Adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks

Abstract

An adjustable tie-down apparatus that is used to secure cargo in the bed of pickup truck by using an internal clamp and lever mechanism to clamp the L-shaped upper body, which rests flat against the top side of the rail of a truck bed, to the U-shaped lower body, which rests against the under side of the top of the rail and the interior of the downwardly protruding flange. The tie-down point is attached to backside of the U-shaped lower body and faces the interior of the truck bed to support the attachment of a cable, rope, strap, or similar anchor line for securing cargo placed in the bed of the truck. This apparatus may be placed at any point along the length of the rail of the truck bed and is adaptable to fit rails of varying thicknesses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/068,956 filed on Mar. 11, 2008 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

None.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention is directed to the field of anchors used for securing cargo placed in the bed of pickup trucks and provides a novel internal locking mechanism that allows placement of the anchor at any point along with the length of the rail of the truck bed without the use of bolts or screws.

2. Prior Art

The present invention is related to cargo anchor accessories compatible with pickup truck beds and rails, specifically to an adjustable tie-down apparatus that may be secured at any point along the side rails of truck beds.

Pickup trucks are popular vehicles due to their versatility and utility with respect to hauling various forms of cargo. To avoid damaging the cargo, the pickup truck, or possibly other vehicles on the roadway, most cargo must be secured in some fashion usually with the use of rope, chains, or straps. The majority of pickup trucks manufactured today possess access points for use in tying down or otherwise securing cargo. However, these access points are generally fixed at predetermined locations around the truck bed or are located along the outside of the rails around the truck bed. The access points are typically located in the four corners of the truck bed or possibly at the midpoint of the rail.

Although useful in certain situations, the fixed tie-down points described above can be impractical if the cargo is in a position on the truck bed where the use of these fixed anchor points is impractical or impossible. Over time, alternative devices have been proposed to create anchor points along the truck bed rails selected by the user, but these devices generally are permanent in nature, require modification to the truck bed that cannot be reversed once the device is removed such as holes drilled into the rail, or require the use of external securing elements such as bolts and screws, which also require the presence of tools to secure the devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,080,966 to Roh (2006) discloses an anchor design that clamps to the downward protruding flange of a pickup truck's inner side rail. The body of the anchor is fastened to the interior side rail with the use of a bold that is tightened until sufficient tension is present to hold the anchor in its place. The upper portion of the anchor containing the slot where the strap is placed is also secured with a bolt and nut. This anchor is limited by the necessity of tools to secure the anchor to the inner bed rail and to adjust and secure the position of the slot plate. A user will expend unnecessary time securing the anchor and will experience unnecessary delay and effort if the anchor needs to be moved along the length of the truck rail.

The present invention solves the problem of additional fastening devices to secure the anchor to the truck rail by introducing an internal clamping mechanism that is permanently attached to the body of the apparatus and may be utilized without the use of other tools or items.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,219 to Speece et al. (2005) discloses an anchor that consists of two plates, one that rests atop the truck rail and possesses the anchor tie-down point and the other that is placed beneath the truck rail to engage the flange tube located on the underside of the rail. The upper cover plate and the lower locator plate are secured with screws. This design is limited because it can only be placed at the existing stake pockets in the truck's rails. These stake pockets are at fixed locations thereby limiting the accessibility of the anchor. Further, the locator plate has upturned lips that positioned on opposing sides of the flange tube beneath the rail. This is limiting due to the fact that many trucks contain flanges that protrude downward from the rail's aperture at a length that will preclude the use of this design.

The present invention solves these problems by allowing the apparatus to be positioned at any point along the truck rail excluding areas where existing stake pockets are positioned. A single apparatus may be repositioned along a rail or multiple apparatus may be positioned adjacent to each other.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,328 to Chaucherty (2000) discloses an anchor in the form of a cleat attached to a flat plat that may be bolted to the interior of the truck bed. This design as disclosed is limited by the apparent necessity that the cleats be placed along the interior of the truck bed. Depending on the amount of cargo placed in the bed, such locations may become inaccessible given that the rail flange protrudes toward the interior and towards the bed floor. Further, this invention is limited by the requirement that bolts or other fastening device be used to attach the anchor to the truck.

The present invention solves this problem by placing the tie-down point on the anchor atop the rail of the truck bed. The cargo may be safely secured without the necessity of moving cargo that may be stored alongside the interior of the truck bed and without occupying valuable storage space in the interior of the bed with straps, ropes, or fastening device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,490 to Erskine et al. (2000) discloses an anchor that includes a cleat-like element for securing rope, cables, or straps. The primary use of the anchor requires that it be secured to the downwardly protruding interior edge of a truck rail through the use of a bolt or screw. This design is disadvantageous in situations where significant tension is placed on the fastening device attached to the cleat. In these situations, the cargo could force the downwardly protruding interior flange to bend upward and give way in a manner that releases tension on the rope, which may cause damage to the cargo, and that damages the appearance of the truck's rail.

The present invention resolves this problem by placing the L-shaped upper body along the topside of the rail and the lip of the U-shaped lower body along the underside of the rail. The anchor is secured by the internal clamping mechanism that squeezes the upper and lower bodies together and against the top, flat edge of the rail. This design prevents the apparatus from being forced toward the interior of the truck when extreme tension is placed on the anchor point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an apparatus that can be aligned at any point along the outer rails of a pickup truck to provide a tie down point for cargo in the truck's bed. The present invention consists of an L-shaped upper body containing a top plate that rests along the topside of the truck rail. There are two elements that extend perpendicular from the top plate creating the L-shaped design. The interior perpendicular includes two indentions that serve to receive the hooks on the internal clamping mechanism. The exterior perpendicular element is a flat edge that is slightly narrower than the top plate. A gap between the two perpendicular elements exists to accept the back plate of the U-shaped lower body.

The U-shaped lower body generally consists of a front plate with a lip that abuts to the underside of the top rail. The tie-down point is attached to the back plate and faces the interior of the truck bed when secure. The internal clamping mechanism is located in the lower half of the U-shaped lower body between the front and back plates.

In the preferred embodiment, the L-shaped upper body is placed flat against the top of the rail of the truck bed. The interior perpendicular element rests against the downwardly protruding flange of the rail. The U-shaped lower body is placed into a position where the upper section of the back plate sits between the two perpendicular elements of the L-shaped upper body. The interior edge of the upper section sits against the interior of the downwardly protruding flange. The lip that extends outward form the front plate rests against the underside of the truck rail. Once the upper body and lower body are placed alongside the rail, the hooks may be placed into the indentions of the interior perpendicular element and rendered taught. The upper and lower bodies of the apparatus are thus locked into place and the apparatus may be used as a tie down point for cables or ropes securing cargo in the rear of the truck bed.

It is the object of this invention to offer an adjustable tie-down apparatus that can be used along any point of the truck bed's rail to serve as an anchor point for securing cargo with rope, chain, cable, or other fastening device in such a manner not present in existing prior art. It is the further object of the present invention to offer a tie-down apparatus that does not require external fastening elements such as bolts or screw or additional tools to lock the apparatus into place. The present invention possesses an internal clamping mechanism that can be locked securely into position in seconds without the need of bolts, screws, nuts, or pins or any additional tools or devices. Another objective of the present invention is provide an apparatus capable of clamping to the rail of a truck bed in a secure manner to prevent movement and allow the anchor to remain fixed when tension is placed on the anchor point. A further objective of the present invention is to adapt to truck rails of varying thicknesses. The present invention may be secured to rails of varying thicknesses to allow for the apparatus to be used with all models of trucks.

In addition to the features and objectives described above, other features, advantages, and objectives of the present invention will be evident from the detailed description of a specific illustrative embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the L-shaped upper body completely removed from the invention for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the U-shaped lower body completely removed from the invention for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the internal clamping mechanism hook completely removed from the invention for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the internal clamping mechanism latch completely removed from the invention for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing drawing figures and the following detailed description illustrate the Adjustable Tie-Down Apparatus for Pickup Trucks in at least one of its preferred embodiments. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the invention may be used in scenarios other than those specifically described below including any flat surface with a downwardly protruding edge where it is necessary to have a point for attaching some form of fastening device.

The present invention is an adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 used to secure cargo in the bed of a pickup truck. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an L-shaped upper body 10. The L-shaped upper body 10 is comprised of a top plate 12 with an exterior perpendicular extension 16 and an interior perpendicular extension 20. The interior perpendicular extension 20 protrudes from the underside of said top plate 12. The left and right edges of interior perpendicular extension 20 are angled upward toward the under side of top plate 12 to create two indentions 22 and 24. Exterior perpendicular extension 16 connects to top 12 at a right angle and protrudes downward parallel to interior perpendicular extension 20.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a U-shaped lower body 30. The U-shaped lower body 30 is comprised of a front plate 34 and a lip 32 that extends away from front plate 34 at a 90 degree angle. The U-shaped lower body 30 is also comprised of a back plate 36 wherein front plate 34 and back plate 36 are joined as a single body with a curved bottom. Attached to the back plate 36 is a tie-down point 40 comprised of a right support 42 and a left support 44. The right support 42 and left support 44 are triangular in shape extending further away from back plate 36 as supports 42 and 44 approach the top of back plate 36. Right support 42 and left support 44 are joined by a tie-down bar 46.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an internal clamping mechanism hook 50 comprised of a clamp hook 52 and a hook pivot aperture 56. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an internal clamping mechanism latch 60 comprised of a lever 62, a latch pivot aperture 64, and an attachment aperture 66. The internal clamping mechanism hook 50 is permanently attached to the internal clamping mechanism latch 60 by a pin or bolt of proper diameter placed through the hook pivot aperture 56 and the latch pivot aperture 64.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 9 illustrate perspective views of the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 with the L-shaped upper body 10 and U-shaped lower body 30 fully assembled. FIG. 5 illustrates the front plate 34 comprised of a right front plate aperture 38 and a left front plate aperture 39. A bolt or pin is placed through the front plate aperture 39 and passes through the attachment aperture 66 thereby permanently affixing the internal clamping mechanism latch 60 to the front plate 34 in such a manner as to allow said internal clamping mechanism latch 60 to fully rotate up and down. FIG. 6 is a perspective view exploded to illustrate clamp hook 52 cradled within indention 22 in a locked position. Lever 62 is raised to allow clamp hook 52 to sit cradled within indention 22 and then lever 62 is pushed downward until placed into a locked position.

FIG. 7 is a side view that illustrates the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 locked into position on a truck bed rail 90 comprised of a top plane 92 and a downwardly protruding flange 94. The L-shaped upper body 10 is placed flat against the top plane 92. The interior perpendicular extension 20 sits against the downwardly protruding flange 94. The U-shaped lower body 30 is placed beneath truck bed rail 90 so that tie-down bar 46 is facing away from downwardly protruding flange 94 and the lip 32 is placed flush against the underside of top plane 92. The back plate 36 sits between interior perpendicular extension 20 and exterior perpendicular extension 16.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 illustrating L-shaped upper body 10 and U-shaped lower body 30 locked into position around the truck bed rail 90. L-shaped upper body 10 is placed flat against the top truck bed rail 80 with the top plate 12 flush against the surface of top plane 92 and the interior perpendicular extension 20 flush against the downwardly protruding flange 94. The U-shaped lower body 30 is fitted in position with the lip 32 flush against the underside of top plane 92 and the front wall 34 and back wall 36 flush against the sides of the exterior perpendicular extension 16. Once the L-shaped upper body 10 and the U-shaped lower body 30 are in position, a lever 82 is raised to allow a clamp hook 72 to engage indention 24. Once engaged, the lever 82 is lowered into the locked position thereby pressing the top plate 12 against the top plane 92 and pressing the lip 32 against the underside of top plane 92 securing the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 in place. The anchor tie-down bar 46 will face the inside of the pickup truck bed in a position to receive a strap, rope, cable, or other anchor line for securing cargo placed on the bed of the pickup truck.

From the description and drawings referenced above, a number of advantages may be perceived including the ability to place the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 at any point along the truck bed rail 90 depending on the type and location of the cargo. This embodiment allows one to quickly and easily move the adjustable tie-down apparatus for pickup trucks 100 without removing and replacing any bolts or screws while still maintain a strong, secure attachment to prevent slippage from the weight of the cargo being secured.

While there have been shown and described what are considered to be certain embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes in form or detail can be implemented without varying from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely examples of the application of the principles of the invention, and it is therefore intended that the invention not be limited to the exact form and detail described and shown herein nor to anything less than the whole of the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. An adjustable tie-down apparatus for securing cargo in combination with a pickup truck having rails and a downwardly protruding flange, said apparatus capable of being located at various points along the length of said rails, said apparatus comprising:

an L-shaped upper body including two perpendicular extensions protruding away from said body to engage the surface of the rail and the downwardly protruding flange;

an U-shaped lower body including a lip protruding perpendicularly from the body to engage the under side of the rail;

a tie-down bar located between two braces and attached to the U-shaped lower body on the side opposite the lip to receive rope, straps, cable, or other anchoring device for securing cargo;

two internal clamping mechanisms attached to the U-shaped lower body on the lip side containing a lever and hook that engages the innermost perpendicular extension to provide a means for applying sufficient pressure to the apparatus bringing the U-shaped lower body and the L-shaped upper body against the rail.

2. An adjustable tie down apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein a protective pad is attached to the L-shaped body to prevent scratching or scarring when placed in contact with the rail.