Mechanism and coupling process for lifting the tailgate of a pick-up truck when coupling with fifth wheel vehicles

Claim 1

A mechanism for lifting the tailgate of a truck used to tow a Fifth Wheel vehicle, said truck having a Fifth Wheel mount, comprising in combination: a Fifth Wheel Vehicle having a main body and a forward section, a pin box having a pin depending therefrom, said pin box being attached to the underside of said forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle; a truck having a tailgate and an open bed on which is mounted a Fifth Wheel mount, said truck having its rear end adjacent said Fifth Wheel Vehicle so that said open bed of said truck is positioned underneath said forward section of said main body of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle; pulley means mounted on each side of said truck along an edge of said open bed, said pulley means being positioned between said Fifth Wheel mount and said tailgate; cable means, each end of which is attached to an end of said tailgate, said cable means extending between one of said ends of said tailgate to and around the adjacent one of said pulley means, across said open bed of said truck to and around the other one of said pulley means and to the other end of said tailgate; whereby as said truck is backed underneath said forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle to engage said pin of said pin box of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle in said Fifth Wheel mount, said pin box engages said cable where it spans said open bed of said truck so that said tailgate is drawn toward a closed position as said pin box approaches said Fifth Wheel mount.

Claim 6

A method of coupling the pin of a Fifth Wheel Vehicle pin box to a Fifth Wheel mount on the bed of a truck, comprising the steps of: positioning a truck having an open bed and a tailgate with its rear end in opposition to the forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle; opening said tailgate of said truck; connecting a first end of a cable to one end of said tailgate of said truck; arranging said cable through a pulley means attached to one side of said truck along an edge of said open bed, across said open bed of said truck to another pulley means mounted on the other side of said truck which extends along the opposing edge of said open bed; connecting a second end of said cable to the other end of said tailgate of said truck; and backing said truck towards said Fifth Wheel Vehicle so that a pin box which depends from said forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle passes over said open tailgate of said truck and engages said cable where said cable spans said open bed of said truck; whereby said tailgate is pulled up towards a closed position as said pin engages and locks in said Fifth Wheel mount.

Claim 7

A method of coupling the pin of a Fifth Wheel Vehicle pin box to a Fifth Wheel mount on the bed of a truck, comprising the steps of: positioning a truck having an open bed and a tailgate with its rear end in opposition to the forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle; opening said tailgate of said truck; connecting a first end of a cable to one end of said tailgate of said truck; arranging said cable through a pulley means attached to one side of said truck along an edge of said open bed, across said open bed of said truck to another pulley means mounted on the other side of said truck which extends along the opposing edge of said open bed; connecting a second end of said cable to the other end of said tailgate of said truck; and backing said truck towards said Fifth Wheel Vehicle so that a pin box which depends from said forward section of said Fifth Wheel Vehicle passes over said open tailgate of said truck and engages said cable where said cable spans said open bed of said truck; whereby said tailgate is pulled up towards a closed position as said pin engages and locks in said Fifth Wheel mount.