A cover for use with a truck bed and a power mechanism, the truck bed having a first side and an opposing second side, and a third side and an opposing fourth side, with each side having a top edge, the cover comprising:
- a lever assembly including an arcuate member having an outer arcuate edge and a center, and an arm attached to and extending out in substantially coplanar relationship from the arcuate member, the arm having a cantilevered end extending out past the outer arcuate edge,
- an attachment means for rotatably attaching the lever assembly to the first side of the truck bed so that the lever assembly lies in, and rotates bidirectionally around the arcuate member center in a plane parallel to the first side of the truck bed, and so that the cantilevered end reaches above the top edge of the first side of the truck bed,
- an elongated roller having opposing first and second ends and a hollow pocket inside the roller, the first end being rotatably attached to the cantilevered end of the arm and the second for reaching toward the second side of the truck bed, so that the roller is positioned generally horizontally across and above the truck bed,
- a tarp for extension and retraction from over the truck bed, the tarp having an anchor end attached to the third side of the truck bed and an opposing roll-up end attached to the roller,
- a flexible connector comprising
- a first section being attached at an anchor end to the arcuate member, extending in a first direction to removably and circumferentially contact the outer arcuate edge, and having a pull end, and
- a second section being attached at an anchor end to the arcuate member, extending in a second direction to removably and circumferentially contact the outer arcuate edge, and having a pull end,
- a drive means for cooperating with and being energized by the power mechanism, the drive means extending into the plane of the lever assembly and contacting the pull ends of the flexible connector first and second sections for pulling the first section and letting out the second section to rotate the arcuate member in the first direction and for pulling the second section and letting out the first section to rotate the arcuate member in the second direction, for bidirectionally swinging the cantilevered end of the arm above the top edge of the truck bed first side and the roller above the truck bed,
- a coiled spring located inside the hollow pocket of the roller for biasing the roller to rotate in a roll-up direction, for keeping the tarp taut when extended across the truck bed, for rolling up the tarp around the roller when the lever assembly swings to retract the tarp, and for keeping the tarp tightly rolled when in the retracted position,
- a spring-arm securing means for securing the outer end of the coiled spring to the cantilevered end of the arm, and
- a spring-roller securing means for securing the inner end of the coiled spring to the roller.