Folding rack for trucks
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a rack for trucks and more particularly to such a rack which folds along at least two horizontal axes on each of the sides thereof. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Racks for truck beds to extend the effective height thereof have been known for many years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,230 to Langdon shows such a rack. U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,225 to Selzer shows numerous rack arrangements for use in various hauling jobs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,727 to Zewiske shows a folding rack having an extended position useful for hauling livestock in the like and a folded position useful for hauling other types of cargo. U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,864 shows a collapsible rack for a truck bed. 
     As can be appreciated from the foregoing examples of the prior art, there have been many different approaches to the problem of how to extend the effective height of a truck bed. Despite all of the activity in this field, there still exists a need for folding racks which are simple to use, economical to construct and dependable in use. 
     One problem with prior art racks is that while they are needed to stabilize a high load, the rack itself often gets in the way of the actual loading process. Consequently, there is also a need for a folding rack having one or more assemblies which can easily and quickly be folded down for loading and easily and quickly folded up after the load is on the truck bed. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The pesent invention relates to a rack for a truck bed. The rack includes separate front and side assemblies, each assembly utilizing a lower frame having dowels for selective insertion into openings into truck bed edges or permanent sidewalls. A first rack member is pivotally attached to each frame of each respective assembly by hinges which are spring biased to cause the first respective rack member to be in folded position wherein the respective first rack member is disposed beside the respective frame and is movable to an extended position wherein the respective first rack member is disposed above the respective frame member. A second rack member of each respective assembly is pivotally attached to a respective one of said first rack member by hinges which are spring biased to cause the second rack member to be in a folded position wherein the respective second rack member is disposed beside the respective first rack member and is movable from such folded position to an extended position in alignment with a respective one of the first rack members. Locking mechanisms are provided for selectively locking the front assembly to the side assemblies whereby such assemblies will be held in the extended position. Locking mechanisms are also provided for selectively locking the assemblies in a folded position. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rack for trucks. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a folding rack for a truck which is easily raised and lowered. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a rack of the aforementioned type which can be left on the truck when not in use, in either a folded or extended position. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a rack of the aforementioned type which does not obstruct the vision of the truck operator. 
     Another object is to provide a rack of the aforementioned type which permits either or both of the sides to be folded down for loading or unloading and yet permit them to be easily and quickly extended upwardly for stabilizing the load during transit. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the best mode for carrying out this invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a rack constructed in accordance with the present invention shown installed onto a pickup truck and in an extended position thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rack of the present invention shown enlarged and in an extended position on all three sides thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the front portion of the rack taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial top view of the front right corner of the rack shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6, but showing the front rack in a folded position; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 10 is a view like FIG. 5, but showing the side rack portion in a folded position thereof; 
     FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial top view of the left side and part of the left front of the rack of the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the folded position thereof and showing the mechanisms for locking the various parts of the rack together; 
     FIG. 12 is a view taken along line 12--12 of FIG. 11, showing the rear end of one side of the rack of the preferred embodiment; and 
     FIG. 13 is a view taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a rack (10) constructed in accordance with the present invention installed onto a pickup truck (11). The rack (10) includes side assemblies (12) and (13) and a front assembly (14). The front assembly (14) includes a frame (16) having downwardly extending dowels (17) attached thereto for being received within complementary openings within the sidewalls of the pickup truck (11). 
     A first rack member (18) is pivotally attached to frame (16) by hinges (19). A second rack member (20) is connected to the first rack member (18) by hinges (19) that can best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. As can readily be appreciated from viewing FIGS. 6 and 7, the front assembly (14) can easily be folded from an extended position as shown in FIG. 6 to a folded position as shown in FIG. 7 because of the provision of the hinges (19). In the preferred embodiment thereof, these hinges (19) are spring biased to cause the rack to move to the folded position but it will be understood to those skilled in this art that the spring hinges (19) can be utilized to bias the first and second rack members to the extended position, if such an arrangement is desired. 
     Referring to FIG. 13, note that a spring (42) is shown biasing the plates (40) and (41) of hinge (19) apart so as to bias the frame (16) and rack member (18) to the extended position thereof. Screws (45) attach plate (40) to rack member (18) and screws (46) attach plate (41) to frame (16). Ends (43) and (44) of spring (42) contact plates (40) and (41) respectively. 
     A latch hasp type of locking mechanism including element (24) rigidly attached to frame member (16) by screws (25) and member (21) which is pivotally attached to element (24). Member (21) has an opening (23) therein for reception of a projection (22) which can be aligned with the opening (23) in the member (21) and then rotated to selectively lock the frame and first and second rack members (18) and (20) together as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, it is noted that the first side assembly (12) is shown in cross-section. The first side assembly (12) is basically a mirror image of the second side assembly (13), so a description of the first side assembly (12) will clearly teach one of ordinary skill in this art how the second side assembly (13) operates and is constructed. It is noted in FIG. 9 that a frame (26) has a pair of dowels (27) extending from the bottom thereof and that these dowels (27) extend into openings in sidewalls (28) of the pickup (11). Hinges (19) are utilized to pivotally attach the first rack member (29) of the first side assembly (12) to the second rack member (30) of the first side assembly (12). These hinges (19) are identical to the hinges referred to above with regard to FIGS. 6 and 7. Side assemblies (12) and (13) differ from the front assembly (14) basically in fact that they fold outwardly from the inside of the pickup box (28) whereas the front assembly (14) folds inwardly as will be clearly appreciated from viewing the FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. 
     The first side assembly (12) is attached at the front thereof to the front assembly (14) by a plurality of utility latches (31) which cause the front assembly and the first and second side assemblies (12) and (13) to be held up together in a rigid fashion. (See FIGS. 3, 4 and 5). It is noted that the rack member 18 is prevented from pivoting beyond the extended position shown in solid lines in FIG. 6 from the position shown in dashed lines because of the stop structure formed by abutment of members 16 and 18 in the extended position thereof. Similar stop structures are formed between rack members 18 and 20 (FIG. 6), between frame and rack members 26 and 29 (FIG. 9) and between rack members 29 and 30 (FIG. 9). 
     Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that optional rigid stress bars (32) and (33) can be attached to the rear end of each of the first and second assemblies (12) and (13) for reinforcement when hauling a heavy load or for preventing the rack from rattling around or becoming loose when no load is present and the rack is in an extended position. These bars can be attached by utilizing utility brackets (34) or in many other ways just so to permit easy attachment to and removable from the first and second side assemblies (12) and (13). 
     In operation, the present invention would be attached to a pickup truck (11) by inserting the front assembly (14) into the openings of pickup truck box by inserting the dowels (17) therein and then by attaching the first and second side assemblies (12) and (13) in a similar fashion by inserting the dowels (27) into openings (15) in the sidewalls (28) of the pickup truck (11). (See FIG. 2). Typically in this installation, the front assembly (14) and the side assemblies (12) and (13) would be in the folded position shown in FIG. 11 during this initial process, and the bottom most utility latch (31) would be utilized to attach the front and side assemblies together. Then, if it is desired to load the truck (11), the front assembly (14) would be folded upwardly in the fashion shown proceeding from FIG. 7 to FIG. 6 wherein the latch, including members (21) and (22), would be loosened and the first and second rack members (18) and (20) would be pivoted upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 6, and then ultimately into the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 6. Once the first and second rack members (18) and (20) have been so moved into the extended position shown in solid lines in FIG. 6, then the top-most latches (31) (FIG. 3) would be utilized to connect front assembly (14) to the side assemblies, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. 
     Referring to FIG. 12, it is noted that a locking latch 31 locks one end of the frame (26) to one end of the first rack member (29) to hold rack member (29) in the folded position. Similarly a second locking latch (31) shown in dashed lines in FIG. 12 is useful to hold the rack member (30) from moving with respect to rack member (29) to prevent the first assembly (12) from rattling when the truck is moving with the rack (10) in the folded position. Since the second side assembly (13) is a mirror image of the first side assembly (12), corresponding locking latches (31) are attached to corresponding frame and rack members on second side assembly (13). 
     If it would be desirable to load the load onto the pickup bed from one side thereof, then the side assembly on that particular side could be lowered by unfastening the utility latches (31) and lowering the side down from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 10. Then when the loading process in completed, the first and second rack members (29) and (30) would be moved upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 10 to the position shown in FIG. 9 in solid lines, and the utility latches (31) would again be used to hold the side assembly in an extended position for hauling the load from place to place. Optionally, stress bars (32) and (33) could be attached to the rear end of the first and second assemblies (12) and (13), especially when heavy loads are being hauled. 
     Accordingly, it will be appreciated that all of the foregoing objects have been accomplished. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.