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A brace for securing cargo inside a containing device, such as the cargo bed of a truck, includes a first cylindrical pole with mounting brackets at opposite ends of the pole for engaging the sidewalls of the container. The cargo brace is selectively adjustable along its lengthwise axis to decrease

A brace for securing cargo inside a containing device, such as the cargo bed of a truck, includes a first cylindrical pole with mounting brackets at opposite ends of the pole for engaging the sidewalls of the container. The cargo brace is selectively adjustable along its lengthwise axis to decrease or increase its length. Furthermore, the mounting brackets are pivotally connected to the pole to permit the brace to be installed at a selected orientation to the sidewalls. In another embodiment, the aforementioned brace includes a T-connector which is mounted arond the first pole and further includes a second pole which is engaged to the T-connector and which is perpendicular to the first pole. The second pole includes a mounting bracket which engages another sidewall or floor of the container. In another embodiment, a sleeve, having flanged ends which are perpendicular to the sleeve, and a handle, is mounted about the first pole to secure the cargo in the container. Typically, pads fabricated of an appropriate elastomer are employed at the ends of the brace to prevent damage from metal-to-metal contact, and the base is surrounded with one or more sleeves of a polymeric material to prevent damage to cargo contacted by the brace.

대표청구항 ▼

A load stabilizing and bracing apparatus capable of being used within the cargo bed of pickup trucks and the like of the type having a floor, vertically upstanding, parallel, spaced apart first and second sidewalls and a third transverse endwall at the forward end of the cargo bed to secure differen

A load stabilizing and bracing apparatus capable of being used within the cargo bed of pickup trucks and the like of the type having a floor, vertically upstanding, parallel, spaced apart first and second sidewalls and a third transverse endwall at the forward end of the cargo bed to secure differently shaped cargo items against forward and rearward movement by contacting the cargo items at spaced points along a line extending acutely to the spaced apart first and second sidewalls, said apparatus comprising, in combination: (a) a first elongate tubular pole-like bracing member having a first end, a second end and a lengthwise axis extending between said first and second ends, said first and second ends of said tubular pole-like bracing member including internally threaded female end portions with said internally threaded portion at said first end of said bracing member having an internal left-hand threaded portion and said internally threaded portion at said second end of said bracing member having an internal right-hand threaded portion; (b) first engaging means for frictionally engaging the first sidewall of the cargo bed, said first engaging means including a first vertically oriented mounting flange having an inner face and an outer face, an outwardly facing resilient mounting pad secured to said outer face of said first flange for engagement with the first sidewall of the cargo bed with sufficient frictional force to prevent relative movement of said bracing apparatus and the cargo bed when said tubular pole-like bracing member is mounted along the line extending acutely to the spaced sidewalls to secure the cargo items, and a pair of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips integral with and extending inward from said inner face of said first vertically oriented mounting flange; (c) first connecting means for rotatably connecting said first engaging means to said first end of said tubular pole-like bracing member, said first connecting means including a first externally threaded male shaft adapted to be threadably engaged with said internal left-hand threaded female portion at said first end of sid tubular pole-like bracing member, said first shaft having an outwardly extending end portion adapted to be received within said pair of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips mounted on said first mounting flange on said first engaging means, and means for pivotally securing said horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips to said outwardly extending end of said first externally threaded shaft for permitting pivotal movement of said first engaging means relative to said first shaft; (d) second engaging means for frictionally engaging the second sidewall of the cargo bed, said second engaging means including a second vertically oriented mounting flange having an inner face and an outer face, an outwardly facing resilient mounting pad secured to said outer face of said second flange for engagement with the second sidewall of the cargo bed with sufficient frictional force to prevent relative movement of said bracing apparatus and the cargo bed when said tubular pole-like bracing member is mounted along the line extending acutely to the spaced sidewalls to secure the cargo items, and a pair of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips integral with and extending inward from said inner face of said second vertically oriented mounting flange; and (e) second connecting means for rotatably connecting said second engaging means to said second end of said tubular pole-like bracing member, said second connecting means including a second externally threaded male shaft adapted to be threadedly engaged with said threaded female portion at said second end of said tubular pole-like bracing member, said second shaft having an outwardly extending end portion adapted to be received within said pair of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips mounted on said second mounting flange on said second engaging means, and means for pivotally securing said vertically spaced, horizontally extending, inwardly directed flange tips to said outwardly extending end of said second externally threaded shaft for permitting pivotal movement of said second engaging means relative to said second shaft; whereby (i) when said load stabilizing and bracing apparatus is positioned along the acute line between the opposed first and second upstanding, spaced apart, parallel sidewalls of the cargo bed with said first and second engaging means in frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of respective different ones of the first and second sidewalls; and (ii) said tubular pole-like bracing member is rotated in a first direction to cause simultaneous outward axial extension of said first and second shafts relative to said bracing member, said load stabilizing and bracing apparatus is axially elongated and is securely clamped between the first and second sidewalls of the cargo bed as a result of pivotal movement of said tubular pole-like bracing member relative to said first and second threaded shafts so as to securely clamp cargo positioned in the cargo bed between said load stabilizing and bracing apparatus and at least one of the first and second sidewalls of the third transverse endwall of the bed by engaging the cargo items at spaced points along the acute line; and (iii) when said tubular pole-like bracing member is rotated in the opposite direction to cause simultaneous inward axial movement of said first and second shafts relative to said bracing member, said load stabilizing and bracing apparatus is axially shortened and is released from frictional engagement with the first and second sidewalls of the cargo bed.