Combination tailgate and loading ramp

Claim 2

A combination tailgate and loading ramp for a truck having a substantially flat bed, said combination comprising: fastening means mounted closely behind the rear edge of the truck bed beneath the surface of said bed; and a panel having a width substantially equal to the width of said bed, said panel including releasable securing means on one longitudinal edge and one transverse edge thereof, one of said securing means pivotally connected to said fastening means at the corner of said panel common to said longitudinal and transverse edges such that said panel may be rotated between a position where said longitudinal edge is connected to said fastening means to form a tailgate enclosing the rear of said bed, and a position where said transverse edge is connected to said fastening means to form a loading ramp with said transverse edge flushly meeting the surface of said bed.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprise a pivot bar extending transversely behind the bed of said truck and wherein said truck further includes sidewalls enclosing said bed, the rear ends of said sidewalls including cutouts adapted to receive a conventional tailgate, and wherein said pivot bar is secured to said truck through a mounting frame having longitudinal plates fitting within said cutouts, said plates being secured to the sidewalls of said truck such that said pivot bar is spaced behind and beneath the rear edge of said bed, whereby said panel may enclose said pivot bar with the top surface thereof at the same level as the truck bed.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein an interstice between said panel and said truck bed is spanned by an elongated bridge secured transversely to said truck behind said bed, said bridge having a top planar surface which flushly meets the surface of said bed.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 wherein said releasable securing means includes sliding means for permitting transverse movement of said panel when said panel is in loading ramp configuration.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 2 wherein said releasable securing means comprise: a longitudinal channel along one longitudinal edge of said panel and a transverse channel along one transverse edge of said panel, one of said channels receiving said pivot bar; a stationary pin extending through the corner of said panel adjacent both of said channels, said pin enclosing said pivot bar to maintain said pivot bar within the overlapping ends of said channels; pin receiving bores at the non-overlapping ends of said ends of said channels; and a removable pin inserted through the pin-receiving bore of the pivot bar-receiving channel whereby said panel is converted from tailgate to ramp and from ramp to tailgate by withdrawing said removable pin from said bore, rotating said panel about a substantially vertical axis until the other channel encloses said pivot bar, and inserting said removable pin through the remaining bore to secure to said pivot bar within said other channel.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 5 wherein one of said channels includes spacer means for adjusting the height of said panel so that the edge of said panel adjacent said bed is substantially equal in height to said bed when said panel is in lowered tailgate configuration and when said panel is in loading ramp configuration.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 wherein said spacer means comprise at least one spacer block secured to the upper surface of said longitudinal channel intermediate said transverse channel and the opposite end of said longitudinal channel, said block lifting said panel above the pivot bar when said panel is in lowered tailgate configuration to place the top surface of said panel substantially flush with said bed.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 2 wherein said panel further includes an inner panel telescoping out the transverse end of said panel away from said truck, thereby increasing the length of said loading ramp substantially beyond the width of said bed.

Claim 10

In a truck having a substantially flat bed and including a rectangular tailgate having a height less than its width, said tailgate being pivotally secured along the lower longitudinal edge thereof to a pivot axis adjacent the rear edge of said bed, the improvement comprising connector means for pivotally securing a corner of said tailgate at the intersection of said longitudinal edge and one transverse edge of said tailgate to said pivot axis to support said transverse edge of the tailgate closely behind and beneath the surface of said bed, said pivot axis being located behind the rear edge of said bed and at a height so that the top surface of said bed is flush with the adjacent edge of said tailgate when said tailgate is placed in loading ramp configuration, said tailgate further including spacer means along said lower edge to adjust the vertical spacing between said pivot axis and said lower edge so that when said tailgate is lowered to a horizontal plane, the top surface is flush with the top surface of said bed.

Claim 11

In a truck having a substantially flat bed and including a rectangular tailgate having a height less than its width, said tailgate being pivotally secured along the lower longitudinal edge thereof to a pivot axis adjacent the rear edge of said bed, the improvement comprising connector means for pivotally securing a corner of said tailgate at the intersection of said longitudinal edge and one transverse edge of said tailgate to said pivot axis to support said transverse edge of the tailgate closely behind and beneath the surface of said bed, said pivot axis being located behind the rear edge of said bed and at a height so that the top surface of said bed is flush with the adjacent edge of said tailgate when said tailgate is placed in loading ramp configuration, said tailgate further including spacer means along said lower edge to adjust the vertical spacing between said pivot axis and said lower edge so that when said tailgate is lowered to a horizontal plane, the top surface is flush with the top surface of said bed.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10, further including the step of transversely sliding said permanent connection behind said truck while performing said step of rotating said tailgate about a substantially vertical axis.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10, further including the step of adjusting the height of said tailgate adjacent said truck so that the edge of said tailgate adjacent said truck is approximately equal in height to a bed of said truck in both the lowered tailgate and loading ramp configurations.