Folding gate ramp for pickup trucks

Claim 1

An apparatus for use as a combined tailgate and loading ramp for a pickup truck of the type having a bed, sidewalls adjacent the bed, a removable tailgate adjacent the bed, and a step bumper, said apparatus comprising: a rectangular inner panel including parallel hollow side members having open ends; a rectangular outer panel generally congruent with said inner panel; a knockdown hinge between said inner panel and said outer panel for folding of said inner and outer panels along respective commonly aligned panel hinge edges, said folding being between an extended planar disposition for ramp use and a juxtaposed sandwich position for gate use; said hinge being configured to separate said inner and outer panels when in a vertical closed gate position between said sidewalls; mounting means for pivotally mounting said inner panel to the bed of the truck at a rear edge of the bed to replace the removable tailgate, said mounting means enabling said inner panel to rotate about an axis parallel to an outer edge of said inner panel, said axis being adjacent and parallel to said rear edge; latching means for releasably holding said inner panel in said vertical closed gate position between the sidewalls; clamping means for releasably holding the panels together in said sandwich position; said mounting means includes: a bar coincident with said axis, said bar pivotally attached to the truck for rotation about said axis; parallel arms fastened to said bar, said arms slidingly inserted into said open ends for telescoping movement relative to said side members; and stops to prevent said arms from moving outward beyond stopped positions and thereby falling from said open ends, said stops enabling limited rotation between said arms and said side members when said arms are in said stopped positions; wherein, said arms may extend from said rear edge of the bed rearwardly and parallel to the bed to traverse and rest upon said step bumper, and said inner panel may slope downward from a step bumper back edge toward the ground to act as a part of the ramp; whereby the tailgate may be removed, said apparatus may be mounted to the truck in place thereof, and said apparatus may be either extended to the ground for use as a ramp or folded for use as a gate.

Claim 2

An apparatus for use as a combined tailgate and loading ramp for a pickup truck of the type having a bed, sidewalls adjacent the bed, a removable tailgate adjacent the bed, and a step bumper, said apparatus comprising: a rectangular inner panel including parallel hollow side members having open ends; a rectangular outer panel generally congruent with said inner panel; a knockdown hinge between said inner panel and said outer panel for folding of said inner and outer panels along respective commonly aligned panel hinge edges, said folding being between an extended planar disposition for ramp use and a juxtaposed sandwich position for gate use; said hinge being configured to separate said inner and outer panels when in a vertical closed gate position between said sidewalls; mounting means for pivotally mounting said inner panel to the bed of the truck at a rear edge of the bed to replace the removable tailgate, said mounting means enabling said inner panel to rotate about an axis parallel to an outer edge of said inner panel, said axis being adjacent and parallel to said rear edge; latching means for releasably holding said inner panel in said vertical closed gate position between the sidewalls; clamping means for releasably holding the panels together in said sandwich position; said mounting means includes: a bar coincident with said axis, said bar pivotally attached to the truck for rotation about said axis; parallel arms fastened to said bar, said arms slidingly inserted into said open ends for telescoping movement relative to said side members; and stops to prevent said arms from moving outward beyond stopped positions and thereby falling from said open ends, said stops enabling limited rotation between said arms and said side members when said arms are in said stopped positions; wherein, said arms may extend from said rear edge of the bed rearwardly and parallel to the bed to traverse and rest upon said step bumper, and said inner panel may slope downward from a step bumper back edge toward the ground to act as a part of the ramp; whereby the tailgate may be removed, said apparatus may be mounted to the truck in place thereof, and said apparatus may be either extended to the ground for use as a ramp or folded for use as a gate.