Combined truck body and wheeled rack and method of loading and unloading a van

Claim 1

A van type truck body providing unobstructed access to items to be delivered at a plurality of delivery points along a route comprising: a. a hollow body including a peripheral wall, roof and floor enclosing a load carrying space, said body including access door means at the rear end thereof for providing unobstructed access to the interior space, said rear access door means including a rear roll-up overhead door, said rear door enclosing the interior of said van and providing unobstructed access to the rear loading space of said van, said rear roll-up door comprising means engaging the lower edge thereof for sealing said door in the fully closed position, means in said rear door for manually facilitating the opening and closing of said door, means positioned at the upper end of said rear door for sealing the interior of said van from outside conditions, and means for rigidifying said rear door; b. a plurality of access door means along each side of said body for providing unobstructed access to the load carrying space substantially throughout the length of each side of the space thereby enabling items to be loaded into the space through the rear access door means and unloaded from either side of the space at substantially any longitudinal point therealong; c. guide members for the side access door means including a vertical portion extending vertically of the side walls and a horizontal portion extending transversely of the space for supporting said door; d. a load carrying rack having external dimensions generally equal to the internal dimensions of the enclosed load carrying space, said floor of the space being generally smooth and unobstructed, said rack being wheeled for ease of rolling along the floor into or out of the load carrying space, said rack including a vertical framework for supporting items securely thereon with the rack being capable of preloading in a warehouse and subsequently rolled into the truck body to reduce the time required for loading said van at a warehouse dock; e. securing means positioned and accessible adjacent the lower portion of the rear access door means to releasably retain the rack in the load carryIng space, said securing means including a lock bar extending transversely of the load carrying space rearwardly of the rack to prevent rearward shifting of the rack toward the rear access door means, means on each end of said bar for releasable engagement with opposite side walls defining the load carrying space, said bar including manually manipulated means for releasing the bar; and f. a plurality of extendable and retractable step means supported from said body exteriorly of the load carrying space for enabling opening and closing of the side access door means and movement of the rack into and out of the space without interference from the steps, said steps being supported from the body at a point below the level of the floor of the space whereby the steps permit the unobstructed floor of the load carrying space and provide a supporting area for a person below the level of the floor of the space.