Cargo stabilizer for utility vehicles

In combination with utility vehicles, such as pickup trucks, vans, and the like, of the type having a cargo carrying bed defined by a floor and opposite sidewalls, a cargo stabilizer for stabilizing a load carried within said bed, said cargo stabilizer comprising:

• first and second elongated guide rails extending lengthwise along the opposite sidewalls of said vehicle bed in a generally mutually parallel relationship;
• means for rigidly connecting said guide rails to the sidewalls of said vehicle bed;
• a crossbar extending laterally between said guide rails, and including end fittings connected with opposite ends of said crossbar which abut said guide rails and slidingly support said crossbar thereon for fore to-aft translation along the length of said guide rails;
• means on said crossbar for engaging a load disposed within the bed of said vehicle to retain the load in a selected position therein;
• means for adjusting the length of said crossbar between an extended, locked position and a retracted, unlocked position;
• means for releasably retaining said crossbar in the locked position;
• means on said end fittings for adjustably and positively connecting the opposite ends of said crossbar with said guide rails when said crossbar is in the locked position to positively prevent fore-to-aft movement of said crossbar from the selected position;
• said connecting means shifting between the locked and unlocked positions in response to extension and retraction of said crossbar;
• and
• first and second abutment surfaces positioned on the end fittings of said crossbar, and shaped to abut the adjacent sidewalls of said vehicle bed when said crossbar is in the locked position, whereby substantially all laterally directed stabilizing forces which act on said cargo engaging means in reaction to retaining the cargo in its selected position within the bed of said vehicle are transferred directly to the sidewalls of said vehicle bed, and do not act on said guide rails, thereby providing very secure stabilizing support without requiring heavy-duty stabilizer construction.

A cargo stabilizer kit having component parts capable of being assembled in utility vehicles of the type having a cargo carrying bed defined by a floor and opposite sidewalls, said kit comprising:

• first and second elongated guide rails adapted to extend lengthwise along the opposite sidewalls of the vehicle bed in a generally mutually parallel relationship;
• a plurality of fasteners adapted to rigidly connect said guide rails to the sidewalls;
• a crossbar adapted to extend laterally between said guide rails, and including end fittings connected with opposite ends of said crossbar which operably abut said guide rails and slidingly support said crossbar thereon for fore-to-aft translation along the length of said guide rails when said guide rails are connected to the vehicle sidewalls;
• said crossbar being adjustable in length between an extended, locked position and a retracted, unlocked position, and including a lock for releasably retaining said crossbar in the locked position, said crossbar including:
• latches connected with the end fittings of said crossbar to adjustably and positively attach said crossbar to said guide rails to prevent fore-to-aft movement of said crossbar;
• said latches shifting between the locked and unlocked positions in response to extension and retraction of said crossbar;
• and
• abutment surfaces at the end fittings of said crossbar adapted for abutting the adjacent sidewalls of the vehicle bed, whereby when said kit is assembled in a vehicle bed, substantially all laterally directed forces which act on said crossbar in reaction to retaining the cargo in a selected position with the vehicle bed are transferred directly to the sidewalls of the vehicle bed, and do not act on said guide rails, thereby providing very secure stabilizing support without requiring heavy duty stabilizer construction.