RYAN WACH
Invention study 01 / Pickup truck accessories

Pocket Anchor

The first problem was finding a way to mount a flagpole in a pickup truck without tools. The resulting idea became a system for attaching different accessories to a truck's existing, typically unused, stake pockets.

Actual Pocket Anchor prototype protruding from the stake pocket of a truck bedInventor photograph / early prototype
Early Pocket Anchor prototype mounted in a pickup truck's existing stake pocket.
Close view of pickup truck factory stake pocket opening before the attachment
01 · Starting pointThe truck's existing stake pocket.
Full-length photograph of two actual metal Pocket Anchor prototype components standing on the truck bed rail
02 · Early hardwareTwo pieces photographed during development.
Full original photograph of a Pocket Anchor prototype installed in the truck bed rail
03 · In placeClose-up of the prototype seated in the rail.

Original prototype photographs recovered from the inventor’s Pocket Anchor project archive. The full component and bed-rail photographs are shown without cropping.

Application concepts are not finished accessories.

The initial request

A friend wanted to mount a flagpole in a pickup truck's stake pocket for the Fourth of July. The challenge was to make the attachment quick and removable, without permanently modifying the truck.

An early working prototype was made with a 3D printer. The project then expanded beyond that original use: a removable base could stay attached to the truck while different accessories connected to it.

The interchangeable idea

The patented system describes a detachable base assembly fitted into a stake pocket and a second assembly associated with an accessory. The assemblies connect and can be released. The design also covers interchangeable applications beyond the original flagpole idea.

A flush tie-down point was another concept explored during development. The idea was to make the existing stake pocket useful without having to install a permanent bracket for every different accessory.

The public record

The photographs on this page show actual prototype hardware. The issued patent provides the full mechanical drawings and claims.

Read the published patent and view drawings ↗Pocket Anchor project site ↗
From the project website · Concept applications

What the interface could support

Pocket Anchor’s official website shows concept artwork for four possible accessory categories. Those drawings are exploratory, not finished hardware. The physical prototype photographs above show the interface itself.