Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ROTATABLE FEEDGATE
The present i:avention relates to art of trucks and more particularly to a new
and
improved dump truck of the standard type including an integrated spreader
system for
conveying material through a tailgate opening which improvement allows for
hauling Iong
items when the tailgate is hauling material without interference with
auxiliary structures
~ carried by the tailgate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Trucks such as dump trucks have commonly been used to convey materials such as
salt, dirt, gravel and/or :>and for the purposes of spreading these materials
onto road surfaces
to improve the traction of the road surface during hazardous driving
conditions. Dump trucks
have also been used 1:o carry and dispense asphalt on road surface for road
repair and
maintenance. The materials in 'the truck are commonly dispensed by tilting the
dump body
of the truck thereby releasing the materials from the dump body and/or
conveying the
materials within the dump body out through an opening in the rear of the dump
body. Dump
trucks with integrated conveyance systems are illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos.
RE 25,709;
4,886,214; 4,266,731 arid 5,397,:172. These patents illustrate the common
prior art methods
for controlling the flow rate o:P material moved out of the dump body of a
truck by an
integrated conveyor. U.S. Pater.~t No. RE 25,709 illustrates the use of a
slidable door and a
rotatable feedgate to control th.e particulate flowrate from a conveyor. The
slidable door
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similar in design to the slidable door illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos.
4,886,214 and 4,266,731.
The slidable door is moved vertically and downwardly to control the flowrate
of particulate
material conveyed through the rear opening of a tailgate. The rotatable
feedgate rotates
about a fixed axis. The rotatable feedgate is rotated into the truck body to
control the rate
of discharge of material. Dump bodies used for bulk material such as asphalt
and/or salt have
had tailgates with openings which include rotatable feedgates or slidable
doors, such as shown
to RE 25,709. The rotatable feedgate and slidable door designs have been used
for many
years to control particulate flow rates from an integrated conveyor system
mounted in the
body of a dump truck. The slidable door disclosed in 5,397,172 is incorporated
in a separate
structure, called a hood and described in 4,886,214. The hood is designed to
slidably shift
between a forward and rearward position on the hood. The rearward shifting of
the hood
allows the truck to be used in the open hauling mode. Rotatable feedgates and
slidable'doors
have long been used in combination with particulate conveying systems and rear
spreaders to
improve the particulate flow rate and dispersement by the conveyor from the
rear of a dump
truck.
Although prior spreading systems have improved the control of the flowrate of
the
. dispensed materials from the dump body, these prior spreader systems are
still inadequate for
reliably controlling particulate flowrates over an extended period of time.
Spreader systems
which incorporate a slidable door such as shown in 4,886,214 are highly
susceptible to
jamming during operation. Slidable doors are guided by slots which maintain
the door in
position. These slots typically fill up with particulate material which passes
through the
tailgate door. Particulate material such as gravel and salt commonly gets
lodged in the slots
thereby preventing the slidable door from moving. Consequently, proper flow
rate control
of such particulate material is impaired. Dispensement of asphalt from a
tailgate having a
2 5 slidable door is even more problematic. Asphalt which becomes lodged in
the door slots will
eventually to bond the slidable door and to the slots thereby preventing
further operation of
the slidable door. The slots are also very susceptible to damage. The slots,
over time, will
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deform in shape due to being bumped into by other objects, bend during
operation, and/or
rusting. Deformation of the slots results in impaired operation of the
slidable door and
ineffective control of particulate material flowrates. Rotatable feedgate
designs overcome the
jamming problems associated with slidable doors. Rotatable feedgates pivot
about a single
axis thereby essentially eliminating problems of jamming the feedgate when
dispensing
materials such as salt, gravel, asphalt, etc. Furthermore, the rotatable
feedgate design is
typically a more durable design thus less susceptible to damage during
operation and daily
use. However, when using a tailgate having a rotatable feedgate, low flowrate
control of
particulate material throu~;h the fee;dgate is difficult and unreliable. Due
to the design of the
rotatable feedgate, the opening of the rotatable feedgate allows particulate
material to enter
the feedgate from both the front .and sides of the feedgate. The slidable door
design only
allows particulate material to pass through the front of the feedgate thereby
providing better
flowrate control of materi~~ls through the feedgate opening than rotatable
feedgates, especially
at low flowrates.
In a related case, new US Patent No. 5,823,734, there did not exist a
mechanism for
actually controlling the size of the passageway while controlling side flow of
a rotatable
feedgate. This US Patent I\fo. 5,823,734 significantly improved the control
of dispensing materials from a dump body, especially at low flow rates. The
feedgate design
overcame the problems of jarnrnin~; and susceptibility to damage commonly
associated with
2 0 slidable door designs and further resolved the problem with the control of
low particulate
material flowrate associai:ed with rotatable feedgates. The rotatable feedgate
design was
versatile enough to be used in a mmual or automatic mode of operation and had
a relatively
simple and durable design. The rotatable feedgate could also be used in an
open mode of
operation for hauling long materials such as trees. In the open mode of
operation, the
rotatable feedgate was moved into the completely open position to rotate the
rotatable
feedgate into and behind the inner surface of the tailgate when the tailgate
was opened to the
laid open position. This position allowed objects to be laid over the tailgate
opening during
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hauling. However, the versatility of the tailgate design was limited in the
open mode of
operation since the rotatable feedgate in the open position did not block the
tailgate opening.
As a result, objects being loaded and unloaded from the dump body could lodge
themselves
in the tailgate opening thus making the task of loading and unloading more
difficult. In
addition, the rotatable feedgate, in the open position, could not be used for
open mode
dumping or be used as a. platform for dirt, sand, mulch, gravel, etc. The
rotatable feedgate
design of US Patent No. 5,823.,734 was not compatible for using the tailgate
in these
operations since particulate materials could freely fall through the tailgate
opening when the
rotatable feedgate was ire the open position. When the rotatable feedgate was
in the closed
position, the rotatable feedgate created an inconvenient obstruction extending
upwardly from
the inner surface of the tailgate thus making the rotatable feedgate
essentially incompatible
or inconvenient for use in. these operations. A.s a result, there remains a
demand for a truck
body with a tailgate mounted flow control mechanism having the advantages of a
rotatable
feedgate which will allow the truck body to be used effectively in the
tailgate down position.
US Patent No. 5,823, 7 34 could not accomplish this function because of the
inherent
operation of a rotatable feedgate.
SUMIVI:ARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relaters to trucks, particularly dump trucks and more
particularly
to a new and improved dump trucks of the standard type which include an
improved
2 0 arrangement for conveying materials through a tailgate opening and which
improvement
allows for open truck hauling of various types of materials without
interference with any
structures incorporated ire the tail~;ate.
In accordance witr~ a prefen-ed embodiment of the present invention, there is
provided
a truck having a dump body having two side walls, a base and a rear end and
front end. The
2 5 rear end includes an opening which can be manipulated to control the
dispensement rate of
the contents within the dump body through the rear opening. The size of the
aperture in the
rear opening is manipulated by an adjustable feedgate which is rotatably
mounted in the rear
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opening. The.side walls ofthe dump body are positioned essentially
perpendicular to the base
of the dump body or are angularly positioned with respect to the base so as to
provide sloped
surfaces. Preferably, the side walls of the dump body includes an angually
sloped section
which slopes downward to the base of the dump body. At the base of the dump
body, there
is preferably incorporated therein a conveyor system which rearwardly moves
material within
the dump body toward the opening in the rear end of the dump body. Preferably,
the
conveyor system extends longitudinally from the forward end to the rear end of
the dump
body and is evenly spaced between the two side walls of the dump body. The
rear opening
is preferably in longitudinal alignment with the conveyor system so that the
materials in the
dump body moved to the opening by the conveyor system will directly exit the
dump body
through the opening. The rear opening preferably has a width which is
generally equal to the
width of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system and the height of the
opening is preferably
less than half the height of the dump body. The rotatably adjustable feedgate
mounted in the
rear end ofthe dump body and preferably in the rear opening is adjustable by
manual and/or
mechanical means. The feedgate is designed to regulate the rate at which the
material
contents of the dump body are dispensed from the dump body through the rear
opening.
In accordance with the present invention, the rear end of the dump body
preferably
includes a tailgate which is pivotly attached to the rear end of the dump
body. The tailgate
includes the rear opening. The tailgate of the dump body permits the truck to
be used in a
2 0 closed mode of operation wherein the tailgate is in the closed position
and the contents of the
dump body are conveyed toward the rear end of the dump body and through the
rear opening
in a controlled manner. The rotatable feedgate is also designed to be mounted
on the tailgate
in the rear opening such that the tailgate can be used in an open mode
operation wherein the
tailgate is in laid open position wherein the tailgate extends in essentially
the same plane'as
the base of the truck dump body.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the rear opening
includes
two side walls and a top wall and the feedgate is rotatably mounted in the
rear opening to the
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two side walls of the rear opening. Such a mounting configuration facilitates
in a compact
and simplified mechanism for controlling the feedgate position within the rear
opening of the
dump body. The rotatable feedgate includes an edge guard which is in contact
with or closely
adjacent to the conveyor belt when the feedgate is in the closed position. In
the closed
,position, the rotatable feedgate blocks the materials in the dump body from
passing through
the rear opening. As the feedgate is rotated into an open position, the edge
guard of the
rotatable feedgate upwardly retracts in a generally upward arc from the
conveyor belt surface
and controllably allows materials in the dump body to pass through and/or be
conveyed
through the rear opening.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the rotatable
feedgate
includes a feed guide having two panels positioned generally perpendicular to
one another and
rotatably mounted to each of the side walls of the rear opening. The feed
guide is preferably
mounted such that the feed guide can either be immediately retracted from the
base of the
dump body as the edge guard is retraced or delay in retraction until the edge
guard has
retracted to a minimum predefined position. Once the edge guard has reached or
exceeded
the predefined position, the edge guard and the feed guide simultaneously
retract until the
rotatable feedgate is positioned in the completely open position. The feed
guide also can be
mounted such that the feed guide retracts at a similar or different rate from
the retraction rate
of the edge guard. The feed guide is designed to add additional control to the
dispersement
2 0 of the materials from the dump body by limiting the size of the rear
opening as the edge guard
is retracted. This feedgate design provides additional control to the
dispensement rate of the
materials at low dispensement rates by controlling the flowrate of materials
through the sides
of the rotary feedgate.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the rotatable
feedgate can
2 5 be mounted such that the rotatable feedgate can be manually opened and
closed in an easy and
efficient manner. Furthermore, the rotatable feedgate is also designed such
that an automated
system such as a hydraulic drive may be connected to the feedgate to move the
feedgate in
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both an open and closed position. The hydraulic system can include an
electrical control
system arranged in the cab of the truck to allow an operator to operate the
hydraulic system
and control the dispensement rate of materials from the dump body of the
truck.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention, the
rotatable
feedgate can be repositioned in the tailgate opening to close the tailgate
opening and to
minimize the protrusion of the feedgate from the inner surface of the
tailgate. Such
repositioning of the rotatable feedgate facilitates in using the feedgate in
an open mode of
operation. In the open mode of operation, the rotatable tailgate is opened and
lies in
essentially the same plane as the bottom of the dump body. In this mode of
operation, long
objects can be hauled, materials can be manually loaded into the dump body,
etc. The
rotatable feedgate is thus designed to be readily converted between a closed
mode of
operation and an open mode of operation by the repositioning the feedgate in
the tailgate
opening. Preferably, the rotatable feedgate is rotatably mounted on a pin,
which pin can be
easily and conveniently removed. The removal of the pin allows the rotatable
feedgate to be
repositioned and then retracted in the tailgate opening. Such a rotatable
feedgate design
allows for the dump body to be used for hauling, dumping and spreading of
materials from
the dump body of the truck.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a plate is
positioned over
the tailgate opening to form a substantially flat surface on the inner surface
of the tailgate.
2 0 The plate covers the tailgate opening and provides a substantially flat
and continuous surface
for when the tailgate is used in an open mode of operation. The plate is
preferably a durable
material such as steel. The plate may be positioned on top or positioned on
the underside of
the tailgate inner surface. The plate is preferably bolted in position;
however, other
mechanism such as brackets, latches, pins, etc. can be used to mount the plate
in the tailgate
opening. The plate is preferably designed to be positioned on the tailgate
when the rotatable
feedgate is rotatably attached to the tailgate or when the rotatable feedgate
is removed from
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the tailgate. The rotatable feedgate, when attached to the tailgate, is
preferably rotated to the
complete open position prior to mounting the plate over the tailgate opening.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a truck which can
dispense
material in a controlled manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tailgate having a
rotatable
feedgate mounted in a tailgate opening which feedgate is designed to resist
jamming and
damage during operation of the feedgate.
Still another object ofthe present invention is to provide a truck having a
dump body
which dump body includes an opening having a rotatable feedgate which is
rotatably
incorporated into the opening of the dump body. The rotatably mounted feedgate
is designed
to control the rate of dispensement of materials from the dump body through
the feedgate.
In accordance with still another object of the present invention, the
rotatable feedgate
is mounted into the tailgate of the dump body such that the tailgate can be
positioned in a
closed mode of operation to control the dispensement of the contents of the
dump body
through the tailgate opening and an open mode of operation whereby the
tailgate in a laid
open position.
In accordance with still yet another object of the present invention, the
rotatable
feedgate includes two feed guides mounted to the side of a rotary feedgate and
are designed
to regulate the flow of materials from the dump body through the sides of the
rotary feedgate
2 0 especially at relatively low feed rate settings.
Another object of the present invention is a rotatable feedgate which is
designed to
be opened and closed manually or by automated operation.
Another object of the present invention, the rotatable feedgate design is
simple and
easy to operate and provides excellent control of the rate of dispensement of
materials from
the dump body.
Still yet another object of the present invention, the dump body includes a
conveyor
system incorporated into the base of the dump body which acts in cooperation
with the
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rotatable feedgate to dispense materials from the dump body to better control
the rate of
dispensing of the materials from the dump body.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable
feedgate which
can be easy and effectively repositioned in the tailgate opening for use in an
open mode of
operation.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a plate which
can be
mounted on to the tailgate to close the opening in a tailgate for use in open
mode of
operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable feedgate
which can
be easily removed and/or have its axis of rotation repositioned in the
tailgate opening during
open mode of operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system for
controlling the
rate of dispensement of materials from a truck which is economical to install
and easy to
operate.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled
in the
art upon reading the following description taken together with the preferred
embodiment
disclosed in the accompanied drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference may now be made to the drawings, which illustrate various preferred
2 0 embodiments that the invention may take in physical form and in certain
parts and
arrangement of parts wherein;
FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective view of a truck which includes the rotatable
feedgate shown closed in accordance with the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective view of a truck which illustrates the
tailgate in an
2 5 open mode position and the rotatable feedgate repositioned in the tailgate
opening for open
mode operation;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the rear of the truck as shown in Figure 1;
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FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-4 in Figure 3
which
illustrates the rotatable feedgate in a closed position and also illustrates
several intermediate
feedgate positions;
FIGURE 5 is still another cross-sectional view taken along the same cross-
section as
in Figure 4 wherein the rotatable feedgate is in a completely open position;
FIGURE 6 is another cross-sectional view taken along the same cross-section as
in
Figure 3 wherein the rotatable feedgate is repositioned in the tailgate
opening to form a
closely flush surface with the inner surface of the tailgate;
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged partial cross-section view of the tailgate shown in
Figure
2;
FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tailgate in an open mode position
and
illustrates another embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view of the tailgate in an open mode position
and
illustrates another embodiment of the present invention;
FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 8;
FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the same cross-section as in
Figure
8 and illustrates another embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 12 is a plane view of the plate section illustrated in Figure 8; and,
FIGURE 13 is a plane view of a modification of the plate section illustrated
in Figure
2 0 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI1VIENTS
Refernng now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of
illustrating
preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of
limiting the same,
Figure 1 illustrates a dump truck 10 which includes the rotatable feedgate of
the present
2 5 invention. Truck 10 includes a dump body 12 mounted on a truck frame, not
shown. The
dump body may be elevated for pivotal movement about a rear axis such that the
dump body
is pivoted between a normal or horizontal position. Although not shown, dump
body 12 may
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be raised by a hydraulic lift such as a telescopic lift which is connected to
the truck frame at
the forward end of truck 10 to hydraulically raise and lower dump body 12 in a
conventionally
known manner.
Dump body 12 includes a rear end 14, two sides 16 and 18, a base 20 and a
front side.
As shown in Figure 2, a sloped surface 21 is positioned between sides 16 and
18 and base
20 to facilitate in the directing of materials in the dump body to the center
of the dump body.
Rear end 14 preferably is a movable tailgate 22. As shown in Figure 1,
tailgate 22 is
positioned in a closed position. In a conventional manner, tailgate 22 is
pivotally mounted
at the top and bottom of the tailgate. As shown in Figure 1, tailgate 22 is
mounted for pivotal
movement about an upper transverse horizontal axis. A pair of tailgate pivot
pins 24 are
mounted on the tailgate and are inserted in cooperation with pivot bearings 26
which are
attached to the back top ends of sides 16 and 18.
As shown in Figure 1, tailgate 22 is maintained in close position by tailgate
latches 28
which are used to latch tailgate latch bars 30 which are attached to the
tailgate. The tailgate
latches are proximately located near lower back ends of sides 16 and 18. The
latches are used
to latch the tailgate in its closed position. Tailgate latches 28 are
unlatched to dump the
material contents of dump body 12 through the rear of dump body 12 when the
dump body
is elevated from the front of the truck.
Tailgate 22 can be pivoted about a lower transverse horizontal axis to a laid
open
2 0 position as shown in Figure 2. Tailgate pivot pins 24 are disengaged from
tailgate pivot
bearing 26. Tailgate 22 is then lowered to its laid open position. The
procedure is reversed
for remounting the tailgate for pivotal movement about its upper transverse
axis. A chain 23
is attached to chain tabs 17 and 19 which are connected to the tailgate and
the dump body
side 16 and/or 18 respectively to maintain the tailgate in the laid open
position. When the
tailgate is in the laid open position, the inner flat face of the tailgate
provides a rearward
extension of the generally flat dump body base. This tailgate position can be
used for open
truck hauling and open truck dumping.
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As best illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, a conveyor system 40 is integrated
into the
dump body 12 of truck 10 to provide a mufti-purpose truck which may be used in
both a
dump mode and a closed mode of operation by simple manual or automatic
conversion of
truck 10 between these two modes. The dump mode of operation is the
dispensement of
materials from the dump body through tailgate 22 when tailgate latch bars 30
are disengaged
from tailgate latches 28 as dump body 12 is raised. The closed mode of
operation is the
dispensement of materials from the dump body through an opening 60 when the
tailgate is
latched in the closed position.
The conveyor system 40 comprises a central longitudinally extending conveyor
belt
42 integrated into the base of dump body 12. Conveyor 40 is preferably mounted
in a
conveyor recess 50 in base 20 of the dump body 12 such that conveyor belt 42
is receded
from the surface plane of base 20. The conveyor system comprises a central,
longitudinally
extending conveyor belt 42 integrated into the base of dump body 12. The
effective width
of conveyor system is established by conveyor recess 50 which is an overlying,
longitudinally
extending opening having a pair of laterally spaced down turned edges of the
outer co-planar
sections of the dump body base. The conveyor recess includes sloped surfaces
52 mounted
on slope mount 54. The sloped surface forms a sloped surface from the surface
plane of base
to the top surface of the conveyor belt. The sloped surfaces are preferably
flexible so as
not to damage the conveyor belt and are preferably made of a rubber material
which is durable
2 0 and wear resistant to the various types of materials 34 conveyed in the
dump body. A back
flow shield 56 is mounted in conveyor recess 50 below conveyor belt 42. Back
flow shield
56 includes a blade 58 which is preferably flexible and is positioned in
contact or closely
adjacent to the bottom surface of conveyor belt 42. The back flow shield is
designed to
prevent materials conveyed by the conveyor belt to be drawn under the truck.
The conveyor
system also includes a front sprocket shaft, not shown, and rear sprocket
shaft 44. Each
sprocket shaft has a laterally spaced conveyor drum 46 for supporting a
laterally spaced
conveyor belt 42. The sprocket shafts are mounted into recess 50 in shaft
holes 48.
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Conveyor belt 42 may be a chain linked belt, a fabric belt, a rubber belt,
etc. The belt may be
flavor include ribs to facilitate in the conveyance of material 34 in the dump
body. A suitable
hydraulic, electric or combustion drive mechanism, which is not shown, is
connected to the
front or rear sprocket shaft 44 for driving conveyor belt 42. The conveyor
belt, sprocket
shafts and conveyor sprockets are all mounted in recess 50 such that the top
of the conveyor
belt is preferably positioned below the surface of base 20. As shown in
Figures 1 and 3, the
conveyor system is preferably positioned along the longitudinal center of base
20 of dump
body 12. As previously discussed, side walls 16 and 18 of the dump body
include a sloped
section 21 designed to direct materials 34 toward the center of base 20, into
recess 50 and
onto the surface of belt 42.
The conveyor system can be used in a rear or front dispensing mode of
operation by
operating the conveyor system to convey the material contents of the dump body
to the rear
end or front end of dump body. For rear dispensing, a rear spinner, not shown,
is preferably
mounted onto the rear truck frame or tailgate 22 to dispense the materials at
the rear of the
truck and to spread the dispensed materials onto the roadway. The rear
spreader is preferably
in longitudinal alignment with the conveyor system and the tailgate opening so
as to properly
spread the materials exiting opening 60. A gravity chute, not shown, is
preferably included
to direct the dispense materials from the tailgate opening to the spinner
thereby properly
spreading the material throughout the roadway. The spinner is also preferably
mounted such
2 0 that it can be rotated and positioned below the gravity chute or rotated
in a retracted position
to allow the tailgate to be opened and the materials removed from dump body 12
without
coming in contact with the spinner. A suitable hydraulic drive or electric
motor system is
preferably connected to the spinner to drive the spinners. A control system is
preferably
integrated with the spinners conveyor system to control the amount of
materials dispensed
2 5 from dump body 12 to spread such materials throughout the roadway. A
similar arrangement
may be used for dispensing materials at the front of the dump body.
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Referring to Figures 1 and 3, tailgate 22 includes a rotatable feedgate 70
which
controls the flow rate of materials 34 out of dump body 12 which are conveyed
to tailgate 22
by conveyor system 40 when the truck is in the closed mode of operation.
Rotatable feedgate
70 is mounted on tailgate 22 and operates in opening 60. As discussed above,
opening 60 is
preferably positioned in longitudinal alignment with conveyor system 40. As
shown in Figure
l, opening 60 is rectangular in shape and extends from the base of tailgate 22
to a height of
less than about 1/2 the height of tailgate 22. Opening 60 includes a tailgate
top 62 and two
sides 64.
Rotatable feedgate 70 is mounted to be selectively positioned either manually
or
automatically in several modes of operation. Referring now to Figure 4,
rotatable feedgate
70 includes a face plate 72 and two side plates 74 which forms a feedgate cap
76. Attached
to the front edge of face plate 72 is edge guard 80. Edge guard 80 is
preferably a flexible
material made of a flexible and durable rubber material. The use of a flexible
edge guard
eliminates or significantly reduces damage to the conveyor belt 42 when the
feedgate is in the
closed position. Edge guard 80 is shaped such that the edge guard will fit
down into and
between conveyor recess 50. As shown in Figure 4, edge guard 80 is positioned
closely
adjacent to andlor engages the top surface of conveyor belt 42 when feedgate
cap 76 is in the
closed position. Edge guard 80 is preferably connected to face plate 72 by a
bolt and nut
assembly 81.
2 0 Figure 4 illustrates rotatable feedgate 70 is in the closed position and
two intermediate
positions. In the closed position,'the base of face plate 72 and the base of
side plates 74 of
cap 76 are in contact with or closely adjacent to and in parallel relationship
to base 20 of
dump body 12 and edge guard 80 is in contact with or closely adjacent to the
top of conveyor
belt 42. In the closed position, materials 34 in dump body 12 are prevented
from passing
2 5 through opening 60 even when conveyor system 40 is in operation.
The width of face plate 72 is designed to be slightly less than the width of
tailgate
opening 60 to allow the face plate to pass through the opening. Face plate 72
is preferably
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curvilinear in shape. Face plate 72 preferably has a radius slightly less than
the distance
between base 20 and top 62 of opening 60. When cap 76 is in the closed
position, face plate
72 extends essentially from base 20 to top 62 of opening 60. The arcuate shape
of face plate
72 allows the face plate to be easily rotated between the closed and
completely open position
as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Two sides plates 74 are attached to the
edges of face plate
72 to form cap 76. The side plates are preferably welded together, but can
also be bolted
together. The rotatable feedgate is attached in opening 60 by positioning side
plates 74 into
opening 60 and closely adjacent to side walls 64 of opening 60. Side plates 74
each include
a pin opening 78 located near the lower back edge of the side plates and
generally in the
surface plane of base 20 for axial movement of the feedgate about base 20. Pin
opening 78
of each side plate is aligned with a pin hole 68 located in each side wall 64
of opening 60. A
feedgate pin 90 is inserted through pin opening 78 and pin hole 68 of each
side plate until the
end of each pin passes through pin hole 141 of lock flange 140 or pin hole 161
of reposition
flange 160 and into each pin chamber 92 thereby attaching cap 76 in opening
60. Both
feedgate pins 90 are locked into position by attaching a pin clip 94 to the
end of pin 90. A
bracket 96 supports pin 90 in pin chamber 92. Pin chamber 92 is a cavity in
tailgate 22
positioned adjacent to each side wall 64 of opening 60. The pin chamber allows
for easy
access to pin 90 to allow an operator to easily mount and dismount the cap 76
in opening 60.
The pin arrangement for the feedgate cap allows the feedgate cap to be rotated
within
2 0 opening 60 about pins 90.
Face plate 72 includes a guide lift 82 attached to the interior front edge of
the face
plate. Face plate 72 also includes a housing 84 attached on the interior edge
of face plate 72
and evenly positioned between side plates 74. Housing 84 is generally "L"
shaped and forms
a generally straight surface 86 which lies in a plane that is generally
perpendicular to base 20
2 5 of dump body 12 when feedgate 70 is in a closed position. A bar holder 100
is attached to
surface 86 and includes two holder flanges 102 mounted parallel to one
another. Each holder
flange includes at least two holes 104 aligned such that a holder pin 106 can
be inserted
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between the two holder flanges. A pin lock 108 is used to secure pin 106 in
the holes of the
holder flange. Guide lift 82 is designed to lift side guide 110 which is
described in more detail
below.
Feedgate cap 76 includes a safety bar 88 which is connected to the top edge of
face
plate 72. Safety bar 88 is designed to engage top 62 of opening 60 when
feedgate cap 62 is
moved into the closed position. Safety bar 88 prevents the rotatable feedgate
from over
closing causing damage to base 20 of container 12 or to the conveyor belt 42.
A cap seal 120 and seal guard 123 are attached to the top of opening 60 by a
nut and
bolt assembly 121 to seal the space between face plate 72 and the top of
opening 60. The cap
seal is preferably a flexible and durable material such as rubber which is
designed to slightly
flex as feedgate cap 76 is opened and closed and to maintain a tight seal with
the surface of
the face plate. The seal formed by cap seal 120 and seal guard 123 prevents
materials 34 in
dump body 12 from passing between top 62 of opening 60 and cap 76.
Referring now to Figures 1, 3 and 4, rotatable feedgate 70 includes a side
guide 110.
Side guide 110 includes two side panels 112 and a guide top 1 I4 extending
between the two
side panels. Each side panel 112 is positioned between and closely adjacent to
side plates 74.
Side guide 110 is movably attached to pin 90 by passing pin 90 through pin
hole 116 on each
side panel 112., As shown in Figure 4, the side panels of side guide 110
preferably rests on
base 20 and.adjacent to each side of conveyor recess 50 when rotatable
feedgate 70 is in the
2 0 closed position. Each guide side preferably extends nearly to the interior
surface of face plate
72 and has a arcuate shaped front edge having a radius which is preferably
slightly less than
the radius of the face plate. As will be described in more detail below, side
guide 110
cooperates with cap 76 to control the flow rate of materials 34 from dump body
12, through
opening 60, especially at slower flow rates.
Side guide 110 preferably moves independently from cap 76. As a result, side
guide
110 can be configured either to move simultaneously with the movement of cap
76 or move
with cap 76 only after the cap has moved beyond a preset position. Attached to
guide top
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114 is guide bar 118. Guide bar 118 is preferably positioned between side
panels 112 and the
guide bar.
As shown in Figure l, rotatable feedgate 70 includes a lever 130 for manual
opening
and closing of the feedgate. Lever 130 is located near the top edge of face
plate 72 and is
mounted on lever mount 132 which is attached to side plate 74 nearest to side
18 of dump
body 12. Lever 130 is connected to lever mount 132 by lever bolt 131. When
lever 130 is
not in use, the lever bolt is removed and lever 130 is repositioned and
reconnected in lever
mount 132 to lie essentially perpendicular to side plate 74. A feedgate lock
pin 134 is
positioned on side plate 74 adjacent to lever mount 132. Positioned adjacent
to lever mount
132 is a lock flange 140 extending outwardly from tailgate 22. Lock flange 140
includes
several lock holes 142 and a flange platform 144. Lock flange 140 is designed
to lock
feedgate 70 into position. Lock pin 134 is inserted into lock flange 140 to
secure rotatable
feedgate 70 in its various open and closed positions as shown in Figures 4 and
5. Rotatable
feedgate is locked into a desired position by moving lever 100 until lock pin
134 is aligned
with the desired lock hole 142. Lock pin 134 is then inserted into lock hole
142 thereby
securing rotatable feedgate 70 into position. Lock pin 134 may be secured into
position by
a spring mechanism. As best illustrated in Figure 3, lock pin 134 includes a
pin 136 biased
in the forward position by spring 138. In the completely open position of
rotatable feedgate
70 as shown in Figure 5, the edge of side plate 74 rests upon flange platform
144. Lock pin
2 0 134 is positioned in open lock hole 146 thereby locking rotatable feedgate
70 in a completely
open position.
Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, rotatable feedgate 70 controls the
dispensement
rate of materials 34 within dump body 12. Rotatable feedgate is manually
positioned in its
various open and closed positions to control the flow rate of materials
through opening 60.
As shown in Figure 4, when rotatable feedgate 70 is in the closed position,
the base of cap
76 is in contact with and in parallel relationship to base 20 of dump body 12
and edge guard
80 extends into conveyor recess 50 and into contact with conveyor belt 42.
This closed
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position essentially seals opening 60 thereby preventing materials 34 from
exiting through the
opening even when conveyor system 40 is in operation.
When rotatable feedgate 70 is in a slightly open position, a small amount of
materials
34 within dump body 12 is allowed to exit through opening 60. Lever 130 is
pulled down by
an operator causing the rotatable feedgate to rotate about feedgate pin 90
until the feedgate
is opened to the desired position. The rotatable feedgate and feedgate pin
design resist being
jammed by particulate material flowing through the tailgate opening thus
allowing the
rotatable feedgate to be positioned for desired flowrate control. The simple
yet durable
feedgate pin design resists deformation during operating thus providing
continued operation
of the rotatable feedgate through various types of operating conditions. Once
the rotatable
feedgate is rotated into the desired position, the rotatable feedgate is
locked into position by
inserting lock pin 134 into lock holes 142. The base of cap 76 moves in a non-
parallel
relationship to base 20 as the cap is rotated into an open position. The rate
of flow of
material 34 through opening 60 is maintained relatively constant by the
operation of conveyor
system 40 to continuously force material 34 under cap 76 and through opening
60. Side
guide 110 is shown to be resting on base 20 of dump body 12 in the closed and
slightly open
position of rotatable feedgate 70. The side guide prevents the flow of
material under side
plate 74 and only allows the material to pass under face plate 72 of cap 76.
The sides of cap
76 are extended by side guide 110 as cap 76 is moved into the slightly open
position. Such
2 0 a configuration allows for greater control of the flow of material through
opening 60,
especially at low material flow rates. When rotatable feedgate 70 is opened
beyond a
preselected open position, side guide 110 is caused to be raised from base 20
to allow
additional amounts of material 34 to flow through opening 60. Side guide 110
is raised by
guide lift 82 contacting guide top 114 and thereby causing side guide 110 to
be raised.
2 5 Conveyor system 40 is operated to maintain a relatively even flow of
material through
opening 60. Although not shown, side guide 110 can be mounted such that it
will raise up
from base 20 of dump body 12 simultaneous with cap 76. Such a configuration is
achieved
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by placing holder pin 106 through holder holes 104 located below guide bar 118
when
rotatable feedgate 70 is in the closed position. In this arrangement, holder
pin 106 will cause
guide bar 118 to be immediately lifted as cap 76 is moved to the open position
thereby
causing side guard 110 to be simultaneously lifted from base 20.
Referring now to Figure 5, rotatable feedgate 70 is illustrated in its
completely open
position whereby the edge of side plate 74 is resting on flange platform 144.
Rotatable
feedgate 70 is locked into the completely open position by inserting lock pin
134 into open
lock hole 146 on lock flange 140. In the completely open position, the
materials within dump
body 12 freely pass through opening 60 at the maximum rate of dispensement.
Conveyor
system 40 is operated to assist in the high flow rate of material through
opening 60. In the
completely open position, side guide 110 is preferably locked into position to
prevent it from
moving by locking guide bar in bar holder 100 by holder pin 106, as shown in
Figure 5.
It will be appreciated that conveyor system 40 may be remotely controlled by
an
operator in the driver's cab. Further, the feedgate and conveyor system can be
connected to
an automated system to provide for easy operation by an operator while driving
the truck.
Although not shown, it can be appreciated that dump body 12 can be converted
into
an open mode of operation by opening tailgate 22 to the laid open position. In
such an
operating mode, rotatable feedgate 70 is preferably positioned in its
completely open position.
In the completely open position, rotatable feedgate 70 is retracted into the
tailgate opening
2 0 60 such that feedgate cap does not extend beyond the plane surface formed
by inner surface
15. Such a configuration allows for long objects such as logs and trees to be
laid flat in the
dump body. However, the completely open position of the rotatable feedgate
only allows the
dump body to be used in limited types of open hauling modes of operation. Open
hauling
dumping of small materials such as gravel, dirt, sand, asphalt, etc. are
impaired by the
2 5 positioning of the tailgate in the completely open position since such
position of the tailgate
forms a hole in the tailgate to allow such materials to pass through the
tailgate opening.
Furthermore, the hole formed by the feedgate impairs the loading and unloading
of the dump
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body when the tailgate is in the laid open position. In order to remedy this
problem, rotatable
feedgate 70 is designed to be re-positionable in the tailgate opening 60 when
the dump body
is to be used in the open mode of operation.
Referring now to Figures 2, 6 and 7, rotatable feedgate 70 is re-positioned in
opening
60 such that face plate 72 lies substantially in the plane defined by the
inner surface 15 of
tailgate 22. Figures 2 and 7 illustrate the re-positioned rotatable feedgate
70 for open mode
of operation when the tailgate is in the laid open position. Figure 6
illustrates the re-
positioned rotatable feedgate when the tailgate is in the closed position. The
re-positioning
of the rotatable feedgate is accomplished by the removal of the two pins 90
from their
respective pin holes 116 and pin opening 78 of side guide 110 and rotatable
feedgate 70
respectively. Feedgate lock pin 134 is also removed from lock holes 142 or 146
thereby
allowing the rotatable feedgate 70 to be removed from and/or re-positioned in
opening 60.
Once rotatable feedgate 70 is detached from opening 60, the rotatable feedgate
is re-
positioned by moving the feedgate until the pin holes 116 of side guides 110
and pin opening
78 of rotatable feedgate 70 are lined up with lower re-position hole 150 of
lock flange 140.
Once the pin holes are lined up, feedgate pin 90 is re-positioned into the pin
hole 116 and pin
opening 78. The pin hole 116 and pin opening 78 on the other side of rotatable
feedgate 70
and side guide 110 are aligned with re-position hole 162 of re-position flange
160. Once the
pin hole and pin opening have been properly aligned, feedgate pin 90 is
inserted through the
2 0 hole and opening. Once rotatable feedgate 70 and side guide 110 are
secured to lock flange
140 and re-position flange 160, rotatable feedgate 70 is rotated until lock
pin 134 is aligned
with upper re-position hole 148 of lock flange 140. Lock pin 134 is then
inserted through
upper re-position hole 148 and secured in the hole thereby completing the re-
positioning of
rotatable feedgate 70 in tailgate opening 60. As best illustrated in Figure 6,
the axis of
2 5 rotation of rotatable feedgate 70 is re-positioned such that the axis lies
in substantially the
center of opening 60. By re-positioning the rotatable feedgate as such, face
plate 72 forms
a substantially flatter surface with respect to inner surface 15 and also
seals opening 60. As
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illustrated in Figure 2 and 7, the re-positioned rotatable feedgate 70
provides for a
substantially flat surface over the tailgate opening 60 thereby allowing the
dump body and
tailgate to be used in various types of open mode operations. Once the open
mode of
operation is completed and the use of the tailgate in the closed mode of
operation is desired,
the tailgate is re-positioned such that the pin openings and holes in
rotatable feedgate 70 and
side guide 110 are realigned with pin hole 68 and are then connected therein
by feedgate pin
90.
Referring now to Figure 9, which illustrates another embodiment of the present
invention, an opening plate 170 is positioned on tailgate 22 to cover tailgate
opening 60. In
this embodiment, rotatable feedgate 70 is moved to the completely open
position and feedgate
lock pin 134 is connected into open lock hole 146 to secure rotatable feedgate
70 in the
completely open position. Once rotatable feedgate 70 is secured into the
completely open
position, opening plate 170 is positioned into tailgate opening 60 such that
the bottom end
173 of opening plate 170 is aligned with the bottom of the tailgate. As best
shown in Figure
12, opening plate 170 includes a plate flange 172 which is slightly recessed
from the top
surface of opening plate 170. Plate flange 172 extends around three sides of
opening plate
170. Bottom end 173 of open plate 170 preferably does not include a plate
flange 172 but
includes a reinforcing flange 176 which provides structural support to opening
plate 170. One
or more flange holes 174 are located on plate flange 172 such that a bolt and
nut assembly
180 can be used to connect opening plate 170 into-tailgate opening 60. As
illustrated in
Figure 9, the slight recess of plate flange 172 from the top surface of
opening plate 170
provides for the top surface of opening plate 170 to become essentially flush
with the inner
surface 15 of tailgate 22. In this embodiment, the re-positioning of rotatable
feedgate 70 to
another axis of rotation is not required since opening plate 170 provides for
the sealing of
tailgate opening 60. As a result, the modification of lock flange 140 to
include an upper re-
positioning hole 148 and lower re-position hole 150 are not required.
Furthermore, the need
for a re-position flange 160 is also not required. The lock flange design 140
of the prior co-
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pending application can be used as disclosed in Figure 9. However, it can be
appreciated that
the modified lock flange 140 and the mounting of re-positioned flange 160 may
be
incorporated onto the tailgate to provide two separate methods for sealing
tailgate opening
60. Once the need for opening plate 170 has ended, opening plate 170 is simply
removed
from tailgate opening 60 by disassembling bolt and nut assembly 180 from
opening plate 170.
Once opening plate 170 has been removed, rotatable feedgate 70 may then be
rotatably
positioned in the tailgate opening 60 to provide for the desired flow rate of
material from
dump body 12. If the dump body is to be used in an open mode of operation for
an extended
period of time, rotatable feedgate 70 may be removed from the tailgate as
shown in Figure
8. When it is desired to begin the closed mode of operation for controlled
dispensing of
materials, opening plate 170 is removed from tailgate opening 60 and rotatable
feedgate 70
is remounted onto tailgate 22 to control the flow rate of materials from dump
body 12.
Referring now to Figures 10-13, several mounting designs for the mounting of
opening plate 170 may be incorporated into tailgate 22. Two mounting designs
are disclosed
in Figures 10 and 11. In Figure 10, three sides of the opening plate 170 are
mounted into the
tailgate opening by bolt and nut assembly 180. The top end 171 of opening
plate 170 is
bolted into the same bolt holes which were used to mount seal guard 123 and
cap seal 120
to the top of opening 160. Prior to mounting opening plate 170 in tailgate
opening 60, seal
guard 123 and cap seal 120 are removed from the top of the tailgate opening.
The holes in
2 0 the top of the tailgate opening are then used to mount the top end of
opening plate 170 into
the top of opening 60. One or more flange holes 170 are provided on the two
side ends of
opening plate 170 and are designed to secure the sides of opening plate 170 to
the sides of
tailgate opening 60. An alternative mounting design is disclosed in Figure 11
wherein a flange
support 190 is mounted in the tailgate opening so as to support the two sides
of opening plate
170 between flange support 190 and inner surface 15. The use of flange support
190
eliminates the need for one or more flange holes 174 on the side flanges of
opening plate 170
since the flange support provides for the side support of opening plate 170.
However, it can
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be appreciated that the side flanges can still be mounted by a bolt and nut
arrangement to the
sides of opening 60.
Figure 13 illustrates an alternative opening plate design wherein a side
flange hole 178
is incorporated on the side bottom end of opening plate 170. Side flange hole
178 provides
for a shear connection for the side of the opening plate 170 to the sides of
the tailgate opening
160 rather than a tension connection as provided by the opening plate design
disclosed in
Figure 12. In some applications, a shear connection can provide a stronger and
more durable
connection for the opening plate to the tailgate opening.
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment and
alternates thereof. It is believed that many modifications and alterations of
the embodiments
disclosed will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon
reading and
understanding the detailed description of the invention. It is intended to
include all such
modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the
present invention.
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