Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Camper
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-07-17
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Camper
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260910
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to tie downs for attachment of objects to vehicle frames, and more particularly, to tie downs to secure camper bodies to pick-up trucks.
BACKGROUND
Tie-downs for mounting objects on motor vehicle frames are well known. Such tie downs are often provided for fixed installation to the frame, or to the underside of a vehicle (such as a pick-up truck), for securing a load (such as a camper) to the vehicle frame. Generally, four such tie downs are installed on a vehicle for securing the camper to the pick-up truck's bed at or near all four corners. The currently used tie downs known to me generally include a cantilevered telescoping arm projecting horizontally from a secure position on the vehicle frame. Such prior art tie downs include a rigid support member projecting perpendicularly from an outer sleeve of a cantilevered telescoping arm to fixedly attach to a point on the underside of the vehicle to brace the tie down when the load is secured. Also, such tie downs include a chain having one end pliantly attached to the end of the telescoping arm opposite the frame mount and the other end free for fixedly attaching to the load, such as a camper, to secure it to the vehicle. The load is secured to the vehicle by tensioning the chain using, for example, a turnbuckle. Thus tensioned, the chain is a rigid member unable to relieve sudden loads, such as those caused by shifting of the camper relative to the truck bed. Such sudden load, when not relieved, may exceed the stress-bearing capabilities of the joints mounting the tie downs to the vehicle and may loosen the joints and/or damage either or both of the vehicle and the tie downs. While a spring-loaded turnbuckle is known, it is a separate assembly from the tie down and forms no part of the tie down.
It is a drawback that the currently utilized tie downs must be professionally installed by qualified mechanics, primarily since they are provided from the factory in a single embodiment or configuration which requires drilling of additional mounting holes in the vehicle frame. The drilling of such holes in or adjacent to highly loaded or specially hardened steel frame members requires equipment and a skill level ordinarily available only to the professional installer. Furthermore, the warranties provided by many vehicle manufacturers might be violated or voided by the addition of such holes in the vehicle frame members. Therefore, such considerations severely limit the practical application of the known tie downs, as well as effectively prevent their distribution by mail order.
Undesirably, many tie downs also interfere with use of the vehicle even when the load is not present. This is because rigid support members projecting perpendicularly from the outer sleeve of the cantilevered telescoping arm places the tie down in a position beneath the vehicle in a manner that may interfere with steps, bars and other platforms attached to many vehicles for ease of entry and exit. Fixed position tie downs may also interfere with use of the vehicle off-road, because they are positioned below the vehicle, near the ground, and may encounter brush, stumps, rocks and other low lying obstacles.
SUMMARY
The present invention overcomes limitations of prior art tie-downs by providing a retractable tie down for mounting to pre-existing mounting structure on a vehicle frame. The present invention thus overcomes the inherent need (found in the prior art devices) to drill, cut, weld or otherwise provide custom mounting structure for a universal, one-size-fits-all vehicle tie down.
According to one aspect of the invention, the present invention provides first and second spaced apart, mutually perpendicular frame brackets, each frame bracket adapted for mating with pre-existing mounting holes or other structure on a vehicle frame. Generally, the first frame bracket is mounted to a vertical portion of the frame while the second frame bracket is mounted to a horizontal portion of the vehicle frame, i.e., the bottom of the vehicle. The retractable nature of the tie down is provided by a telescoping arm pivotally mounted to a first frame bracket, whereby the telescoping arm is able to rotate relative to the first frame bracket. The telescoping arm includes an outer sleeve, one end of which is rotatably suspended by a pivot mechanism from a face of the first mounting bracket, an inner arm nested in the outer sleeve and able to move axially relative to the outer sleeve, and a releasable clamp which secures the inner arm in fixed axial relationship with the outer sleeve.
According to another aspect of the invention, a support strut extending between the telescoping arm and the second frame bracket secures the telescoping arm in a fixed orientation with each of the first and second frame brackets.
According to another aspect of the invention, the telescoping arm includes a movable slide having a clamp for securing the slide in variable positions along the body of the telescoping arm's outer sleeve. The movable slide includes a second pivot mechanism projecting, to which one end of the support strut extending between the telescoping arm and the second frame bracket is pivotally mounted. The second or horizontally mounted frame bracket includes yet another pivot mechanism to which the other end of the support strut is mounted. Thus, one end of the support strut rotates about the pivot mechanism on the second frame bracket and the other end rotates about the pivot mechanism on the movable slide, while the slide moves along the longitudinal axis of the telescoping arm in order to allow the telescoping arm to rotate up and down relative to the first frame bracket, and thus into different angular orientations with respect to the vehicle frame.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the support strut is configured as a second telescoping arm and includes its own mechanism for locking its inner arm relative to its outer sleeve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3368785 (1968-02-01), Weiler
patent: 3655234 (1972-04-01), Kirschbaum
patent: 3706469 (1972-12-01), Covert
patent: 3719382 (1973-03-01), Palm
patent: 3782774 (1974-01-01), Sturek
patent: 4630990 (1986-12-01), Whiting
patent: 5439152 (1995-08-01), Campbell
patent: 5649656 (1997-07-01), Davy
patent: 5836635 (1998-11-01), Dorman
patent: 961531 (1975-01-01), None
Goodloe, Jr. R. Reams
Kay Jack
Pape Joseph D.
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