Abstract:
A mounting bracket for securing a raingutter-mountable roof rack system to the bed or cargo management rail of a pickup truck or SUV. The bracket comprises a simple device with a minimal number of parts required for removably clamping the bracket to the side member of a vehicle bed. The bracket is simple to install, may be located anywhere along the side of the vehicle bed, and does not require the presence of a bed cover system for attachment to the vehicle. The bracket attaches to the side of the vehicle&#39;s bed in a manner that does not consume a substantial amount of space within the bed of the vehicle, and it may be used in conjunction with a tonneau cover without interfering with the operation of the cover.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims one or more inventions which were disclosed in Provisional Application No. 60/896,012, filed Mar. 21, 2007, entitled “VEHICLE BED RAINGUTTER BRACKET FOR RACK SYSTEM”. The benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a utility rack adapter bracket. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bracket for use with a gutter-mountable utility rack allowing such a rack to be mounted on the side members of the bed of an open bed vehicle such as a pickup truck. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    The major manufacturers of carrying rack systems for vehicles (e.g. Thule™ and Yakima™) offer devices known as raingutter towers. Raingutter towers are designed to mount to a vehicle&#39;s raingutters (located above the doors where the roof meets the vehicle&#39;s sides) to provide support for crossbar members. The raingutter towers and crossbar members act together to securely support loads above the top of the vehicle. The crossbars further act as a point of attachment for various accessories. Crossbar accessories are available to carry specific items such as bicycles, kayaks, skis, and cargo boxes. 
         [0006]    Several vehicle manufactures have begun including cargo management systems in the bed of their pickup trucks. Cargo management systems consist of rails along the inner edge of the bed rail or just under the bed rail. The cargo management rail geometry varies by manufacturer but all are designed for the same purpose: to support various accessories such as ladder racks, toolboxes, tie down cleats, and bed dividers. 
         [0007]    The utilization of gutter-mountable racks above the cargo areas of pickup trucks or other open bed vehicles is attractive since mounting such racks above the passenger area of such a vehicle results in the cargo being at an inconvenient height making it difficult to place and remove items, thereby creating potential hazards due to the high center of gravity of a load thus carried. Also, there is an increased risk that the heightened load might strike low bridges or trees while the vehicle is in motion. 
         [0008]    The manufacturers of raingutter towers offer bolt-on rain gutter brackets. These are metal brackets which have geometries similar to a vehicle&#39;s rain gutter and which are designed to be bolted onto a surface to provide an alternative means of support for rain gutter towers. These brackets are used primarily on pickup truck caps and their use requires that holes be drilled in the caps so that the attachment bolts may be secured. 
         [0009]    Carrying rack systems specifically designed for use on or in the bed of an open bed vehicle are also known in the art. All of the rack systems specifically designed for open bed vehicles—e.g. pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—have some undesirable features and limitations. These limitations include: the requirement that holes be drilled in the vehicle for attachment; mounting inside the bed area thereby consuming valuable space within the bed; mounting on the bed rail in such a way that a bed covering system (e.g. a tonneau cover) either cannot be used or requires apertures be provided in the cover; or requiring the presence of a bed covering system to secure the rack system to the bed rails. 
         [0010]    One class of cargo rack systems for use in open bed vehicles utilizes components that are add-ons or accessories for bed covering systems. Such covering systems typically feature rails which are mounted to the top surfaces of the side members of an open truck bed. Normally, this is done by removably clamping the rails to an inner surface or underside on the edges of the truck bed sides. Alternatively the rails of systems are affixed to the bed sides by drilling holes in the top surfaces of the sides and inserting fasteners. There exist accessories that allow the addition of load carrying racks to the rails of bed covering systems. Such a bed covering system with accessory load carrying components is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,719, to Tucker. Among the disadvantages of these systems are that they are not compatible with common commercially available gutter mount rack systems, and that they require the presence of bed cover mounting rails for attachment, and cannot therefore be used unless such a covering system is installed on the vehicle. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,159 to Fisher discloses a bracket for securing a commercially available gutter-mountable rack system to the bed of a pickup truck. The Fisher device consists of a bracket which allows attachment of a rain gutter tower. The device relies on a bed cover system as described above to secure it to the rails of the truck bed. No provision is provided for attachment of Fisher&#39;s bracket in the absence of such a bed covering system. FIG. 9 of the &#39;159 patent depicts a cutaway view of the Fisher bracket attached to the side member of a truck bed. The bracket is situated between the truck body members and a rail which is a component of a truck bed cover system. The bracket is secured to the truck by tightening a bolt such that a lower clamp member is pressed against the lower surface of the pickup truck side wall, and an upper clamp member bears against an upper surface of a rail component which in turn bears on the upper surface of the clamp. Thus, attachment of the bracket to the truck body requires three clamping components. It is taught that the clamps may be those provided with a bed cover system. In that case, the bracket&#39;s location on the truck bed will be limited to the clamping locations designated by the bed cover manufacturer. Installation of the bracket must be performed at the same time as installation of the bed cover system, and installation is complicated by the fact that bed cover components must be removed and reinstalled to affect attachment of the bracket. Fisher also discloses that the bracket may be attached with a two part clamp which is not a part of the bed covering system. This would allow alternate positioning of the bracket, and could enable the bracket to be attached to a truck which does not have a bed cover, but attachment of the bracket would still require that additional components be provided. This complicates assembly of the bracket to the truck, and the presence of three components increases the likelihood that the bracket will loosen with use, since the components may shift relative to one another or deform with use. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,175 to Martin discloses a carrying rack mountable to the bed of a truck. In a first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 of the &#39;175 patent, the bracket mounts to a cover mounting rail. The bracket is mounted by means of screws which engage a slider. Tightening the screws draws the bottom surface of the bracket against the top of the rail. The bracket is thus attached to the rail and not directly to the truck bed. A second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7 of the &#39;175 patent. Here, the bracket has a profile designed to pass over the cover mounting rails and mount to the side of the truck bed by means of a multipart clamp consisting of an upper member, a lower member and a bolt. The bracket, by virtue of its passing over the bed cover rails, is likely to interfere with the installation and removal of the bed cover since it obstructs a portion of the mounting rail. The profile of the bracket, being designed to pass over and contact the cover mounting rail, means that the bracket is not usable unless such a rail is present. Furthermore, since the bracket and clamp assembly consists of at least 3 separate parts, installation is likely to be relatively difficult and the likelihood of the bracket working loose is increased by the plurality of components used. Finally, in either embodiment the geometry of the vertical members, precludes the attachment of a commercially-available gutter-mountable rack system. The brackets must be used with the specially designed load bars. Martin &#39;175 has no provision for employing existing racks, such as ones manufactured by Yakima™ or Thule™. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,898 to Price discloses a clamp for attachment to a truck bed. The clamp is designed to support a rod which spans the width of the truck bed, or a D-ring or similar tie-down attachment point. The clamp does not allow attachment of a commercial rain-gutter mounted rack to the bed of the truck. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,719, to Tucker is directed to an apparatus for attaching a cover for an open-topped vehicle enclosure and includes an optional cargo carrier. Cargo support members are attachable between opposing rail members to carry items, such as skis, bicycles, and the like. The cargo support members include accessory bars that span the opposing rail members and attach to the rails. The accessory bar bolts through an accessory adapter insert and to an accessory clamp member. Tucker &#39;719 has no provision for employing existing racks, such as ones manufactured by Yakima™ or Thule™. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,521, to Hathaway et al., discloses a utility rack similar to Tucker &#39;719. The device of Hathaway et al. allows a bicycle rack to be attached to a bed cover assembly. In order to accommodate the bicycle rack with the modular rail system, dovetailed projections are provided on the bottom of the bicycle rack. The dovetailed projections fit into corresponding dovetailed recesses in the modular rail system. As with Tucker &#39;719, Hathaway et al. does not permit the use of existing bicycle racks, such as ones manufactured by Yakima™ or Thule™ to be employed with the modular rail system, without necessitating major reconstruction to clamp the bicycle rack to the modular rail system. 
         [0016]    Both Tucker &#39;719 and Hathaway et al. require racks specifically designed for use with their own specific bed covering systems, and do not contemplate the use of conventional racks with their systems. Any attempt to utilize an existing bicycle rack with either the Tucker &#39;719 or Hathaway et al. assembly would require complicated reconstruction. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The present invention addresses the undesirable features of these prior art devices by providing a bracket that enables one to install a commercial raingutter tower rack system on either the bed rails or cargo management rail system of a pickup truck or other open-bed vehicle such that the rack is elevated above the top of the bed. In one embodiment, the bracket is designed as an integrated device to be attachable without drilling holes in the vehicle and without the need for additional clamps or hardware. The bracket operates without the substantial consumption of space within the bed of the vehicle, and without requiring the presence of a bed cover system for attachment of the bracket to the vehicle. Furthermore, though a bed covering system is not required to use the bracket of the invention, the bracket does not interfere with the installation or use of such a bed cover and such a cover may be placed and removed while the brackets are installed. 
         [0018]    The present invention provides a mounting bracket for securing a raingutter-mountable roof rack system to the bed of a pickup truck or SUV. The bracket comprises a simple device with a minimal number of parts required for clamping the bracket to the side member of a vehicle bed or cargo management rail. The bracket is simple to install, may be located anywhere along the side of the vehicle bed, and does not require the presence of a bed cover system for attachment to the vehicle. The clamping mechanism clamps to the side of a vehicle&#39;s bed in a manner that does not consume a substantial amount of space within the bed of the vehicle, and it may be used in conjunction with a tonneau cover without interfering with the operation of the cover. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a cutaway side view of a first embodiment of the bracket of the invention attached to a vehicle bed and supporting a raingutter-mountable rack system. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2A  shows a top plan view of a bracket of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2B  shows a side-view of a bracket of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2C  shows a cutaway side view of a third embodiment of the invention mounted to a vehicle bed. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2D  shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention mounted to a vehicle bed. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  shows a cutaway side view of a third embodiment of the bracket of the invention mounted to a vehicle bed with an alternative clamping mechanism. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4A  shows a cutaway side view of a fourth embodiment of the bracket of the invention mounted to a vehicle bed. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4B  shows a cutaway view of a fourth embodiment of the bracket of the invention mounted to a vehicle bed with an alternative clamping mechanism. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the bracket of the invention designed to mate to a cargo management rail. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5B  shows a cutaway view of the bracket of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0029]      FIG. 5C  shows a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0030]      FIG. 5D  shows a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0031]      FIG. 6A  shows a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the bracket of the invention designed to mate to a cargo management rail. 
           [0032]      FIG. 6B  shows a cutaway view of the bracket of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0033]      FIG. 6C  shows a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0034]      FIG. 6D  shows a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0035]      FIG. 7A  shows a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the bracket of the invention designed to mate to a cargo management rail. 
           [0036]      FIG. 7B  shows a cutaway view of the bracket of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0037]      FIG. 7C  shows a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0038]      FIG. 7D  shows a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 7A . 
           [0039]      FIG. 8A  shows a perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the bracket of the invention designed to mate to a cargo management rail. 
           [0040]      FIG. 8B  shows a cutaway view of the bracket of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0041]      FIG. 8C  shows a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 6A . 
           [0042]      FIG. 8D  shows a top plan view of the bracket of  FIG. 8A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0043]    In a first embodiment of the invention, the bracket is formed from sheet metal or metal plate by conventional means such as bending. The metal can be any having reasonable strength for the application and formability characteristics consistent with the final shapes described herein. Suitable metals include cold-rolled steel, hot rolled steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass etc. Alternatively, the bracket could be made from a high strength plastic or composite material, or it could be made from any combination of the aforementioned materials. The surface finish of the bracket is not critical to the invention, but resistance to corrosion is a desirable quality for the application, thus if a metal employed is not naturally resistant to corrosion, it should preferably be treated by painting, powder-coating, plating, galvanizing, anodizing or the like. Other means of manufacturing the bracket are also possible including welding, brazing, molding, stamping, forging etc. and the references herein to bending or forming do not exclude such alternatives. 
         [0044]    A first embodiment of the present invention is presented in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A, and  2 B. In  FIG. 1  bracket  1  is depicted in a cutaway view attached to the sidewall  20  of a vehicle bed. The sidewall  20  has an outer panel  21 , a top rail  22 , and an inner rail  23 . Bracket  1  includes a horizontal member  2 , a vertical member  5 , and an upright member  3  on which optional tabs  4  may be formed. Horizontal member  2  is designed to rest upon the upper surface of top rail  22  of the vehicle bed sidewall  20 . The outer edge of member  2  is bent upward to create upright member  3  for attachment of a commercial rain gutter tower. Upright member  3  is created by a compound bend in horizontal member  2 . The compound bend comprises obtuse bend  3   c  and substantially right angle bend  3   d . Thus, an obtuse angle exists at  3   c  where the plane of horizontal member  2  meets the plane intermediate member  3   a . A substantially right angle is formed at bend  3   d  where the planes formed by intermediate member  3   a  and upright member  3  intersect. The combination of obtuse bend  3   c  and substantially right angle bend  3   d  cause the plane of upright member  3  to lie at a slightly acute inward-facing angle relative to the plane of horizontal member  2 . Tabs  4  are formed on upright member  3  and are most clearly seen in the plan view of  FIG. 2A . The tabs  4  may be formed by bending the edges of upright member  3  inward at a substantially right angle relative to the length of member  3 . A vertical member  5  extends downward from horizontal member  2  at the edge opposite the edge bearing upright member  3 . A hole  6  is provided through horizontal member  2  to accommodate a clamping component. 
         [0045]    In use, bracket  1  is attached to the vehicle bed side member  20 , such that the lower surface of horizontal member  2  lies against the upper surface  22  of the bed side member. Vertical member  5  extends downward inside the vehicle bed substantially parallel to vehicle side bed rail  23 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , bracket  1  is removably attached to the vehicle bed by a clamping member  7 . There may be one or more clamping members per bracket. Clamping member  7  has an upper surface which contacts the underside of vehicle bed side member  22 . A slot  8  in clamping member  7  accommodates vehicle bed rail  23 —preferably such that at least one inner surface of slot  8  contacts the vehicle bed rail  23 . Parallel to slot  8 , clamping member  7  contains a through bore  9  to accommodate a fastener. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the fastener comprises bolt  11  and threaded nut  12  which may include optional washers (not shown). Bolt  11  passes through hole  6  in bracket  1  and through bore  9  in clamping member  7 . As nut  12  is tightened, the upper surface of the clamping member bears on the underside of vehicle bed top rail  22 . Additionally, as the nut is tightened, the head of bolt  11  bears on the top of horizontal member  2  pressing the lower surface of  2  onto the upper surface of vehicle bed top rail  22 . Additionally, at least one surface of slot  8  may provide further clamping contact between clamping member  7  and the inner rail  23 . Together these contact points securely hold the bracket  1  onto the vehicle bed side  20 . Clamping member  7  may be made of any suitably rigid material, such materials include: metal, plastic, rubber, wood, composites, or combinations of such materials. 
         [0046]    A protective material  13  may optionally be provided between the contacting surfaces of bracket  1 , clamping member  7 , and vehicle bed member  20 . Protective material  13  is preferably a resilient compound such as a polymer or elastomer. Examples of suitable materials include, rubber, latex, butyl rubber, Buna-N rubber, foam rubber, EPDM rubber, neoprene rubber, silicone rubber, viton rubber, urethane, plastic, polyethylene (PE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW), Nylon, fluoropolymers, Teflon®, Kynar, etc as well as natural materials such as cork, or composites or combinations of any such materials. The presence of protective material  13  protects the vehicle&#39;s finish and may optionally also act to increase the friction between the surfaces thereby affording a more secure attachment of bracket  1  to the vehicle. In addition, bracket  1  may be dip-coated with a protective material. 
         [0047]    Numerous variations of the fastener illustrated in  FIG. 1  may be employed to provide the clamping force necessary to hold the bracket to the vehicle. For example: the bore  9  could be wholly or partially threaded for direct engagement with a threaded fastener (in which case bore  9  could be either a through bore or a blind bore); the bore  9  could be provided with a larger diameter portion at the bottom to contain threaded nut  12  and avoid protuberances at the bottom of clamping member; the threaded fastener could be inverted to place the nut on top of horizontal member  2 , a thread could be provided in  2  to receive a threaded fastener from below; bolt  11  could be replaced with a cam-operated mechanism; and, in general, any other such clamping mechanisms as are well known to the art could be employed. 
         [0048]    When bracket  1  is in place on the vehicle bed member  20  as described above, upright member  3  acts as a simulated rain gutter and provides a clamping surface for a clamping mechanism  31  of a rain gutter tower  30 . Rain gutter tower  30  supports one end of a load bar  32  above the vehicle&#39;s bed. A second, substantially identical, bracket and raingutter tower assembly (not shown) is attached in like fashion to the opposite side member of the vehicle bed to support the other end of load bar  32 . Preferably, the two bracket and raingutter tower assemblies are placed at substantially equal distances forward from the rear of the vehicle such that the load bar  32  supported by them is substantially perpendicular to length of the vehicle. 
         [0049]    A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 2C and 2D . In this embodiment, the bracket  1   b  includes a vertical member  5   b  that is slotted to accommodate a horizontal tab  201  of clamping member  200 . Clamping member  200  has a horizontal tab  201  and a vertical portion bearing a slot  203 . As best shown in  FIG. 2C , slot  203  is designed to engage a lip on a vehicle bed rail. The horizontal tab  201  of clamping member  200  is accommodated by the slot in vertical member  5   b  and includes a threaded through hole  205  that engages a threaded fastener  206 . Threaded fastener  206  passes through a bore  207  in bracket  1   b . Turning threaded fastener  206  biases the clamping member  200  and can bring slot  203  into engagement with a lip of the vehicle bed rail as shown in  FIG. 2C . Further tightening of fastener  206  provides a clamping action similar to that described for the first embodiment above. A protective material  13  may optionally be provided between the bracket  1   b  and the top of vehicle bed rail as well as on the inner surfaces of slot  203  where the slot contacts the lip of the vehicle bed rail. 
         [0050]    A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, a hole  6   a  is provided in vertical member  5   a  of a bracket  1   a . A clamping member  7   a  has a bore  9   a  to receive a fastener  11   a  which passes through hole  6   a . When fastener  11   a  is tightened, vertical surface  14  of clamping member  7   a  is drawn against the inside surface of vehicle bed rail element  23  and the inner surface of vertical member  5   a  is drawn against the outer surface of rail  23 . As described above, a protective material  13  may be provided between the contacting surfaces of the bracket and the vehicle. Furthermore, the system used to attach the bracket and clamping member may be any clamping mechanism as is well known in the art, such as a threaded bolt or a nut and bolt combination. 
         [0051]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which the bracket and clamping means comprise a single integrated device  1   c  (e.g. no separate clamping member such as  7  or  7   a  is required). The bracket  1   c  of  FIG. 4A  is similar in design to that described above with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A,  2 B and  3 , except a second horizontal member  15  is present. The second horizontal member  15  may be formed by bending the lower edge of vertical member  5   c  inward at a substantially right angle such that the second horizontal member is situated below and parallel to horizontal member  2   c . Second horizontal member  15  is provided with vertical bore  16 . Bore  16  is threaded, and is optionally strengthened by a thickening flange  17 . Fastener  18  may also have a nut located on either the upper or lower surface of horizontal member  15  which prevents fastener  18  from loosening during use. Bore  16  engages a threaded fastener  18 . In the embodiment depicted, fastener  18  comprises a shaft at least a portion of which is threaded externally for engagement with threaded bore  16 . The shaft  18  has a lower end and an upper end, the upper end being engaged with a clamping pad  19 , and the lower end having a means for gripping the shaft for the purpose of rotating it—in the embodiment illustrated this gripping provision consists of a hexagonal head  12   b  suitable for engagement by a wrench or socket—the provision for gripping the shaft could also be provided by a handle, a thumbscrew, a toggle, a crossbar etc. By virtue of the fact that the diameters of the clamping pad and the gripping portion are larger than the diameter of bore  16 , the shaft  18  is non-removably attached to bracket  1   c . The clamping pad may also have a square or rectangular shape and be created of a composite, metal plate with rubber pad or coating. By virtue of the threads on shaft  18  engaging the threads in bore  16 , shaft  18  is rotatable. Turning the shaft  18  biases pad  19  along an axis substantially perpendicular to horizontal members  2   c  and  15 . To attach the bracket of  FIG. 4A  to the vehicle bed side member  20 , the shaft  18  is rotated in a direction to bias the clamp pad  19  to a location a sufficient distance away from horizontal member  2   c  to allow the bracket to be placed upon the vehicle bed side member such that the inner surface of vertical member  5   c  is in contact with the surface of bed rail  23 . The threaded shaft is then rotated in the opposite direction to bias the clamp pad upward until it contacts the lower surface of the vehicle bed top rail  22 . As the shaft  18  is tightened, the lower surface of horizontal member  2   c  increasingly forcibly presses onto the upper surface of vehicle bed member  22 , thus securing the bracket  1   c . As described above, protective material  13  may optionally be provided between the contacting surfaces of bracket and vehicle. A similar material (not shown) may optionally be provided on the surface of pad  19  for the same reasons. 
         [0052]    A similar integrated clamp and bracket assembly  1   d  is depicted in  FIG. 4B . In this embodiment, second horizontal member  15  is replaced by angled member  15   b . Angled member  15   b  is not parallel to horizontal member  2   d , but instead lies in a plane inclined such that the end of angled member  15   b  farthest from vertical member  5   d  lies closer to the plane of member  2   d . The lower end of vertical member  5   d  may be bent inward at an acute angle to form  15   b . A through bore  16   b  is provided in angled member  15   b . The inclined angle of the plane of  15   b  and the location of the through bore are arranged such that the axis  40  through the center-line of the through bore is oriented substantially toward the line formed at the intersection of horizontal member  2   d  and vertical member  5   d . This arrangement provides that when the bracket is placed over the top of the vehicle bed side member  20  a shaft  18   b  passing through bore  16   b  will press against the inside corner formed by the intersection of the lower surface of top rail  22  and the inner surface of side rail  23  of the vehicle bed side member. In the specific embodiment depicted, the shaft  18   b  comprises a threaded rod with an upper end and a lower end, the upper end having a clamp pad  19   b  attached and the lower end having a provision for rotating the rod—in this case consisting of a hexagonal head for operative engagement with a wrench or socket. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4B , the angled member  15   b  has its edge turned up to create an inward facing radius near the edge. This radius can contact a threaded member which, in this embodiment is a substantially sphere-shaped member  41  with a threaded bore through its center and a radius substantially similar to the radius formed near the edge of member  15   b . The clamp pad  19   b  in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4B  also has a substantially spherical shape. However, the clamp pad  19   b  could be any shape that best correspondingly engages with the components of a particular vehicle. This design provides a degree of flexibility in the direction of shaft  18   b  since the sphere shaped threaded member  41  may rotate slightly against the radius formed in the edge of angled member  15   b . This allows pad  19   b  to make firm contact with the inner corner of the vehicle bed member as the shaft is tightened. This allowance for a slight angular adjustment of the shaft is desirable to ensure a forceful clamping against the intersection of the vehicle bed rail members. As described above, a protective material  13  may be provided between the contacting surfaces of the bracket and the vehicle. For the same reasons, clamp pad  19   b  can be made of, or covered with, a similar material. 
         [0053]    The specific embodiments of the integrated bracket and clamp devices depicted in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are merely intended to illustrate the concept of integrated brackets of the invention. It is understood that the member represented by  15  and  15   b  can be formed in other ways and with differing angles and still perform the same function within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the clamping mechanisms shown are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention: similar clamping mechanisms based on threaded rods, bolts, nuts, hand wheels, knobs, cams, springs etc. are known in the art and could be readily employed within the scope of the invention. As there are many different vehicles with varying body styles, the bracket geometry and clamping mechanism may also vary to best fit each specific vehicle. 
         [0054]    In other embodiments of the present invention, a raingutter adapter bracket is designed to mate with a cargo management rail in the bed of a vehicle. In this case, the bracket does not engage the vehicle bed rail members directly, but instead is removably attached to the rails of a cargo management system. The rails of cargo management systems are typically mounted longitudinally on the inside of a vehicle bed near the top edges of the vehicle bed side members  20 . The rails themselves have a variety of designs that vary in their specifics according to the manufacturer. Generally however, they all consist of an extruded profile including a flat surface which contacts the vehicle bed member(s) and an opposite surface, bearing profiles designed to allow the attachment of clamping members of various designs. Typically, the profiles may include one or more C-shaped channels, and/or one or more T-shaped protrusions. The representative cargo management rail depicted in  FIGS. 5A-B ,  6 A-B, and  7 A-B has a central C-shaped channel as well as two T-shaped protrusions. This particular type of rail allows several possible methods for attachment of the raingutter adapter bracket, three such possibilities are presented in  FIGS. 5A-7D . The channel of  FIGS. 8A and 8B  has a simpler design consisting of a single C-shaped channel. Of course, the design of the clamping members of raingutter adapter brackets of the present invention may vary according to the specific geometry of the particular cargo management rail to which it is designed to attach. 
         [0055]    In a fifth embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 5A to 5D , the raingutter adapter bracket  1   e  comprises most of the features enumerated above in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-3 . However, an additional clamping member  303  is attached to the inner surface of vertical member  5   e . Clamping member  303  has a profile including a first surface which is flat and fits against the flat inner surface of vertical member  5   e , and a second surface which bears two longitudinal protrusions  301  and  302 . The longitudinal protrusions are substantially L-shaped. The L-shaped protrusions are parallel to one another and separated by a gap. The two parallel longitudinal L-shaped protrusions are oriented such that their edges face toward each other across the gap separating them. Thus the plane of the clamping member&#39;s second surface together with the two L-shaped protrusions thereon define a T-shaped channel. The T-shaped channel is sized to engage one of the T-shaped protrusions on the cargo system rail. (It should be noted that in the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5D , the rail has two such T-shaped protrusions and the clamping member engages the uppermost of the two protrusions ( 302 ) of course, the same design could be used within the scope of the invention to engage the lower T-shaped protrusion  301 ). In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5D , the clamping member  303  is attached to the vertical member  5   e  of the raingutter adapter bracket  1   e  by a plurality of threaded fasteners  304 . Obviously, any suitable means of attachment could be employed as for instance by using other types of fasteners, or by using a permanent means of attachment such as riveting, welding, or integral forming. As in previous embodiments a protective material may optionally be provided between the bracket and the vehicle bed members or cargo management rail(s). 
         [0056]    In operation the raingutter adapter bracket of  FIGS. 5A-5D  is secured to the cargo management rail  300  by the action of threaded studs  306 . These studs pass through coaxial bores through the vertical member  5   e  and clamping member  303 . One or both of these bores is threaded for engagement with threaded studs  306 . Turning the threaded studs  306  (by means of knobs  305 ) biases the ends of the studs toward the top surface of the T-shaped protrusion  302  on the cargo management accessory rail  300 . As the ends of the threaded studs  306  contact and press on that surface, they pull the T-shaped channel of the clamping member into secure engagement with the T-shaped protrusion on the rail and thereby secure the raingutter adapter bracket to the cargo management rail. 
         [0057]    The bracket if of the sixth embodiment, depicted in  FIGS. 6A-6D , is similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 5A-5D , except the clamping mechanism operates slightly differently. In this embodiment, the clamping member  303   a , has a T-shaped channel which is wide enough to encompass the outer edges of both the upper and lower T-shaped protrusions of the cargo management rail ( 302  and  301  respectively). Threaded studs  306  pass through coaxial bores in vertical member  5   f  and clamping member  303   a , one or both of which is threaded. Turning the threaded studs  306  by means of knobs  305  biases their ends toward a flat surface of the cargo accessory rail. When the studs are tightened against this surface, the T-shaped channel of clamping member  303   a  is pulled securely against the outer flanges of the upper and lower T-shaped protrusions, thereby securing the raingutter adapter bracket to the cargo accessory rail. 
         [0058]    The bracket  1   g  of the seventh embodiment, depicted in  FIGS. 7A-7D , represents yet another embodiment engaging the same cargo management rail. In this case, the vertical member  5   g  of the bracket has a plurality of vertical slots  308  penetrating it. Threaded fasteners  309  pass freely through these slots and each engages a clamping member  312  slidingly engaged in the T-shaped channel of the cargo management rail. The clamping members  312  each have a threaded bore for engagement with fasteners  309 . Optionally, spacers  313  are provided between clamping members  312  and vertical surface  5   g . The clamping members  312  are shaped such that, in at least one orientation, they are captive in the T-shaped channel. As the threaded fasteners  309  are tightened, a surface of the captive clamping members  312  presses against the lower sides of the flanges defining the top of the T-shaped slot in the cargo management rail. This, in turn, firmly presses the inner surface of vertical member  5   g  against the vertical surfaces of T-shaped protrusions  301  and  302  and thereby provides a secure attachment of the raingutter adapter bracket to the cargo accessory rail. 
         [0059]      FIGS. 8A-8D  show the eighth embodiment, similar to the raingutter adapter bracket of  FIGS. 7A-7D , engaged with a cargo accessory rail of a different design. The operative characteristics of the eighth embodiment are substantially the same as described above for the embodiment of  FIGS. 7A-7D  with captive clamping member  312   b  and optional spacer  313   b  acting with threaded fasteners  309   b  to secure the bracket to the T-shaped channel of the cargo management rail  300   b.    
         [0060]    It should be understood that modifications of the specific fasteners, the clamping members, the materials or the methods of manufacture of the raingutter adapter brackets in the preceding examples are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.