Pick-Up Truck Bed with Rope Tie-Down Cleats and Method of Manufacturing Tie-Down Cleats

Abstract

A tie-down assembly for a pick-up truck bed that includes a cleat including a base having first and second feet defining first and second fastener receiving holes, a body portion extending from an outer side of the feet, and first and second arms extending from the body portion that are spaced from the feet and define tie-down holes. Fasteners inserted into the first and second fastener holes secure the cleat to the pick-up truck bed. A method of making a tie-down cleat for a pick-up truck bed by extruding an elongated bar having a pair of feet portions connected by a body portion to a pair of arm portions. The elongated bar is cut into a plurality of planar cleat blanks and the cleat blanks are drilled to form fastener holes in the feet portions and tie-down holes in the arm portions.

Claims

1. A tie-down assembly for pick-up truck bed comprising: a cleat including a base having first and second feet defining first and second fastener receiving holes, a body portion extending from an outer side of the feet, and first and second arms extending from the body portion spaced from the feet, wherein the arms define tie-down holes; and fasteners inserted into the first and second fastener holes and into openings defined by the pick-up truck bed.

2. The tie-down assembly of claim 1 wherein the body portion further comprises: a pair of posts extending from the outer side of the feet to the first and second arms.

3. The tie-down assembly of claim 2 wherein the posts extend perpendicularly from the outer side of the feet to the first and second arms.

4. The tie-down assembly of claim 2 wherein the posts extend from the outer side of the feet and diverge from each other as the posts approach the arms.

5. The tie-down assembly of claim 2 wherein the first and second feet and the first and second arms lie in a single plane.

6. The tie-down assembly of claim 5 wherein the tie down holes include a first tie-down hole axially aligned with the first fastener hole, and a second tie-down hole axially aligned with the second fastener hole.

7. The tie-down assembly of claim 1 wherein the cleat is a planar body having a first lateral side and a second lateral side that are parallel to each other and extend from the base across the body portion and to the arms.

8. The tie-down assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has a width “W.sub.1” that is greater than the width “W.sub.2” of the body portion.

9. A method of making a tie-down cleat for a pick-up truck bed comprising: extruding an elongated bar having a pair of feet connected by a body portion to a pair of arms; cutting the elongated bar into a plurality of planar cleat blanks including part of the feet, the body portion the arms; drilling fastener holes in the feet; and drilling tie-down holes in the arms.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the elongated bar has an extrusion axis corresponding to a direction that the bar is extruded, and wherein the step of cutting the bar is performed by cutting the bar perpendicular to the extrusion axis to form the plurality of planar cleat blanks.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of drilling the fastener holes is performed by drilling through the feet in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion axis and perpendicular to a direction that the bar is cut.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of drilling the tie-down holes is performed by drilling through the arms in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion axis.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of drilling the fastener holes is performed by drilling through the feet in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion axis, and wherein the step of drilling the tie-down holes is performed by drilling through the arms in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion axis.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising: milling a first side of the body portion and the arms to reduce a thickness of the body portion and the arms relative to a width of the feet.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising: milling a second side of the body portion and the arms to reduce a thickness of the body portion and the arms relative to a width of the feet.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the fastener holes and the tie-down holes are axially aligned and wherein the same drilling operation is performed to form the fastener holes and tie-down holes.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the elongated bar is an extruded aluminum bar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary inside elevation view of a pick-up truck bed with tie-down cleats made according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the tie-down cleat illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a tie-down cleat similar to FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a tie-down cleat with an offset enlarged base.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tie-down cleat shown in FIG. 5.

[0020] FIG. 7 is an end view of the tie-down cleat shown in FIG. 5.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the tie-down cleat with the cleat centered on an enlarged base.

[0022] FIG. 9 is an end view of the tie-down cleat shown in FIG. 8.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the method of making an extruded tie-down cleat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, a pick-up truck is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 and is partially illustrated to focus on the truck bed. The truck bed includes a bed floor 12 and a plurality of bed walls 14. Several tie-down assemblies 16 are shown on the bed walls 14, but it should be understood that the tie-down assemblies could also be provided on the bed floor 12.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, a tie-down assembly 16 is illustrated that includes a cleat 18. The cleat 18 includes a base 20 that includes a pair of feet 22. The feet 22 define fastener receiving holes 24. The cleat 18 also includes a body portion 26. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the body portion 26 is formed by a pair of posts 28 that extend perpendicularly from the outer side 30 of the base 20.

[0027] The cleat 18 also includes a pair of arms 32. The arms 32 define a pair of tie-down holes 34 that are adapted to receive the hook of a bungy cord or other type of specialized connector.

[0028] Fasteners 36 are inserted into the fastener receiving holes 24 defined by the feet 22. The fasteners 36 are inserted through openings 38 that are defined by the bed floor 12. A reinforcement plate 40 is also illustrated that may be included if the portion of the pick-up truck 10 where the tie-down assembly 16 is installed does not have sufficient strength to support a specified load.

[0029] A rope 42, or elongated strand, is illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 2 to illustrate how a rope 42 may be wrapped around the body portion 26 or posts 28 of the cleat 18.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of a tie-down assembly 16 is shown that differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by providing arms that are shorter compared to the base 20 so that the feet 22 of the base defining the fastener receiving holes 24 are outboard of the arms 32. By locating the fastener receiving hole 24 outboard of the ends of the arms 32, better access may be afforded for a drilling operation or a fastener installation operation.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 5, another alternative embodiment is illustrated. The tie-down assembly 16 includes the cleat 18 that includes the base 20 and feet 22 that define the fastener receiving holes 24. The body portion 26 of the cleat 18 includes divergent posts. The body portion 26 provides a necked down area below the arms 32. A rope 42 can be wrapped around the body portion 26 and retained by the arms 32. Alternatively, a rope 42 may be passed through an opening 50 in the body 26. Fasteners 36, such as the illustrated rivets or other types of fasteners, may be inserted into the opening 24 to secure the tie-down assembly 16 to the pick-up truck (shown in FIG. 1).

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the cleat 18 is shown to include a first lateral side 46. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7, the cleat 18 may be extruded in the direction of the extrusion axis “E” with the shape of the body portion and arms being extruded as the elongated bar (shown in FIG. 3). Referring specifically to FIG. 7, the dashed lines on the upper left side of the view indicate the shape of the cleat 18 as it is extruded and the material between the dashed lines and the base 20 and body portion 26 is cut away or milled by cutting tools.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, another alternative embodiment of the cleat 18 is shown wherein the body portion 26 and arms 32 are cut away on a first lateral side 46 and a second lateral side 48 to form a body portion 26 that is centered relative to the base 20. The base 20 defines a plurality of fastener receiving holes 24. The width W.sub.1 of the base 20 is wider than the width W.sub.2 of the body portion 26. As shown in FIG. 8, the length of the arms 32 may be coextensive with the length of the base 20.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 10, a flowchart of a method of making the cleat 18 is illustrated. Reference numerals to the parts below are to the parts identified in FIGS. 1-9. Referring to the Figures, in a first step of the method, an elongated bar 44 is extruded to have a pair of feet 22 that are connected by a body portion 26 to a pair of arms 32, at 60.

[0035] The elongated bar 44 is cut, at 62, into a plurality of planar cleat blanks including part of the feet 22, body portion 26 and the arms 32.

[0036] A first side 46 of the body portion 26 and the arms 32 are cut away by a milling or machining operation to reduce the thickness of the body portion 26 and the arms 32 relative to a width of the feet 22, at 64. A second side 48 of the body portion 26 and the arms 32 may also be cut away, at 66, to reduce the thickness of the body portion 26 and the arms 32 relative to the width of the feet 22. It should be understood that additional cutting operations may be used to shorten the arms 32 or round-off the corners of the base 20 and arms 32.

[0037] Fastener holes 24 are drilled in the feet 22, at 68, and tie-down holes 34 may be drilled, at 70, in the arms 32.

[0038] The embodiments described above are specific examples that do not describe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation. The scope of the following claims is broader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and also includes modifications of the illustrated embodiments.