Patent Publication Number: US-2007102949-A1

Title: Toolbox rollback kit for pickup trucks

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/733,919, filed 2005 Nov. 4 by the present inventor. 
    
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
      Not Applicable  
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention relates to a moveable support system for mounting a crossover toolbox on the top edges of the sides of a pick-up truck.  
      2. Prior Art  
      For many years toolboxes have been mounted across the front of a pick-up truck body. The positioning of the toolbox at the front end of the truck body makes access to the box relatively difficult. A number of different mechanisms have been developed for permitting the box to be moved to the back of the truck body when in use and otherwise stored in the front of the body.  
      Some of these devices include rail systems for slidably mounting tool boxes between the side walls of the bed. Not only are these devices complicated in their structure and difficult to assemble and operate, but they are not easily adapted to fit truck beds of different shapes and sizes. Such devices are embodied in the following U.S. patents:  
                                                       U.S. PAT. NO.   ISSUE DATE   PATENTEE                          2,784,027   Mar. 5, 1957   Temp           3,471,045   Oct. 7, 1967   Panciocco           3,826,529   Jul. 30, 1974   Wood           4,488,669   Dec. 18, 1984   Waters           4,681,360   Jul. 21, 1987   Peters et al           4,752,095   Jun. 21, 1988   Brady           5,121,959   Jun. 16, 1992   King                      
 
      It will be apparent that none of these prior art concepts provides a simple rolling unit adapted for use with a number of different toolbox constructions.  
      Therefore, a primary objective of this invention is to provide a moveable support system that is easily adapted to truck beds of different shapes and sizes.  
      A further objective of the present invention is to provide a moveable support system that is easy and economical to manufacture having a minimum of machined parts.  
      A still further objective of this invention is to provide a moveable support system that is easy to assemble and operate.  
      A still further objective of this invention is to provide a moveable support system for a crossover box wherein the box cannot be inadvertently removed from the support system.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention embodies a pair of channels mounted on the top edges of the sides of a truck body and having a pair of carriage assemblies each having a pair of main support rollers riding on the surface of the channels. The channels are provided with a series of positioning openings and the box assembly includes an anchoring mechanism which is selectively received in the openings to lock the box in the desired longitudinal adjusted position in the channels. Each box includes stabilizing means such as a pair of stabilizing rollers engaging the channels and maintaining the cross alignment of the two carriage assemblies. The construction of the channels and carriage assembly rollers permits the box to not only be adjusted to any desired position along the length of the truck body, but also permits easy removal of the box from the channels to open up the entire load carrying capacity of the body space. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the channels of this invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the carriage assemblies.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the follower angle brackets.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the stabilizing rollers (casters).  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the forward angle brackets.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the position pins closed.  
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the position pins open.  
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the cross over box of this invention, showing all brackets, casters, position pins, lock, clevis pin, and channels.  
       FIG. 8  is a cab end view of the channels, carriage assemblies, brackets, casters, lock, and clevis pin mounted on the crossover toolbox, and truck bed sides.  
       FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the crossover box (end view) and side view of the brackets, position pin, casters, carriage unit, channels, and truck side.  
       FIG. 10  is a tailgate end view of the crossover box, channels, carriage assemblies, forward brackets, and position pins mounted on a pickup truck side walls.  
       FIG. 11  is a rear perspective view of this invention mounted on a pickup truck body including a multi drawer lockable toolbox of conventional design bolted to the bottom surface of the crossbox. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS  
     
         
         
           
               1  Channels  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  16   
               2  Carriage Assembly  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  26  (Waxman Consumer Group, Cleveland, Ohio 44146)  
               3  Follower Angle Brackets  31 ,  33 ,  34 ,  35   
               4  Stabilizing Rollers (casters)  41 ,  42   
               5  Forward Angle Brackets  53 ,  54   
               6  Position Pins  61 ,  63 ,  64  (McMaster Carr, Cleveland, Ohio, Catalogue Page 3094, Part # 90222A112)  
               6 A Position Pins  61 ,  63 ,  64   
               15  Truck Body  70   
               74  Multi Drawer Lockable Toolbox of Conventional Design  
               17  Conventional Crossbox Toolbox  
               72  Conventional Padlock  
               73  Conventional Clevis Pin and Hairpin Clip  
           
         
       
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       FIG. 11  is a rear perspective view showing the body  15  of a pickup truck with channels  1 ,  FIG. 1  which have provisional mounting holes  16 ,  FIG. 1  providing a means for mounting the channels to the truck body  15  and provisional mounting holes  13 ,  FIG. 1  to accept an overhead ladder rack, if used on the truck body  15 . A crossover toolbox  17  with two carriage units  2  attached is sitting in the channels  1 . On the front surface of the toolbox  17  are two forward brackets  5  with position pins  6  mounted.  
      A pair of carriage assemblies  2  are respectively mounted to the bottom of the overhanging ends of the toolbox  17  so that the box is supported on the top of channels  1  surface  10 ,  FIG. 1  and inside the channels  1  vertical flanges  11 ,  12 ,  FIG. 1 .  
      The toolbox  17  is of conventional design as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 7  and  8 . The toolbox  17  has a pair of laterally extending attachment wings which extend outwardly in overlying relation to the top edge of each side of the truck body  15 . Attached to the front surface of the toolbox  17 , extending in a longitudinal position and a lateral position of the cross toolbox  17  are two angle brackets  5  mounted using holes,  54 ,  FIG. 5 .  
      Another device  6  is provided for each angle bracket  5  and each device  6  has a generally T-shaped handle  63 ,  FIG. 6  and a spring loaded locking bolt  61 ,  FIG. 6  (position pin). Each locking pin  6  is fixed to a forward angle bracket  5  through holes  53 ,  FIG. 5  by means of locking nut  64 ,  FIG. 6, 6A  and engages the channel  1  vertical flanges  12 ,  FIG. 1  locking holes  14 ,  FIG. 1  to secure the box in the desired position longitudinally on the truck body  15 .  
      Suitable stabilizing means is provided by a pair of stabilizing rollers  41 ,  FIG. 4  with mounting holes  42 ,  FIG. 4  mounted on follower brackets  3 . Each bracket  3  has four suitable mounting holes  34 ,  FIG. 3  provided to permit attachment of each roller  41 ,  FIG. 4  with respect to the adjacent outer surface of the inner vertical flange  12 ,  FIG. 1  of the mounted channels  1 . The follower brackets  3  have suitable holes  33 ,  FIG. 3  drilled in the longitudinal section thereby providing a means by which a padlock  72 ,  FIG. 8  of conventional design and a clevis pin and clip  73 ,  FIG. 8  can be inserted through the opposing follower brackets  3  and the longitudinally mounted channels  1  vertical flanges  12 ,  FIG. 1  thereby providing a means of securing the cross toolbox  17  from unauthorized removal or theft thereof. Each follower bracket  3  has holes  35 ,  FIG. 3  drilled into surface  31 ,  FIG. 3  to provide a means of attaching the brackets  3  to the rear surface of cross box  17 ,  FIG. 8 .  
      In another form of the invention shown in  FIG. 11  an additional conventional multi drawer lockable toolbox  74 ,  FIG. 1  is mounted to the bottom surface of the cross toolbox  17  providing even easier access to small tools while working at the tailgate  70 ,  FIG. 11 .  
      Because of the design of the channel  1  support system  2 , the system can easily be assembled to any pickup truck because the channel  1  roller carriages  2  can be secured to the toolbox at any lateral width through holes  26 ,  FIG. 2  to accommodate the space between the toolbox  17  body and the outer edges of the box  17  overhang. The frame of the carriage assembly  2  can be adjusted lengthwise to accommodate cross boxes  17  of different front to back widths by loosening wing nut  20  and moving frame part  21  along frame part  22  within slot  23  to move frame pads  25  and rollers  24  in or out and then tightening wing nut  20  to lock sliding parts in the correct position before securing the assembly to the bottom surface of the cross box  17  overhang through holes provided  26 ,  FIG. 2 . Therefore a consumer can purchase a different pick up truck but still use the same channel  1  support system. Consequently, the present channel  1  support system not only facilitates the easy assembly and use of a mounting support system, but is also economical to manufacture.  
      It is therefore seen that this invention will achieve at least all of its stated objectives.