Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to dump truck
vehicles, and more particularly, to a dump truck which is
adapted as a spreader.
Spreader/dump truck vehicles are well kn~wn in
the art. Such vehicles are adapted espec:ially for -the
purpose of spreading road salt on winter roads as well as
conventional dump truck purposes, such as transporting sand
and other granular materials.
Most such spreader/dump trucks are of the type
whereby the dump body is tiltable fore and aft of the truck
chassis, in combination with a conveyor which extends
laterally thereof for feeding road salt to a rotary disc
type spreader situated below the chassis. It has been found
that a dump body which tilts fore and aft can seriously shift
the center of gravity of the load and -thus of the vehicle
rendering the driving of the vehicle hazardous during a
spreading mode~
It has been suggested to have a side dump truck
with a conveyor extendlng longitudinally of the body. Such
a construction is illustrated in U. S. Patent 3,010,727,
Swenson et al, 1961, wherein a longitudinal conveyor is
provided on the side of the truck frame and the whole dump
box tilts about a longitudinal axis adjacent the conveyor,
However, such an arrangement presents a problem of shifting
the center of gravity laterally relative to the direction
of travel of the truck which can also present a driving
hazard.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a
salt/sand spreader and dump truck utilizing a side dump ~ f
; 30 principle while minimizing the shifting of the center of
gravityO
It is also an aim of the present invention to
provide a salt~sand spreader and dump truck construction
which has a side dump box section in combination with a
longitudinal conveyor integral with the dump box and wherein
the dump box can also be utilized in a rear dump mode.
A construction in accordance with the present
invention comprises a spreader and dump truck comprising a
vehicle, a longitudinal axis in the direction of travel and
having a chassis with a rear portion, a first dump box frame
pivotally mounted about a lateral axis on the rear portion
of the chassis. The first dump box frame includes a first
sub-frame having longitudinal side frame members, and a
front bul~head having a side pillar on either side thereof
mounted on the side frame members. A pair of side pillars
are provided on the side frame members at the rear of the
first sub-frame. A pivoting dump gate is mounted to the
upper portions of the rear side pillars. A conveyor is
provided on the first sub-frame e~tendiny longitudinally
thereof for delivering granular material of the dump box.
A second sub-frame is provided at least on one side of the
conveyor and has a hin~e axis parallel and adjacent the
conveyor. The second sub-frame includes a side frame member
co-extensive with a side ~rame member of the first sub-frame
when the second sub-frame is in a lowered position. A side
wall is provided on the side frame member of the second
sub-frame adapted to fit between the side pillar of the
bulkhead and the rear pillar on the side frame member of the
first sub-frame and within a plane including the pillars.
Means are provided for pivoting the second sub-frame away
from the first su~-frame about the hinge axis.
In a more specific embodiment, the conveyor is
located adjacent one side of the dump box, while the second
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sub-~rame is hinged to the first sub-frame along an axis
adjacent the conveyor on the other side of the conveyor. The
second sub~frame includes a floor covering, and the first
sub-frame includes a side wall extending between the side
pillar of the bulkhead and the rear pillar on the one side
of the dump truck adjacent the conveyor.
By having a pivoting second sub-frame hinged longi-
tudinally within the confines of the ~irst sub-frame and
adjacent a conveyor provided on the first sub-frame, only a
portion o~ the dump box pivots upwardly, thereby maintaining
the center of gravity in the vicinity of the longitudinal
axis of the vehicle as compared to a side dump truc~ wherein
the longitudinal conveyor is outboard of the dump box, and
the whole of the dump box is made to pivot along an axis at
a side ed~e thereo~.
Further, by having the second sub-frame and the
first sub-frame complementin~ the structure of the side wall,
i.e., with the side wall portion mounted to the second sub~
frame and the front and rear pillars mounted to the first
sub-frame, considerable weight saving is obtained as compared
with a previous attempt whereby the second sub-frame includes
a s~de wall and the first sub-frame includes a side wall in
order that the structural integrity of the dump box including
the first sub-frame be maintained.
In the event that the dump box is to be used as a
conventional rear dump truck, a cover is provided over the
conveyor to provide a smooth bottom wall surface.
An optional screen device may be provided hinged
to the side walls. ~ link forming a quadrilateral with one
of the screen sides is provided on the fi~ed side wall so
that when the second sub-frame is pivoted with its side wall,
the articulated screens and link will Eold accordingly.
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Having thus generally described the nature of the
invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawings, showing by way of illustration, a preferred ~mbodi-
ment thereof, and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dump box of the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section taken along
line 3~3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical cross-
section taken along li.ne 4-4 of Figure 2,
Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the
dump box provided with the optional
screen; and
Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section taken along
line 6-6 of Figure 5.
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
Figures 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a dump box 10 adapted to
be mounted on a vehicle chassis 12 of a typical -truck type
vehicle. Although the dump box 10 looks and can operate as
a conventional rear dump box, ~t, in fact, serves two
purposes - one as a conventional dump box and the second as
: a salt/ssnd spreader dump box.
The construction of the dump box 10 includes a
first sub-frame 16 mounted to a rear hinge 14 on the truck
chsssis 12. The sub-frame 16, as best shown in Figures 2
and 3, includes side frame members 20 and 22 which, in this
cass/ are in the form of box beams. Longitudinal I-beams 24
and 26 extend the length of the first sub-frame 16, and a
plurality of laterally extending box beam members 28 complete
the structure of the fir.st sub-frame 16~ The lateral beams
28 are welcled to -the side frame 22 and to the I-beams 24
-- 4 --
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and 26~
A front bulkhead 30 is mounted to the first sub-
frame 16 and includes side pillars 32 and 34 mounted
respectively to side frame members 20 ~nd 22~ Rear pillars
36 and 38 are also mounted to side frame members 20 and 22
and are adapted to hang a dump gate 40 at dump gate hinge
brackets 42 and 44. A side wall 46 extends between the
pillars 32 and 36 and is welded therewith. The upper por~
tions of the pillars 32 and 36 are provided with channels
48 and 50 respectively for the purpose of receiving wooden
planks, thereby effectively raising the height of the side
wall 46, if necessary. A conveyor 5~, as shown in Figure 3,
is mounted within the frame structure of the sub-frame 16
so that the upper run of the conveyor belt is slightly
below the bottom surface of the dump box. A cover plate 54,
which pivots along an axis adjacent the conveyor 52 between
the side wall 46 and the edge of the conveyor, is provided
for covering the conveyor when the dump box is utilized in
its rear dump mode for carrying gravel, etc.
The second sub-frame 18 includes a side frame
member 62 and a plurality of laterally extending channel
beam members 56 which are welded to the side beam member 62
but offset therefrom so that the channel members, when the
second sub-frame 18 is in its lowered position, lie in the
eame plane as the beam members 28. A cover plate 60 is
welded to the channel beam members 56 and to the side frame
members 62. The second sub-frame 18 is hinged to a hinge
shaft 58 which extends parallel to and adjacent the conveyor
52, as shown in Figure 3.
A side wall 64 is mounted on the second sub-frame
18 in a plane containing the side ~rame member 62. The
side wall is such as to mate with the rear pillar 38 and the
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front pillar 36. For instance, a flange 65 is provided on
the rear portion of the wall 64, and a chaImel member 66
extends upwardly from the flange 65, and with the channel 68
at the front of the wall 64, is adapted to receive wooden
planks for extending the height of the side wall 64. The
flange 65 has a horizontal extension 67 with a locate pin 69.
Locate pin 69 is adapted to be received in a suit-
able female seat on the top of the pillar 38 when the second
frame member is in its lower position. Similarly, a locate
pin 71 is provided on the front part of the wall 64 and
adapted to be received in the pillar 36~ Various locate pins
75 may be provided on the side frame members 62 adapted to
be received in apertures provided in the side frame member
22 which is co-extensive therewith when the second sub-frame
18 is in its lower position.
front plate 70 is welded to the cover 60 and the
eide wall channel 68 and includes a rubber seal 72. The
plate 70 slides against the bulkhead 30, and with the rubber
seal 72, pre~ents granular material from being lodged between
the front plate 70 and the bulkhead 30 and acts as a wiper
therefor.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a piston and cylinder
arrangement 73 is provided on a bracket mounted on the I-beam
26 at one end and i5 pi w tally connected to the side frame
member 62 at the other end. Three such piston and cylinder
arrangements can be provided between the first sub-frame 16
as represented-by the I-beam 26 and the second sub-frame 18
as represented by the side frame member 62.
When it is required to use the dump box in a salt
spreading mode, the cover 54 is pivoted away from the
; conveyor 52, thus exposiny the top run of the conveyo:r belt,
and salt is fed into the dump box 10 with the second sub-frame
-- 6 --
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18 in its lower position.
As it is required to move the salt onto the
conveyor as the load is reduced, the second sub-frame 18
is gradually pivoted upwardly by operating the piston and
cylinder arrangement 73. Thus, as seen in Figure 3, the
salt/sand will be shifted onto the conveyor 52 for feeding
onto a circular salt/sand feeder (not shown).
An optional screen device can be provided on the
dump box as shown in Figures S and 6. The screen device
must be articulatea so that it will fold properly when the
second sub-frame 18 is tilted upwardly from the first sub-
frame 16. As shown in Figure 6, the screens 74 are hinged
to a central floating beam 76 and are hinged at each side
to the fixed side wall 46 and the side wall portion 64 of
the second sub-frame 18, by means of pivot hinges 82 and
84 respectively. The screens 74 are hinged to the beam 76
along hinge pins 78 and 80 respectively.
A link member 8Ç is pivotally connected to the
beam 76 at 90 and to the side wall 46 at 88. The link 86
and the screens 74 and beam 76 and the side wall 46 forrn
a quadrilateral, such that as the second sub-fr~ne 18 is
pivoted upwardly, the screens will be forced to fold as
shown in Figure 6 in dotted lines.
The screens are utilized for screening the salt
~ when it is being~loaded into the dump box 10.
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