Gliding pivot

A cover system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a frame for supporting a container, the cover system comprising:

• a flexible cover sized to span the length of the container;
• a pair of bail arms connected to one end of said flexible cover;
• each of said bail arms connected to a corresponding pivot mechanism for pivotably supporting the bail arm, each pivot mechanism configured to pivot the bail arms between a position in which the flexible cover is stowed and a position in which the flexible cover spans the length of the container;
• and
• each pivot mechanism mounted on a corresponding one of a pair of gliding assemblies, each one of the gliding assemblies including;
• a pair of oppositely disposed rails fixedly mounted to the frame of the vehicle;
• a gliding body slidably supported on the pair of rails;
• and
• a cylinder supporting the gliding body and slidably supported on a rod assembly, the rod assembly including a pair of collinearly disposed rods, coupled together by a piston element, the piston element defining opposite fluid paths for a pressurizing fluid conveyed under pressure to the cylinder;
• and
• a fluid circuit configured to selectively supply pressurized fluid to the cylinder through the pair of rods to move the cylinder, and therefore the gliding body and bails arms supported thereon, in one of two opposite directions along the length of the vehicle frame.