System mountable to a tailgate of a pick-up truck to improve the utility thereof

• Main Authors: SARENY, JR.; JOSEPH S, MELCHING; WILLIAM E, GLORIO; DAVID M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.07.1994
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TOCARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A light-weight set of four substantially flat rectangular plates sequentially connected to each other by hinges is pivotably mounted to a pick-up truck tailgate. Flat bar stock braces with orthogonal end tabs fit to tab-receiving elements attached to selected ones of the interconnected plates to secure them in predetermined angular relationships. The plates can thus be secured so that an enlarged containment space is generated to effectively extend an enclosed load space over the width and length of the tailgate. Similarly, by use of a pair of braces on each side, the central two of the four interconnected plates can be securely arranged to provide a flat workbench surface above the entire tailgate. Selected power tools may be mounted thereunder to project operating tool bits, e.g., a router bit, to machine workpieces on the workbench. The system can be readily placed in a folded storage position immediately adjacent the inside surface of the tailgate when not in use, with the braces securely retained in normally found recesses within the inside surface of the tailgate.