Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~067032
The present invention relates to a structure designed to
stabilize a dump truck while the truck is tilting its dump box to
empty a load.
Modern dump trucks ran8e from the relatively small ones~
little bigger than a panel truck to the massive trucks which are able
to carry heavy loads of several tons. It ls mostly these trucks which
may experience a particular danger when unloading. Such trucks are
equipped with a dumping mechanism which raises the dump box to an almost
vertical tilt to ensure that all of the contents of the dump box can
51ide out thrcugh the rear opening. However~ as frequently happens~
some or much of the load remains in the dump box, even while it is
tilting and only slides out when tbe dump box is almost in its
final almost vertical position. This is especially the case with
the heavy clotted dense material, such as wet sand or earth, frequently
carried in construction work. The result is that the center of gravity
of the entire truck is raised to a h~gh, dangerously unstable level
as the dump box tilts upwards. If the load slides down unevenly, more
on one side of the dump box than on the other, the truck may fall over
on its side. This danger increases if the truck is unloading on a
transversely slanted surface, with a consequent greater risk of injury
to the driver, damage to the truck and spillage of the load.
Accordingly, it is an ob~ect of the present invention to
provide a stabilizing means for an unloading dump truck.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such
a stabilizing means ~hich is effective, fail-proof and which requires
only slight modifications to a truck.
It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a stabilizlng means adaptable to many different trucks havlng
varying light, moderate or heavy loads.
These objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention
by the provision of a floor flanked on either side by a block-shaped
pillar of suitably strong material. A transverse rod extends between
the two pillars at a suitable height above the floor. To use the
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stabili~er a truck is equipped on each side of its frame at the
rear with a rearwardly extending flange which has a rearwardly
facing groove adapted to receive the rod of the platform. To unload,
a truck is backed onto the floor so that both grooves of the two
flanges fitted to the frame of the truck engage the transverse rod.
Thus, as the dump box is being raised, the truck is at all times
held in a stable position by the transverse rod engaged ln the
grooves on each side of the truck frame.
The above will be re clearly understood by reference
to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of the
accompanying drawings~ in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective and sectioned view of the stabilizer;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1~ also
showing in elevation the rear end of a truck in position
on the floor with the flanges just engaging the transverse
rod;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly in plan section, of one pillar
showing one end of the rod and the shock-absorbing assembly;
Fig. 4 is a sectional side view looking along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a perspective and partially sectioned view of one
excentric end of the rod; and
Fig. 6 shows two cross-sections of the rod in lower and higher
positions to explain how it ad~usts automatically to the
lever of the dump truck frame.
In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like
elements throughout.
A platform 1 is preferably made of steel or iron and generally
rectangular in shape having a series of spaced-apart vertical ribs 2
sandwiched between upper panels 3 and 4 lower panel, as best seen in
Fig. 2. The front edge of platform 1 is provided with a flat slant 5
permitting the wheels of a truck to easily roll onto platform 1
which forms a floor.
In each of both rear corners of platform 1, a pillar 6~ on
the left, and a pillar 7, on the right, are located. Both pillars
6 and 7 are substantially of block-shape and have a step 8 facing
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towards the front of the platform 1. The frontmose inside corner edge 9
of both pillars 6 and 7 is bevelled at an angle of approximately 4S
degrees.
A transverse rod lO, relatively thick and strong~ is ro~atably
mounted in pillar 6 and pillar 7, extending between them.
A dump truck adapted to use the stabilizer has a flange 11
secured by bolts 12 to the frame 13 of the truck on each side, at ~he
rear. Fi~. 2 shows only one such flange~ the other not being visible
as the view is taken from one side of the truck. Fig. 2 shows only a
portion of the truck frame 13 and a wheel 14 is illustrated in dashed
outline. Each flange ll is provided with a groove 15 opening toward the
back and having a semi-circular end of slightly larger diameter than the
diameter of the rod 10~ so that groove 15 may enga8e rod 10. The lower
arm 16 of groove 15 extends further rearwardly than the upper arm 17
and edge 18 of arm 16 is curved downwardly to facilitate engagement of
rod 10 as the truck is moving backwards~ if rod 10 is slightly lower than
groove 15. Edge 10 of upper arm 17 is curved upwardly for the same reason
in the event that rod 10 is higher than groove 15. Once groove 15 fully
engages rod 10~ the dump box 20 of the truck may be tilted about pivot
21 and emptied as shown by the dashed outline of Fig. 2. Even if the
load in the du~p box is unevenly distributed~ rod 10 effectively prevents
the truck from falling toward either side.
Rod 10 has, at both of its ends, a crankarm 22 from which
extends a shorter rod 23 which is excentric relative to rod 10. Each rod
23 is mounted in a box-like casing 24. Rod 23 is surrounded from crank-
arm 22 to its end, by a cylindrical sleeve 25 welded or otherwise secured
within casing 24. Inside sleeve 25, are spaced two brass bearings 26 for
rotatably supporting rod 23. The two excentric rods 23 at each end
of the rod 10 are coaxial and allow rod 10 to automatically rotate when
engsged by flanges ll and thus be positioned in different vertical levels~
as shown clearly in Fig. 6 to compensate for different possible heights
of flange ll installed on different types of trucks~ also for the
same type of truck carrying variously weighted loads and, finally, to
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allow raising of the truck frame as the truck unloads.
Casing 24 is slidably located within a box-shaped enclosure 27
secured within the top portion of pillar 6 and pillar 7. A helical
compreSsion spring 28 acts as a biasing means to keep rod 10 in a
frontward position in which each casing 24 abu~s against a removable
cover plate 29 of enclosure 27. Casing 24 is slidably supported within
enclosure 27 between an upper set 30 and lower set 31 of spacer plates
which can be added or substracted from either set to adjust the height
of casing 24 within the pillars~ Cover plate 29 is affixed to pillars 6
and 7 and can be removed for access to the spacer plates, the casing
24 and end rod 23.
Helical springs 28 serve to absorb any possible shock of impact
on rod 10 if a truck backs up a little too quickly and also serves to
permit transverse alignment of rod 10 with grooves 10 to fully engage
bOeh grooves, even if the truck is not fully perpendicular to rod 10.
Obviously, pillars 6 and 7 could be anchored directly in the ground, or in
a concrete base~ and the floor l can be any t~pe of surface or the ground
itself.
