Abstract:
An apparatus for transporting multiple off-highway vehicles in a bed of a pickup truck. The apparatus includes a pair of front uprights and a pair of rear uprights. A platform is pivotally attached to the front uprights and slidingly attached to the rear uprights. A cable is provided for pivotally raising and lowering the platform about its attachment to the front, such that a first ATV may be parked on the platform and a second ATV may be parked under the platform so that the pickup truck may transport two ATVs simultaneously.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a device for transporting vehicles in a truck bed. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for transporting multiple all terrain vehicles and other off-highway vehicles in the bed of a standard sized pickup truck. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In the past, there has been difficulty for farmers, campers, hunters, all terrain vehicle (“ATV”) racers and other ATV enthusiasts wanting to transport multiple ATVs with a private vehicle, such as a pickup truck, without the use of a trailer. A standard pickup truck bed only provides enough space for a single ATV of the most common sizes. Trailers represent an additional expense to buy, maintain and license for an ATV user who wishes to transport multiple ATVs. Trailers also provide a difficulty when driving, particularly in parking and backing, and an extra hassle to hitch. Many states provide lower highway speed limits for vehicles with trailers. 
         [0003]    A particular problem with transporting ATVs by trailer is that another vehicle and driver will be required if the person would like to tow a second trailer. For example, in the case of a hunter or camper, typically the person will desire to also tow a camping trailer or a boat and trailer. However, if a hunter or camper also wishes to transport two ATVs, the hunter or camper will require two vehicles that have been equipped to tow a trailer, one to tow the ATV trailer and one to tow the camper or boat, as well as a second driver. This is undesirable or, in some cases, not possible. 
         [0004]    Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a method to transport multiple ATVs in a bed of a pickup truck without the necessity to use a trailer. 
         [0005]    Other attempts have been made to transport multiple ATVs in a single truck bed. However, for various reasons, these attempts have been unsatisfactory. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,284 discloses an apparatus for transporting two ATVs by loading them with ramps from the side of the truck bed. This is undesirable because the ramps must either be very long or at an extreme, and perhaps unsafe, incline in order to load the ATVs over the side of the truck bed. Additionally, the ramps will likely scratch the truck bed&#39;s paint on the exterior of the bed and/or the tops of the bed sides. The &#39;284 patent&#39;s configuration leaves very little secure structure to which the ATVs may be attached to keep them securely in the bed. Finally, because both ATVs are raised above the truck bed floor, the center of gravity of the truck may be raised more significantly than the present invention. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,822 attempts to load ATVs in the truck bed by extending the truck bed with a ramp structure. The extended structure is supported by the vehicle&#39;s trailer hitch receiver. This arrangement precariously extends a large amount of weight off the end of the vehicle and will cause the vehicle to “squat” in the rear of the vehicle. Squatting will unduly negatively affect vehicle handling. However, most importantly, because the arrangement of the &#39;822 patent uses the vehicle receiver to support the extending structure, a trailer cannot be towed. Therefore, in the instance of the &#39;822 patent, a second tow vehicle will still be required in order to tow a camping trailer or a boat, thereby not achieving one of the objectives achieved by the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention comprises an apparatus for transporting multiple off-highway vehicles in a bed of a pickup truck. The apparatus includes a pair of front uprights and a pair of rear uprights. A platform is pivotally attached to the front uprights and slidingly attached to the rear uprights. A cable is provided for pivotally raising and lowering the platform about its attachment to the front, such that a first ATV may be parked on the platform and a second ATV may be parked under the platform so that the pickup truck may transport two ATVs simultaneously. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a second position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a third position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention having a ATV mounted thereon; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention having a ATV mounted thereon and a second ATV being driven thereon; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a side view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention having two ATVs mounted thereon. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0014]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
         [0015]    The present invention comprises an apparatus for transporting two off-highway vehicles capable of fitting within a standard truck bed. Off highway vehicles shall be defined as all terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) and snowmobiles. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the apparatus is optimized for ATVs. However, one of ordinary skill in art would readily recognize how the preferred embodiment can be used for other vehicle types. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the apparatus of preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally labeled  10 . The apparatus  10  is mounted within a bed of a pickup truck. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the preferred embodiment of the present invention could be modified to fit within different length pickup truck beds. The apparatus  10  generally comprises a pair of front uprights  14  and a pair of hollow rear uprights  16 . Pivotally mounted to the front uprights  14  is a platform  18 . A base structure  19  attaches all of the uprights  14  and  16  and is mounted to the bed of the truck with fasteners. 
         [0017]    The platform  18  comprises lateral supports and longitudinal supports and preferably comprises four lowered portions  24  that correspond generally to the wheel positions of the ATV to be transported. The lowered portions  24  provide stability for the upper ATV, such that when the ATV is secured to the platform, the wheels of the ATV will not easily slide out of the lowered portions  24 , such as in the case of an accident or very hard braking, turning or acceleration. Front and side rails  26  further provide assurance that a prudent and cautious ATV rider will not drive off the side or end of the platform  18  while loading or unloading the ATV. 
         [0018]    The platform  18  is pivotally attached to the front uprights  14  by means of fasteners and is slidingly mounted to the rear uprights  16  by means of mounting blocks  28 . The mounting blocks  28  are located about the rear uprights  16  such that the mounting blocks  28  can slide up and down along the length of the rear uprights  16  but are maintained in position laterally by the uprights  16 . The attachment of the mounting blocks  28  to the platform  18  further accommodates for the change in distance of the mounting blocks  28  from the front uprights  14  as the platform  18  is raised and lowered. 
         [0019]    As can be seen with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , attached to a rear portion of the platform  18  is a ramp  30  portion. When the platform  18  is in a raised position, the ramp  30  hangs vertically. 
         [0020]    An upper pulley  32  is mounted at the top of each rear upright  16 , and a lower pulley  34  is mounted at the bottom of each rear upright  16 . Attached to the platform  18  at a location rearward of the rear uprights  16  are two cables  36 . The cables  36  each extend upwardly from the platform  18  and loop over the respective upper pulleys  32 . The cables  36  next each extend through a respective hollow rear upright  16  and each loop over a lower pulley  34 . Finally, the cables  36  extend around guide pulleys  37  to a winch  40 . The winch  40  may be either an electric winch operating off the vehicle&#39;s power supply or a hand operated winch, as costs dictate. Pins  42  extend through the mounting blocks  28  and the rear uprights  16  when the platform is in a generally horizontal position to retain the platform  18  fixedly. 
         [0021]    Next, referring to  FIG. 3 , the winch  40  is operated to pivotally lower the platform  18  about its attachment points to the front uprights  14 . This is accomplished by the winch  40  drawing out the cable  36  which extends about the upper pulley  32  and attaches to the platform  18 . The platform  18 , at its lowest position, rests upon a side frame support  44  and is at an inclined position. The ramp  30  further rotates about its attachment to the platform  18  and extends over the lowered truck tailgate. Ramp extensions  46  are attached to the ramp  30  and lengthen the ramp  30  to the ground. An ATV may be driven up the ramp  30  and onto the platform  18 . Furthermore, an extendable ramp extension support  50  is extendable from a first position in  FIG. 1  to an extended position in  FIGS. 2 and 3  to support the ramp extensions  46  and prevent scratching of the paint of the truck tailgate. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the apparatus is placed within a truck bed and operated to the position shown in  FIG. 2 . Next, an ATV is driven up the ramp extensions  46  and ramp  30  and onto the platform  18 . Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the winch  40  is operated to draw in the cable  36  to raise the platform  18  to the top of its travel along the rear uprights  16 . This is accomplished by the winch  40  drawing in the cable  36  which extends about the upper pulley  32 . The ramp  30  is also raised and maintained in an upward position by a bracket  48  to provide access to the area below the platform. At this point, a second ATV may be driven up the tailgate ramps  46  onto the bed of the truck which rest upon the tailgate ramp extension. 
         [0023]    Finally, referring to  FIG. 6 , the platform  18  is lowered to the horizontal position and pins  42  are inserted through the mounting blocks  28  and the rear uprights  16  to maintain the platform  18  in the horizontal position. 
         [0024]    To unload the ATVs the process is reversed. 
         [0025]    As discussed above, an extendable and retractable ramp mount  50  may be implemented. The ramp mount  50  forms a base upon which the ramp extension  46  may be placed in order to prevent damage to a truck tailgate, when extended. When not in use, the ramp mount  50  may be moved to a retracted position whereby the tailgate of the truck maybe closed. 
         [0026]    Moreover, referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  6 , the extension ramps  46  may be hung from hooks  52  when not in use. 
         [0027]    While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.