Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to open sided trailers.
Open sided trailers are normally provided with curtains
along the sides and as such are referred to as curtain sides
trailers. These comprise a chassis, a deck on the chassis,
front and rear frames attached to the chassis and a roof
structure partially supported by the front and rear frames.
Movable curtains are suspended from the roof in such a way that
they may be drawn aside to give access for loading or unloading.
Since such trailers tend to be quite long (12.2 m or so in length)
it has been the practice to provide support for the roof inter-
mediate the front and rear frames by means of fixed uprights,
removable or slid able uprights or intermediate bulkheads.
These tend to reduce the deck space of the trailer or else
obstruct loading and unloading.
According to the present invention there is provided
an open sided trailer comprising a chassis, road wheels attached
to the rear of the chassis and means for attaching the front
of the chassis to a tractor vehicle, front and rear frames
extending vertically upwards from the chassis, and a roof
structure extending between the upper extremities of the front
and rear frames, wherein the roof structure is supported between
the front and rear frames with no intermediate vertical or
horizontal roof structure supports, the roof structure comprising
a central fore and aft web extending from the roof vertically
downwards a substantial roof supporting distance, the web
carrying a plurality of lateral roof covering supports extending
either side of the web, and a roof covering supported by and
above the lateral supports the length of the roof structure.
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The very deep central web provided ensures that easy
unobstructed access is provided either side of the trailer end
apart from drawing the curtains when they are provided there is
nothing to be moved before unloading which is thereby easier and
quicker.
Preferably the downwards extension of the web inter-
mediate its extremities is between 1/20 and 1/40 and preferably
about 1/35 of the length of the roof as taken between the inner
sides of the front and rear frames. Thus a web depth of 350 mm
is provided for a length intermediate the frames of 12360 mm.
Since the roof top is normally about 8 feet (2.4 metros)
about the deck a clearance of 6 feet (1.8 metros) or more
results.
Further increase of the cargo space may be provided by
ensuring that a considerable part of the central web is only
25 or 50 mm (1 or 2 inches) wide.
The roof structure suitably further comprises lateral
fore and aft side beams 75 mm (3") or so square or else about
65 mm wide by 160 mm high from which depend side curtains. The
central web may comprise a single member having an upper portion
about 180 mm wide by about 125 mm high a lower portion about
50 mm wide by about 185 mm high and an intermediate upwardly and
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outwardly expanding portion. Alternatively the central
web may comprise a composite beam former of an upper
square part 75 to 125 mm square with a depending part
about 50 mm wide, the two parts totaling 300 to 600
(12 to 24 inches) in height intermediate in the front and
rear end.
The central web can have a downward extension of only
a few centimeters (inches) at either end and in a
preferred embodiment the rear 1845 mm of the central web
of a total of 12360 mm length has its lower extremity
sloped upwardly from 350 mm in height to about 160 mm in
height. That is to say the lower surface of the rear 15% of
the total beam length is sloped upwardly.
The central web is preferably formed of a hollow
construction of 1.6 mm (1/16") to 3.2 mm (1/8") and
preferably 3 mm thick steel. The web may be aperture
for lightness.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described
by way of example with reference to the accompanying
; 20 drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer according to
the invention, and
Figure 2 is a cross section of the trailer of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the roof structure of the
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trailer according to another embodiment of the invention,
Figure 4 is a cross sectional side view of the roof
structure of Figure 3,
Figure 5 is a transverse cross section of half of
the roof structure of Figure 3 showing the central web,
and
Figure 6 is a detail of Figure 5 showing the
arrangement on the side of the roof for suspending a side
curtain.
The trailer generally shown in Figure 1 at 1 has
open sides 2 which after loading are screened by drawable
curtains 3. The roof 4 of aluminum sheeting 4' is about
12.4 metros (40 feet) long and supported by a central web
or spine 5 depending from a fore and aft box beam 6
between lateral fore and aft box Bohemia interconnected by
transverse beams 8.
The central web is suitably 25 to 50 mm (1-2") wide
: and formed from 1.6 mm (1/16") to 3.2 mm (1/8'~) steel so
that it is hollow. It has apertures 9 along its length
and the height of the beam is about 300 to 600 mm (1.2
feet) at the intermediate point 10 and reduced in height
at its extremities 11 and 12 to a few centimeters.
In order to reduce the height of the central web or
spine, additional webs or spines can be provided adjacent
the central longitudinal position of the roof structure
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so that they are either side of the precise fore and aft
median line of the trailer.
A more detailed construction of the roof structure of
the trailer is shown in Figures 4 to 6. In this arrange-
mint the roof structure consists of two fore and aft beams or contrails which can vary in depth and width and form
of construction but as shown are about 65 mm wide and
160 mm in height. The contrails 20 carry a pellet 24 and
a track 23 from which side curtains (not shown) are
; 10 drawable suspended.
The contrails are at the outer extremities of the
roof structure and are fixed to the outer ends of sub Stan-
trial cross members 26 as well as roof sticks 27 which
support a sheet of aluminum forming a roof skin 28.
A roof formed only with the cross members, roof
sticks and contrails is insufficiently strong to be self
supporting and therefore the cross members 26 and roof
sticks 27 are fixed to a central web or spine 21 which
extends the length of the trailer between front and rear
frames 30 and 31 respectively. The spine can take
various forms to suit a particular roof design but in the
example shown in Figures 3 to 5 it consists a hollow beam
of 3 mm thick steel 12360 mm long of substantial uniform
cross section in a main portion 33 and having a reducing
portion 34 at its rear end. The rear portion 34 consists
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about 15~ of the total beam length and the lower surface
or extremity slopes upwardly from the full depth of
350 mm of the forward portion 33 to rather less than half
the depth of the main portion of the spine to about 160 mm
in total height. This slope enables the beam to be
lightened and allows easier access at the rear of the
trailer so as to clear rear doors if these are fitted.
The central spine 21 consists of a single member having
an upper portion 36 about 180 mm wide by about 125 mm
high, a lower portion 37 about 50 mm wide by about 185 mm
high and an intermediate upwardly and outwardly expanding
portion 38 such that the height of the spine 21 from its
upper surface 39 to its lower surface 40 is about 350 mm.
These dimensions apply for the main portion 33 of the
beam or spine. Thus the downwards extension of the web
intermediate its extremities half way along the spine is
between one twentieth and one fortieth and in this case
about one tHirty~ifth of the total length of the roof
as taken between inner sides of the front and rear frames
30 and 31. The length of the spine in this example as
taken intermediate the frames is 12360 mm.
Since the roof top is normally Abbott metros above
the trailer deck a clearance of about 1.8 metros or more
results under the central spine. Furthermore the spine is
only 50 mm in width therefore very little cargo space is
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taken by the spine. Since the contrails 20 extend
downwardly about 160 mm from the roof top and the top of
the lower and narrow portions 37 of the spine is about
165 mm from the roof top, substantially only the narrow
portion 37 of the spine extends below the lower level of
the contrails. Thus only about 0.11 cut out of a total
available 67.63 cut of cargo space in a typical standard
12.4 m trailer or 0.16~ of the cargo space is invaded by
the spine.
The roof structure including the contrails 29 and
spine 21 are fixed to the front and rear frames 30 and 31
by corner braces or plates 42 for the contrails and end
plates 43 for the spine. Furthermore spigots 44 extend
from the front and rear frames into the hollow of the
contrails and further spigots 45 extend from the front and
rear frames into the hollow of the lower portion 37 of the
spine. The spigots are not welded to the roof structure.
The spigots 44 are preferably welded to the front and rear
frames to act as safety means in case of damage to roof.
Thus if the roof structure became detached from the front
and rear frames the spigots would still carry the weight
of the roof.
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