Via Hinged Link Patents (Class 296/26.07)
  • Patent number: 9415696
    Abstract: A radiator guard for a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, which is arranged on the front end of the vehicle and covers one or a plurality of units and/or devices arranged in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The radiator guard is formed advantageously in multiple parts, wherein to avoid an opening in the visible region thereof at least one part of the radiator guard is designed so as to be adjustable relative to the other part(s), thus allowing access to at least one of said units and/or devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pickartz, Hergen Grimm
  • Patent number: 8903605
    Abstract: A pickup truck includes a tailgate that is movable between open and closed positions. A powered latch provides for remote release of the latches of the tailgate. The tailgate is biased from the closed position towards the open position such that release of the latch causes the tailgate to shift automatically from the closed position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Gregory Bambenek, Bhupendra A. Patel, David Manuel Rogers, Thomas M. Herline
  • Patent number: 8776778
    Abstract: A tailgate barbeque grill for use in the bed of a pickup truck. The grill slides along rails and is stored in the front portion thereof for transport and is positioned in the rear portion and lowered for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Mario Brown
  • Patent number: 8398137
    Abstract: An auxiliary bed floor for a vehicle includes a panel that fits between the sidewalls of the vehicle and has cutouts along the side edges to remove portions of the panel that cannot fit between the wheel housings. The panel is mounted on the sidewalls by a plurality of swing arms, each having a first end pivoted on a sidewall above the floor, and a second end pivoted on the panel so that swinging of the swing arms will swing the panel between a lowered position in which the panel is adjacent the floor and a raised position in which the panel is positioned above the height of the wheel housings. A latch mechanism is provided to retain the panel at its raised position so that cargo can be carried on top of the panel as well as on the vehicle bed floor beneath the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brian V. Castillo
  • Publication number: 20120292937
    Abstract: A tonneau cover assembly for a truck having a bed and a pair of upstanding sidewalls generally includes a panel and a mechanism for enabling movement of the panel between the first position abutting the bed and a second position generally level with tops of the upstanding sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Dave Hobrecht, Scott Willis
  • Patent number: 8256817
    Abstract: A tonneau cover assembly for a truck having a bed and a pair of upstanding sidewalls generally includes a panel and a mechanism for enabling movement of the panel between the first position abutting the bed and a second position generally level with tops of the upstanding sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Droptop LLC
    Inventors: Dave Hobrecht, Scott Willis
  • Patent number: 8182020
    Abstract: An transformable, aerodynamic cover assembly for pickup trucks which is user switchable between a closed aerodynamic configuration and a fully deployed truck cap configuration. The aerodynamic configuration reduces vehicle wind resistance and drag, thus increasing fuel efficiency. The cover assembly, constructed of rigid materials, comprises a fiberglass aerodynamic cover supporting flexible fabric widows supported by sleeve tubes, and a flexible rear hatch supported by a hanger. Internal stanchions can be deployed to elevate and support the aerodynamic cover in the elevated position. The aerodynamic cover assembly side walls and hatch provide a space for human habitation and increased cargo hauling capacity. The aerodynamic cover is detachable from the body of the assembly for hauling oversized cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Inventor: Brett Stuart Herndon
  • Patent number: 8146974
    Abstract: An expandable grain tank is provided for covering the open end of a grain tank of an agricultural combine. The expandable tank includes a tarp and a support structure for raising and lowering the tarp. The support structure is configured with an upper frame, a plurality of expandable legs connected to the upper frame and the grain tank, and an actuator to expand and retract the expandable legs. The expandable tank is configured to be moved between a retracted position and an expanded position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventor: Andrew Horst
  • Patent number: 8141931
    Abstract: A moveable roof for a transportable tank for fish includes a roof platform attached to spaced roof joists secured at opposing ends to parallel headers laterally spaced and traversing a length of the roof platform. At least two pair of support arms is included, with each pair mounted on opposite sides of the tank. Further, each support arm has an upper support arm portion and a lower support arm portion. The upper and lower support arm portions are attached at a support arm pivot point. The lower support arm portion is pivotally attached to the corresponding sidewall of the tank and the upper support arm portion is pivotally attached to the header above said corresponding sidewall. Still further, a crank is positioned between the support arms of each pair of support arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventor: Richard Santisi
  • Publication number: 20110115250
    Abstract: A tonneau cover assembly for a truck having a bed and a pair of upstanding sidewalls generally includes a panel and a mechanism for enabling movement of the panel between the first position abutting the bed and a second position generally level with tops of the upstanding sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Dave Hobrecht, Scott Willis
  • Patent number: 7854458
    Abstract: A tonneau cover assembly for a truck having a bed and a pair of upstanding sidewalls generally includes a panel having a perimeter conforming to a perimeter of the bed and a mechanism for enabling movement of the panel between the first position abutting the bed and a second position generally level with tops of the upstanding sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Droptop, LLC
    Inventors: Dave Hobrecht, Scott Willis
  • Patent number: 7699372
    Abstract: A cargo carrier integrated a vehicle roof such that the cargo carrier is deployable from a stowed position within the vehicle roof to a deployed position that extends from the vehicle roof. The cargo carrier includes a bottom panel disposed within a recess formed in the vehicle roof, and a pair of side panels disposed within and hingedly connected to the bottom panel. The side panels are actuatable between the stowed position and the developed position. A front panel and a top panel are hingedly connected to each other and attached to the bottom panel. To deploy the cargo carrier, a deployment system is connected to the side panels for actuating the side panels between the stowed position and the deployed position. Actuation of the side panels raises the top panel and the front panel to the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: John R. Adams, E. Mackey King, Paul G. Lester, Alan Townsend
  • Patent number: 7354089
    Abstract: A tonneau cover assembly for a truck having a bed and a pair of upstanding sidewalls generally includes a panel having a perimeter conforming to a perimeter of the bed and a mechanism for enabling movement of the panel between the first position abutting the bed and a second position generally level with tops of the upstanding sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: DropTop, LLC
    Inventor: Dave Hobrecht
  • Patent number: 7281744
    Abstract: A convertible pickup canopy is disclosed, the canopy having left and right sidewalls hingedly coupled with a frame member. The frame member is coupled with rails of the bed of a pickup truck, and allow the sidewalls and a rear door to expand to support a top cover, and to collapse to allow the top cover to travel in a lower profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Inventor: John Gregory Schultz
  • Patent number: 7243965
    Abstract: A truck bed camper shell and hard tonneau cover device is provided which is activated for movement between a raised truck bed camper shell position and a lowered hard tonneau cover position by remote activation of actuators such as pneumatics or hydraulic cylinders or a screw drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Woodworth Investment Group LLC
    Inventors: James King, James Skocy
  • Patent number: 7147265
    Abstract: A collapsible truck bed cover comprising a frame and an outer covering, wherein the frame comprises four primary support bars, four secondary support bars, and four cross bars. The primary support bars are pivotally connected to each other at a swinging pivot point. The secondary support bars are pivotally connected to the primary support bars. The two rear primary support bars are pivotally connected to the truck bed rails at two stationary pivot points. When the cover is fully collapsed, it fits underneath an existing tonneau cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Bismarck Canvas, Inc.
    Inventor: Jay A. Schmeichel
  • Patent number: 7118165
    Abstract: A collapsible upright wall extends the height of the sides on the load hauling box on a truck. The collapsible upright wall comprises a fabric which when vertically stretched provides adequate resistance to substantial lateral load. A method of increasing the volumetric capacity of the box on a truck comprises the steps of: a) providing a rectangular frame above, and dimensioned to seat adjacent to an open top side portion of the load hauling box on the truck; b) providing a substantial lift mechanism to uniformly lift the rectangular frame above the box; and, c) providing and attaching an elongate strip of fabric having a top elongate side portion peripherally attached to the rectangular frame, and a bottom elongate side portion peripherally attached to the open top side portion of the box. Then when the rectangular frame is lifted to an upper operable position the fabric is stretched taut and is thereby able to sustain significant lateral load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Inventors: Darwin D. Nelson, Leland D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 7090286
    Abstract: A cableless power lift assembly for raising and lowering the roof structure or camper top of a pop-up camper includes an elongated drive housing mounted to the base of a pop-up camper and a pair of aligned left and right threaded screw drives mounted in the drive housing for rotatable movement therein. A motor is attached to the left and right screw drives for rotatably driving the screw drives to raise the camper top upon actuation of said motor in a first direction and lower the camper top upon actuation of the motor in an opposite second direction. In addition, collapsible lifting apparatus is also provided for moving the camper top between a generally horizontal lowered or collapsed position and a generally horizontal raised or extended position. In a preferred embodiment, an air conditioning unit is mounted in the camper top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Hallmark Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig E. Foreth, William M. Ward
  • Patent number: 7070176
    Abstract: A spring mechanism for a trailer ramp door which is adapted to be completely received in an opening in a side member of a tubular rectangular trailer rear entrance frame and with its bottom end securely attached to the inner surface of a flange extending along a side of the frame of the trailer ramp door and its top end securely attached through the opening to the inner surface of the side member, and the flange completely encloses the spring when the trailer ramp door is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Inventor: Mario Rios
  • Patent number: 7055878
    Abstract: A multipurpose trailer system for providing a trailer, a fish house, a deer stand, and a scaffold within a single structure. The multipurpose trailer system includes a frame with a plurality of wheels, a housing, a plurality of first arms and second arms pivotally connected between the frame and the housing, and a plurality of actuators attached between the frame and the first arms for elevating/lowering the housing with respect to the frame. A control unit is utilized for controlling the position of the actuators. The frame includes a pair of support members for supporting an ATV upon in front of the housing when the housing is in a lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Inventor: Rudy F. Imhof
  • Patent number: 6921120
    Abstract: The load carrying capability of a bed of a truck or the back of an SUV is increased by length and weight of the load by including a platform that is movable to the height of the wheel well so that a load that measures say, 4?×8? fits above the wheel well so that the limited space between wheel wells do not impair the load and the wheel wells absorb part of the load. In one embodiment a camming arrangement with a guide rail cam and roller followers attached to the platform place the platform in sliding relationship and raises the platform as it slides rearwardly. In another embodiment a foldable linkage is utilized to raise the platform. Jack can be employed to raise the platform and a brake is added prevent the platform from moving backwards once deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Inventor: David R. Ervin
  • Publication number: 20040227369
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a lifting mechanism to raise and lower a truck cap relative to a truck box, the mechanism comprising a pair of lifting devices, which comprise a support member for engagement with the truck cap, a base attached to the truck box, at least one first and at least one second guide attached to the base, each of the guides having at least one block slidably engaged therewith, each of the blocks being connected to a link extending to the support member and means for moving the blocks along the guides, the blocks on the second guide being adapted to move in an opposite direction to the blocks on the first guide, whereby movement of the blocks result in scissor-like movement of the links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Robert W. B. Davidson, Douglas William Gibson
  • Patent number: 6752715
    Abstract: A grain tank cover having a tarp and support structure, the support structure including legs and an upper frame structure that are shiftable downwardly into the tank to assume a lowered position, and a domed structure extends upwardly from the upper frame structure and supports the tarp in a generally domed configuration in that location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel Herbert Stephens, Corey Ronald Neumann
  • Patent number: 6666490
    Abstract: A truck bed cover which utilizes two legs which are swivelly mounted to the bed of the truck. In an open position, the cover is raised and extends over the rear tail-gate of the bed; in a closed position, the cover encloses the bed and is secured to the bed using a locking mechanism located at the front of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: Gary Thacker
  • Patent number: 6663160
    Abstract: A cargo bed cover is provided for enclosing the cargo bed of a vehicle. A generally planar outer frame is mounted to the cargo bed, and two generally planar inner frames are connected with hinges to the outer frame for pivoting relative to the outer frame. The inner frames are moveable between a position with the inner frame generally parallel to the outer frame and a position with the inner frame at an angle relative to the outer frame. A generally planar cover panel is connected with a hinge to each inner frame for pivoting relative to the inner frame between a position with the cover panel is generally parallel to the inner frame and a position with the cover panel is at an angle relative to the inner frame. Each cover panel is slidingly connected to the inner frame for sliding relative to the inner frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventors: Randy D. Yarbrough, Charles W. Kemp
  • Patent number: 6508705
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester is provided with a grain tank affixed to its main frame for storing therein processed crop material. The volume of the grain tank can be extended by an extension assembly comprising a first pair of mutually opposed panels and a second pair of mutually opposed panels. The panels are movable between a lower, inoperative position and a higher, operative position in which the panels substantially increase the volume of the grain tank. The movement of the second pair is controlled by the movement of the first pair of panels. The panels are provided with locking mechanism for keeping all panels in their operative position and which are disposed to become engaged and to secure the extension assembly in the extended position when the first pair of panels moves the second pair of panels to their operative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: New Holland North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel M. G. Van Overschelde
  • Patent number: 6345471
    Abstract: The invention relates to an expandable mobile accommodation structure comprising a central structure provided with floor (3), roof (2), and end walls (1) and two longitudinal side walls (7), at least one of which is movable outwards together with outwardly pivotal floor and roof sections (4 and 9, resp.). The roof and floor sections comprise a rigid panel, and are pivoted to the side wall (7) and the floor and roof edges of the central structure such that in a non-expanded state the roof panel (9) and the side wall (7) are permitted to hang down double-folded outside the folded up floor panel (4). The invention is characterized in that an actuating means (14, 14′) is arranged to act between the central structure and the roof panel (9) for swinging the roof panel up and down supported by a draw rope (15) is acting between the upper part of the central structure and the outermost part of the floor panel (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Innovation Development Enterprise i Stockholm AB
    Inventor: Thorbjörn Gyllenhammar
  • Patent number: 6227592
    Abstract: A truck bed cover secured to a bed of a truck is described which utilizes two leg assemblies which are connected to the bed of the truck. The cover is swivelly connected to these leg assemblies allowing the cover to be raised or lowered. In an up position, the cover is locked in position using a locking bar from the cover to the rear-most leg assembly; in a down position, the cover is locked to the bed of the truck using engagement studs positioned near the cab of the truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Inventor: Gary W. Thacker