Method of lifting a vehicle load cover

A method of transforming an upper surface of a cover for a load carried by a vehicle, said transforming being from a load-defined shape having a load-defined peak defined by said load, said transforming being to a combination shape defined by said load-defined peak and a second peak, said upper surface having a perimeter defined in part by a pair of spaced axially extending sides of said vehicle, each of said sides having a top, said tops defining a portion of said perimeter and a plane assumed by said upper surface in the absence of said load thereunder and without said second peak, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing a flexible web transversely across said sides at an axial position at which it is desired to define said second peak, said web having opposite ends, said web being attached to a two dimensional peak former tool having a peak-forming length for defining a desired spacing of said peak relative to said plane, said peak former tool attached to said web being in a first position in said plane;
• stretching said web in said axial position to define a platform generally in said plane;
• mounting said cover tightly over said web and said tool and said load to define said load-defined shape in said cover;
• and
• moving said peak former tool from said position in said plane to a peak-forming position to cause said cover to stretch and assume said combination shape.

A method of lifting a cover secured over an open top vehicle designed to carry a load which defines a valley upon being loaded into said vehicle, said valley having a maximum height below said top of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing said load in said vehicle to define at least one of said valleys;
• observing said load to identify a location at which said at least one valley and any other ones of said valleys have been defined in said vehicle;
• placing a support transversely on said vehicle across said top at each of said locations as was identified, said support being flexible and movably attached to a two-dimensional tool;
• rendering each said support rigid to define at each said location a platform having a plane defined by said top of said vehicle;
• applying said cover over all of said rigid supports and said tools thereon;
• and
• moving each of said tools on said support to lift said cover at each of said locations.

A method of transforming a surface that is at least partly planar into a surface that is mostly three dimensional, said planar surface having a perimeter defined in part by a pair of spaced axially extending sides, said sides defining a plane of said planar surface, said three dimensional surface having at least one peak above said plane and one or more sloped surfaces between said peak and said perimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing a flexible web transversely across said sides at an axial position at which it is desired to define said peak, said web having opposite ends and being under said at least partly planar surface;
• attaching to said web a peak-former tool having a peak-forming length generally equal to a desired spacing of said peak relative to said planar surface, said peak former tool attached to said web being in a first position in said plane and under said at least partly planar surface;
• stretching said web in said axial position to define a platform generally in said plane and under said at least partly planar surface;
• and
• moving said peak former tool from said position in said plane to a peak-forming position in contact with said at least partly planar surface to cause said peak to form and define said three dimensional surface.