Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"TRUCK BOX TARPAULIN ASSEMBLY"
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful improve-
ments in truck box tarpaulin assemblies.
Conventional truck boxes having open tops often
require covering when transporting perishable loads such as
grain or dust producing loads such as sand, gravel and the
like. In fact, many jurisdictions require such loads to
be covered during the transportation thereof and many
attempts have been made to produce a truck tarpaulin which
is readily and easily installed and which is easily operat-
ed by one man.
While it is possible to lash tarpaulins securely
to the truck box sides, this is time consuming so that many
mechanical rolling assemblies have been produced to roll
an~ unroll the tarpaulin across the top of the truck box.
These mechanical devices usually re~ui~e t~cks
upon whicn the tarp~u]in rolLs by -r~17~rs or ~ie like an~
are usually relatively involved and expensive to produce and
install.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes all of these dis-
advantages by providing a relatively simple tarpaulin as-
sembly which is easily rolled across the top of the truck
box to cover or uncover tne interior thereof and one aspect
of the invention consists of a tarpaulin cover assembly for
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tne open upper s~de of the truck box which includes a pair
of side walls a rear end wall, and a front end wall; said
tarpaulin cover assembly comprising in combination a sub-
stantially rectangular tarpaulin adapted to cover the open
upper side of the truck box when in the fully extended posi-
tion, means to hold one lon~itudinal edge of the tarpaulin
relative to one side wall, said last mentioned means includ-
lng a substantially rigia member secured to said one edge of
said tar~aulin a spring an~ cable assembly operatively con-
nected ~o a~Jacent each end of said substantially rigid
member and to said truck box, longitudinally extending
roller means secure~ ~o the other longitudinal edge of
said tarpaulin and means to rotate said roller means, said
ro]ler means being supported for transverse rolling motion
upon the upper edges of the front and back end walls of
the truck body, and means operatively extending between
said roller means and said truck body to tension said tar-
paulin transversely at all times.
Another advantage of the present invention is to
provide a device of the character herewithin described
wnicn is simple in construction, economical in manufacture
and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is
designed.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages
as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to
which this invention relates as this specification pro-
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ceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which in-
cludes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of
the principles of the present invention, in which:
5 . DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING~
Figure 1 is a rear view of Figure 3 showing the
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tarpaulin assembly in the partially uncovered position.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the truck box per se,
with the tarpaulin assembly partially open.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a truck
and truck box but showing the tarpaulin assembly in the fully
closed position.
In the drawings like characters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
_
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in
detail, reference character 10 illustrates a conventional
truck having a body collectively designated 11 thereon and
mounted upon ground engaging wheels 12 in the usual manner.
The truck box includes sides 13 and 13A, a front end wall 14
and a rear end wall 15 which, together with a floor 16, de-
fines a truck box having an open upper side 17. The rear end
of the truck box is usually provided with access door 18 in
the usual way.
The tarpaulin assembly is collectively designated
19 and consists of a substantially rectangular tarpaulin or
canvas cover 20, the dimensions of which are sufficient to
permit the edges 21 of the tarpaulin to overlap the upper
sides of the walls of the truck box, thus providing an effi-
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cient seal.
Means are provided to secure one longitudinal
edge 22 of the tarpaulin to one side 13A of the truck box.
Said mean may take the form of fastening the edge to adja-
cent the upper edge of the side wall 13A by means of screws
or the like or, alternatively, a bar or batten 23 may be
secured to and extend along the edge of the tarpaulin and
be held in position by means of cables 24 and tension
springs 25 extending downwardly from the batten to adja-
cent the lower end of the side wall 13A to which they are
fastened.
The other longitudinally extending edge of the
tarpaulin is secured to a roller assembly collectively de-
signated 26, this roller assembly including a roller 27
extending longitudinally of the truck box and extending
beyond the front and rear end walls 14 and 15 thereof.
The aforementioned other longitudinal edge 22A of the tar-
pQ.~Lin LS secured to the roller by any conventional means
Sue~ as nails, screws, staples or the like, and a cable
drulll 28 is secured to each end of the roller beyond the end
walls 14 and 15 thereof.
The roller 27 is adapted to roll on the upper
edges of the end walls 14 and 15 which are preferab]y
shaped as shown in Figure 2 with each side inclining upward-
ly towards a central apex area 29 lylng along the longitu-
dinal axis of the truck body.
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If desired, transverse supports 30 shaped in a
similar manner, may extend between the upper edges of thf
side walls 13 and 13A intermediate the ends thereof. ~hese
may be detachable and the number will aepen~ upon tne
length and ~Jidth of the ~ruck box.
Means are provided to rotate the roller assembly
and take the form, in this embodiment, of a handle crank
31 secured to one end of the roller 27, preferably the end
adjacent the rear end wall 15 of the truck body and this
crank may be rotated manually preferably utilizing a pull
rod (not illustrated) the distal end of which may engage
portion 31A of the handle crank. From the foregoing, it
will be appreciated that rotation of the handle crank 31
will cause the roller assembly to roll along the upper
edges of the end walls, rolling the tarpaulin onto the
roller 27 as it moves from side wall 13 towards the side
wall 13A and vice versa.
However, it will also be appreciated that means
are required in order to tension the tarpaulin not only
during the rolling action, but also wnen the tarpaulin is
in the extended or covering position, said means being
collectively designated 32 and taking the form of a cable
and spring assembly.
A pair of cables 33 are secured by one end there-
of, one to each of the cable drums 28 and extend throughsheaves 34 and 35. The sheaves 34 are situated one on the
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front wall 14 and another on the rear wall 15, and adja-
cent the upper corner 35A ~f the junction between the end
walls and the side wall 13.
The other sheaves 35 are situated one upon each
end of the side wall 13 adjacent the lower corners thereof,
said sheaves preferably being universally mounted so that
they are self-aligning. However, structures such as these
are well known and it is not believed necessary to describe
same further.
These sheaves 34 and 35 guide the other ends 33A
of the cables towards one another along adjacent the lower
longitudinally extending edge 37 of the side wall 13 and a
relatively long coiled tension spring 38 or the equivalent,
extends between the ends of the cables thus applying equal
tension thereto. It will be noted that the sheaves 34 guide
the cables towards the cable drum and supply transverse ten-
sion to the tarpaulin regardless of the position thereof.
As the roller assembly is rolled towards the wall 13A, the
spring 38 extends thus maintaining the tension upon the tar-
paulin and also maintaining the alignment of the roller as-
sembly.
The spring 38 is also provided with sufficient
tension to maintain the tarpaulin assembly in the fully
closed position illustrated in Figure 1 as well as assisting
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in the tensioning and alignment thereof during the rolling
and unrolling operation.
SUPPLEMENTARY DISCLOSURE
_ _ _
Figure 4 is an end view of the preferred embodiment
showing the tarpaulin partially opened.
Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of Figure 4
taken from the left-hand side thereof.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary end view similar to Figure
4, but showing the tarpaulin the fully closed position.
Figure 7 is an exploded fragmentary partially cross
sectioned view showing the preferred method of inserting the
additional supports.
It will be noted firstly, that the rear edge 21A
of the tarpaulin and, the front edge (not illustrated) are
eleasticized to ensure a good fit of the tarpaulin over the
front and rear upper edges of the end walls 14 and 15.
Secondly, a cable and spring assembly collectively desig-
nated 39 are provided in this embodiment, at the rear wall
15 above the discharge gate 18 and situated transversely as
illustrated in Figure 4. It is preferable that the tension
spring 40 be anchored by one end thereof to one end 41 of
the spring carrying tube 42 which in turn is secured to the
rear wall 15. The upper end 43 of the cable 44 is secured
to the distal end of the spring within the tube 42. This
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cable, which is secured by the other end thereof to the
cable reel 26, is guided by a universally mounted sheave 45
secured to the rear wall 15 adjacent the upper side there-
of, a further universally mounted sheave 46 also secured to
the rear wall 15 and situated spaced below the first sheave
45, and a roller or guide pin 47 situated substantially le-
vel with the first sheave 45 but outboard thereof with a
circular guard plate 48 being secured to the outer end of
the spindle 49 mounting the roller 47. The cable then ex-
tends to the cable drum 26 and is secured thereto as herein-
before described.
Means for operating the roller assembly are provi-
ded consisting of a handle 50 secured by one end thereof to
the end 51 of the spindle carrying the roller assembly and
to the drum by means of pin or bolt 50A. An actuator 52,
taking the form of an elongated rod, is pivotally secured
by the inner end thereof to a crank pin 53 secured to and
extending outwardly from the handle 50 adjacent the distal
end 54 thereof. This enables the handle together with the
roller assembly, to be rotated as hereinbefore described.
The device operates in a manner similar to that
hereinbefore described with the spring 40 supplying tension
transversely to the canvas or tarpaulin at all times. How-
ever, it should be noted that roller or guide pin 47 acts
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as a guide to the cable drum 26 as it changes direction
when passing around the upper side of the side 13 of the
truck body. To facilitate engagement of the cable drum with
the roller, the upper portion of the disc 48 is flanged out-
wardly at an angle to the plane of the disc as shown in
Figure 5.
When it is desired to lock the canvas or tarpaulin
in any position either fully closed, fully opened or parti-
ally opened, the distal end 54 of the handle is locked to
lQ the rear wall by means of a short length of chain 55 enga-
ged by one end thereof to the distal end 54 of the handle
50 and by the other end thereof to a hook 56 secured to the
rear wall 15 of the truck body and offstanding slightly
therefrom.
Under these circumstances, the actuator 52 is
pivoted to the substantially horizontal position and rested
in a hook 57 secured to the rear wall as shown in Figures
4 and 5.
It will be appreciated that the cable and spring
assembly together with the sheave assemblies and roller
described for the rear wall, are also present on the front
wall so that even tension is maintained at all times.
Figure 7 shows one construction of the additional
supports 30A which are detachably securable across the
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truck body adjacent the upper edges of the side walls there-
of. Relatively small tubes 58 are secured to the inner sur-
face of the upper edge of the truck body side walls and the
members 30A are provided with pins or spigots 59 depending
from the underside thereof which slidably engage within the
tubes or sockets and can be removed when necessary.
Since various modifications can be made in my in-
vention as hereinabove described, and many apparently wide-
ly different embodiments of same made within the spirit
and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit
and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the
accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustra-
tive only and not in a limiting sense.
