Abstract:
A sliding platform is mounted on low friction rollers to cooperate with a stationary frame to produce an extending platform for the cargo area of a suitable vehicle. The stationary frame may be fastened in the cargo area of a motor vehicle by means of specially shaped bolts which attach the stationary frame to the front wall of the cargo area. The forward end of the stationary frame is therefore held in place by means of only two fastening bolts. The rearward portion of the stationary frame is located and held in place by two jackscrews which serve to engage the two opposing walls of the cargo bay. 
     A spring loaded handle is used to unlatch the sliding platform and allow it to be slid on said stationary frame to an extended position. The spring loaded handle may be pulled out from its nested position to provide better access and gripping of the handle.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a sliding platform which is installed in the cargo bay of a modern pick up truck. The sliding platform enables the user to slide the platform rearwardly and gain access to items stored at the front of the cargo bay. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Sliding platforms for cargo bays of pick up trucks have been known and used for some time (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,158 dated Apr. 25, 1989). Some of these devices are extremely cumbersome and difficult to install. Others require the installation of special brackets to hold the sliding apparatus in place in the cargo bay. These brackets may be difficult to install and present unwanted intrusion into the cargo bay when the sliding platform apparatus is removed. Other installations require partial disassembly of the sliding apparatus when it is desired to remove or install the sliding platform from the cargo bay. It is especially difficult to remove or install the sliding platform when standard bolts and nuts are used to hold the sliding apparatus in place in the cargo bay. It is first necessary to provide holes in the box of the pick up vehicle at points (which may be almost inaccessible) in the front and/or bottom of the cargo box, and then one must gain access to threaded ends of the mounting bolts which must protrude through the front and bottom of the cargo box in order to fasten or unfasten the sliding platform apparatus in the cargo area. This means that someone must gain access to the area where the mounting bolts protrude. 
         [0003]    It must be remembered that if the sliding platform is to be installed and removed on a regular basis, that installation procedure is important. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This sliding platform of this invention makes use of fasteners which do not require the disassembly of any part of the sliding apparatus in order to install the device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    This invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements of the device. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a truck showing a sliding table installed. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a truck showing the sliding table. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the sliding table. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the jackscrew and the associated mounting channel used to stabilize the sliding platform. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a view of the jackscrew of this invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the fastening device used in association with this invention showing the locking device retracted. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows the fastening device of  FIG. 6  in its installed state. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a partial sectional view of the latching device of this lo invention in its unlatched state. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a partial sectional view of the latching device of this invention in its latched state. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows an elevational view of a motor vehicle  10  having the sliding platform  12  mounted in the rear cargo space of the vehicle  10 . The sliding platform comprises a sliding frame  14  to which the flat top  16  is fastened and is shown protruding from the rear of the cargo bay in its extended position. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows the same vehicle  10  in a plan view. Here platform or table  16  is shown in its extended position and the stationary frame  18  is shown mounted in cargo area  20  of vehicle  10 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows the sliding table components in an exploded perspective view. A stationary frame  18  is shown having side channel members  22 ,  24  to which cross pieces  26 ,  28  and  30  are attached to form a unitary structure. 
         [0018]    The side channels  22  and  24  are each supplied with low friction bearings  32  and  34  at the rear of the frame  18  for carrying the sliding frame  14  thereon. A pair of stabilizing channels  36  and  38  are securely fastened to the channels  22  and  24  respectively as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0019]    Sliding frame  14  comprises a pair of angle members  40  and  42  to which are attached the cross pieces  44 ,  46  and  48 . A pair of low friction bearings  51  (one of which are shown) are mounted at the front of member  14 . 
         [0020]    Lastly, a table top  16  is fastened to sliding frame  14 . The top  16  may be fastened by gluing or screwing to the sliding frame  14 . 
         [0021]    A latching member  50  is provided to lock the sliding member  14  in place on member  18  when the device of this invention is in its forward position. Here a handle  52  is provided on the end of shaft  54  in such a manner that it is nestled in a “rest” position close to cross member  44 . Shaft  54  is spring loaded to maintain the handle  52  in this “rest” position. 
         [0022]    When it is desired to roll the member  14  into its extended position, handle  52  is grasped and pulled so as to move away from cross member  44  to compress spring  56 . Shaft  54  moves axially in cross pieces  44 .  46  and  48  and also in link  60  of latch  50 . Link  60  is pivotally connected to link  62  by pivot pin  64 . Link  62  is pivotally connected to plunger  66  which passes through guide member  68 . Plunger  66  is spring loaded by spring  70  to cause shaft end  72  to protrude from member  40  as far as possible. The end  72  of plunger  66  will engage hole  74  in channel member  22  of stationary frame  18 , if the sliding frame  14  is in its forward position. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the rear stabilizers for frame  18  will be described. 
         [0024]    Attached to channels  24  and  26  are a pair of channel members  36  and  38 . Members  36  and  38  are usually attached to members  24  and  26  by welding, but other methods may be employed as long as the members  36  and  38  are securely fastened to the frame members  24  and  26 . 
         [0025]    A jackscrew member  110  is arranged to combine with one of the channels  36  or  38  to locate the bottom frame member  18 . Jackscrew  110  has a pair of threaded head members  112 ,  120  and  114  and  122  which slidably fit into tube  124  at the ends thereof. Nuts  126 ,  128  permit the distance between heads  112  and  114  to be increased or decreased. Heads  112  and  114  are provided with captive plastic washers  116  and  118  at each end thereof. 
         [0026]    In order to install the sliding platform  12  in the cargo bay of a pick-up vehicle, the device  12  is located in the cargo bay of a pick-up truck at the desired position for installation. 
         [0027]    Jackscrew members  110  are installed with the head  112  captured in the channel  36  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The second jackscrew member is installed in channel  38  in the same manner. The lengths of the jackscrew members  110  are adjusted to temporarily locate frame  18  in a desirable position for installation. It is noted that the adjustable jackscrews  1   10  are provided to press against walls  20  of the cargo bay and thus stabilize the rearward portion of frame member  18  against any horizontal shifting. 
         [0028]    When the rearward portion of frame member  18  is stabilized, the bolts  88  may be installed to stabilize the front of the frame member  18 . 
         [0029]    The frame member  18  has been placed in the desired position for installation, and that will mean that horizontal angle member  30  is resting against front wall  20  of the cargo bay. (See  FIGS. 6 and 7 .) With the rear portion of frame  18  held against horizontal shifting by members  110 , holes  86  are drilled in the wall  20  of the cargo bay. The holes  84  and  86  are the same size and are intended to be large enough to provide clearance for the installation of bolt members  88 . Bolt members  88  are L shaped and the unthreaded portion  82  of bolt  88  is inserted into the two holes  84  and  86  and then bolt  88  is twisted through a right angle to the position shown in  FIG. 7 . Nut  90  is then advanced to secure the member  30  against wall  20 . A second bolt member  88  is installed in the second hole in angle member  30  and front wall  20  of the cargo bay to complete the installation of the front of frame  18  in the cargo bay. 
         [0030]    It is now necessary to return to jackscrews  110  to provide the final adjustment and tightening of the devices  110  installed in frame member  18  to provide its permanent location. The two jackscrews are tightened and locked in position by lock nuts  126  and  128 . This holds the rear of frame  18  in a state of compression between the walls of cargo bay  20 . 
         [0031]    Each head  112 ,  114  is provided with a captive plastic washer  116 ,  118  to provide a smooth installation of members  110  in the walls  20  of the channels  36 ,  38  of frame  18  and cargo bay. 
         [0032]    The main advantage of the present invention is that the installation of the sliding platform is such a simple operation when compared to the prior art models. 
         [0033]    First it is easy to accurately drill the clearance holes such as  86  in the front wall of the cargo bay  20  using the clearance holes  84  already provided in cross member  30  as a drilling guide. 
         [0034]    Next, because of the peculiar shape of bolts  80 , there is no need of having a service person trying to gain access to the area of the cargo bay on the side opposite the device  12  of this invention to install the fastening devices for the installation of device  12  to the cargo bay  20 . The use of the stabilizers such as  110  on each side of frame  18  permits the speedy stabilization of the frame  18  in the cargo bay of the vehicle. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , which show the locking portion of latch  50  in section, here shaft  54  which is slidably mounted in link  60  and is rotated to draw plunger  66  to the left as shown in  FIG. 8 . Plunger  66  is spring loaded by spring  70  to urge plunger  66  to the right. Plunger  66  passes through guide  68  and through hole  90  in angle  40 . 
         [0036]    When shaft  54  returns to its rest position as shown in  FIG. 9 , as determined by spring  70 , the end  72  of plunger  66  passes through hole  74  in stationary frame member  22 . This locks the upper frame  16  into stationary frame member  18 . 
         [0037]    What are the advantages of this construction? This sliding platform may be installed permanently in the cargo bay of a vehicle by drilling only two holes in the front wall of the cargo bay. The use of L shaped bolts secures the front of the stationary frame  18  to the front wall of the cargo bay. It will be found that the fastening devices do not require a second person to hold the end of the fastening device outside the cargo box. The use of the stabilizers in channels  36  and  38  permits the swift stabilization of frame  18  in the cargo bay to complete the installation. 
         [0038]    Other prior art models require a bolt to be vertically passed through a member such as  28  and through a hole drilled in the floor of the cargo bay. This is clumsy and time consuming because: 
         [0039]    First access must be gained to the area where the hole is to be drilled in the floor of the cargo bay. This usually requires that table top  16  be removed from sliding frame  14  to gain such access. 
         [0040]    Next a hole must be accurately drilled in the floor of cargo bay  20  once access is gained to a member such as  28 . Then a bolt must be fed through member  28  and the floor of the cargo bay  20 . Someone has to gain access to the vertically extending bolt to thread a nut onto the bolt and tighten it. 
         [0041]    Note that the holes such as  86  at the front of the cargo bay are quite easy to provide, because holes  84  and  86  are in close proximity once the stationary frame  18  has been properly set in cargo bay  20  of vehicle  10 . 
         [0042]    Table top  16  must be removed from sliding frame  14  in prior art devices in order to install a bolt in the floor of cargo bay  20 . A hole must be drilled in the floor of the cargo bay and a bolt must be correctly installed to permanently fasten the stationary frame  18  to the cargo bay. This requires a second person to be present during the installation of stationary frame  18  which is both costly and time consuming. 
         [0043]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that the modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the dependent claims.