Patent Abstract:
A rack system for vehicles such as pickup trucks comprises a number of base supports each clamped atop one of the opposed vehicle side walls by effective but economical clamping devices, a side rail mounted to each base support in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, and, tie-down devices releasably secured to cross bars extending between side rails located on opposite side walls of the vehicle.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a rack system for vehicles, and, more particularly, to a rack system for pickup trucks and similar vehicles including improved structure for clamping to the side walls of the vehicle, novel tie-downs and an enhanced aesthetic appearance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Rack systems for mounting ladders and other equipment to the bed of pickup trucks and similar vehicles are well known in the prior art. Most systems of this type generally comprise a framework of four or more upright side rails, two of which are mounted atop or alongside one of the side walls of the truck with the other two located on the opposite sidewall. Cross bars are connected between aligning side rails on opposite side walls so that they span the bed of the truck in position to support equipment or materials in an elevated position above the truck bed. 
     Many owners of pickup trucks are reluctant to permanently mount a rack system or any other device to the vehicle, or to attach such items in a way that would leave mounting holes or the like in the side walls or bed of the truck in the event the rack system or other device is ever removed. This issue has been addressed in the prior art by rack systems which provide one or more base supports adapted to clamp onto the side walls of the truck. Typically, these base support(s) rest atop one of the side walls of the truck in position to support one or both of the upright side rails of the rack system noted above. The joint connection between the base support(s) and upright side rails is typically cumbersome, or, at best, of limited aesthetic appeal. Further, the clamping devices employed to secure the base support(s) to the side walls of the truck are in many cases overly complicated and expensive. 
     Tie-down devices are also commonly used in rack systems for vehicles in order to secure ladders of other items atop the cross bars described above. Most prior art tie-downs suffer from one or more limitations, e.g. it is difficult to adjust their position along the cross bars, or they are not easily mounted to and removed from the cross bars and/or they lack versatility in how rope, cords or other securing means may be mounted to the tie-down and to the items to be secured on the rack system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to a rack system for vehicles such as pickup trucks comprising a number of base supports each clamped atop one of the opposed vehicle side walls by effective but economical clamping devices, a side rail mounted to each base support in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, and, tie-down devices releasably secured to cross bars extending between side rails located on opposite side walls of the vehicle. 
     In one aspect of this invention, clamping devices are provided having three legs that are spaced from one another. Two of the legs capture a base support between them, and a third leg receives a bolt in position to engage the vehicle side wall thus clamping the base support in place. The base supports may be easily removed from the vehicle by loosening the bolts, and no holes or the like are left in the side walls or bed of the vehicle. 
     A side rail is mounted to each base support via threaded fasteners extending from underneath such base supports into an internally threaded bore formed in a base plate located in the lower end of each side rail. In order to improve the aesthetics of the rack system, an adaptor is position over the point of connection between each side rail and base support. Each adaptor has an outer wall which encircles the bottom end of each side rail and rests atop the base support. Each adaptor is held in place by an internal plate through which the threaded fasteners extend so that when the side rails are tightened down on the base supports, the internal plate of each adaptor is captured between one of the side rails and base supports. 
     In another aspect of this invention, a number of tie-down devices are provided which may be easily and rapidly mounted in any location along the length of the cross bars of the rack system. Each tie-down device has a number of convenient locations to which a rope, cord or other securing means may be attached in order to mount equipment or materials atop the rack assembly. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the rack system of this invention mounted to the bed of a pickup truck; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a clamping device for mounting a base support to a side wall of the pickup truck shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of a side rail, adaptor and base support; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the adaptor depicted in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partially disassembled front view of the tie-down device of this invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled view of the tie-down device illustrated in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded, perspective view of the self-ratcheting handle employed to attach a tie-down device to a cross bar of the rack system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the Figs., a pickup truck  10  is schematically depicted having a side wall  12 , an opposed side wall  14  and a floor  16  between them which collectively define a bed  18  located behind the cab  19 . The terms “front” and “forward” when used herein refer to a location proximate the cab  19  of the truck  10 , whereas the terms “rear” and “rearward” denote the opposite end of the bed  18 . The rack system  20  of this invention generally comprises a forward rack structure  22  and a rear rack structure  24  which are essentially identical to one another. Each rack structure  22 ,  24  includes a base support  26  located on the side wall  12  of the truck  10 , and a second base support  26  located on the opposite side wall  14  in substantial alignment with the first base support  26 . Each base support  26  mounts an upright side rail  28 , and a cross bar  30  is connected at opposite ends to each side rail  28  so that it extends between the side walls  12 ,  14  of the truck  10  in position above the bed  18 . One or more tie-downs  32 , described below, may be mounted to each of the cross bars  30  for securing equipment, materials and other items to the rack system  20 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , each base support  26  is formed in and L-shape including a top plate  32  having a recess  33  extending along its length, and a side plate  34  substantially perpendicular to the top plate  32 . The side plate  34  is preferably formed with a downwardly extending lip  35 . The upper portion of each side wall  12 ,  14  of the truck  10  has a channel  36  that extends along the length of the bed  18  in the forward to rearward direction. The channel  36  has and upper wall  37 , an inner wall  38  and a lower wall  39 . The base support  26  is positioned with respect to the truck bed  18  so that its top plate  32  overlies the upper wall  37  of the channel  36  and its side plate  34  abuts the inner wall  38  of channel  36 . 
     At least one, and preferably two, clamping devices  40  are provided to mount each base support  26  to one of the side walls  12  or  14 . Each clamping device  40  includes a clamp body  42  comprising an upper leg  44 , a lower leg  46  and an intermediate leg  48  located between the upper and lower legs  44 ,  46 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the upper leg  44  has a downwardly extending leading edge  50  that fits into the recess  33  formed in the top plate  32  of base support  26 . The intermediate leg  48  of clamping device  40  forms a seat  52  that receives the lip  35  of the side plate  34  of base support  26 , such that the base support  26  is essentially captured between the upper and intermediate legs  44 ,  48 . The lower leg  46  of the clamping device  40  extends generally parallel to and spaced from the lower wall  39  of the channel  36 . A bolt  54  or other fastener is threaded through a bore formed in the lower leg  46  of clamping device  40  and into engagement with the lower wall  39  of channel  36  to secure the base support  26  to the side wall  12  or  14  of the truck bed  18 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in order to improve the aesthetics of the rack system  20  of this invention, an adaptor  56  is placed over the joint connection between each side rail  28  and base support  26 . Each adaptor  56  has an outer wall  58  defining a hollow interior within which an internal plate  62  is mounted. The internal plate  62  is formed with two through bores  64 ,  66 . One adaptor  56  fits over the lower end of each side rail  28  such that the bottom edge  68  of the side rail engages the internal plate  62  of the adaptor  56 . A base plate  70 , shown in phantom in  FIG. 3 , is mounted within the hollow, lower end of each side rail  28  so that internally threaded bores (not shown) in the base plate  70  align with the bores  64 ,  66  in the internal plate  62  of the adaptor  56 . One side rail  28  and one adaptor  56  are placed atop a base support  26  so that holes  72 ,  74  formed in the base support  26  align with the bores  64 ,  66  in the internal plate  62  of adaptor  56  and with the internally threaded bores in the base plate  70  of side rail  28 . A fastener  76  is extended through each of the holes  72 ,  74  in base support  26 , and through the bores  64 ,  66  in internal plate  62 , into the internally threaded bores in the base plate  70  of side rail  28  to secure both the side rail  28  and adaptor  56  to the base support  26 . Preferably, the adaptors  56  are formed of plastic or other resilient material, and are intended for aesthetic purposes rather than as a means of securing the side rails  28  to the base supports  26 . 
     As noted above, one or more tie-down devices  32  may be mounted to each of the cross bars  30  for securing equipment, materials and other items to the rack system  20 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each tie-down device  32  includes a tie-down body  80  and a clamping member  82 . The tie-down body  80  comprises a middle plate  84 , a foot section  86  and a curved center section  88  located between the middle plate and foot section  84 ,  86 . An extension  89  is preferably connected at the base of the curved center section  88  of tie-down body  80 . A pair of outer ribs  90  and  92  are connected to or integrally formed at opposite ends of the middle plate  84 , and an inner rib  94  is joined to the middle plate  84  in between the outer ribs  90 ,  92 . The outer ribs  90 ,  92  extend outwardly from the middle plate  84  at an angle to one another, and connect together at an upper end thereof to form a generally triangular shape. The inner rib  94  connects to the outer ribs  90 ,  92  at their upper end. One opening  96  is formed between the outer rib  90  and inner rib  94 , and a second opening  98  is formed between the outer rib  92  and inner rib  94 . 
     The clamping member  82  includes a head section  100 , a foot section  102  and a curved, center section  104  located in between the head and foot sections  100 ,  102 . One end of the middle plate  84  is formed with a channel  106  which receives the head section  100  of the clamping member  82 , i.e. the head section  100  may be slid into the channel  106  and retained therein. With the head section  100  in place within channel  106 , the foot section  102  of clamping member  82  abuts the foot section  86  of tie-down body  80  so that internally threaded bores (not shown) in each foot section  86 ,  102  align with one another. A fastener  108  is then tightened down in the threaded bores to urge the clamping member  82  and tie-down body  80  together so that a cross bar  30  is captured between them and the tie-down device  32  is securely mounted thereto. See also  FIG. 1 . 
     It can be appreciated that the tie-down devices  32  each provide a number of locations within which rope, cords or other securing means may be attached in order to retain equipment or materials on the cross bars  30  of the rack system  10 . Such securing means may be inserted through the openings  96  or  98  in the tie-down body  80  and connected to any one of the ribs  90 ,  92  or  94 , as well as the middle plate  84 . Additionally, the extension  89 , which is located below the cross bars  30  when the tie-downs  32  are mounted in place, is capable of connecting rope, cord or other securing means. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , a ratchet device  110  is illustrated which is employed to connect and disconnect the fastener  108  to the tie-down  32 . The ratchet device  110  comprises a handle  112  connected to a socket potion  114  portion formed with a stepped cavity having an upper cavity portion  116  and a larger diameter lower cavity portion  117 . An annular plate  118  is mounted at the juncture of the upper and lower cavity portions  116 ,  117  immediately above an internal coupling element, which, in the illustrated embodiment, may take the faun of internal teeth  120  arranged in a ring. A bore is formed in annular plate  118  which receives a spacer  124  having a head  126  and a threaded shaft  128 , e.g. the head  126  of the spacer  124  rests atop the annular plate  118  and its threaded shaft  128  extends through its bore into the lower cavity portion  117 . The fastener  108  has threaded shank  129 , and, a head section  130  formed with an internally threaded, blind bore (not shown) and external teeth  134  which mate with the internal teeth  120  in the stepped cavity of the socket portion  114 . The threaded shaft  128  of spacer  124  extends into the blind bore  132  of the fastener  108  to connect the spacer  124  and fastener  108  together. Preferably, a spring  136  extends around the spacer  124  in between the annular plate  118  and the head section  130  of the fastener  108 . 
     The ratchet device  110  is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position, the head  126  of the spacer  124  rests on the annular plate  118  such that the external teeth  134  on the fastener  108  are spaced from the internal teeth  120  in the stepped cavity of the socket portion  114 . The spring  136  biases the fastener  108  to this extended position, acting between the annular plate  118  and the head section  130  of the fastener  108 . When in the extended position, the handle  112  and socket  114  of the ratchet device  110  freely rotate with respect to the fastener  108 . In order to secure the fastener  108  to the foot sections  86  and  102  of the tie-down body  80  and clamping member  82 , respectively, the socket  114  is urged toward the fastener  108 , overcoming the force exerted by spring  136 , to the retracted position in which the internal teeth  120  within the socket  114  engage the external teeth  134  on the head section  130  of the fastener  108 . With the internal and external teeth  120 ,  134  engaged, the fastener  108  may be tightened down within the aligning threaded bores in the foot sections  86  and  102 . If the socket  114  is released, the spring  136  returns the ratchet device  110  to the extended position wherein the internal and external teeth  120 ,  134  are disengaged. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1