TRUCK-BOX COVER

TOILE DE RECOUVREMENT SUR CAISSE DE CAMION

English Abstract

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ABSTRACT
A cover for a pickup truck box includes a sheet
of flexible material that is wound onto a shaft
extendingacross the front of the truck box. The flexible
material is reinforced with spaced transverse ribs and
carries an end panel that secures to the tail gate of the
truck box. The side edges of the panel and the ends of
the stiffening ribs ride in shallow channels mounted on
the tops of the side walls of the truck box. The shaft
and the end panel can be locked into position using
padlocks.

Claims

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CLAIMS
1. A cover for the box of a pickup truck
comprising:
a rectangular sheet of flexible material with a
leading end, a trailing end and parallel side edges;
stiffening ribs extending between the side
edges of the flexible material and spaced along the sheet
of flexible material, between the leading and trailing
edges, the stiffening ribs being secured to the flexible
material;
a pair of channels along the opposite side
edges of the sheet of flexible material, engaging over
the side edges and the ends of the stiffening ribs for
receiving and guiding the flexible material along the top
of the box sides;
a shaft secured to the leading end of the sheet
of flexible material and extending from side to side
thereof;
mounting means for mounting the shaft across
the front end of the truck box for free rotation;
means for selectively securing the shaft
against rotation; and
a rigid housing extending over the shaft.

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2. A cover according to Claim 1 wherein he
flexible material is waterproof.
3. A cover according to Claim 1 wherein the means
for securing the shaft against rotation comprise a disc
mounted on the shaft adjacent one end thereof, a fixed
plate located adjacent the disc and holes through the
disc and plate.
4. A cover according to Claim 3 wherein the holes
in the disc are arranged in a ring.
5. A cover according to Claim 4 wherein the holes
in the plate are arranged in a segment of a ring.
6. A cover according to Claim 4 wherein the
securing means further include a padlock with a hasp
adapted to pass through aligned holes in the disc and the
plate.
7. A cover according to Claim 1 including means at
one end of the shaft for engagement with a wrench.
8. A cover according to Claim 1 including a
plurality of eyelets at the trailing end of the flexible
material for engagement with fasteners on a tail gate of
the truck box.

9. In a pick-up truck having a cab and an open-topped
box, a cover for the box comprising:
a rectangular sheet of flexible material with a
leading end, a trailing end and parallel side edges:
stiffening ribs extending between the side edges of
the flexible material and spaced along the sheet of flexible
material, between the leading and trailing edges, the
stiffening ribs being secured to the flexible material;
a pair of channels, each mounted on the top of a
respective side of the truck box and extending therealong, the
channel engaging over the side edges of the sheet of flexible
material and the ends of the stiffening ribs for receiving and
guiding the flexible material along the top of the box sides;
a shaft secured to the leading end of the sheet of
flexible material and extending from side to side thereof:
mounting means mounting the shaft across the front
end of the truck box for free rotation;
means for selectively securing the shaft against
rotation; and
a rigid housing extending over the shaft.

Description

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TRUCK BOX COVER
The present invention relates to a cover for
the box of a pickup truck and more particularly to a
roll-up cover for a light duty pickup truck box.
Various proposals have been made for covering
pickup truck boxes to protect the box contents from the
weather and for security purposes.
The present invention relates to an improved
device of this type.
~ ccording to the present invention there is
provided a cover for the box of a pickup truck
comprising:
a rectangular sheet of flexible material with a
leading end, a trailing end and parallel side edges;
stiffening ribs extending between the side
edges of the flexible material and spaced along the sheet
of flexible material, between the leading and trailing
edges, the stiffening ribs being secured to the flexible
material;
a pair of channels along the opposite side
edges of the sheet of flexible material, engaging over
the side edges and the ends of the stiffening ribs for
receiving and guiding the flexible material along the top
of the box sides;

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a shaft secured to the leading end of the sheet
of flexible makerial and extending from side to side
thereof;
mounting means for mounting the shaft across
the front end of the truck box for free rotation;
means for selectively securing the shaft
against rotation; and
a rigid housing extending over the shaft.
In use, the channels are mounted on the top of
the box sides while the shaft is mounted at the front end
of the box. The unit is relatively simple and effective
for its intended purpose.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear of
a truck with a cover according to the present invention
in the extended position, the tailgate having been
omitted for the sake of clarity;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of a cover
according to the present invention; and
Figure 3 is an end view of the truck showing
the cover locked to the tail gate.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there
is illustrated a pickup truck 10 with a cab 12 and a box

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14. The box has the usual side wall 16, deck 18 and a
tail gate 20 that is illustrated in Figure 3. The inven-
tion relates to a cover 22 that may extend over the top
of the box 14 to close the top of the box. The cover
includes a rectangular sheet o~ ~lexible material 24
stiffened with a series o~ ribs 26 in the form o~ 1/4"
steel rods. The ribs are secured to the material and
have their ends seated in folded over edge seams 28. The
leading end 30 of the cover material is secured to one of
the ribs 26, while the trailing end 32 is secured to a
stiff end panel 34 (Figure 3) that carries a series of
eyelets 36. As illustrated in Figure 3, the four outer-
most eyelets 36 engage buttons 38 on the tail gate 20,
while the centre eyelet engages over a staple 40 so that
the cover can be locked in place with a padlock 42.
The side edges of the cover material and the
ends of the ribs 26 ride in shallow, flat channels, each
mounted on the top of a box side wall 16 and extending
the length of the side wall. The channels are mounted in
place by appropriate fasteners installed through the
holes 46 in the top flange of each channel.
A shaft 48 extends across the front end of the
truck box 14. Its ends are mounted in pillow blocks 50
that are in turn supported on the top flanges of two

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channel section mounting brackets 52. The bottom flanges
of the mounting brackets carry vertical mounting bolts 54
that attach the mounting brackets to the side walls of
the truck box.
At one end of the shaft 48 is a disc 56 with a
ring of holes 58 formed through it. Adjacent the disc is
a stationery plate 60 that has a series of holes 64 that
are arranged in a partial ring matching the ring of holes
58 in the disc 56. The plate 60 is mounted in place by a
flange 62 positioned between the pillow block 50 and the
mounting bracket 52. These holes in the disc and the
plate are used for securing the cover in place as will be
described more fully in the following.
A bore 66 in the end of shaft 48 receives a
bolt 68 that is used for rotating the shaft and
tightening the cover.
An elongate housing 70 of upwardly arched form
is positioned over the shaft 48 to protect the shaft, the
bearings and other operating parts of the cover from the
weather. The housing has an elongate slot 72 along its
bottom edge through which the flexible material 24
passes. The leading end 30 of the sheet of flexible
material is secured to the shaft 48 so that when the
shaft is rotated, the sheet of material is wound onto the

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shaft.
A wrench 74 is used to engage the head of the
bolt 68 to rotate the shaft either to roll the flexible
material 24 onto the shaft or to tighten the cover when
it has been pulled out and the eyelets 36 fastened on
their buttons 38. Once the cover has been tightened in
this way, a padlock 76 or some other locking device such
as a pin may be used to secure the cover in place by
passing through aligned holes in the disc 56 and the
plate 60.
While one embodiment of the present invention
has been described in the foregoing, it is to be under-
stood that other embodiments are possible within the
scope of the present invention. The invention is
intended to be limited solely by the scope o~ the
appended claims.