Tailgate torsion bar

Claim 1

IN A MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING A CARGO OPENING, A GATE HINGED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT CLOSED POSITION CLOSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID OPENING AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL OPEN POSITION EXTENDING FROM SAID MOTOR VEHICLE TO FORM AN EXTENSION OF THE CARGO FLOOR OF THE LATTER, AND MEANS FOR COUNTERBALANCING SAID GATE DURING MOVEMENT BETWEEN ITS SAID POSITIONS AND SUPPORTING SAID GATE WHILE IN ITS SAID OPEN POSITION; THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID MEANS COMPRISES: (A) A TORSION BAR OF GENERALLY L SHAPE; (B) MEANS MOUNTING SAID BAR ON SAID GATE WITH ONE LEG THEREOF EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID GATE; (C) MEANS HOLDING THE FREE END OF SAID ONE LEG AGAINST ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID GATE; (D) A MEMBER HAVING AN ARCUATE BEARING SURFACE CENTERED ON ANOTHER AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID GATE AXIS; (E) FIXED BEARING MEANS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING DEFINING AN ARCUATE BEARING SURFACE CENTERED ON SAID OTHER AXIS, SAID BEARING MEANS RECEIVING SAID MEMBER WITH SAID ARCUATE BEARING SURFACE IN SLIDABLE JUXTAPOSITION TO MOUNT SAID MEMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID OTHER AXIS; (F) SAID MEMBER HAVING A PORTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS MEASURED IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY NORMAL TO SAID GATE AXIS AND HAVING A BORE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PORTION TO PROVIDE AN ELONGATED JOURNAL SLIDABLY RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING THE OTHER END OF SAID TORSION BAR; (G) MEANS DEFINING A STOP SURFACE ADJACENT THE FREE END OF SAID OTHER LEG EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTHWISE AXIS OF THE LATTER AND FACING TOWARD SAID ONE LEG; AND (H) MEANS ON SAID VEHICLE AT SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING DEFINING A STOP SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE STOP SURFACE ON SAID OTHER LEG WHEN SAID GATE REACHES ITS OPEN POSITION, WHEREBY SAID OTHER LEG MAY SERVE AS A RIGID TENSION STRUT SUPPORTING SAID GATE.