Abstract: A hitch tightener is used around the lip of a hitch receiver tube and a shank inserted into the hitch receiver tube. The hitch tightener has a U-bolt with two threaded legs, and a crossbar with throughholes for the legs of the U-bolt, positioned so the crossbar and the U-bolt encircle the shank and the receiver tube lip. A standard threaded nut holds the crossbar onto one of the legs, and a cam lock lever is pivotally attached on the other leg by a threaded trunnion nut. When the cam lock lever is pivoted from its opened position to its closed position, it moves the crossbar toward the connecting portion of the clamp component, tightening the hitch tightener around shank and lip.

Abstract: A hitch tightener is used around the lip of a hitch receiver tube and a shank inserted into the hitch receiver tube. The hitch tightener has a U-bolt with two threaded legs, and a crossbar with throughholes for the legs of the U-bolt, positioned so the crossbar and the U-bolt encircle the shank and the receiver tube lip. A standard threaded nut holds the crossbar onto one of the legs, and a cam lock lever is pivotally attached on the other leg by a threaded trunnion nut. When the cam lock lever is pivoted from its opened position to its closed position, it moves the crossbar toward the connecting portion of the clamp component, tightening the hitch tightener around shank and lip.

Abstract: A bicycle mount which mounts a bicycle longitudinally over the bed rail of a pickup truck. A carriage of the bicycle mount supports the wheels of the bicycle above it. A pivot arm and hook is used as a primary vertical support for the bicycle, with the pivot arm mounted using slide channels of the carriage to allow both longitudinal and pivoting motion. The hooks is extendable on the pivot arm to support an upper section of the bicycle frame. A mounting system for the carriage is provided allows the carriage to mount into stake pockets of the bed rail, adjustable to accommodate different length bed rails and different stake pocket spacing on different pickup trucks.

Abstract: A trailer coupler body is formed from sheet metal with walls defining a recess having a contact surface for bearing against the tow ball during towing. A latch pin opening is positioned in the right side wall and the left side wall of the trailer coupler body behind the recess and lower than the tow ball equator. A latch pin reinforcement crossmember is separately formed from sheet metal, and welded to extend between the right and left side walls adjacent the latch pin opening. When a latch pin is transversely inserted into the latch pin opening, it contacts the tow ball and holds the tow ball in place within the trailer coupler recess, in a position where the latch pin reinforcement crossmember will support the latch pin against deflection opposite the tow ball due to towing forces transmitted to or from the tow ball.

Abstract: A bicycle mount which mounts a bicycle longitudinally over the bed rail of a pickup truck. A carriage of the bicycle mount supports the wheels of the bicycle above it. A pivot arm and hook is used as a primary vertical support for the bicycle, with the pivot arm mounted using slide channels of the carriage to allow both longitudinal and pivoting motion. The hooks is extendable on the pivot arm to support an upper section of the bicycle frame. A mounting system for the carriage is provided allows the carriage to mount into stake pockets of the bed rail, adjustable to accommodate different length bed rails and different stake pocket spacing on different pickup trucks.

Abstract: A headache rack is formed substantially from sheet metal, including left and right uprights as part of a framing portion supporting a screen. The forward edge of the uprights has a concave curvature facing the cab and providing a cantilever, and a folded rearward edge causing the uprights to be considerably wider where they contact the pickup truck bed walls than they are at their tops. The framing portion is provided in three separable sections, connectable by the user using fasteners such as nuts and bolts, with a removable screen in the center frame portion.

Abstract: A stake pocket anchor attaches an accessory to a vehicle stake pocket. The stake pocket anchor includes an anchor assembly hung from a tensioning member. The anchor assembly includes two channel members slidably attached to sandwich a center block, with an angled slide direction that enables sliding either upwardly and inwardly to a minimum anchor assembly width or downwardly and outwardly to a maximum anchor assembly width. During use, the anchor assembly gravitationally releases to its maximum anchor assembly width after being inserted through the stake pocket opening. The tensioning member is then used to vertically raise the anchor assembly within the stake pocket until a top of the anchor assembly contacts a bottom surface of the lip and thereafter allows further tightening of the anchor assembly against the bottom surface of the lip.

Abstract: A headache rack is formed substantially from sheet metal, including left and right uprights as part of a framing portion supporting a screen. The forward edge of the uprights has a concave curvature facing the cab and providing a cantilever, and a folded rearward edge causing the uprights to be considerably wider where they contact the pickup truck bed walls than they are at their tops. The framing portion is provided in three separable sections, connectable by the user using fasteners such as nuts and bolts, with a removable screen in the center frame portion.

Abstract: A stake pocket anchor attaches an accessory to a vehicle stake pocket. The stake pocket anchor includes an anchor assembly hung from a tensioning member. The anchor assembly includes two channel members slidably attached to sandwich a center block, with an angled slide direction that enables sliding either upwardly and inwardly to a minimum anchor assembly width or downwardly and outwardly to a maximum anchor assembly width. During use, the anchor assembly gravitationally releases to its maximum anchor assembly width after being inserted through the stake pocket opening. The tensioning member is then used to vertically raise the anchor assembly within the stake pocket until a top of the anchor assembly contacts a bottom surface of the lip and thereafter allows further tightening of the anchor assembly against the bottom surface of the lip.

Abstract: A hollow tubular shape is extruded from aluminum and used as a basic building block for one or more different truck accessories, such as a side step, grill guard and headache rack. The outside of the hollow tubular shape provides flat surfaces and angled edges over most of its periphery, including a major wall and several side walls. An attachment wall opposite the major wall includes attachment slides that enable the extrusion to be attached in numerous configurations, including to attachment brackets. The interior of the extruded hollow tubular shape includes openings to receive end caps.

Abstract: A hollow tubular shape is extruded from aluminum and used as a basic building block for one or more different truck accessories, such as a side step, grill guard and headache rack. The outside of the hollow tubular shape provides flat surfaces and angled edges over most of its periphery, including a major wall and several side walls. An attachment wall opposite the major wall includes attachment slides that enable the extrusion to be attached in numerous configurations, including to attachment brackets. The interior of the extruded hollow tubular shape includes openings to receive end caps.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for use in cleaning a fabric surface of dust, dirt, pet hair and other debris present on the surface. The device includes a housing coupled to a base. The base is coupled to at least one movable cleaning member configured to engage a surface for picking up debris from the surface. The debris is deposited into a debris collection chamber by way of interaction with another portion of the device. The debris collection chamber is selectively emptiable by an operator thereof so that the device may be subsequently reused.