Power-operated, extendible and retractible cover for truck beds

Claim 1

Apparatus for attachment to an automotive truck for extending and retracting a flexible cover sheet over the truck bed, comprising a spring-biased roller of length substantially equivalent to the length of the truck bed and having rolled thereon a flexible cover sheet for the truck bed; a pair of elongate levers, the levers of which are adapted for pivotal attachment at one set of ends thereof to said truck substantially midway of respective opposite ends of the truck bed, the opposite set of ends of said levers being adapted to have opposite ends of said roller rotatably attached thereto, the free end of said cover sheet being attachable to and along one side of the truck bed; reciprocating power means adapted to be connected to said levers intermediate the lengths thereof for moving said levers in unison to move the roller back and forth transversely across the truck bed, said power means being adapted for connection with a power source carried by the truck; drive mechanism for the roller adapted to be positioned between at least one of said levers and a corresponding end wall of the truck bed for positively rotating said roller as it is moved back and forth over the truck bed, said mechanism comprising a pair of spaced-apart wheels rotatably carried by the said at least one lever intermediate its ends; an arcuate guide track adapted to be attached to the truck; a length of flexible connector adapted to be trained over said track and reversely over said pair of wheels and attached at its ends to said truck; a drive wheel having a rotatable axis in common with one of said pair of wheels and fixidly connected thereto for rotation therewith; a second drive wheel affixed to said roller; and a closed loop of flexible connector adapted to be trained around said drive wheels.