Container loading and unloading system

The container loading and unloading system includes a first set of cables attached to the front of the container, a second set of cables attached to the rear of the container, a winch for alternately extending and retracting the cables by rotating a cross bar, a pair of substantially parallel rails for supporting the bottom of the container, a pivot bar located between and normal to both rails, and a yoke for supporting the pivot bar. To load the container--which may be a camper, a cargo box or a tool box--a cross bar is rotated in a first direction to extend the first set of cables and to retract the second set of cables, thereby pulling the container along the rail members onto a raised surface. The rails pivot along with the container on the pivot bar to assist in the loading operation. To unload the container, the cross bar is rotated in the opposite direction to retract the first set of cables and to extend the second set of cables, with the rails again pivoting about the pivot bar to lower the container onto the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to devices for loading and unloading containers, and 
more particularly to a winch-operated mechanism for loading campers, tool 
boxes, cargo boxes and the like onto a truck bed. 
It is often desirable to load campers, tool boxes, or other heavy 
containers onto the bed of a motor vehicle or onto another raised surface. 
It is also desirable to subsequently unload the heavy container from the 
truck bed or other raised surface. 
One common way of loading a heavy container onto a truck bed is to have two 
or more strong people manually lift the container off the ground onto the 
truck bed. This procedure is laborious, requires at least two people, and 
may result in injury to the people or damage to the container. 
Due to the shortcomings of the manual procedure, several attempts have been 
made to provide winch-operated mechanisms to load boats, luggage carriers, 
or other items onto a truck bed or the top of an automobile. These devices 
are typically very complicated and expensive, and still require the rather 
strenuous cranking of a hand-operated winch. 
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a simple, easily-operated device for 
loading heavy containers onto a truck bed or another raised surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An apparatus is disclosed that positions or loads a container such as a 
camper, cargo box or a tool box onto a raised surface such as a truck bed. 
The apparatus also removes or unloads the container from the raised 
surface and lowers it onto a lower surface such as the ground. 
The apparatus includes a first cable means consisting of at least one cable 
interconnected with a front portion of the container, and a second cable 
means including at least one cable interconnected with a rear portion of 
the container. The apparatus also includes a winch means having a 
rotatable cross bar interconnected with the first cable means and with the 
second cable means, and a means for rotating the cross bar that preferably 
includes a remote control. Upon actuation of the remote control, the cross 
bar rotates in a first direction to extend the first cable means and to 
retract the second cable means to position or load the container onto the 
raised surface. 
To unload or remove the container from the raised surface, the remote 
control rotates the rotatable cross bar in a second, opposite direction 
which causes the first cable means to be retracted and the second cable 
means to be extended. 
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus also includes a rail means 
consisting of a pair of two substantially parallel rail members for 
supporting the container while the container is being positioned onto or 
removed from the raised surface. The bottom of the container preferably 
includes a means for receiving the rail members to allow the container to 
easily slide along the rails. 
The preferred embodiment also includes a pivot means interconnected with 
the rail means for pivoting the rails about a pivot axis while the 
container is being positioned onto or removed from the raised surface. The 
pivot axis is preferably substantially normal to the two parallel rail 
members. If the raised surface is on a motor vehicle, the pivot means is 
supported by a yoke means that is interconnected with the rear bumper of 
the motor vehicle. 
It is a feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a system 
for loading and unloading heavy containers that is easily operated by a 
single person without any significant manual effort. 
It is another feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a 
container loading and unloading system that is simple and inexpensive. 
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed 
description of a preferred embodiment and the drawings, in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loading and unloading system attached 
to a camper. In FIG. 1, camper 10 is held slightly off of the ground 12 by 
extendable, slide bars 14 and 16 of the loading and unloading system 18. 
Slide bars 14 and 16 are received in the ends of two parallel rail members 
20 and 22 respectively, and are retained in the desired position by quick 
disconnect pins 24 and 26. Slide bars 14 and 16 each have a plurality of 
holes therethrough to enable their heights to be adjusted. The desired 
heights of the slide bars should be sufficient to keep camper 10 off of 
ground 12, and are also determined by the height of the truck bed or other 
raised surface onto which the camper or other container is to be loaded. 
The slide bars should be sufficiently extended so that they support the 
weight of the container while it is being loaded. 
System 18 also includes a first pair of spaced, non-parallel cables 28 and 
30, which are attached to the front of camper 10 via brackets 32 and 34 
respectively. The front ends of cables 28 and 30 are attached to brackets 
32 and 34 via intervening springs 36 and 38. The purpose of springs 36 and 
38 is to take up slack in their respective cables that may occur when the 
rotational direction of the winch is being changed. 
The opposite ends of cables 28 and 30 are attached to a rotatable cross bar 
40 that is substantially perpendicular to parallel rails 20 and 22. As 
cross bar 40 rotates, cables 28 and 30 are either rolled onto or unrolled 
from bar 40, depending upon the direction of the rotation. 
System 18 also includes a second pair of non-parallel cables 42 and 44. An 
end of each of cables 42 and 44 is attached to a rear portion of camper 10 
at points 46 and 48, respectively, as depicted in FIG. 7. 
The opposite ends of cables 42 and 44 are attached to rotatable cross bar 
40. Cables 42 and 44 are rolled onto cross bar 40 during the loading 
process as bar 40 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction. Cables 42 
and 44 are unrolled or extended from the cross bar during the unloading 
process as the cross bar is rotated in the clockwise direction. See FIG. 
7. 
In FIG. 1, winch 50 includes rotatable cross bar 40, and a means for 
rotating the cross bar including a motor 52, a motor controller 54, a 
remote control 56 interconnected with controller 54, and a power cable 58 
that is interconnected with the truck battery (not shown) to provide power 
for the winch. The winch is preferably a model X-1 winch available from 
Super Winch Company of Philadelphia, Pa. 
System 18 also includes a pivot means 60 that comprises a pivot bar 62, a 
first pair of support bars 64, and a second pair of support bars 66. As 
discussed more fully below, pivot bar 62 is received in a yoke 68 (FIG. 2) 
attached to a rear bumper 70 of motor vehicle 71. As the camper is being 
loaded or unloaded, rails 20 and 22 and the camper pivot about 
longitudinal axis 63 of pivot bar 62. Support bars 64 and 66, pivot bar 
62, and yoke 68 support the weight of the camper while it is being 
pivoted. 
The present invention may be used with standard campers, as long as cables 
28 and 30 may be attached to the front portion of the camper, cables 42 
and 44 may be attached to the rear portion of the camper, and a means is 
provided on the bottom portion of the camper for guiding the camper along 
rails 20 and 22. If a standard camper is used, this guide means preferably 
includes two parallel wooden guide members 72 and 74. If a custom camper 
is designed for use with system 18, guides 72 and 74 may be formed as 
indentations in the bottom surface of camper 10. 
Although the present invention may be used with standard campers having an 
extended forward sleeping compartment, in that event the camper should be 
raised further off the ground than if a camper is used without the 
extended forward sleeping compartment. This addition height is needed to 
allow the forward portion of the camper to clear rails 20 and 22 during 
the loading and unloading process. 
As best shown in FIG. 2, a pair of wheels 76 are interconnected with the 
rear portion of the camper to prevent the camper from touching the ground 
during the loading or unloading process. 
FIGS. 2 through 4 depict the camper being loaded on the bed of a pick-up 
truck 71. FIG. 2 depicts a camper 10 having already been raised so that 
the front lower corner 10a of the camper has already passed over cross bar 
40. The forward ends of rails 20 and 22 are raised from truck bed 78, 
while slide bars 14 and 16 still touch ground 12. Since the winch is being 
operated in the counterclockwise direction during loading, cables 28 and 
30 are being extended while cables 42 and 44 are being retracted or rolled 
onto cross bar 40. The rolling of cables 42 and 44 onto the cross bar 
pulls camper 10 in a forward direction onto the motor vehicle bed. 
The camper then continues to move in a forward direction until pivot bar 62 
moves downward to rest in yoke 68. The camper then pivots about pivot axis 
63 of pivot bar 62. At this stage in the loading process, as depicted in 
FIG. 3, rails 20 and 22 also pivot so that their front ends are now lying 
on truck bed 78. The weight of the loading system and the camper is borne 
by the pivot means and by yoke 68, which is attached to rear bumper 70 of 
motor vehicle 71. Cables 28 and 30 continue to be extended, while cables 
42 and 44 are rolled onto the cross bar to pull the camper in the forward 
direction. Due to the pivoting of the rail members, slide bars 14 and 16 
are now raised off the ground, as are wheels 76. 
To complete the loading process, winch 50 continues to rotate cross bar 40 
in the counterclockwise direction until camper 10 is in its completely 
loaded position, as depicted in FIG. 4. Cables 28 and 30 are then fully 
extended, and cables 42 and 44 are fully retracted. The loading and 
unloading system remains connected to camper 10 so that it may be used 
during the unloading process. 
To unload the camper from the truck, the winch is operated in reverse so 
that cross bar 40 is rotated in the clockwise direction. Cables 28 and 30 
(FIG. 1) are then retracted or rolled onto the cross bar, while cables 42 
and 44 are extended. The rolling of cables 28 and 30 onto cross bar 40 
effectively pulls the camper toward the cross bar and off of the truck 
bed. 
When the camper is partially removed from the truck bed, it pivots about 
pivot bar 62 and its pivot axis 63 so that the forward ends of rails 20 
and 22 are raised into the air and slide members 14 and 16 engage the 
ground. Continued operation of the winch together with the force due to 
gravity enable the camper to be slowly unloaded from the truck bed. 
FIG. 7 is a top diagrammatic view of the loader/unloader system which more 
clearly depicts the orientation of the first pair of cables 28 and 30, and 
the non-parallel cables 42 and 44. The lefthand side of FIG. 7 depicts the 
camper in the forward or loaded position. As shown on the lefthand side, 
cables 28 and 30 are fully extended in this position, and are not parallel 
to enable them to be properly rolled onto cross bar 40. As shown by the 
arrows on the lefthand side of FIG. 7, the winch is operated in the 
counterclockwise direction while the camper is moving forward or to the 
left in FIG. 7. 
The righthand portion of FIG. 7 depicts the camper in its fully unloaded 
position. Cables 42 and 44 are then fully extended, with cables 28 and 30 
being rolled onto the cross bar, as depicted in phantom on cross bar 40. 
Rollers 80 and 82 prevent cables 28 and 30 respectively from rubbing up 
against rails 20 and 22 while the cables are being wrapped onto cross bar 
40. As depicted by the arrows on the right hand side of FIG. 7, rotation 
of the cross bar in the clockwise direction causes the camper to move to 
the right or away from the truck bed. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 more clearly depict the pivot bar and yoke according to the 
present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view of the loading and unloading 
system, shown in partial section. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the 
loading and unloading system of FIG. 5, taken along line 6--6. As shown in 
FIG. 5, pivot bar 62 rests in a recess 68a of yoke 68. Yoke 68 is attached 
to the rear bumper of the truck via bolt and nut assemblies 84. The bolts 
preferably pass through the two safety chain holes in the step bumper 
portion of the rear bumper, so that no additional holes are needed in the 
bumper. As shown in FIG. 6, the height of yoke 68 may be adjusted via bolt 
and nut assemblies 86. The height of the yoke is adjusted so that pivot 
bar 62 clears the upper end of the step bumper. 
Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and 
described, alternate embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the 
art and are within the intended scope of the present invention. Therefore, 
the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.