Abstract:
A pickup truck tailgate and loading ramp is formed by a main frame dimensioned to be hingedly received by a given pickup bed. Two pairs of hingedly interconnected frames are rigidly secured to the top rail of the tailgate section and form a pair of ramp tracks when in tailgate lowered position. When not in use the track forming frames are disposed rearwardly of the closed tailgate section.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This present invention relates to loading ramps and more particularly combination pickup truck tailgate and loading ramp.  
           [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0006]    When loading articles of considerable mass into a pickup bed it has been common practice to lower the pickup tailgate and provide a temporary ramp, particularly if the article to be loaded is equipped with wheels such as riding lawn mowers or golf carts, in which the temporary ramp consists of lengths of lumber, such as 2 by 8 or 2 by 12, extending from the rearward edge of the pickup tailgate to the surface of the earth. Additionally, ramp ends or ramp feet which are attached to the respective ends of such temporary lumber ramps are commercially available to form a smooth transition from the surface of the earth and the upper end portion of the temporary ramp and the horizontal surface of the tailgate.  
           [0007]    This invention is distinctive over such ramps for pickup trucks by providing one end of the ramp of this invention to serve as a pickup tailgate and including pairs of rigidly connected track forming frames extending from the tailgate position to the surface of the earth in which these frames are hinged intermediate their ends and provided with a gravity positioned support. cl BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
           [0008]    A rectangular frame having overall dimensions substantially equal with the perimeter dimensions of the standard tailgate for the pickup truck to be equipped with a loading ramp is provided with hinge and latch mounting members securing the rectangular main frame to the pickup bed for vertical movement about a horizontal axis in opening and closing the tailgate portion. Additionally two pairs of elongated rectangular frames cooperatively hinged together are rigidly connected at one end in laterally spaced relation to the top edge surface forming the rectangular main frame with the other ends of the pairs of hinged frames resting on the surface of the earth and supported at their hinged position by a gravity positioned U-shaped frame pivotally depending from the hinge position of the track forming frames. Each of the main frame and hinged rectangular frames are transversely provided with a plurality of equally spaced apart right angle cross members forming an open frame work for supporting the wheels of vehicles being moved up or down the ramp from the surface of the earth to the bed of the pickup or vice versa. When not in use as a ramp the main frame forms the tailgate of a pickup bed and the remaining portion of the ramp is disposed upright adjacent the vertical plane of the tailgate for ease in lowering the ramp to a loading or unloading position by simply lowering the tailgate and extending the hinged frames rearwardly to the surface of the earth.  
           [0009]    The principal object of this invention is to provide a pickup loading ramp having a tailgate portion, which remains connected with the pickup at all times and is easily moved from a pickup bed closed position to a pickup bed ramp loading or unloading position for wheel equipped vehicles. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loading ramp in operative position on a pickup truck, the truck chassis being omitted for clarity;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a rearward elevational view of the loading ramp when folded to pickup tailgate closed position, of the pickup cab omitted for clarity;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the loading ramp, per se;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view, to a different scale, taken substantially along the line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the loading ramp in operative position when viewed from one side;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the loading ramp when folded to tailgate closed position;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a modified ramp for loading and unloading three wheel vehicles;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of loading ramp track sections forming the alternative embodiment of FIG. 7; and,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the hinged track support. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 3, the reference numeral  10  indicates a generally rectangular frame in overall configuration lying in a common plane, forming a ramp, pivotally connected at one end with the tailgate position of a conventional pickup truck  12 .  
         [0020]    The ramp  10  includes a rectangular tailgate portion  14  having overall dimensions substantially equal with the overall dimensions of a tailgate of the pickup truck  10 . The tailgate section  14  comprises a base rail  16  connected, in parallel relation, with a top rail  18  both formed from tubing material and interconnected by a pair of tubular end rails  20  and  22 . A pair of hinge members  24  cooperating with the tailgate hinges, not shown, project outwardly from respective end portions of the base rail  16  at its juncture with the end rails  20  and  22 , respectively. Respective end portions of the top rail support a pair of latches  26  for securing the tailgate  14  in closed position.  
         [0021]    The ramp  10  further includes a pair of elongated ramp tracks  28  and  30  rigidly connected at one end in laterally spaced relation with the top rail  18  of the gate section  14 . Since the ramp forming tracks  28  and  30  are identical, only the track  28  is described, in detail in the interest of brevity.  
         [0022]    The track  28  comprises a pair of U-shaped frame members  32  and  34  having leg end portions  35 - 36  and  38 - 39  respectively disposed in confronting relation and pivotally connected with one flange of a pair of right angle hinge forming members  42  and  43  for vertical pivoting movement of the U-shape member  34  toward and away from the underside of the other U-shaped member  32 , as viewed in FIG. 3. The bight portion  44  of the U-shaped member  32  is rigidly secured longitudinally to one end portion of the tailgate top rail  18  in spaced relation with respect to the other track  30 . The bight portion  46  of the U-shaped member  34  is normally supported by the surface of the earth  47  (FIG. 5).  
         [0023]    A track support member  50  (FIG. 9) comprising a U-shaped member having a tubular bight portion  51  and upstanding angular metal legs  52  and  54  pivotally connected with the hinge forming members  42  and  43  between the confronting ends of the legs of the U-shaped members  32  and  34 . The track support  50  is normally vertically disposed, by gravity, and contacts the surface of the earth  47  below the respective track  28  and  30  when the loading ramp  10  is disposed in loading position (FIG. 5).  
         [0024]    The track  28  further includes a plurality of transverse cross members  56  extending between the legs of the U-shaped members  32  and  34  in longitudinal equally spaced relation. Each of the cross members  56  comprise a length of rigid right angle metal disposed with the edges of the angular flanges directed upwardly as viewed in FIG. 4 for increased frictional resistance against the wheels of vehicles moving up or down the plane of the ramp during the loading or unloading movement. Similarly, the tailgate section  14  is provided with a plurality of longitudinally cross members  58  extending between the end rails  20  and  22  and are identical in transverse cross section with the track cross members  56 . A plurality of brace members  59  extend between the tailgate bottom rail  16  and top rail  18  for rigidity.  
       OPERATION  
       [0025]    In operation of the embodiment  10 , assuming the factory equipped tailgate of the truck  12  has been removed, the tailgate section hinge members  24  are cooperatively received by the hinge members of the tailgate, not shown, on the pickup truck bed. The latches  26  secure the tailgate section  14  when in closed position to the pickup bed side walls. When not in use the ramp track members  28  and  30  are disposed in the position illustrated by FIG. 6 with the U-shaped members  34  depending from the hinge members  42  and  43  and the track support members  50  interposed between the U-shaped frames  32  and  34 .  
         [0026]    When it is desired to utilize the track for loading and unloading a wheeled vehicle, not shown, the tailgate latches  26  are released and the ramp  10  is pivoted downwardly and rearwardly about the horizontal axis of the tailgate hinge members  24  until the bight portion  46  of the U-shaped member  34  rests on the surface of the earth  47  and gravity disposes the track support  50  in a vertical position (FIG. 5). Thereafter a wheeled vehicle, not shown, under its own power may be driven up or down the plane formed by the loading ramp  10 .  
         [0027]    An alternative embodiment  10 ′ is illustrated by FIG. 7 in the event it is desired to load a three wheel vehicle into the pickup bed. A temporary track  28 ′ (FIG. 8) is interposed between the tracks  28  and  30  to supply a track for the single front or rear wheel of a three wheel vehicle in negotiating the ramp  10 ′. The temporary track  28 ′ similarly comprises a U-shaped frame member  32 ′ and a companion U-shaped frame member  34 ′, each having their respective legs disposed in confronting relation. The bight portion  44 ′ of the U-shaped member  32 ′ is interposed between the tracks  28  and  30  adjacent the tailgate top rail  18 . The U-shaped member  32 ′ is maintained in interposed relation between the tracks  28  and  30  by pairs of flanges  60  and  62  secured in transverse opposition to the legs of the U-shaped member  32 ′ and overlap the adjacent legs of the members  28  and  30 . Similarly the other U-shaped member  34 ′ is provided with pairs of rigidly connected flanges  64  and  66  similarly overlapping the legs of the adjacent tracks  28  and  30  to complete the configuration of the alternative embodiment  10 ′.  
         [0028]    Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability. Therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment(s) shown in the drawing(s) and described herein.