Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct – Anchor
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-05
2001-05-29
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct
Anchor
C410S104000, C410S106000, C410S143000, C410S144000, C296S036000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238153
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved cap for attachment to the rails located at the tops of the walls bordering the cargo bed of a pickup truck to protect the rails and to facilitate attaching various structures to the cargo bed for use with the truck.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pickup trucks are used for a great variety of purposes ranging from simple transportation to heavy duty uses in rough terrain. The cargo bed is unprotected when the pickup truck is delivered and the user commonly makes modifications to improve the utility of the cargo bed. These modifications include bed rail caps attached to the rails on the tops of the side walls of the cargo area to thereby provide protection and also to provide attachment points for various accessories.
One of the most common ways of attaching bed rail caps is to drill through the rail and use bolts to hold the caps in place. The resulting structure tends to be unsightly and the possibility exits that the bolts will be drilled in the wrong place. Also, if the rails are removed the drilled holes will be evident.
It is also desirable to maximize the capability of the bed rail cap for a variety of purposes related to accessories commonly found with pickup trucks. These include caps or covers which extend over the cargo area to provide protection from the weather, roll bars, ring anchors for attaching loads, bed liners, etc. In many instances bed rail caps can take some of these accessories to the exclusion of others and the user must decide which accessory is to be used. It would be desirable if the bed rail cap had more capability and could receive a variety of accessories contemporaneously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one of its aspects the invention provides a bed rail cap for use on a side rail of a pickup truck cargo bed. The side rail has a horizontal top section and an upright inner section extending downwardly from an inner extremity of the top section. The rail cap has an elongate main body including a generally L-shaped cross-section made up of a first portion for engagement on the top section, and a second portion extending at about 90 degrees to the top section for engagement on the inner section. The second portion is proportioned to extend downwardly beyond the inner section and a clamp is coupled to the second portion for location outwardly of the inner section and under the top section. The clamp has an elongate element, a first actuator operable to clamp the inner section against the second portion, and a second actuator operable to clamp the top section against the first portion, and the main body defines attachment structure for receiving accessories.
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Gordon Stephen T.
Scott Christopher R.
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