Abstract:
A tie-down attachment device and system for use in pickup trucks featuring a plurality of clamps that slide along the upper edge of the pickup truck bed rail used to hold bed caps in place without having to drill into the pickup truck bed is herein disclosed. The device comprises a clamping means that is secured by tightening a bolt with a strong grip or by wrench or pliers. The device further comprises a large eye bolt to which a strap, a rope, or other securing means can be connected and thus securing a load. The clamping device can be left in place on the bed rail or removed and stored when not in use.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in a notarized Official Record of Invention filed on Jul. 22, 2008 at the offices of Montgomery patent and Design in Washington, Pa. There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to tie-down anchor assemblies and, more particularly, to an attachable tie-down loop anchor which is removably mounted to an upper rail of a pickup truck bed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With sales at an all-time high, the popularity of the pickup style truck as an everyday vehicle is more wide spread than it ever has been. Their utility and convenience in hauling items coupled with the availability of luxury interiors and extended cab space have made the pickup a popular alternative to other vehicles. Many of these pickup trucks are equipped with tie-down hooks. These hooks are typically provided in the four stake posts holes provided in the upper rail of the pickup truck bed. Manufacturers may also provide hook assemblies within the bed itself to aid in attaching straps, ropes and other tie-down means. However, as handy as such tie-downs are, it seems they are never in the right location to adequately and safely tie down the cargo at hand. Another style of tie-down anchors are those which utilize a clamping means to attach to the upper rail of the truck bed. These anchors may provide improved flexibility regarding anchoring locations, but due to the manner in which they attach to the upper rail they suffer from the load forces applied. This bending force can damage the upper rail of the truck bed since the clamping assemblies do not provide suitable contact area to properly disperse the load created by the tie-down. Solutions to this bending force often require a user to use additional securing hardware to mount the anchor to the upper rail or otherwise prepare the truck bed for attachment of the anchor. As such, many users resort to devising improvised strapping methods which may result in damage to the cargo or truck at best or present a safety issue at worst. 
     Various attempts have been made in the past to overcome these problems and provide tie-down anchors for truck beds. These attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,844, issued in the name Wheatley, describes a tie-down anchor assembly for attachment to a side rail of a pickup truck bed. The Wheatley anchor assembly comprises an anchor plate with an upright portion, an anchor which protrudes from the anchor plate, and a clamp assembly that is secured via a threaded fastener. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,991, issued in the name of Porter, describes a tie-down anchor for a truck bed for use in securing loads to an open truck bed. The Porter anchor comprises a mounting platform, two (2) pivoting arms with a spring mounted between, and a tie fastening ring and is installed within the existing post receiving wells commonly provided on the t upper rail of a pickup truck. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,090, issued in the name of Salmon et al., describes an anchorage assembly which enables a vehicle accessory to the selectively mounted to a vehicle comprising a rectangular housing having a central cavity and an anchor which is partially disposed within the cavity. The Salmon et al. assembly further provides a resilient material within the cavity that absorbs vibrations and impact loads to the anchor. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,219, issued in the name of Speece et al., describes a cargo anchor for a truck bed sidewall top plate which covers a post receiving aperture for securing an anchor line. The Speece et al. anchor comprises an anchor bar for securing the anchor line to an anchor cover plate and a locator plate that is fastened to the cover plate with screws and engages the inside of the sidewall of the truck bed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,900, issued in the name of Boltz, describes a cargo tie-down device for securing cargo and other loads to truck beds or supports. The Boltz device is installed within the post receiving well of the pickup truck comprises a rectangular first plate and an eye nut that are affixed to an elongated rod. 
     Other relevant attempts to address these problems can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents, including: U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,963 (Beacom); U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,576 (Cargill); U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,437 (Kalis, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,089 (Tekavec); U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,265 (Flores et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,437 (Elwell); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,311 (Derecktor). 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffers from one (1) or more deficiencies by failing to provide a tie-down anchoring assembly which addresses these disadvantages. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which tie-down points in a pickup truck bed can be provided where needed to safely secure cargo. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing references, the inventor recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and observed that there is a need for a position adjustable tie-down strap anchor for an upper rail of a pickup truck bed that provides a secure contact surface with the sidewall of the upper rail and thus, the object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned disadvantages and provide for this need. 
     To achieve the above objectives, it is an object of the present invention to provide an attachable tie-down loop for trucks that provides a removable means of attaching a tie-down assembly to multiple points on a truck bed or other similar vehicle without drilling or other preparation to the body of the vehicle. 
     Another object of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck is to provide a device comprising a tie-down loop for assisting a user to secure objects stored in a truck bed further comprising a “C”-shaped bracket adapted to be slidingly clamped to an upper rail of the truck bed, a “U”-shaped bracket adapted to be slidingly clamped to the upper rail of the truck bed, a bolt that is threadably interconnected to the “C”-shaped bracket and the “U”-shaped bracket respectively, an eye bolt connected to the “C”-shaped bracket and above the “U”-shaped bracket. 
     Yet still another object of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck is to provide a device where the “C”-shaped bracket cooperates with The “U”-shaped bracket to simultaneously clamp the upper rail of the truck bed while the eye bolt is adapted to receive an existing tie-down strap. 
     Yet still another object of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck is to provide a device where the “C”-shaped bracket and the “U”-shaped bracket linearly approach each other when the bolt is threadingly tightened and adapts corresponding edges of the brackets to clamp a horizontal wall of the upper rail of the truck bed. 
     Yet still another object of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck is to provide a method of utilizing the device that enables quick and easy securing of any object that is transported in a pickup truck bed in a safe manner which is quick, easy and effective. 
     Further objects and advantages of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of an attachable tie-down loop for a truck  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an environmental view of a plurality of attachable tie-down loops for a truck  10  depicted as attached, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an environmental view of a plurality of attachable tie-down loops for a truck  10  depicted in an in-use state, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the attachable tie-down loop for a truck  10  depicted as attached, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 10 
                 attachable tie-down loop for a truck 
               
               
                 20 
                 eye bolt 
               
               
                 21 
                 eyelet 
               
               
                 22 
                 stem 
               
               
                 23 
                 nut 
               
               
                 30 
                 “C”-shaped bracket 
               
               
                 31 
                 first horizontal side 
               
               
                 32 
                 second horizontal side 
               
               
                 33 
                 first vertical side 
               
               
                 34 
                 first edge 
               
               
                 35 
                 first liner 
               
               
                 36 
                 second edge 
               
               
                 37 
                 second liner 
               
               
                 38 
                 first aperture 
               
               
                 39 
                 second aperture 
               
               
                 40 
                 “U”-shaped bracket 
               
               
                 41 
                 second vertical side 
               
               
                 42 
                 third vertical side 
               
               
                 43 
                 third horizontal side 
               
               
                 44 
                 third edge 
               
               
                 45 
                 third liner 
               
               
                 46 
                 guide rail 
               
               
                 47 
                 third aperture 
               
               
                 50 
                 bolt 
               
               
                 51 
                 washer 
               
               
                 60 
                 truck 
               
               
                 61 
                 upper rail 
               
               
                 62 
                 side wall 
               
               
                 63 
                 horizontal wall 
               
               
                 70 
                 tie-down 
               
               
                 80 
                 object 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 4 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     The present invention describes an attachable tie-down loop for a truck (herein described as the “device”)  10 , which provides a removable means of attaching a common tie-down  70  to multiple points on a truck  60  or other similar vehicle with no drilling or other preparation to the body of said truck  60 . The device  10  comprises a “C”-shaped bracket  30  and a “U”-shaped bracket  40  which slidingly clamp thereto an upper rail  61  of a bed portion of the truck  60  and provides a superior holding and securing means for the tie-down  70 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an exploded isometric view of the device  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The device  10  comprises an eye bolt  20 , a “C”-shaped bracket  30 , and a “U”-shaped bracket  40 . The “C”-shaped bracket  30  slidingly engages the “U”-shaped bracket  40  and the two (2) brackets provide a clamping means. The “U”-shaped bracket  40  and the “C”-shaped bracket  30  comprise a preferred dimension of at least two (2) inches wide. The eye bolt  20  comprises expected features similar to standard eye bolt hardware fasteners such as an eyelet  21  and a lower threaded stem  22 . The “C”-shaped bracket  30  comprises a first horizontal side  31 , a second horizontal side  32 , and a first vertical side  33 . The “C”-shaped bracket  30  further comprises a first edge  34  which is located thereon a distal end of the first horizontal side  31 . 
     The first edge  34  comprises an arcuate profile terminating ninety)(90° degrees therefrom the first horizontal side and provides a contact means therewith a top surface of the upper rail  61  of the truck  60 . The first edge  34  is covered by a first liner  35  which is preferably a soft, flexible material such as rubber or the like which is affixed thereto and covers said first edge  34 , thus preventing scratching or similar damage to the exterior of the truck  60 . The second horizontal side  32  is shorter in length than the first horizontal side  31  and comprises a second edge  36  which is located thereon a distal end of the same. A first aperture  38  comprising a through hole is located thereon a center portion of the first horizontal side  31 . The first aperture  38  receives the stem  22  of the eye bolt  20  which is inserted therethrough and secured thereto the “C”-shaped bracket via a nut  23 . 
     The “U”-shaped bracket  40  comprises a second vertical side  41 , a third vertical side  42 , and a third horizontal side  43 . The “U”-shaped bracket  40  further comprises a third edge  44  which is located thereon a distal end of the third vertical side  42 . The third edge  44  provides a contact means therewith a bottom surface of the upper rail  61  and comprises a third liner  45  which is affixed thereto and covers said third edge  44 , thus preventing scratching or similar damage to the exterior of the truck  60 . The “U”-shaped bracket further comprises two (2) guide rails  46  which are located on opposing outside edges of an inner surface of the second vertical side  41 . The guide rails  46  provide a guide track and receiving slot for the outer surface of the first vertical side  33 , such that the “U”-shaped bracket  40  provides a stabilizing means thereto the “C”-shaped bracket. The “C”-shaped bracket  30  is connected thereto the “U”-shaped bracket  40  via a bolt  50  which threadingly engages a threaded second aperture  39  which is located therethrough the second horizontal side  32  and a threaded third aperture  47  which is located therethrough the third horizontal side  43 . The second aperture  39  is superjacently aligned therewith the third aperture  47  such that when the bolt  50  is turned in a clockwise manner the second horizontal side  32  of the “C”-shaped bracket  30  approaches the third horizontal side  43  of the “U”-shaped bracket  40 , thus closing or tightening the device  10  such that the first edge  35  and the third edge  44  clamp to the upper rail  61  of the truck  60 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , various environmental views of the device  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The device  10  is intended to be utilized singularly or in plurality as desired by the user.  FIG. 2  illustrates four (4) devices  10  as attached thereto the upper rails  61  of the truck  60 . Once attached the device  10  may remain on the upper rail  61  when not being utilized or may be easily removed and stored in the truck  60  for future use.  FIG. 3  illustrates two (2) devices  10  as attached to the upper rails  61  of the truck  60  in a utilized state. Once mounted thereto the upper rail  61 , a common tie-down  70  can be connected thereto the eyelet  21  in a normal manner and used to secure objects  80  which are being transported in the bed of the truck  60 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , side view of the device  10  depicted as attached, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed.  FIG. 4  illustrates the positioning of the “C”-shaped bracket  30 , the “U”-shaped bracket  40 , and the bolt  50  as attached thereto the upper rail  61 . The third vertical side  42  is positioned behind a side wall  62  of the upper rail  61  such that the third edge  44  can make contact therewith the bottom surface of said upper rail  61 . When the bolt  50  is tightened, the “C”-shaped bracket  30  and the “U”-shaped bracket  40  approach one another, thus enabling the first edge  34  and the third edge  44  to clamp the horizontal wall  63  of the upper rail  61 . The second edge  36  comprises a second liner  37  which is preferably a soft, flexible material such as rubber or the like which is affixed thereto and covers said second edge  36 , thus preventing scratching or similar damage to the exterior of the truck  60 . The second edge  36  and thus the second liner  37  make contact therewith an outer surface of the side wall  62  of the upper rail  61 , thus providing additional stability to the device  10 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the device  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The method of utilizing the device  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: retrieving a desired plurality of said device  10 ; positioning said plurality of said device  10  thereon the upper rails  61  of the truck  60  as desired depending on the orientation of the objects  80  in the bed of said truck  60 ; tightening the bolt  50 , thus clamping said device  10  thereto said upper rail  61 ; connecting a first end of the tie-down  70  thereto the eyelet  21  of the eye bold  20  on a first device  10  in a normal manner; positioning said tie-down  70  thereover said objects  80 ; connecting a second end of said tie-down  70  thereto the eyelet  21  of a second device  10  in a normal manner; repeat the previous steps as needed to secure said objects  80  in said bed of said truck  60 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.