Article support system

An article support system that is adapted to support an article upon and relative to a surface, wherein the article is suspended above a floor surface, said article support system comprising:

• (a) a parallel pair of opposingly positioned horizontally spaced apart substantially rigid rail structures that each includes a rail first end portion and an opposing rail second end portion with a longitudinal axis spanning therebetween, further each said rail structure has a primary margin portion and an opposing secondary margin portion with a longwise axis spanning therebetween, wherein said primary and secondary margin portions are about said longitudinal axis, in addition each said rail structure includes a first outer surface portion and an opposing second outer surface portion, with a shortwise axis spanning therebetween, wherein each said first and second outer surface portions are about said longitudinal axis, wherein each said first or second outer surface is adapted to affix to the surface, wherein each of said primary and secondary margins are structurally formed as a convex semi-circular radius surface that has a tangent interface with each of said first and second outer surface portions, said longitudinal, longwise, and short wise axes are all perpendicular to one another;
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• (b) a pair of opposingly positioned flexible support arm extensions each having a proximal end portion and an opposing distal end portion with an arm axis spanning therebetween, each said distal end portion is branched off into two elements, a first element adapted to be manually grasped and an opposing second element that spans continuously in an arcuate shape forming an inverted “U” to an opposing second element of said pair of flexible support arm extensions, each said proximal end portion is structurally substantially formed as a box channel having an upper leg, a lower leg, and a web disposed therebetween, each of said upper and lower legs terminating in an upper and lower return respectively such that said upper return, upper leg, web, lower leg, and lower return substantially form a “C” shape in cross section, each said web having a web axis disposed between said upper and lower legs, wherein each said support arm extension distal end portion first element having a first element axis, said first element projecting substantially outward in a parallel manner from said web, wherein said first element projects adjacent to said lower leg, wherein said web axis and said first element axis are substantially co-incident to one another, said second element having a second element axis, said second element projects in an opposing manner from said first element, wherein said second element has an origination at said web adjacent to said lower leg continuing toward said arcuate shape and further projecting toward said opposing flexible support arm extension, wherein said second element has a termination at said opposing web adjacent to said opposing lower leg, wherein said second element axis and said first element axis are substantially co-incident to one another, each said first element further having a first element cross sectional area that is greater than a web cross sectional area to structurally cause said first element to have a first element bending stiffness along said first element axis to be greater than a web bending stiffness along said web axis, this is to operationally facilitate a manual grasping of said first element to manually apply a first force perpendicular to said web axis to bend said web along said web axis to separate said upper and lower legs to facilitate removable engagement to said primary and secondary margin portions of said rail structure, operationally facilitating an assembled state of said rail structure and said support arm extension and a disassembled operational state of said rail structure and said support arm extension, wherein operationally said arcuate shape of said second element can support a tarp cover suspended over a truck bed wherein said rigid rail structure are attached to truck bed sides.

A method of installing an article support system that is adapted to support an article upon and relative to a surface, wherein the article is suspended above a floor surface, said method of installing said article support system comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substantially rigid rail structure that includes a rail first end portion and an opposing rail second end portion with a longitudinal axis spanning therebetween, further said rail structure has a primary margin portion and an opposing secondary margin portion with a longwise axis spanning therebetween, wherein said primary and secondary margin portions are about said longitudinal axis, in addition said rail structure includes a first outer surface portion and an opposing second outer surface portion, with a shortwise axis spanning therebetween, wherein said first and second outer surface portions are about said longitudinal axis, wherein said second outer surface is adapted to affix to the surface, wherein said primary and secondary margins are structurally formed as a convex semi-circular radius surface that has a tangent interface with each of said first and second outer surface portions, said longitudinal, longwise, and short wise axes are all perpendicular to one another;
• (b) providing a flexible support arm extension having a proximal end portion and an opposing distal end portion with an arm axis spanning therebetween, said distal end portion is adapted to removably engage the article, said proximal end portion is structurally substantially formed as a box channel having an upper leg, a lower leg, and a web disposed therebetween, each of said upper and lower legs terminating in an upper and lower return respectively such that said upper return, upper leg, web, lower leg, and lower return substantially form a “C” shape in cross section, said web having a web axis disposed between said upper and lower legs, wherein said support arm extension distal end portion that is adapted to removably engage the article is constructed of a finger extension portion having a finger extension axis, said finger extension portion projecting substantially perpendicularly outward from said web being affixed to said lower leg, such that said finger extension axis is substantially perpendicular to said web axis, said finger extension portion further includes an arm portion having an arm portion proximal end portion and an opposing arm portion distal end portion, with an arm length that is disposed between said arm portion proximal end portion and said opposing arm portion distal end portion, said arm portion length is greater than a web distance between said upper and lower legs, said arm proximal end portion is affixed to said lower leg with said arm distal end portion having a first means to removably engage the article, wherein said finger extension axis is disposed between said arm proximal end portion and said arm distal end portion, said arm portion further having an arm cross sectional area that is greater than a web cross sectional area to structurally cause said arm portion to have an arm bending stiffness along said finger extension axis to be greater than a web bending stiffness along said web axis, this is to operationally facilitate a manual grasping of said first means to manually apply a first force parallel to said web axis to bend said web along said web axis to separate said upper and lower legs to facilitate removable engagement to said primary and secondary margin portions of said rail structure, operationally facilitating an assembled state of said rail structure and said support arm extension and a disassembled operational state of said rail structure and said support arm extension;
• (c) grasping manually said first means to removably engage the article;
• (d) placing said lower leg and said lower return are manually placed about said secondary margin portion;
• (e) pushing manually said first means to removably engage the article toward said primary margin portion while maintaining a slidable contact as between said lower leg and said secondary margin portion;
• (f) making contact as between said upper return and said primary margin portion;
• (g) continuing to manually push as in said step (e) said first means to removably engage the article toward said primary margin causing said upper leg and said upper return to be manually pushed over said primary margin portion through flexure of said web in conjunction with said upper and lower legs to position said substantially “C” shape about said rail structure primary and secondary margin portions and said first outer surface portion;
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• (h) removing said pushing in said step (e) on said first means to removably engage the article resulting in relaxing said upper and lower legs and said web that results in said upper and lower legs, said upper and lower returns, and said web to adjacently grip said rail structure primary and secondary margin portions and said first outer surface portion to secure said support arm extension to said rail structure via locking said support arm extension in movement along said longitudinal, longwise, shortwise, and arm axes relative to said rail structure.