Abstract:
A ramp kit formed of brackets assembles a plurality of board sections into an assembled ramp structure in which the board sections are mounted to one another in an end to end configuration with adjacent board sections being supported at an obtuse angle relative to one another. By forming a ramp of plural board sections mounted in an end to end configuration, a gradual steepness to an assembled ramp is provided to reduce the relative angle between the end of the ramp and a truck box floor so that the ramps may be considerably shorter than straight long boards normally used with trucks without concern of vehicles to be loaded into the box being hung up on the end of the truck box floor. The arrangement of the brackets of the kit provides a small lightweight package for store shelves which is inexpensive to purchase, while providing the consumer with the benefit of a ramp with graduated steepness when suitable boards are provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a ramp kit and a method of use thereof resulting in a ramp structure which has a graduated steepness while being formed of straight board sections.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Various types of ramps are known for loading the box of a truck. Some forms of ramp include elaborate slide-out mechanisms including complex moving parts while others comprise simply straight sections of rigid boards. When using a straight rigid board however, the end of the board cannot lie flush with the box of the truck because of the inclination of the board thus causing awkward manipulation of a vehicle being loaded on the ramps into the truck box. Other ramps solve this problem by providing a curved ramp structure so that the upper free ends of the ramp can be oriented generally flush with the floor of the truck box, however these ramps in general are costly and complex to make in comparison to the use of simple boards.  
           [0003]    Some ramp kits are provided in which a support flange is attached at an inclination to the end of a board for supporting the end of the board level with the floor of the truck box. Due to the steep angle between the board and the floor of the truck box however the boards are typically required to be very long to provide sufficient clearance at the intersection of the boards and the truck box for a vehicle to pass thereover. The length of board required in order to reduce the steepness of the angle at the intersection of the board and the truck box becomes very cumbersome for transport of the ramps.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a ramp kit for assembling a plurality of board sections into an assembled ramp structure, the kit comprising:  
           [0005]    a mounting mechanism arranged to mount the board sections to one another in an end to end configuration with adjacent board sections being supported at an obtuse angle relative to one another.  
           [0006]    According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a ramp structure comprising:  
           [0007]    a plurality of wooden board sections; and  
           [0008]    a mounting mechanism mounting the board sections to one another in an end to end configuration with adjacent board sections being supported at an obtuse angle relative to one another.  
           [0009]    According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a ramp structure, the method comprising:  
           [0010]    providing a plurality of board sections; and  
           [0011]    mounting the board sections to one another in an end to end configuration with adjacent board sections being supported at an obtuse angle relative to one another.  
           [0012]    By forming boards in plural sections and providing a mounting mechanism which permits the plural sections to be mounted in an end to end configuration, a gradual steepness to the ramp is provided to reduce the relative angle between the end of the ramp and the box floor so that the ramps may be considerably shorter than straight long boards without concern of vehicles being hung up on the end of the truck box floor. The arrangement of the brackets provides a small lightweight package for store shelves which is inexpensive to purchase, while providing the consumer with the benefit of a ramp with graduated steepness.  
           [0013]    In a preferred embodiment the mounting mechanism permits three sections of board to be mounted end to end while accommodating various board widths therebetween. The bracket is arranged to grip the board at spaced depths through the board to increase the bending strength of the assembled ramp structure. Preferably the mounting mechanism is arranged to overlap both top and bottom sides of the ramp structure, along a portion thereof for maximum stability. These sections are preferably mounted at equal angles between adjacent sections, however adjustment of either angle or both angles simultaneously between adjacent sections may be provided by providing a strut member coupled between respective end sections of the ramp which is adjustable in length. One or more strut members may be provided as required for structural stability. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting mechanism and the strut member are each formed of sheet metal which has been suitably folded and cut to produce an inexpensive pair of opposed channels which secure varying sizes of wooden joists therebetween to form an assembled ramp structure.  
           [0014]    The mounting mechanism of the kit may include a continuous member for securement across respective top sides of the adjacent board sections and at least one strap member for spanning between board sections at opposing ends of the assembled ramp structure. A spacer is preferably mounted between said at least one strap member and one of the board sections.  
           [0015]    The mounting mechanism may comprise a pair of opposed channels for receiving opposing side edges of the board sections and for supporting the board sections at the obtuse angle relative to one another. The channels preferably have an interior dimension which matches the dimensions of the side edges of standard dimensional lumber. For example, an interior dimension of one and a half inches is preferred in North America for mating with typical commercially available wooden construction members.  
           [0016]    Each channel is preferably U-shaped in cross section and includes at least one relief formed in a bottom side edge of the channel, thus dividing the channel into a pair of adjacent channel sections bendable relative to one another as the ramp structure is assembled.  
           [0017]    The mounting mechanism of the ramp kit may include a first mounting portion for receiving one board section at a first end of the assembled ramp structure and a second mounting portion for receiving one board section at a second end of the assembled ramp structure, spaced from the board section at the first end of the ramp structure and at an obtuse angle therebetween. In this instance, a third mounting portion preferably mounts one board section spanning between the board sections of the first and second ends of the assembled ramp structure.  
           [0018]    There may be provided an abutment member including an abutment plate and a mounting plate supported substantially perpendicularly to one another, the mounting plate being configured for securement to one of the board sections by bolting or the like. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an assembled ramp structure using the ramp kit.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the ramp structure.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the components of the ramp kit for assembling one ramp.  
     
    
       [0024]    In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]    Referring to the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a ramp kit generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . The ramp kit  10  is suitably arranged for assembly into a gradually curved ramp to load a truck box, for example with an all terrain vehicle and the like.  
         [0026]    The kit  10  may include two mounting mechanisms for assembly into two ramps, each ramp being formed from an elongate wooden board  12  which has been cut into sections and mounted together by the respective mounting mechanisms. The board  12  is typically a wooden joist of eight foot length and being approximately six inches, eight inches or ten inches in width while being approximately one and a half inches in depth. In preparation for assembly into the ramp structure, each board is cut to define a middle section  14  which is approximately one foot in length. A free end section  16  which is approximately 1.5 feet in length and a main ramp section  18  which comprises the remainder of the length of the board  12  which is approximately 5.5 feet. These sections are mounted in an end to end configuration with the middle section being mounted between the free end section and the main ramp section with adjacent sections being supported at an obtuse angle relative to one another by the mounting mechanisms.  
         [0027]    The mounting mechanism for each ramp includes two opposed channels  20  and a pair of strut members  22 . Each channel  20  comprises a generally rectangular piece of sheet metal which has been bent to form an elongate member which is generally U-shaped in cross section defining a continuous top side  24  for overlapping respective top sides of the board sections, a bottom side  26  which is parallel and spaced opposite the top side  24  and an outer side  28  spanning between the top and bottom sides. The bottom side and top side have an interior space therebetween of approximately one and a half inches.  
         [0028]    Each channel is divided into an end portion  30  for receiving the free end section  16  of the board therein at a first end of the assembled ramp structure, a middle portion  32  for receiving the middle section  14  of the board therein and a ramp portion  34  for receiving a main ramp section  18  of the board therein at a second end of the assembled ramp structure, spaced from the board section at the first end and at an obtuse angle therebetween. The portions of the channel are divided by a slot  36  located in the bottom side  26  between each adjacent pair of portions of the channel to permit some relative bending between the adjacent portions as the ramp is assembled.  
         [0029]    The slots  36  are suitably spaced to match the length of the sections of the wooden board  12  which are cut, specifically matching the length of the middle section  14  so that the two slots  36  located within each channel are approximately one foot apart intermediately spaced between respective ends of the channel. Each slot  36  lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the channel and continues from the bottom side partway across the outer side  28  so as to provide some relief to permit relative bending between adjacent portions of the channel. By providing a slot  36  in the bottom side  26  and partway across the outer side  28  between adjacent portions of the channel, the adjacent portions may be bent relative to one another to form an obtuse angle between each adjacent pair of portions between the bottom sides thereof with the bottom sides somewhat confronting one another.  
         [0030]    Bolt holes  38  are provided in alignment with one another in both the top side  24  and the bottom side  26  of the channels. Two channels may be provided which are mirror images of one another and oriented to confront one another to received the sections of the board  12  therebetween by overlapping the generally U-shaped channels over opposing side edges of the boards. Two opposed confronting channels  20  permits any width of board to be received therebetween. The cut sections of the board  12  are aligned with the respective portions of the channel which receive the boards therein when the boards are aligned in an end to end configuration. The channels provided in the kit  10  when purchased, as illustrated in FIG. 4, are generally straight, extending in a longitudinal direction from one portion to the next. Once bolted over opposing side edges of the sections of the board  12  using the bolt holes  38 , the sections of the board, when provided with a slight gap therebetween, are permitted to be bent at an angle relative to one another by bending the channels at the relief slots  36  between adjacent sections of the board.  
         [0031]    The strut members  22  are provided to secure the sections of the board at an inclination relative to one another once the channels have been suitably bent. The strut members  22  are shorter than the associated channels  20  of the mounting mechanism and are fastened at opposing ends between the outermost fastening bolts of the respective channels.  
         [0032]    Each strut member includes a main portion  40  and a pair of end portions  44  at opposite ends of the main portion  40  which are at an inclination relative to the plane of the main portion. The end portions extend at an incline away from the plane of the main portion in opposite longitudinal directions while both being offset away from the same side of the plane of the main portion. The end portions are thus aligned flush with the bottom sides of board sections at opposing ends of the ramp structure. The end portions  44  include respective bolt holes therein for suitable mounting on the respective sections of the board  12  in a flush mounted configuration flat against the bottom side of the respective sections of the board  12  or of the channels.  
         [0033]    One of the sets of the bolt holes  38  are centrally located within the middle section  32  of each channel to permit a sufficiently long bolt to be received therethrough for central engagement with the main portion of the respective strut member spanning there across. The bolt acts as a rigid spacer  45  of adjustable length for tensioning the strut member and maintaining the strut member at a fixed spacing from the board sections and channels. This provides added structural integrity and assists in preventing collapse of the strut members.  
         [0034]    An abutment member  46  is provided in the kit for abutment against the end of a truck box. The abutment member includes a bolt flange  47  in the form of a mounting plate, an inclined portion  48  extending at an incline away from the bolt flange  47  upon which it is supported to extend outward from the plane of the flange  47  and a perpendicular portion  50  defining an abutment plate which is oriented perpendicularly to the flange  47  so that the perpendicular portion  50  lies in a generally vertical configuration for abutment with the end of the truck box when the free end section  16  of the board upon which the abutment member  46  is supported lies flat on top of the floor of the truck box generally parallel thereto. The abutment member  46  is arranged to be spaced inwardly from the end of the free end section  16  of the board  12  so that a portion of the free end section  16  of the board is permitted to overlap the truck box floor. The abutment member may further include an aperture in the inclined portion  48  thereof for receiving a strap mount used in conventional ramps for securing the ramp to the truck box.  
         [0035]    Once the board  12  and the sections thereof are received within the opposed channels  20  of the mounting mechanism, and the channels are bent so that the sections lie at the desired inclination relative to one another, in a generally curved and graduated incline configuration., the strut members  22  are mounted between the outermost mounting bolts of the respective channels of the kit to maintain the sections of the board at the relative inclined position.  
         [0036]    In a single ramp package, two straight elongate channels  20  are provided with two strut members  22  and the abutment member  46  in a compact package for storage. Once a consumer purchases the kit, a suitable board  12  may be purchased which is cut into sections corresponding to the length of the portions of the channel  20  to which the sections of the board are to be mounted. The channels  20  are then mounted over top of the opposed side edges of the sections of the board to overlap both top and bottom sides of the boards at spaced positions through the depth of the board. The sections are then bent relative to one another by bending the channels  20  at the relief slots  36  thereof so that the strut member  22  may be then mounted between opposite end sections of the ramp structure to maintain the end sections of the board at the desired inclination relative to one another.  
         [0037]    In further arrangements the mounting mechanism may comprise plates which are bent at suitable positions for overlapping both top and bottom sides of the sections of a board mounted therebetween while supporting the boards at a relative inclination to one another to provide a ramp with a gradual curve having graduated steepness.  
         [0038]    Alternatively, a plate may be provided for overlapping either the top or bottom sides of the sections of the board while one or more strut members are provided for maintaining these sections of the boards at an inclination to one another in the mounted and assembled position of the ramp structure. In any embodiment, when plural strut members are provided, the strut members are preferably arranged to be mounted between opposed ends of the channels using the same bolts used for mounting the channels to the board sections. In this arrangement, the strut members are thus slightly shorter than the channels so as to be approximately the same length as the channels when the channels are bent into a generally arcuate shape with the strut members spanning between the free ends thereof.  
         [0039]    In yet further arrangements the mounting mechanism may comprise a solid middle section  14  having suitable brackets at respective ends thereof for mounting the free end section  16  and the main ramp section  18  thereon at the desired inclination to one another and the solid middle section formed by the mounting mechanism itself.  
         [0040]    Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.