ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 3 -- United States Patent no. 12,780,073, issued on Nov. 3.
"Compact deployable cargo bed unloader" was invented by Peter Stavropoulos (Lynnfield, Mass.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An apparatus and methods for unloading materials from a vehicle cargo bed including a rotatable cylindrical drum on a spindle mounted between two end plates and driven by an internal tubular motor. A conveyor sheet is selectively wound and unwound about the cylindrical drum. A pair of mounting members secure the apparatus to the vehicle tailgate and a pair of adjustable length support members between the end plates to the vehicle's tailgate latch posts brace the apparatus and prevent undue ...