Retractable vehicle cover

Claim 1

In a vehicle: A. a normally open-topped compartment comprising a floor, a forward wall, first and second side walls, and a rear wall; and B. a two position, vertically movable accessory cover for said compartment comprising: 1. a roof element having a downwardly extending flange portion substantially corresponding to the outer periphery of the walls of said compartment, a. said flange portion including first and second inwardly opening fore and aft channels mounted, respectively, on the interior of the sections of said flange portion corresponding to said first and second side walls; 2. first and second brackets in the interior of said compartment secured, respectively, to said first and second side walls proximate said forward wall; 3. third and fourth brackets in the interior of said compartment secured, respectively, to said first and second side walls rearwardly of the center of said side walls and directly opposite one another; 4. a first inverted ''''U'''' frame member including first and second legs and a first crossmember, said first and second legs being pivotally secured, respectively, to said first and second brackets, said first invErted ''''U'''' frame member including first and second rollers mounted, respectively, on truncated extensions of said first and second legs outboard of and above said first crossmember, said first and second rollers fitting, respectively, into said first and second channels for fore and aft rolling movement therein; 5. a second inverted ''''U'''' frame member including third and fourth legs and a second crossmember, said third and fourth legs being pivotally secured, respectively, to said third and fourth brackets, said second inverted ''''U'''' frame member including third and fourth rollers mounted, respectively, on truncated extensions of said third and fourth legs, outboard of and above said second crossmember, said third and forth rollers fitting, respectively, into said first and second channels for fore and aft rolling movement therein; 6. first and second fore and aft link members each extending between said first and second crossmembers of said first and second inverted ''''U'''' frame members, each end of said first fore and aft link being hingedly secured to the corresponding one of said crossmembers proximate the respective first legs of said first and second ''''U'''' frame members, and each end of said second fore and aft link being hingedly secured to the corresponding one of said crossmembers proximate the respective second legs of said first and second ''''U'''' frame members; 7. first and second guide links, said first and second guide links being pivotally secured, respectively, at their lower ends to said third and fourth legs above the respective points of attachment of said third and fourth legs to said third and fourth brackets, said first guide link being pivotally secured at its upper end to said cover at a position forward of said third bracket rearward of said first bracket, and said second guide link being pivotally secured at its upper end to said cover at a position forward of said fourth bracket and rearward of said second bracket; 8. a first tension spring fixed between said first fore and aft link and said first leg and a second tension spring fixed between said second fore and aft link and said second leg; whereby said cover has a first, closed position, in which said first and second inverted ''''U'''' frame members are pivoted equally rearwardly and said first and second spring members are in a first tensioned state; and whereby said second cover has a second, open position in which said first and second ''''U'''' frame members are vertically disposed and said first and second spring members are in a second state of tension, said springs being under less tension in said second state than in said first state.