Patent Publication Number: US-9889484-B2

Title: Rub rail repair tool and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/706,168 filed on May 7, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to the field of transport truck and trailer load carrying bed frames. More specifically, the disclosure relates to methods and tools for repairing protective rails (“rub rails”) on load carrying bed frames. 
     Load carrying beds on certain types of trucks and trailers are flat, wherein a load is retained on the bed surface by tensioned straps. The straps include features to hold the ends thereof to an edge of the bed frame, for example, hooks. The straps may be made from woven high strength fiber, such as nylon, aramid or other fiber. Bed frames may include protective rails spaced at a selected distance from the lateral edges of the bed frame. Such rails are known as rub rails. Rub rails are used to protect straps from damage caused by abrasion or cutting. The rub rail is disposed externally to the positions along the bed frame where the straps attach. In the event an object contacts the bed frame, having a rub rail present may prevent the object from contacting the strap, thus possibly avoiding damage. 
     Rub rails are subject to damage by contact with objects, either or both from collision when the truck is operated on a roadway or in loading or unloading devices from the truck bed. Damage may take the form of bending such that a distance between the lateral edge of the bed frame and the rub rail is reduced such that straps cannot be affixed to the bed frame or removed from the bed frame. 
     It is known in the art to repair damaged rub rails by cutting the damaged section and replacing it with new material, such as by welding. Such repairs are time consuming and may be costly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 through 4  show example embodiments of a rub rail repair tool. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example method for repairing a rub rail using a tool such as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various example embodiments of a rib rail repair tool  10  are shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 . Features that may be common to all the example embodiments include a tool working element  12  disposed on one side of a flange  14 . The flange  14  may be substantially planar, circularly shaped and oriented in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis L ( FIG. 1 ) of the tool  10 . A torque arm engaging element  16  may be disposed on the other side of the flange  14 . The working element  12 , the flange  14  and the torque arm engaging element  16  may be formed from a single piece of metal, for example, steel, or may be welded together or otherwise assembled from separate components. 
     The torque arm engaging element  16  may be cylindrically shaped and have one or more tool engagement features thereon. In  FIG. 1 , example tool engagement features on the torque arm engaging element  16  may include, for example a socket head  20  that may be engaged with a suitably sized wrench socket. The example embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  is hexagonal; other embodiments of a socket head may be twelve point, or may be a specialized shape such as a TORX brand drive head. TORX is a registered trademark of Acument Intellectual Properties, LLC, 840 West Long Lake Road, Troy Mich. 48098. Other possible socket head shapes will occur to those skilled in the art. 
     The example embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  may also include pass through openings  18  in the torque arm engaging element  16 . Pass through openings may be used wherein a torque arm is a rod, pipe or other tool having a selected length. Use of the torque arm will be explained with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the torque arm engaging element  16  may include only the socket head  20 .  FIG. 2  illustrates an aspect of the working element  12 . The working element  12  may define a minimum thickness or diameter dimension ( FIG. 4 ) and a maximum thickness or diameter dimension D. In the present example embodiment, the maximum thickness or diameter dimension D may be substantially equal to a spacing ( FIG. 5 ) between an undamaged rub rail and a lateral edge of a truck bed frame. Lateral ends  12 A of the working element  12  as may be configured in some embodiments will be further explained with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  shows another example embodiment of the torque arm engaging element  16 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , only through openings  18  are included.  FIG. 3  also shows another aspect of the working element  12 . In the present example embodiment, the working element may include a rounded surface  12 B extending across the maximum diameter dimension (D in  FIG. 2 ). The lateral ends  12 A of the rounded surface  12 B may be formed as small radius corners, for example having a maximum radius of 0.05 inches. Shaping the lateral ends  12 A in such manner, i.e., having a small radius, may provide the working element  12  with enhanced capability to grip the metal of the bed frame and/or the rub rail so that the working element  12  will remain essentially stationary along the longitudinal dimension of the space between the rub rail and the lateral edge of the bed frame (see  FIG. 5 ). In this way, the working element may operate to bend the rub rail more efficiently for repair. 
       FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of the repair tool  10  in which the torque arm engaging element  16  may include a square drive opening  22  formed in its upper surface. The square drive opening  22  may be used so that a square drive impact wrench, torque bar, ratchet wrench or similar tool may be used to rotate the repair tool  10 .  FIG. 4  also shows that the working element  12  may define a minimum thickness or diameter dimension D 1 . In the present example embodiment, the maximum diameter dimension (D in  FIG. 2 ), the lateral edges ( 12 A in  FIG. 3 ) and the minimum diameter dimension D 1  may be defined by shaping the working element  12  as a half-cylinder. Other shapes that obtain the same respective dimensions and features will occur to those skilled in the art. The half-cylinder in the present example embodiment may have the advantage of being easy to make from simple bar stock. 
       FIG. 5  shows a method for repairing a rub rail  28  attached to a lateral edge of a truck load bed frame  30  using a repair tool  10  according to the present disclosure. The truck load bed  26  may rest on a frame having lateral edges  30 . The rub rail  28  may be affixed to the lateral edges  30  such that a nominal size opening  32  exists between the rub rail  28  and the lateral edge  30  of the bed frame when undamaged. The nominal size opening  32  may be the same as the largest diameter dimension D of the working element ( 12  in  FIG. 4 ) of the repair tool  10 . To use the repair tool  10  to repair an inwardly bent rub rail  28 , the repair tool  10  may be inserted into the opening  32  oriented such that the smallest diameter dimension (D 1  in  FIG. 4 ) is substantially parallel to the rub rail  28  and the lateral edge  30 . A torque arm  24  may be coupled to the torque arm engaging element  16 . The repair tool  10  may be inserted until the flange ( 14  in  FIGS. 1 through 4 ) rests on the rub rail  28  and the lateral edge  30 . A torque arm  24  may be coupled to the tool engaging element  16  in any manner such as explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 4 . The repair tool  10  may be rotated by applying force to the torque arm  24  such that the working element ( 12  in  FIGS. 1 through 4 ) rotates such that its largest diameter dimension (D in  FIG. 2 ) is oriented between the rub rail  28  and the lateral edge  30 . Thus, the rub rail  28  may be bent back outward to approximately restore the dimension D between the rub rail  28  and the lateral edge. 
     A rub rail repair tool and method according to the present disclosure may reduce the time and cost to repair damaged rub rails, while increasing the safety of such repairs by eliminating the need for cutting and welding of damaged rub rail sections. 
     While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.