Abstract:
A bracket kit which enables a user to add upright side boards to a trailer which includes a flat bottom with a metal frame extending upward from the sides of the trailer. The bracket kit includes four brackets which are quickly and easily connected to the trailer frame and which include vertical channels into which uprights sideboards are inserted. The upright boards are held in place by the brackets and enable the trailer to contain and haul loose particulate matter such as mulch, sand, gravel or the like.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/851,263 filed on Mar. 4, 2013 and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of brackets which can be dropped in place on a trailer frame enabling the user to slide board members into channels in the brackets thus modifying the trailer for carrying particulate matter such as gravel, mulch, leaves and so on. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pickups and small trucks are widely used for carrying loose particulate matter such as gravel, mulch, leaves, and the like. Such vehicles have a solid floor and solid sides, that is, sides which contain no holes. A solid floor and sides is absolutely required when hauling such loads. Otherwise, some of the particulate matter will be lost through holes or voids in a floor or sidewall. 
     Also common in the art are trailers which allow a user to carry a large load without dedicating a vehicle to that load. For instance, suppose an individual wants to haul a large amount of gravel to his home but wants to unload the gravel at a more convenient time. Rather than hauling the gravel in a pickup, he chooses to pull a trailer behind his pickup, carry the gravel home in the trailer and unload it on a later date. However, there is a problem. The trailer has a solid floor but only has a safety frame around three sides. In order to carry a large amount of gravel, side walls must be built and attached around the frame. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     US Patent Application Publication No. 20030034664 by Wayne for CARGO AREA STRUCTURE which published on Feb. 20, 2003 teaches a cargo area structure or liner for insertion into a vehicle such as a pickup, including sidewall structures enabling insertion of an additional wall. 
     US Patent Application Publication No. 20080315608 by Heller for VEHICLE LOAD-CARRYING BED SYSTEM HAVING BED DIVIDER which published on Dec. 25, 2008 teaches a load carrying system including a floor, a front wall, and a rear gate wall. The side walls include structure for easy and quick adding of a divider wall extending form one side wall to the other side wall. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,919 by Vertanen for CARGO BED INSERT FOR UTILITY VEHICLE, FRONT END MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, AND OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ITEMS FOR USE THEREWITH, ALONG WITH UTILITY VEHICLE INCORPORATING THE SAME which issued on Jul. 5, 2011 teaches a cargo carrying bed including a floor and two side walls. The side walls include notches allowing addition of cross walls or dividers between the side walls and for structural support members extending above and beyond the side walls. 
     US Patent Application Publication No. 20100109367 by Mihalko for PAYLOAD DIVIDER SUPPORT ARMATURE which published on May 6, 2010 teaches a partition support member for use on an existing cargo bed. The partition support member includes a standard to be inserted into an existing side wall pocket on the cargo bed or a box metal member to be impaled over an existing standard on the bed. The partition support member also includes a channel for insertion of a divider or cross wall member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a bracket kit which enables a user to add four upright side boards to a trailer which includes a flat bottom with a metal frame extending upward from the outer edges of the trailer. The trailer is configured to be towed by a small truck such as a pick-up truck. The bracket kit includes four brackets which are quickly and easily connected to the trailer frame and which include vertical channels into which uprights sideboards are inserted. The upright boards are held in place by the brackets and enable the trailer to contain and haul loose particulate matter such as mulch, sand, gravel or the like. No tools are required to connect the brackets to the trailer frame because the brackets are configured to slip down over the upper portion of the trailer frame and thereby cooperatively interlock with the frame. 
     One preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a trailer side board support bracket kit comprises, consists essentially of, and/or consists of a pair of front corner brackets and a pair of rear corner brackets for interconnecting a right side rail  20 , a front rail  22  and a left side rails  24  of a trailer supported by at least a pair of front vertical rail support stake or post at each front corner of the trailer and a pair of rear or medial vertical rail support post positioned at or near the rear of a rail. Each support bracket includes flanges for removably engaging said respective rail and respective vertical post. Each of said brackets including a pair of spaced apart parallel vertical flanges for removably supporting a board therebetween. A removable board can be supported extending between said front brackets, between said rear brackets, between said front bracket and said rear bracket. 
     Furthermore, the present invention is a removably mounted side board support bracket assembly for use with a peripheral frame extending around a floor of a trailer including a horizontal front rail joining a horizontal left side rail and horizontal right side rail extendin therefrom. The frame is supported above the floor by a plurality of vertical frame members. The bracket assembly includes a left front corner bracket removably interconnecting with said front rail and said side rail and preferably supported above the floor by a top cap resting on a top surface of the front rail and the left side rail. The top cap includes a front cap flange and a side cap flange extending downward at a right angle therefrom for receiving the front rail and the left side rail on an outer edge of the top cap. The left front corner bracket includes an inwardly facing vertical channel member having spaced apart flanges and perpendicular thereto an adjacent rearwardly facing channel member having spaced apart flanges extending from the top cap and spaced apart from the front cap flange and the side cap flange for removably holding a board therebetween. A right front corner bracket removably interconnecting with said front rail and said side rail and preferably supported above the floor by a top cap rests on a top surface of the front rail and the right side rail. The top cap includes a front cap flange and a side cap flange extending downward at a right angle therefrom for receiving the front rail and the right side rail on an outer edge of the top cap. The right front corner bracket includes an inwardly facing vertical channel member having spaced apart flanges and perpendicular thereto an adjacent rearwardly facing channel member having spaced apart flanges extending from the top cap and spaced apart from the front cap flange and the side cap flange for removably holding a board therebetween. A left rear bracket removably interconnecting said left side rail and preferably supported above the floor by a top cap rests on a top surface of the left side rail. The top cap includes an outer cap flange extending downward at a right angle therefrom for cooperatively engaging the side rail on an outside inner edge of the top cap. The left rear bracket includes a forward facing vertical channel member having a pair of spaced apart flanges extending downward therefrom for holding a board therebetween. The forward facing vertical channel member is spaced apart from the outer cap flange for receiving the left side rail therebetween. The top cap includes an inward facing vertical channel member having a pair of spaced apart flanges for holding a board therebetween extending downward therefrom perpendicular and adjacent to the forward facing vertical channel member and spaced apart from the outer cap flange for receiving the left side rail therebetween. The forward facing vertical channel member includes a stop means such as a tab extending outwardly therefrom for cooperative engagement of a vertical frame member. A right rear bracket removably interconnecting said right side rail and preferably supported above the floor by a top cap rests on a top surface of the right side rail. The top cap includes an outer cap flange extending downward at a right angle therefrom for cooperatively engaging the side rail on an outside inner edge of the top cap. The right rear bracket includes a forward facing vertical channel member having a pair of spaced apart flanges extending downward therefrom for holding a board therebetween. The forward facing vertical channel member is spaced apart from the outer cap flange for receiving the right side rail therebetween. The top cap including an inward facing vertical channel member has a pair of spaced apart flanges for holding a board therebetween and extend downward therefrom pendicular and adjacent to the forward facing vertical channel member and s aced a art from the outer cap flange for receiving the right side rail therebetween. The forward facing vertical channel member includes a stop means such as a tab extending outwardly therefrom for cooperative engagement of a vertical frame member. 
     It is an abject of this invention to provide a kit with four brackets which cooperatively slide down onto and interlock with the fram extending above the outer edges of a trailer without the need of fasteners or tools of any kind. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a kit with four brackets which can be connected to the frame extending above the outer edges of a trailer by simply sliding the brackets down over the corners of the frame whereupon the brackets interlock with the frame members. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a kit with four brackets which include upright channel members into which side boards can be slipped to form side walls around the flatbed of a trailer. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the views wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective rear view of the bracket kit connected to a trailer having a tubular frame shown in broken lines. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the left rear corner bracket. 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the left rear corner bracket. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a front corner bracket. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a front corner bracket connected to a front corner of the trailer frame with side wall boards inserted. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the rear corner bracket. 
         FIG. 7  is another perspective view of the rear corner bracket. 
         FIG. 8  is a view of a front corner bracket assembled to a front corner of the trailer frame. 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of a rear portion of the trailer showing the purpose of tab  60 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bracket kit including four brackets which are removably connected to the frame extending above the peripheral edges of a flatbed trailer for supporting four vertical side boards around the peripheral edges of the trailer. The kit includes left front corner bracket  10 , a right front corner bracket  11 , a left rear bracket  12  and a right rear bracket  14  which are supported on the top surface of the rail, each one including a plurality of plates or flanges to receive the rails of a trailer and removably retaining vertical side boards within the rails of the trailer bed. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 1 , the trailer comprises a generally rectangular frame supported by a suspension with springs, at least one axle, and wheels, having a flat bed thereon typically composed of metal or wood, and a tongue extending from the trailer with a coupling for cooperatively and removably mounting to a hitch on a vehicle. The present invention is made to be used with a trailer including side rails which are typically made of angle iron or tubular metal having short vertical members or stakes extending upward from the frame around the bed of the trailer, with a top rail supported by the stakes extending around the side and front periphery of the trailer bed. In order to hold loose material such as dirt, sand, mulch or the like on the trailer, planks or boards such as 2×8, 2×10, or 2×12 are set against or fastened to these rails by ropes, bolts or the like which provide support therefor and hold the boards on their sides against the rails. The brackets of the present invention provide removal means for holding the boards in position and interlocking them to the trailer side rails to prevent them from falling over and to provide a locking mechanism for securing the boards in position and releasably retaining same. 
     The front corner brackets  10 ,  11  are best shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , and  8 . Each corner bracket  10 ,  11  includes two vertical channel members  71  and  72  and a top cap member  46 . Channel members  71  and  72  each include two vertical parallel rectangular plates  41  and  43  with their rear vertical edges rigidly connected to the two vertical edges of plate  45  such that a vertical channel is formed between plates  41  and  43 . The outside corner formed by rectangular plates  43  and  45  of channel member  71  is rigidly connected to the outside angle formed by rectangular plates  41  and  43  of channel member  72 . The top cap member  46  includes a horizontal square plate with two vertical rectangular side plates  61  and  62  rigidly connected to and extending downward from two adjacent peripheral edges of the square plate. The meeting edges of vertical plates  61  and  62  are also rigidly connected together. The corner  74  of the square plate which is opposite of the corner  73  formed by the junction of the two vertical plates  61  and  62  is rigidly connected to the inside corner formed by the top edges of vertical plate  43  of channel member  71  and vertical plate  41  of channel member  72 . The vertical channel formed by plates  41  and  43  is preferably wide enough to hold a side wall board which is one and one half inches thick. However, other preferred widths are three quarters of an inch, one inch, two inches and larger. 
     The horizontal channel  63  is thus formed between the vertical plate  61  and vertical plate  41  of channel member  71 . In  FIG. 5 , frame member  24  passes through this channel  63 . Likewise, the channel  64  is formed by the vertical plate  62  and the vertical plate  43  of channel member  72 . Again, in  FIG. 5 , frame member  22  passes through channel  64 . The horizontal channels  63  and  64  are preferably large enough to accept a trailer frame member which is two inches wide. It is anticipated that other preferred widths will accept frame members of other selected trailers. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , the rear left bracket includes two vertical channel members  40  and  42 , a top cap  50  and a tab  60 . The two channel members  40  and  42  are identical to channel members  71  and  72 , respectively. The top cap  50  includes a horizontal L-shaped plate  51  and a vertical rectangular plate  52  rigidly connected to and extending downward from the left edge of the L-shaped plate  51 . The inside corner  68  of the L-shaped plate  51  is formed by the edge  65  which is parallel to the plate  52  and the edge  66  which is perpendicular to plate  52 . The corner  69  is formed by the edge  66  and the edge  67  at the toe of the L-shaped plate  51  which is perpendicular to edge  66 .. The corner formed by the top edges of vertical plates  43  and  45  of channel member  40  is rigidly connected to the inside corner  68 . The corner formed by top edges of vertical plate  41  of channel member  40  and the vertical plate  45  of channel member  42  is rigidly connected to the corner  69  of L-shaped plate  51 . 
     It can be seen in  FIG. 3  that the inside surface of vertical plate  52  and the outside surface of vertical plate  43  of channel member  40  form a horizontal channel  57 . The horizontal channel  57  is preferably large enough to accept a trailer frame member which is two inches wide. It is anticipated that other preferred widths will accept frame members of other selected trailers. 
     One edge of the square tab  60  is rigidly connected to the bottom of the outer edge  70  of the vertical plate  43  of channel member  40  in such a way that square tab  60  extends perpendicularly from the outer surface of plate  43  of channel member  40 . It can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 9  that channel  57  of bracket  12  accepts the rear portion of trailer frame member  24  and the upper portion of frame member  25 . Also, to prevent bracket  12  from sliding back further, tab  60  cooperatively engages the front face of vertical frame member  26 . 
     As can be seen in FIGS.  1 , 6  and  7 , the left rear corner bracket  14  is a mirror image of the right rear corner bracket  12 . Further, the tab  60  of right rear corner bracket  14  cooperatively engages the front surface of vertical frame member  34 , thus preventing bracket  14  from sliding back. 
     With the four brackets  10 ,  11 ,  12  and  14  connected as shown in  FIG. 1 , front board  30 , right side board  32 , left side board  36 , and rear board  28  are removably and rigidly held with in the vertical channel members of the four brackets. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modification will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made upon departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, this invention is not intended to be limited by the specific exemplification presented herein above. Rather, what is intended to be covered is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.