Truck bed covering

A collapsible truck bed covering structure includes left and right base members fastened to the top of left and right sidewalls, respectively, of the truck bed. Left and right sidewalls are hinged at the bottom to the left and right base members, respectively. Trolleys at the top of the left and right sidewalls are couple to the rails in a top member so that raising and lowering the top member, raises and lowers the sidewalls. Rear and front window frames are hinged at the bottom with a pin and inverted J-slot hinges between horizontal retracted and vertical extended positions and releasably locked by post and keyway structure.

The present invention relates in general to truck bed covering and more 
particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques for covering an open 
truck bed with a selectively collapsible structure that may be easily 
opened to form an accessible covered windowed volume and readily collapsed 
when not in use to cover the truck bed at a level below the rear window of 
the truck cab. The structure is sturdy, relatively easy to attach to and 
remove from a truck bed, relatively easy and inexpensive to fabricate, 
easily extended or collapsed and presents an attractive appearance when 
both extended and collapsed. 
A popular item for open-bedded trucks is a windowed truck bed cover. 
A search of subclasses 164 and 165 of class 296 uncovered U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,009,212, 3,145,044, 3,175,857, 3,286,414, 3,458,232, 3,582,129, 
3,583,755, 3,690,719, 4,294,484, and Canadian Pat. No. 834,014. 
It is an important object of this invention to provide improved apparatus 
and techniques for truck bed covering. 
According to the invention, there are first and second side base means, 
which may be regarded as left and right base means, for being detachably 
secured to the side panels, typically left and right sidewalls defining an 
inside region therebetween, of an open truck bed hingeably supporting 
first and second side panel means, typically left and right sidewall means 
each having a top and bottom and hinged at the bottom for swinging 
movement between a horizontal retracted position inside said sidewalls 
when collapsed inwardly of the truck bed side panels and a vertical 
extended position substantially coextensive with the truck bed side panels 
and above the sidewalls. There is top wall means hingeably attached to the 
base means to which the side panel means are hingeably attached for 
covering the truck bed and movable between a lowered collapsed or 
retracted position and an upper extended position resting upon the tops of 
the side panel means. The top wall means may have rail means for 
accommodating movable members. Preferably there is windowed front panel 
means hingeable at the bottom for displacement between a horizontal 
collapsed or retracted position between the top panel or wall means and a 
vertical extended position supporting the front of the top panel means, 
and windowed rear panel means hinged at the bottom for movement between a 
collapsed or retracted horizontal position beneath the top panel means and 
an extended vertical position supporting the rear end of the top panel 
means. Preferably, the rear panel means includes a transparent light 
hingeably attached to a frame in the panel means at the top that may be 
opened and supported in an open position by side strut means. Preferably 
there is trolley means fastened to the top of the side wall means having 
movable members for engaging the rail means and converting raising and 
lowering movement of the top wall means into angular movement of the 
sidewall means about the lower edge thereof between the retracted and 
extended positions, whereby raising and lowering a side of the top wall 
means extends and retracts the associated sidewall means respectively 
between the retracted and extended positions.

With reference now to the drawing and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, 
there is shown a perspective view of a truck bed cover 11 according to the 
invention seated on the open truck bed 12 of truck 13. Truck bed cover 11 
includes a pair of handle knobs, such as 11A, on each side for raising 
each side to the extended position. The same reference symbols identify 
corresponding elements throughout the drawing. 
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a rear view of the covered truck of 
FIG. 1 illustrating how the left side is raised to the extended position. 
Exerting force upward on the left knobs raises the left side of top 11T 
and causes trolley 14 and gas strut system 15 to move outward and upward 
with the roller 14A of trolley 14 moving in the direction indicated by 
arrow 16 in response to the upward force represented by arrow 17 to raise 
left side panel 18 to an uprigth position. The right side of roof 11T then 
rests against a rubber bumper 23A along the outside edge of base 23. Left 
panel 18 is hingeably attached to a left base member 21 that is secured to 
the top of left bed panel 12L. The left gas strut 15 is hingeably attached 
a the bottom to left base 21 and comprises a conventional gas shock 
absorber of the type used for automobiles. 
Right panel 22 is hingeably attached at the bottom to right base member 23 
that is secured to the top of right panel 12R of truck bed 12. Right gas 
strut 24 is hingeably attached to right base 23 and connected to right 
trolley 25 having a roller 25A that rides in track 19 of top 11T toward 
the right when the right side is raised by grasping handles 11A. 
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a fragmentary view partially in section 
illustrating the details of the trolley structure. Top 11T typically 
comprises corrugated aluminum roof sheathing 31 over masonite interior 
trim 32. Track 19 comprises an aluminum extruded channel in which a pair 
of bearing-mounting nylon wheels comprising roller 14A ride. Trolley 14 is 
fastened to the top strip 18T of sidewall 18 secured by a protective 
mounting collar 33. 
Referring to FIG. 4 there is shown an elevation view partially in section 
illustrating details of the left side while being raised. Left sidewall 18 
includes protective right angle channels 18A and 18B and includes 
corrugated aluminum roof sheathing 18C on the outside on a frame visible 
in FIG. 10 typically made of 3/8" thick clear pine or plywood. Masonite 
interior trim 18D may line the inside. Sidewall 18 is continuously 
attached on its lower inside horizontal edge by butterfly hinge 34 
attached to base 21, typically a 1".times.3" aluminum extrusion. Pin hinge 
35 is secured to sidewall top strip 18T for hingeably connecting the rod 
of strut 15 to sidewall 18. Pin hinge 36 is mounted on mounting plate 37, 
resting half on butterfly hinge 34 and half on the inside of truck side 
wall 12L for hingeably connecting the bottom of strut 15 to base 21. 
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a fragmentary elevation view partially 
in section simialr to that of FIG. 4 with sidewall 18 fully upright 
showing how the sidewall top strip 18T engages member 11L while the bottom 
of sidewall 18 rests on base 21. 
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a rear view illustrating how raising 
the right side of top 11T by raising knobs 11A causes right sidewall 22 
and associated mechanisms to move clockwise toward the fully upright 
position in a manner similar to that described above in connection with 
raising the left sidewall 18 to the upright position. The mechanism on the 
right side is essentially the same as that on the right side and will not 
be described in detail here. 
Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a fragmentary perspective view of the 
rear illustrating the next step in manipulating the cover to the fully 
upright position. Rear window frame 41 hingeably attached to base members 
21 and 23 at the bottom left and right moves from the retracted horizontal 
position 41' toward the fully upright vertical position where keyways 41A 
and 41B engage mating posts 42A and 42B extending from the inside of solid 
aluminum corner angle strut 42 attached to the rear end of right sidewall 
22. A similar right angle strut at the rear end of sidewall 18 has a 
similar pair of posts that mate with similar keyways on the left side of 
frame 41 not visible in FIG. 7. 
Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown a fragmentary enlarged exploded view 
illustrating the relationship among rear window frame 41 and other 
portions of the structure. The hinge comprises a hinge pin 41P at the 
bottom right of frame 41 that rides in inverted J-slot 51 in slotted plate 
52 secured to the bottom leaf of right butterfly hinge 53 secured to base 
23. The lower portion of slotted plate 52 rests against the top inside of 
right truck bed sidewall 12R. Inverted J slot 51 guides pin 41P in the 
direction of arrow 54 as rear window frame 41 is pulled to a vertical 
position. At the high point in travel, keyways 41A and 41B mate with posts 
42A and 42B, respectively, to allow their heads to enter and then lock in 
place as frame 41 moves downward to the low point of travel. 
Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown a rear view with rear window 55 has a 
transparent light and open. Rear window 55 is opened by grasping handle 56 
and raising it as it rotates about continuous horizontal top hinge 57. 
Left and right sidewall struts 61 and 62, respectively, hold window 55 
open. The lower ends of these struts are mounted on rear window frame 41 
below each lower keyway, such as 41B. 
Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a fragmentary perspective view from 
the rear illustrating how the forward window frame 61 is locked in place 
to complete fully extending the cover. Forward window frame 61 includes a 
hinging structure similar to that used for rear window frame 41. There are 
lower hinge pins (not shown) that ride in inverted J slots in left and 
right slotted plates 62 and 63, respectively, with similar keyway-post 
connections. There may also be travel locks, such as 64, at the top for 
reducing vibration during travel and also may be located at the top of 
frame 41. FIG. 10 also shows some alternatives for the sidewalls. The 
sidewalls may be lined with paneling, such as 65, or having a window, such 
as 66 as an optional feature. 
Referring to FIG. 11, there is shown a fragmentary exploded view 
illustrating a detail of a travel lock. A forward depending beam 71 of top 
11T carries threaded anchors, such as 72. A top strip 61T attached to the 
top of window frame 61 is formed with openings, such as 73 through which 
threaded fastener 64 passes to engage anchor 72 and allow top strip 61T to 
snugly engage member 71. Referring to FIG. 12, there is shown a 
fragmentary side elevation view helpful in understanding this fastening 
relationship. 
Referring to FIG. 13, there is shown a perspective view of the truck with 
the cover in the fully erected position. 
Disassembly is as easy and rapid as assembly. Rear window 55 is opened, 
allowing access to front window frame 61. Fasteners 64 are disengaged, and 
front window frame raised slightly to disengage, pulled backward and then 
downward into the horizontal position. Travel locks on frame 41 are then 
disengaged and with rear window 55 remaining open, frame 41 is raised 
slightly and pushed slightly rearward. Window 55 is then closed and frame 
41 is pushed rearward and downward to the horizontal position. Then the 
right and left sides of top 11T are guided downward by grasping handles 
11A and 11B, respectively, after pushing side walls 18 and 22 downward and 
inward to the horizontal position with top 11T following downward to the 
position shown in FIG. 1. Erection and retraction takes less than a minute 
ordinarily and can be readily accomplished by one person without using any 
special tools. 
There has been described novel apparatus and techniques for truck bed 
covering that allows the truck bed cover to be stored in a collasped 
position on the truck bed itself while affording protection of the open 
bed and allowing the driver full visibility through the rear window with 
good stability. When erection is desired, it may be readily accomplished, 
access to the interior is readily obtained through the rear window, and 
the driver still has good visiblity through the front and rear windows. 
It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and 
modifications of the specific apparatus and techniques herein disclosed 
without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention 
is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel 
combination of features present in or possessed by the apparatus and 
techniques herein disclosed and limited solely by the spirit and scope of 
the appended claims.