Patent Publication Number: US-2019168657-A1

Title: Truck bed cargo lift and loader

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to devices for use in the cargo beds of pickup trucks, and more particularly, to devices to load, lift, carry and securely store cargo and accessories in truck beds. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Existing truck bed cargo racks have deficiencies in that they are bulky, heavy, and are usually immovable. Once the rack is installed, the flexibility of the truck bed to carry items of diverse kinds, is reduced. Particularly, the space above the sides and middle of the truck bed goes to waste. Additionally, other forms of truck bed cargo lift are raised and lowered by means of jacks so placed as to block access to the truck bed itself. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A truck bed cargo lift and loader is provided, compatible with most existing truck beds, their tonneau covers, and many types of cargo racks as well as being useable with 5th wheel trailer hitches. The lift and loader can be raised and lowered, with its cargo carrying platform or tray being rolled in and out of the truck bed, for ease of loading. The lift and loader can be used to anchor and lock cargo such as bicycles, skis, kayaks or accessories to its platform or tray. The lift and loader is raised and lowered through a gearbox connected to a manually operated hand crank or connected to an electric hand drill located on a side of the bottom base support of the device, which through a gearbox rotates a worm gear jackscrew with opposing threads, upon which carriers connected to linkage bars located on each side of the lift and loader travel towards and away from each other and thereby raise and lower the cargo-carrying platform. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective frontal view of an embodiment of the truck bed cargo lift and loader in an open position, with its raised and extended platform or tray situate towards the rear, or open end of the truck bed itself. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective rear view of the lift and loader from the rear or open end of the truck bed, with its raised and extended platform or tray so situate. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the lift and loader shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with an electric hand drill with torque strut shown to scale relative to the other components. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the lift and loader shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is view of the underside of the lift and loader shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 , with the platform or tray in an extended position and with the placement of an electric hand drill on the gearbox located at the rearmost cross member. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of the lift and loader shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5  showing the platform or tray in an extended position. 
         FIG. 7  is a detail view of the platform or tray support beam extrusion located on each side of the lift and loader depicting its lock slots, fastener channels and C-channel wheel sliding rail. 
         FIG. 8  shows an electric hand drill located as shown in  FIG. 5  attached to the reactive torque attachment strut. 
         FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of the base beam cross member extrusion in which the worm gear jackscrew is situate with the carriers for the linkage bars attached to the platform or tray are shown on each side, and which shows the placement of the gearbox for driving the rotation of the worm gear jackscrew. 
         FIG. 10  is a detail view of an embodiment of the carrier which travels along the worm gear jack screw, with the carrier&#39;s locking pin and shaft extending through the rod-end attached to the linkage bar which is connected to the platform or tray. 
         FIG. 11  is a view of the underside of the platform or tray and its side support beams containing wheels which travel within the C-channel shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 12  is a view of the cross section of the accessory cross bar of the lift and loader depicting the channels in which the T-slot accessory attachment members travel within the cross bar. 
         FIG. 13  is a view of the T-slot accessory attachment member with its circular hole in the bar of the T-slot accessory attachment member. 
         FIG. 14  is a view of an embodiment of the loop or eyebolt through which ratchet hooks or bolts can be placed to secure the base of the lift and loader, to the truck bed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A truck cargo lift and loader is provided including a base beam  2  placeable within the cargo bed of a truck; a platform or tray  1  with its first end pivotably connectable to the base beam  2  proximate to a first end of the base beam  2 ; and base beam cross members  3 . 
     A platform or tray support beam  4  on each side of the platform or tray pivotably secured to the platform and pivotably secured to the base beam proximate to a second end of the base beam, and in which the support is moveable from a first position wherein a second end of the platform is positioned to the base beam to a second position wherein the second end of the platform is elevated relative to the base beam; and 
     The individual base beam  1  platform and side supports  2  are composed of metallic extrusions; and in which the support beam  4  extrusion on each side of the platform consists of a wheel sliding rail  5  linear lock slots  6  and fastener channels; and 
     The lifting mechanism consists of a base beam cross member  10  extrusion running from each side of the first end of the base beam to its counterpart on the other side, containing within it a rotatable bar  11  in the form of a worm gear jackscrew with opposing threads extending to bearings installed in the first ends of the base beam cross members on each side of the lift, and upon which travels a locking-pinnable carrier  12  on each side of the base beam extrusion that is connected to a linkage bar  13  attached to the carrier by the shaft of the locking pin  14  extending through a rod-end bearing  21  on the bottom of the linkage bar  13  so that when the threaded bar  11  rotates, the carriers  12  travel opposite to each other along it so that the linkage bars  13  on each side connected to the support beams  4  on each side, raise and lower the platform or tray  1 . 
     The rotation of the threaded bar  11  is by its being connected to a gearbox  15  located on 1 side of the base beam cross member extrusion, with the gearbox being driven either by a manually operated hand crank (not shown) or is driven by means of being connected by a shaft into the mandrel of a hand drill  16  securely affixed to the gearbox by means of a reactive torque attachment strut  17  so that when the drill is energized the drill body does not move and the torque of the drill is transmitted through the gearbox to the worm gear jackscrew  11  causing it to rotate and thereby move the travelling carriers  12  so as to lift the side support beams  4  and the platform or tray  1 ; and 
     The platform or tray  1  consists of metallic extrusions along its sides  8  equipped with wheels  9  which travel along wheel sliding rail situate within the C-channel side support beams  4  as these raise and lower. 
     The platform&#39;s metallic extrusions also consist of hollow cross-bars  18 , the internal shape of which mates with sliding, lockable T-slot securing members  19  to which accessories can be attached. 
     The T-slot  19  contains a circular hole in the bar  20  under the T, to accommodate a cable lock to secure accessories to the T-slot and thence to the cross-bar. 
     The base bar  2  on each side of the assembly is bolted to the surface of the truck bed, or is attached with an eye-bolt or loop  22  which can be attached to an equivalent bolt on the truck bed using a suitable ratcheting tie-down. 
     The embodiments of the present application described above are intended to be examples only. Those of skill in the art may effect alterations, modifications and variations to the particular embodiments without departing from the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be selected to create alternate embodiments comprised of a subcombination of features which may not be explicitly described above. In addition, features from one of more of the above-described embodiments may be selected and combined to create alternate embodiments comprised of a combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and subcombinations would be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon review of the present application as a whole. Any dimensions provided in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention. The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology.