Ramp and endgate for pickup truck

A combination endgate and ramp structure for pickup trucks, which comprises:

• front and rear sections pivotally secured together for relative pivotal movement therebetween about a first transverse pivot axis, means pivotally mounting the front section to a rear end portion of a truck box to permit movement of the front and rear sections about a second transverse pivot axis between an elevated gate forming position and a lowered ramp forming position, the sections when in their elevated gate forming position being folded up to be disposed in an adjacent face-to-face relationship and when in their lowered ramp forming position being disposed end-to-end extending downwardly and rearwardly from the truck box, wherein the first transverse pivot axis of the front and rear sections forms an upper edge of the sections when the sections are disposed in their elevated gate forming position;
• means carried on one of the sections for releasably locking the front and rear sections in their elevated gate forming position, the locking means being cooperable with a portion of a locking mechanism located on the truck box;
• and
• handle means located adjacent the upper edge of the sections operatively connected to the locking means for simultaneously releasing the locking means when the handle means is manipulated, wherein the handle means comprises a single handle mounted on the one section for vertical upward movement when releasing the locking means, whereby the locking means may conveniently be released from a position close to the upper edge of the front and rear sections when such sections are disposed in their elevated gate forming position simply by pulling upwardly on the single handle.

A combination endgate and ramp structure for pickup trucks, which comprises:

• front and rear sections pivotally secured together for relative pivotal movement therebetween about a first transverse pivot axis, means pivotally mounting the front section to a rear end portion of a truck box to permit movement of the front and rear sections about a second transverse pivot axis between an elevated gate forming position and a lowered ramp forming position, the sections when in their elevated gate forming position being folded up to be disposed in an adjacent face-to-face relationship and when in their lowered ramp forming position being disposed end-to-end extending downwardly and rearwardly from the truck box;
• means carried on one of the sections for releasably locking the front and rear sections in their elevated gate forming position, the locking means being cooperable with a portion of a locking mechanism located on the truck box;
• and
• biasing means for counterbalancing the weight of the front and rear sections when the front and rear sections are being disposed in their lowered ramp forming position, wherein the biasing means comprises at least one spring carried around the first transverse pivot axis, the spring having opposite ends connected respectively to the first and second sections.