It can be 
seen that roller 28 is affixed to cover 7 by a cantilevered bar 33 and a 
nut and bolt arrangement 34 and 36. Likewise, cover section 8 is affixed 
to roller 31 by bar 37 and nut and bolts 38 and 39. Now, referring again 
to FIGS. 4 and 5, the roller retainer 24 includes a notch 41 through which 
the rollers on cover section 8 may be easily lifted for either removal of 
the cover section or tilting thereof relative to the track. Likewise, 
roller retainer 26 includes a roller release slot 42 for the removal of 
the rollers on cover section 7. There is shown in this figure a notch 43 
in the roller retainer 24 into which a latch bolt fits to lock cover 
section 8 in position. The relationship between this notch and the latch 
bolt will be described in detail below. 
Furthermore, there is shown on the rear end of the roller retainer 24, a 
latch 44 into which the latch bolts on the tail gate are selectively 
engaged. Latch bolt 44 further includes an upwardly extending locking 
service 46 into which the lock bolts on the cover section 8 fit for 
selective fixing of the cover section in the fully extended position. 
At the rearmost end of roller retainer 26 is another latch 47 which serves 
to fix the forwrd cover section 7 and also as a stop to prevent the 
rollers in cover section 7 from leaving the retainer 26. 
As previously stated, each of the cover sections includes a selective 
locking mechanism to fixedly locate the sections in desirable positions 
relative to each other. The lock 13 on forward cover section 7 fixes that 
section in its full forward position by engaging latch 47. A latch 
mechanism is also included in cover section 8 in conduit 49, to be 
described further below, and selectively locks this section in either the 
full rearward position by engagement with latch 46, or in an open position 
by engagement with latch 43. Any suitable locking mechanism may be used, 
but that to be described immediately below has been found particularly 
advantageous. 
Referring now to FIGS. 8 through 10, the mechanism for locking forward 
section 7 will be described. End support member 48, FIG. 1, is a generally 
U-shaped piece of square tubing securely affixed to the rearward end of 
cover section 7. The ends of the tubing are directed generally downward 
and contain the locking mechanisms depicted in these figures. The 
particular arrangement shown is to an outside actuator on one side, FIG. 
8, and no actuator on the other, FIG. 9. Of course, this could be 
reversed, or for added convenience, both sides could have an outside 
actuator. The frame 48 is open at the end thereof to receive a latch bolt 
51 which is biased by spring 52 in a downward, or locking direction for 
engagement with the latches on the track assembly. Compression block 53 is 
fixed within tube 48 by a bolt 54. Exterior latch actuating handle 13, 
hich may be of the key lock type is fixed to trip shaft 55 and inside 
latch actuator 56, so that rotation of either actuator causes rotation of 
the trip shaft. Latch bolt cable 57 has an enlarged end portion 58 and 
extends through hole 59 in latch bolt 51, hole 61 in compression block 53, 
hole 62 in trip shaft 55, then through tube 48 to the latch mechanism on 
the other side, shown in FIG. 9. The enlarged end portion 58 of the cable 
57 is larger than the opening of hole 59 and holds the cable fast relative 
thereto. 
The opposite end of tube 48 is substantially like that shown in FIG. 8, but 
without the actuator mechanism. Latch block 63 holds an enlarged end 64 of 
cable 57 against the tension of spring 66 acting against fixed compression 
block 67. 
By rotating either actuator 13 or 56, the cable 57 is partially wrapped 
around tripped shaft 55, and the length thereof effectively shortened. 
Thus, the latch bolts 51 and 63 are pulled up into the tube 48 and 
disengaged with the latches on track assemblies 21 and 22. The novel latch 
bolt used is shown in FIG. 10. Bolt 51 has a latch engaging surface 68 on 
one end thereof and a depression on the other end thereof 69, for holding 
a spring, such as 52, in a stable attitude. Horizontal opening 71 and slot 
72 allow, as will be seen below, cable 57 and enlarged end portion 58 to 
be easily positioned therein. 
A novel design feature of the locking apparatus just described is that it 
may be easily and readily assembled within tube 48 without the need for 
special tools. Firstly, the exact length necessary for cable 57 is 
determined and the enlarged end portions 58 and 64 are fabricated thereon. 
These may be made by the tying of a knot or with the affixment of an end 
capping of some type. Then, one end, say 64, of the cable is fed into 
tubing 48, through hole 61 in block 53 through hole 62 in trip shaft 55, 
through tube 48 and through hole 73 in compression block 67. A spring 52 
is then placed over end 58 of the cable and then latch bolt 51 is affixed 
by inserting cable 57 and end portion 58 through hole 71 and slot 72 of 
bolt 51. A spring 66 is then inserted over cable end 64 and end 64 is 
forced out through opening 72 in tube 48 and held out until latch bolt 63 
is slipped into the bottom of tube 48 until hole 71 in latch bolt 63 
aligns with hole 74 in tube 48. Finally, cable end 64 is easily slipped 
into the hole 59 through slot 72 and hole 71. 
In like manner, there is a locking mechanism located within frame tube 49, 
see FIG. 1, at the rearmost end of cover section 8, to selectively fix 
that section on track assemblies 21 and 22. To promote the telescoping 
feature and the tilting operation, there is no exterior actuator on cover 
section 8, but rather only an interior actuator which can be reached 
through tail gate 9. The only functional or structural difference between 
the two locking mechanisms is that the latch bolt engaging surfaces 68 
face different directions to allow proper slide action engagement with 
latches 44 and 47. 
The tail gate 9 includes a horizontally disposed locking mechanism which is 
also constructed according to the description given above. For 
convenience, both an exterior actuator 14 and an interior actuator, not 
shown, may be provided. 
FIGS. 11 and 12 show a unique hinge design which allows tail gate 9 to be 
selectively removed without the use of any tools whatsoever. FIGS. 11 and 
12 are views of hinge 12, but it should be realized that the two hinges 
are exactly alike, only mirror images of each other. The hinge comprises 
two primary elements, a male bracket 73 affixed to tail gate 9, and a 
female bracket 74 affixed to the top of cover section 8. 
The hinge is designed to raise tail gate 9 to a nearly horizontal open 
position above cover sections 7 and 8, and to engage actuator handle 14 
with bracket 10 when in the full telescoped position. 
The female bracket 74 includes a pair of arms 76 and 77 which extend 
rearwardly beyond the end of cover section 8. Each arm has a hole 78 and 
79, respectively, and a slot 81 and 82, respectively, therethrough which 
mate with the male bracket in a very unique manner. The male bracket 73 
includes a horizontally disposed pin 83, the outside end of which 84 
extends approximately twice as far as the inside end 85. The pin 83 is 
supported away from the surface of tail gate 9 by a bracket arm 86 which 
is cantilevered at least a distance equal to the length of the slots 81 
and 82, and the tail gate hinges about the bearing surface between pin 83 
and the holes 78 and 79 in female bracket 74. 
The tail gate is easily installed by placing the outside of either pin part 
way in its respective bracket hole, and then the inside end of the 
opposite pin may be easily lined up with the opposite bracket hole, and 
the tail gate rotated upward until bracket arms 86 align with slots 81 and 
82 and the entire tail gate assembly moves into proper horizontal 
position. 
For convenience, either or both hinges may further include an adjustable 
stop 80 which comprises a support member 87 affixed to the hinge bracket 
74, a threaded bolt 88, threadingly engaged with said support member, 
resilient impact member 89 affixed to the end of bolt 88 and a pair of 
lock nuts 89 and 91 threaded on said bolt for locking the impact member in 
selected position. With this apparatus, the arc through which the tail 
gate swings may be easily and quickly adjusted. 
The important tilting feature of the instant invention has been mentioned 
above, but is worthy of more detailed consideration. In view of the 
structure and arrangement of elements shown and described above, the 
operational steps are very easily and readily performed by one person. 
Firstly, cover section 7 is moved rearwardly until rollers 29 are directly 
under release slots 42. Secondly, cover section 8 is moved forwardly until 
actuator 14 of tail gate 9 slips into bracket 10. This will position 
rollers 32 directly under release slots 41. Finally, the rearmost ends of 
cover sections 7 and 8 are lifted through a 90.degree. arc while pivoting 
each about their front rollers 27 and 31, which are held on track by the 
roller retainers. Alternatively, either cover section could be tilted up 
separately with the tail gate closed. The cover sections are separately 
removed in this same sequence, but further including the step of aligning 
the rear rollers with the release slots. 
A modified version of the track and roller arrangement is shown in cross 
section in FIG. 13. The track 101 comprises two roller guide sections 102 
and 103 which, at least for that portion of the side rail where they are 
adjacent, are joined by a plate 104. Obviously, the arrangement shown here 
is of a unitary, or extruded track. As in the previously described 
embodiment, the outside track 102 extends substantially one half the 
length of the truck bed, and the inside track 103 is full length. Each 
track is substantially identical to the other and includes a roller slot 
106 and an adjacent retainer 107. Additionally, elongate flexible dust 
seals can be provided, as at 108, to prevent moisture and dirt particles 
from entering the enclosed area. 
The main roller 109 is supported in a cantilevered fashion below the cover 
section 7 in this figure, by an arm 111 affixed thereto. Arm 111 may be 
covered by a piece of trim in any convenient manner. A secondary roller 
112 extends inwardly from main roller 109 and is held in position by a 
common axel 113 which projects through both rollers and arm 111 and is 
fastened by nut 114. The secondary roller, and thus the cover sections, is 
held in vertical position by roller retainer 107 which contains the 
previously described slots for removal of the sections. This particular 
embodiment does not permit the main roller 109 to make contact with the 
track in any place other than the bottom of the track, thereby forcing the 
roller to rotate rather than slide. The double roller arrangement is 
particularly advantageous in that the main and secondary rollers can 
rotate in opposite directions and thus virtually eliminate binding and 
track damage during the tilting steps. 
In summary, there has been described a unique cover assembly for open bed 
vehicles. The cover assembly is slidable along a track to allow ready 
access to all portions of the bed, and uniquely rotatable on the track to 
provide over 90.degree. bed length usage and 100% height usage for the 
transport of large bulky cargo items. 
It will be understood that various other changes of the details, materials, 
steps, arrangements of parts and uses which have been herein described and 
illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention will occur to 
and may be made by those skilled in the art, upon a reading of this 
disclosure, and such changes are intended to be included within the 
principles and scope of this invention. 
For example, it may prove desirable to add a utility rack to the top of the 
cover sections for the transport of long bulky items such as ladders or 
boats. This can readily be accomplished by inserting a bar or rod through 
the holes 91 in the female brackets 74 of hinges 11 and 12. Additionally, 
a bracket will have to be added to the front portion of the assembly, as, 
for example, on section 15. Such forward bracket would be similar to the 
hinge bracket in width and affixed to section 15. Obviously the brackets 
would have to be high enough to provide a clearance above bracket 10. 
Also, for example, the cover sections have been shown to be substantially 
vertical in the side view; however, even though not preferred, it may be 
desirable for asthetics to slant the ends to provide a more streamlined 
appearance.