Adjustable covers for tractor trailers and the like

Claim 1

IN AN ADJUSTABLE COVER FOR FLAT BED VEHICLES INCLUDING A STAKE SIDE ASSEMBLY AND A COVER ASSEMBLY; SAID STAKE SIDE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TRANSVERSE FRONT SECTION, A TAILGATE SECTION AND SIDE SECTIONS; ATTACHMENT MEANS BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS AND SAID FLAT BED TO MAINTAIN SAID SECTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR IN UPRIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLAT BED AND IN EDGE-TO-EDGE ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER; LATCH MEANS BETWEEN CONTIGUOUS EDGES OF SAID SECTIONS; UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL TRACK MEMBERS IN PARALLEL, SPACED APART RELATION SECURED TO EACH OF SAID SIDE SECTIONS, SAID UPPER AND LOWER TRACK MEMBERS EACH BEING COMPOSED OF ENDWISE RELATED SECTIONS, COLLARS FOR CONNECTING THE MEETING ENDS OF ADJACENT SECTIONS TO HOLD THE SECTIONS OF THE BACK MEMBERS IN FULL LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID VEHICLE; SAID COVER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING GABLE SUPPORT UNITS EACH COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL VERTICAL LOWER ENDS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID VEHICLE, HELD IN LONGITUDINAL SPACED RELATION BY CROSS BRACING MEANS, SAID LOWER ENDS SUPPORTING A PAIR OF PARALLEL, SPACED APART, CROSS-BRACED GABLED SECTIONS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID VEHICLE; UPPER AND LOWER AXLE MEANS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM EACH OF SAID VERTICAL LOWER ENDS, ROLLER MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID AXLE MEANS; SAID ROLLER MEANS BEING IN FREELY ROTATABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER TRACK MEMBERS TO SUPPORT SAID GABLE SUPPORT UNIT IN LONGITUDINALLY MOVEABLE AND TRANSVERSELY FIXED RELATION WITH SAID VEHICLE AND TO MAINTAIN SAID GABLE SUPPORT UNIT IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE; SAID GABLE SUPPORT UNITS BEING ARRANGED IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT ON SAID TRACK MEMBERS AND EACH BEING INDEPENDENTLY MOVEABLE; TARPAULIN MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID GABLE UNITS STRETCHED BETWEEN SAID FRONT SECTION AT THE ONE END, AND THE REARMOST OF SAID GABLE UNITS AT THE OTHER END UPON SAID REARMOST GABLE UNIT BEING LOCATED AT THE REAR OF SAID VEHICLE AND THE REMAINING GABLE UNITS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUISPACED; FLEXIBLE MEANS ATTACHING SAID TARPAULIN TO SAID GABLE UNITS; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID REARMOST GABLE UNIT LONGITUDINALLY OVER SAID VEHICLE FLAT BED.