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[0001]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[0002]None.SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM[0003]None.BACKGROUND[0004]1. Field of Invention[0005]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.[0006]2. Prior Art[0007]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.[0008]Pickup trucks are popular vehicles due to their versatility and utility with respect to hauling various forms of cargo. To avoid damaging...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]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.

Problems solved by technology

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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