Vehicle tailgate assembly

A tailgate assembly, for a tiltable body of a truck, movable between closed and opened positions with relation to a discharge opening in said body, comprising first, second and third gate members, said first member being hingedly connected to said body along a first horizontal axis, said second member being hingedly connected to said first member along a second horizontal axis, and including abutments which cooperate with said third member to hold said second member against said body when said assembly is in said closed position, said third member being hingedly connected to said body along a third horizontal axis, catch means normally maintaining said assembly in a closed position, said catch means including first and second angle members each having a lug positioned for cooperation with one another, said second angle member being positioned along said second axis, said lugs being normally in engagement when said assembly is in said closed position, said first angle member being fixed to said body and said second angle member being fixed to said first member, means biasing said assembly towards said opened position, said biasing means including links each having one end pivotally connected to said body and the other end connected to one end of a spring, said springs having their other ends connected to said first gate member, whereby upon rotation of said third gate member about said third axis to release said second gate member and tilting of said body, said lugs will become disengaged from one another to allow said first and second gate members to move towards said opened position under the influence of said biasing means.