Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8141929 | Power operated retractable tailgate assembly A power operated retractable tailgate assembly for a vehicle that includes a tailgate with opposite end edges thereof connected via sliding pivots to a respective one of a pair of elongate slide rails. The slide rails mount in lateral spaced apart relation on the un... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8061753 | Universal tailgate hinge An entry assembly includes a frame and a gate. The frame has a first side and a second side. The gate is connected to the frame. The gate defines a demarcation between the first side and the second side of the frame. The gate is pivotable about the frame along at le... | 11/22/2011 |
| 7669908 | Endgate hinge for motor vehicle having dual pivot axes An assembly for opening and closing a cargo opening of a motor vehicle includes first and second posts located at opposite lateral sides of the cargo opening, the second post being spaced laterally from the first post, an endgate able to open and close the cargo ope... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7631921 | Closure system for a vehicle A closure system with a reduced out-swing reach for an opening in a body of a vehicle. The closure system has an upper portion arranged to expose at least a section of the body opening, and a lower portion which is guided by a track to an open position when the uppe... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7607711 | Power operated retractable tailgate assembly A power operated retractable tailgate assembly for a vehicle that includes a tailgate with opposite end edges thereof connected via sliding pivots to a respective one of a pair of elongate slide rails. The slide rails mount in lateral spaced apart relation on the un... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7597374 | Hinge and catch assembly for motor vehicle endgate system An assembly for opening and closing a passageway into the body of a vehicle includes a post secured to the body at a lateral side of the passageway, an endgate for opening and closing the passageway and able to swing alternately about a lateral axis and an upright a... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7556303 | Lift gate latch transfer mechanism A latch transfer mechanism is provided, including a tailgate having a first handle and a second handle, a lifter connected to a housing, a striker for selectively receiving a cable transfer pin, with the cable transfer pin operably associated with the lifter, and a ... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7481479 | Dual action hinge and striker for a motor vehicle endgate An assembly for opening and closing a passageway into a motor vehicle includes a post secured to the body at a lateral side of the passageway, an endgate for opening and closing the passageway, a hinge-striker that includes a first plate secured to the post and incl... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7380873 | Covered utility trailer and kit for assembling same The present invention relates to the field of utility trailers and more specifically, to a covered utility trailer and a kit for assembling same. The covered utility trailer includes a trailer bed for supporting cargo. The trailer bed has a leading edge, an opposed ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7360818 | Structure of auxiliary tail gate of vehicle A structure of an auxiliary tail gate, to open and close a main cargo area when it is impossible to provide enough space to move a main tail gate because another vehicle or obstacle is parked or placed near, and to store small cargo separately from the main cargo ar... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7354090 | Self-supporting tailgate table/extension A tailgate adaptation for motor vehicles, preferably pick-up trucks, with at least two flat panels that are constructed of aluminum, molded fiberglass, plastic, or other suitable materials, and which convert an ordinary tailgate into a surface that provides a number... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7325880 | Dual dump body for truck or trailer A truck or trailer for hauling landscape materials or other bulk products, has separate independent side-by-side dump boxes or compartments, each with a hydraulic ram to elevate the respective dump box. The compartments may have segmented removable center walls, whi... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7322636 | Vehicle side-entry door assembly A passenger vehicle is provided with a vehicle body, a first door, and a second door. The vehicle body has front and rear ends with a door opening formed through a lateral side of the vehicle body. The door opening allows passenger ingress and egress to and from an ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7322627 | Vertically adjustable truck bed A truck is disclosed with a vertically adjustable bed to facilitate cargo loading and unloading. The truck includes a U-shaped frame within which the vertically adjustable bed is located. The vertically adjustable bed is movable between elevated and lowered position... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7309202 | Combination loading ramp/extension table for a truck bed A system for transporting and storing a portable combination table/ramp device in a truck bed, including a substantially flat platform supported by a plurality of support members positioned between the platform and the truck bed and defining a plurality of elongated... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7287798 | Tailgate assembly and method of operating the same A tailgate assembly and method of operating the same. The assembly includes a door portion movable between a closed position and an open position. An extendable spoiler is operably attached to the door portion. An extendable floorbed is operably attached to the door... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281753 | Vehicle enclosure Door assembly includes a doorframe that can be secured to the vehicle, and a preferably rigid door that is movable between an open and closed position. The door can be secured to the vehicle in the open position so that the passengers have the option of riding in th... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7267516 | Pedestal mounted light pole erector and remover A light pole erector and remover (10) for pedestal mounted light poles (74) that is comprised of three major elements: a transportation dolly (20), a pedestal attaching and lifting mechanism (22), and a pole tilting mechanism (24).... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7261357 | Tailgate ladder apparatus A tailgate ladder apparatus wherein an articulated step ladder is attached to a vehicle tailgate in such a way that it may be stored on a ladder housing within the interior of the tailgate. When the tailgate is open, the ladder may be slid out and opened so that a u... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7261356 | Trailer A trailer includes a ramp having an end attached to the trailer for pivotal movement of the ramp between a raised gate position and a lowered, inclined loading position. An elongate support is attached to the trailer adjacent to the end of the ramp, and a tension sp... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7258373 | Vehicle lock assembly A lock assembly for selectively locking to a striker on a vehicle includes a lock body defining a lock body recess for receiving the striker therein. A latch is rotatably mounted to the lock body for selectively locking the striker in the lock body recess. The latch... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7240968 | Vehicle body having a tailgate system operable in a plurality of modes A tailgate system for a dump body of a vehicle capable of operation in a plurality of modes includes a tailgate pivotally connected to side walls along an upper tailgate end for operation in a first mode and pivotally connected to one of the side walls along a tailg... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7240946 | System for counterbalancing a tailgate A counterbalancing system is provided that can be easily installed to an exterior of a tailgate and provides a mechanism for arresting the tailgate in an open position. The system includes a stop assembly coupled to the vehicle and a counterbalance assembly adapted ... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234750 | Tailgate with integrated and extensible steps for a vehicle having a cargo bed A tailgate that is hingeably connected to a vehicle and configured to pivot from a closed position to a generally vertical open position includes an inner panel having an inner tailgate surface and an outer panel having an outer tailgate surface. The outer panel is ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7234618 | Collapsible storage container for vehicles A collapsible storage container is connected to upwardly extending vehicle structure adjacent to a vehicle support bed. The storage container incorporates interconnected components which facilitate changing the storage container between a non-collapsed configuration... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7204537 | Adjustable truck box extender flip gate A pick-up truck box extender flip gate is provided. The truck box extender flip gate of the current application is comprised of; 1) a tail gate attaching frame, 2) two side faces, each of which is comprised of one guide and one metal frame. 3) a first front face tha... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7204527 | Lock comprising two locking rods, in particular for vehicles A lock having a locking rod that is displaced in a longitudinal direction. The rod is driven by an actuator via a rotor. The internal section of the locking rod is flexible so as to have the properties of a flexural section. The locking rod, together with the flexur... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7204397 | Cargo container attachment A cargo container attachment for a small vehicle such as a lawn tractor is provided. The container is removably attached to the rear of the vehicle and includes a cargo box storage space with a pivotally mounted swingable tailgate. The container is designed to be us... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7201424 | Seating accessory A seating accessory for use in combination with the inside surface of the tailgate of a pickup truck. The accessory includes a generally rectangular sheet sized to be positioned over the lowered tailgate surface and defining two side-by-side upwardly opening concave... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7201423 | Latch device for biaxial hinge tailgate A latch device includes a biaxial hinge, a horizontal hinge latch mechanism, a vertical hinge latch mechanism, a common latch mechanism, a swing actuation handle, and a flap actuation handle is provided on a tailgate for realizing selective movement about both a ver... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7201422 | Tailgate synchronizer A tailgate synchronizer for coordinating mechanical communication between first and second handles mounted to a tailgate and first and second lock assemblies that selectively lock the tailgate to a vehicle body includes a first lock assembly actuator lever rotatably... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7185953 | Surface sweeping machine with a dump door and chute actuating mechanism A dump hopper for a road sweeper includes a dump door, a debris guide chute, and an actuating mechanism for pivoting the dump door and debris chute between travel and dumping positions. The dump door is sandwiched between a hopper and the guide chute in the travel p... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7168753 | Door for a vehicle A door for a vehicle includes a door component, a first connection that connects the door component to the vehicle and allows the door component to move along a first path, and a second connection that connects the door component to the vehicle and allows the door c... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165800 | Dual mode tailgate control system A tailgate assembly is adapted to be mounted along an open edge of a vehicle's load-carrying bed for alternatively pivoting about (1) a first axis generally parallel with the open edge of the tailgate for movement between a closed position and a fold-open position a... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7152889 | Cable latching system A latching system includes a rotatable cam formed of substantially symmetric pieces with a cable, connected to oppositely disposed bolts, extending therethrough. The configuration of the cam is such that when rotated, the cable is pulled in both directions with resp... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150486 | Latch device for biaxial hinge tailgate A latch device includes a biaxial hinge, a horizontal hinge latch mechanism, a vertical hinge latch mechanism, a common latch mechanism, a swing actuation handle, and a flap actuation handle is provided on a tailgate for realizing selective movement about both a ver... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7128357 | Loading and unloading system for a truck having a bed A disclosed loading and unloading system for a truck having a bed includes a ramp, a first storage compartment formed under the bed and receiving the ramp, a ramp mounting assembly for mounting the ramp such that the ramp can be moved from a stored position to an ex... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7118153 | Frame structure for vehicle tailgate A tailgate assembly adapted to be mounted along an open edge of a vehicle's load-carrying bed includes a stamped sheet metal frame having a reinforced cross-sectional shape with an inner side facing an associated vehicle's load-carrying bed and an outer side opposit... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7114754 | Mobile construction support vehicle A vehicle for use in the construction trade to support steel building fabrication and support issues. In the preferred embodiment, the vehicle comprises a trailer, a mobile type unit containing enough equipment to handle most tasks used on a construction site, parti... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7111908 | Material/equipment handling assembly A trailer assembly includes a body having a plurality of sidewalls for defining a cavity therebetween. Selected sidewalls are pivotally coupled to the body and selectively adaptable between loading and unloading positions and another sidewall defines a substantially... | 09/26/2006 |
