Stowable truck ramp with extension sleeve

Claim 1

A stowable ramp assembly for a pickup truck or the like having an elongated bed and a tailgate pivotally movable between vertical and horizontal positions, comprising, a generally thin, flat and elongated ramp sleeve having forward and rearward ends, a load supporting top wall and a pair of opposite side walls, said ramp sleeve adapted for placement on a truck bed with the rearward end thereof positioned at the rearward end of the bed, an extension sleeve generally telescopically slidably received in said ramp sleeve for fore and aft sliding movement between a storage position at least substantially within said ramp sleeve and a working position extended rearwardly of the ramp sleeve by a dimension of approximately the rearward extent of the tailgate from the bed in the horizontal position thereof, said ramp sleeve and said extension sleeve each comprising an inverted generally U-shaped channel member, first coacting stop means on said ramp sleeve and extension sleeve operative to limit rearward sliding movement of the extension sleeve to the working position thereof, said first coacting stop means comprising an outward rod-like projection on each side wall of the extension sleeve adjacent the forward end thereof and a pair of registered stop plates on the interior surface of the ramp sleeve side walls adjacent the rearward ends thereof and at positions for abutment by said rod-like projections, an elongated ramp generally telescopically slidably received in said extension sleeve for fore and aft sliding movement through said extension sleeve and into and from said ramp sleeve between a storage position substantially entirely within said ramp sleeve and an extended working position with the forward end of the ramp situated adjacent the rearward end of the extension sleeve in the working position thereof, said ramp substantially as long as said ramp sleeve, second coacting stop means on said ramp and extension sleeve operative to limit rearward sliding movement of the ramp to the working position thereof, said second coacting stop means comprising an outward rod-like projection on each side wall of the ramp adjacent the forward end thereof and a pair of registered stop plates on the interior surface of the extension sleeve side walls adjacent the rearward ends thereof and at positions for abutment by said rod-like projections on the ramp, and the forward end of said ramp, in the extended working position thereof, being connected to said extension sleeve for up and down pivotal movement of the rearward end of the ramp.