Bridge construction for a pickup truck

Claim 2

A bridge for a pickup truck with the pickup truck having a cab and an open cargo box located at the rear of the cab and with the cargo box defined at least by longitudinally extending side walls and with the bridge adapted to be supported on a forward portion of the side walls immediately adjacent the rear of the cab, said bridge comprising: a pair of end caps being mirror images of each other, a center span located between said end caps, said end caps having a generally hollow outer body, said outer body having an upright portion and a top portion extending generally transversely to said upright portion, said top portion terminating in a top end portion, said center span terminating at opposite ends in opposite end portions, each of said opposite end portions adapted to matingly engage one of said top end portions, securing means for securing said center span and said end caps together at said opposite end portions and said top end portions, respectively, to define a substantially smooth outer surface across the juncture of said opposite end portions and said top end portions, said outer body having a base portion, said outer body having a preselected height whereby when said base portion is located on the side walls of the cargo box said center span is located substantially at the roof of the cab, said end caps being generally shaped as a right triangle and having a hypotenuse portion extending between said top portion and said base portion, said hypotenuse portion having an arcuately shaped outer edge with a radius of curvature increasing from a position proximate said top portion to a position proximate to said base portion.

Claim 3

The bridge of claim 1 with said top portion extending generally arcuately from said upright portion, said outer edge of said hypotenuse portion having a first radius of curvature increasing at a first rate from a location near said top portion to a location intermediate said top portion and said base portion and having a second radius of curvature which increases at a second rate from said intermediate location to said base portion.

Claim 4

The bridge of claim 2 with said first radius of curvature increasing at a rate greater than said second radius of curvature.

Claim 5

The bridge of claim 3 with said first radius of curvature varying at a rate of around 15.5 millimeters per 100 millimeters of length of said hypotenuse portion.

Claim 6

The bridge of claim 3 with said second radius of curvature varying at a rate of around 2.75 millimeters per 100 millimeters of length of said hypotenuse portion.

Claim 7

The bridge of claim 4 with said second radius of curvature varying at a rate of around 2.75 millimeters per 100 millimeters of length of said hypotenuse portion.

Claim 8

The bridge of claim 3 with said first radius of curvature varying from around 13/16 of an inch to around 1-9/16 inches.

Claim 9

The bridge of claim 3 with said second radius of curvature varying from around 1-9/16 inches to around 21/4 inches.

Claim 10

The bridge of claim 7 with said second radius of curvature varying from around 1-9/16 inches to around 21/4 inches.

Claim 11

The bridge of claim 1 adapted to support at least one overhead spotlight on said center span with said center span located substantially at the roof of the cab whereby the spotlight will be located above the roof of the cab.

Claim 12

A bridge for a pickup truck with the pickup truck having a cab and an open cargo box located at the rear of the cab and with the cargo box defined at least by longitudinally extending side walls and with the bridge adapted to be supported on a forward portion of the side walls immediately adjacent the rear of the cab, said bridge comprising: a center span terminating at opposite ends in span end portions having span end surfaces, a pair of end caps adapted to be located on opposite sides of the center span, said end caps being mirror images of each other, each of said end caps having a generally hollow outer body, said outer body having an upright portion and a top portion extending generally transversely to said upright portion, said top portion terminating in a top end portion having a top end surface, said top end surface of said end caps adapted to matingly engage one of the opposite end surfaces of the center span, securing means for securing said end caps and the center span with said top end portion of each of said end caps and said span end portion surfaces of the center span cooperating to define a substantially smooth outer surface across the juncture of each said top end portion and said span end surfaces, said securing means comprising a socket joint including a cavity at one of said top end portion and said span end portion and a plug portion in the other of said top end portion and said span end portion, said plug portion and said cavity having mating surfaces at least partially similarly inclined to provide a slight interference fit between said mating surfaces as said end caps and center span are secured together, said cavity having an inner surface and said plug portion having an outer surface, said mating surfaces being located around the periphery of said inner and outer surfaces, said inner and outer surfaces being generally planar and adapted to be in substantial clamping engagement upon assembly when said mating surfaces are in frictional engagement through said interference fit.

Claim 13

A bridge for a pickup truck with the pickup truck having a cab and an open cargo box located at the rear of the cab and with the cargo box defined at least by longitudinally extending side walls and with the bridge adapted to be supported on a forward portion of the side walls immediately adjacent the rear of the cab, said bridge comprising: a center span terminating at opposite ends in span end portions having span end surfaces, a pair of end caps adapted to be located on opposite sides of the center span, said end caps being mirror images of each other, each of said end caps having a generally hollow outer body, said outer body having an upright portion and a top portion extending generally transversely to said upright portion, said top portion terminating in a top end portion having a top end surface, said top end surface of said end caps adapted to matingly engage one of the opposite end surfaces of the center span, securing means for securing said end caps and the center span with said top end portion of each of said end caps and said span end portion surfaces of the center span cooperating to define a substantially smooth outer surface across the juncture of each said top end portion and said span end surfaces, said securing means comprising a socket joint including a cavity at one of said top end portion and said span end portion and a plug portion in the other of said top end portion and said span end portion, said plug portion and said cavity having mating surfaces at least partially similarly inclined to provide a slight interference fit between said mating surfaces as said end caps and center span are secured together, said cavity having an inner surface and said plug portion having an outer surface, said mating surfaces being located around the periphery of said inner and outer surfaces, said inner and outer surfaces being generally planar and adapted to be in substantial clamping engagement upon assembly when said mating surfaces are in frictional engagement through said interference fit.

Claim 14

The bridge of claim 11 with said span end portion having a pair of laterally spaced cavities extending laterally behind said span end surface, said securing means comprising fastener means including a nut member and a bolt member with said cavities adapted to receive said bolt member to provide access to one of said nut members and said bolt member to facilitate assembly.

Claim 15

The bridge of claim 12 further including plug members adapted to be matingly located within said cavities and behind said span end surfaces to receive said bolt member to facilitate load distribution away from said span end surface.

Claim 16

A bridge for a pickup truck with the pickup truck having a cab and an open cargo box located at the rear of the cab and with the cargo box defined at least by longitudinally extending side walls and with the bridge adapted to be supported on a forward portion of the side walls immediately adjacent the rear of the cab, said bridge comprising: a center span terminating at opposite ends in span end portions having span end surfaces, a pair of end caps adapted to be located on opposite sides of the center span, said end caps being mirror images of each other, each of said end caps having a generally hollow outer body, said outer body having an upright portion and a top portion extending generally transversely to said upright portion, said top portion terminating in a top end portion having a top end surface, said top end surface of said end caps adapted to matingly engage one of the opposite end surfaces of the center span, securing means for securing said end caps and the center span with said top end portion of each of said end caps and said span end portion surfaces of the center span cooperating to define a substantially smooth outer surface across the juncture of each said top end portion and said span end surfaces, said securing means comprising a socket joint including a cavity at one of said top end portion and said span end portion and a plug portion in the other of said top end portion and said span end portion, said plug portion and said cavity having mating surfaces at least partially similarly inclined to provide a slight interference fit between said mating surfaces as said end caps and center span are secured together, said cavity being defined in said top end portion and said plug portion being defined in said span end portion.

Claim 17

A bridge for a pickup truck with the pickup truck having a cab and an open cargo box located at the rear of the cab and with the cargo box defined at least by longitudinally extending side walls and with the bridge adapted to be supported on a forward portion of the side walls immediately adjacent the rear of the cab, said bridge comprising: a center span terminating at opposite ends in span end portions having span end surfaces, a pair of end caps adapted to be located on opposite sides of the center span, said end caps being mirror images of each other, each of said end caps having a generally hollow outer body, said outer body having an upright portion and a top portion extending generally transversely to said upright portion, said top portion terminating in a top end portion having a top end surface, said top end surface of said end caps adapted to matingly engage one of the opposite end surfaces of the center span, securing means for securing said end caps and the center span with said top end portion of each of said end caps and said span end portion surfaces of the center span cooperating to define a substantially smooth outer surface across the juncture of each said top end portion and said span end surfaces, said securing means comprising a socket joint including a cavity at one of said top end portion and said span end portion and a plug portion in the other of said top end portion and said span end portion, said plug portion and said cavity having mating surfaces at least partially similarly inclined to provide a slight interference fit between said mating surfaces as said end caps and center span are secured together, said cavity being defined in said top end portion and said plug portion being defined in said span end portion.

Claim 18

The bridge of claim 14 with said cavity having an inner surface and said plug portion having an outer surface, said mating surfaces being located around the periphery of said inner and outer surfaces, said inner and outer surfaces being generally planar and adapted to be in substantial clamping engagement upon assembly when said mating surfaces are in frictional engagement through said interference fit.

Claim 19

The bridge of claim 15 with said span end portion having a pair of laterally spaced cavities extending laterally behind said span end surface, said securing means comprising fastener means including a nut member and a bolt member with said cavities adapted to receive said bolt member to provide access to one of said nut members and said bolt member to facilitate assembly.

Claim 20

The bridge of claim 16 further including plug members adapted to be matingly located within said cavities and behind said span end surfaces to receive said bolt member to facilitate load distribution away from said span end surface.

Claim 21

The bridge of claim 11 with the cargo box side walls having an upper surface and including mounting means for securing the bridge to the upper surface of the cargo box side walls, said outer body having a base portion connected with said upright portion, said securing means including a flanged expansion nut member connected to a bottom surface of said base portion, a bolt member adapted to extend through the upper surface of the side wall to engage said nut member, an elastomeric gasket member located between said bottom surface of said base portion and the upper surface of the cargo box and adapted to be clamped therebetween by said securing means.

Claim 22

The bridge of claim 18 further including a double sided adhesive strip for initially securing said elastomeric gasket to said bottom surface of said base portion.

Claim 23

The bridge of claim 17 with the cargo box side walls having an upper surface and including mounting means for securing the bridge to the upper surface of the cargo box side walls, said outer body having a base portion connected with said upright portion, said securing means including a flanged expansion nut member connected to a bottom surface of said base portion, a bolt member adapted to extend through the upper surface of the side wall to engage said nut member, an elastomeric gasket member located between said bottom surface of said base portion and the upper surface of the cargo box and adapted to be clamped therebetween by said securing means.

Claim 24

The bridge of claim 20 further including a double sided adhesive strip for initially securing said elastomeric gasket to said bottom surface of said base portion.

Claim 25

The bridge of claim 18 with the side wall being of a double wall structure and having an inner wall angulated relative to the upper surface, said bolt member extending through said inner wall and a truncated washer member having an angled surface to generally match the angle between the inner wall and upper surface of the side wall.

Claim 26

The bridge of claim 11 adapted to support at least one overhead spotlight on said center span with said center span located substantially at the roof of the cab whereby the spotlight will be located above the roof of the cab. The