Patent Application
20110175390
This disclosure relates to a retractable tarp system with an automated opening and closing mechanism. More specifically, the tarp system includes a release and tensioning system to operate the opening/closing mechanism in conjunction with a deck, such as on vehicle-pulled trailer.
Trucks include rigid truck and trucks adapted to pull trailers, both enclosed and open, for transporting goods and materials. Certain trucks, sometimes called tractor units, are used to pull various types of open trailers, including flat bed, drop deck, double drops and RGNs. Items being shipped can readily be loaded on the deck or cargo bed of a trailer, which for certain goods can be loaded more easily than through a rear door of an enclosed fixed-wall trailer.
On flat bed trailers, fasteners, such as tie downs, can be used to hold freight, cargo and equipment during transport. Various types of straps, such a ratchet straps and winch straps, are used to tie down items being shipped on a trailer. Tie downs are often webbing outfitted with attachment hardware. Standard tie downs include feeding straps and chain through rail pockets or a rubber seal. Such tied down cargo or equipment can be exposed on the cargo bed or deck of a trailer.
Tarp systems for flat bed trailers include tarps placed over shipping items tied down by rubber straps or ropes. Preferably, flat bed trailers have retractable tarp systems that slide along tracks on each side of the flat bed deck, which may enclose the freight, cargo or equipment.
Flat bed tractor trailers having a retractable tarping system can transport a wide variety of freight, much of which freight cannot be loaded into conventional van-type transport trailers having in-situ walls and roof. The tarping system includes a tarpaulin supported by numerous vertically disposed frame members that span across the bed of the trailer and are attached at each of their opposite free ends to a respective trolley having rollers that engage an elongate track disposed along each side of the trailer. The trollies are manually urged along the elongate tracks to move the tarp system between its trailer enclosing configuration and its open configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,796, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a track and trolley assembly for use with a tarpaulin enclosing system on a flat bed trailer defining a central longitudinal axis and having a bed portion defined by left and right lateral side edges. The track and trolley assembly comprises a plurality of trollies for operatively supporting the tarpaulin enclosing system, each trolley having a frame member, at least one weight-bearing roller mounted on the frame member for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and at least one stabilizing roller mounted on the frame member for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. An elongate track has a length, a substantially vertical trailer mounting face, a substantially horizontal weight-bearing roller receiving surface disposed along the length of the elongate track, and at least one substantially vertical stabilizing roller receiving surface disposed along the length of the elongate track. A rail is disposed substantially along the length of the elongate track and has a length, a substantially vertical trailer mounting face, and a hook-receiving rail portion disposed in laterally outwardly projecting cantilever relation from the trailer mounting face so as to be free and clear of the substantially vertical trailer mounting face, and disposed above the substantially horizontal weight-bearing roller receiving surface of the elongate track and above the at least one substantially vertical stabilizing roller receiving surface of the elongate track, for receiving at least one tie-down hook in releasably retained relation therealong. The trollies move along the elongate track such that the frame members of the trollies are disposed horizontally outboard of the hook-receiving rail portion of the rail.
Trucks and trailers often have air cylinders of compressed air systems to operate air brake or other systems. Trucks also have hydraulic systems. These pneumatic and hydraulic systems have not been integrated with flatbed, drop deck, double drops and RGN trailer tarp systems.
The present disclosure provides a retractable tarp system with an automated front or rear closing mechanism. The retractable tarp system includes a tarp structure adapted to slide or roll on a track on a side of the deck to enclose cargo on the deck. The tarp system includes a release and tensioning system using air or hydraulics to operate the front opening/closing mechanism in conjunction with a headboard of a truck or a vehicle-pulled trailer for a front system.
The automated system of opening and closing the tarping system preferably uses air cylinders to operate a guide for a front opening/closing mechanism. An air cylinder has a piston rod attached to the guide or attachment means; wherein an attachment means, such as a guide, is slideable relative to the tarp structure. A hook can extend from the tarp structure with an end that engages the guide so the hook cooperates with the guide to secure the tarp structure to the headboard. Air cylinders can run off a trailer's compressed air supply system.
A truck driver needs only to operate a switch, such as a toggle, to open and close the closing mechanism of the retractable tarp system. A system can have the air cylinder hooked up to a rod with an upper and lower hook that connects to two receiving devices on the tarp structure.
The above-mentioned and other features of this disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent, and the disclosure itself will be best understood by reference to the following descriptions of systems taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which:
The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure that are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiments in different forms, the figures show, and herein described in detail, embodiments with the understanding that the present descriptions are to be considered exemplifications of the principles of the disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the figures.
Tie-down straps 30 have a tie-down hook 32 disposed at each opposite end to hold to secure cargo or any load 29 to the bed portion or deck 26 of the flat bed trailer 24 or truck. Standard tie-down straps can be used. The tie down can also be built into the track 44, wherein the tied-down cargo 29 and straps 30 can be completed enclosed within the tarp structure 22.
Trollies 40 operatively support the tarp structure 22 that encloses the cargo 29. The trollies 40 are disposed along both the left 26-l and right 26-r side edges of the bed portion 26 of the flat bed trailer 24 or truck.
As shown in
An air cylinder 56 can be mounted associated with the headboard 20. The air cylinder 56 may be a two-way air cylinder with a piston rod 58 that moves a guide 60 up and down. A guide 60 is generally one half of a complementary attachment means. The front closing mechanism 50 has a switch 62 to open and close the closing mechanism 50. The switch 62 may be a toggle, button or the like so that the driver needs only to operate a switch, such as a toggle, to open and close the retractable tarp structure 22. In the toggle example, the driver only has to pull a toggle switch to open the closing mechanism 50 and push the toggle to close the closing mechanism 50 of a retractable tarp structure 22 without climbing on the trailer 24.
The automated closing mechanism 50 can use air cylinders 56, which preferably employ the trailer's own air supply via lines 64, which may be internal per
The tarp structure 22 as shown has an attachment hook 66 mounted on a reinforcing rib 21 as an example with an end 68 that engages the guide 60, the hook 66 cooperates with the guide 60 on the piston rod 58 of the air cylinder 56 to secure the tarp structure 22 to the headboard 20. While the system as shown has the hook 66 on a portion of the cart 42 where the piston rod 58 goes up and down to lock or unlock the hook 66 to the headboard 20, it is also within the scope of this disclosure where the piston moves one or more hooks up and down on the front headboard, and the hooks are secured into the cart to lock the cart to the headboard.
In the channel example, a slot 70 can be cut into the rear flange 72 of the channel 54 at the appropriate height for the hook 66 to pass through. The hook 66 is mounted on a portion of the tarp structure 22 so it lines up to pass through the slot 70, as shown in
The hook 66 extends from the tarp structure 22 with an end 68 adapted to engage the guide 60, which may be a latch bar as shown in
In operation, the cart 42 with attached enforcing ribs 21 and rib members 25 is rolled in track 44 near the headboard 20 so the end 68 of the hook 66 on an enforcing rib 21 is adjacent to the beam 52 or channel 54 associated with the headboard 20, preferably through a slot 70 in a rear flange 72. Air pressure can be applied to the air cylinder 56 to cause the guide 60 to slide up the beam 52 or channel 54 and engage the hook 66 to fully close and secure the cart 42 and associated tarp structure 22 to the headboard 20 in a closed position. Compressed air from the air cylinder 56 drives the piston rod 58 causing the guide 60 to slide within the respective channel 54.
To open the tarp structure 22, air pressure can then be applied to the air cylinder 56, preferably the opposite end in a two-way air cylinder, to cause the guide 60 to slide down the beam 52 or channel 54 and disengage and release the hook 66. The cart 42 can then be rolled away from the headboard 20 to the back of the trailer 24 or truck to load or unload cargo 29 from the trailer 24 or truck.
The retractable tarp structure 22 can be opened, closed and secured from the ground for driver safety. The tarp 23 can cover or uncover cargo 29 in a few minutes with the switch 62 to simply open and close the closing mechanism 50 to save dock time. The closing mechanism 50 is self-contained so no special tools are necessary.
This disclosure focuses an automated front system that is air-operated, but the principals of this disclosure can be used with hydraulic systems and systems for the rear of the trailer.
The retractable tarp structure 22 is best suited for a flat bed trailer 24, but it can be used on flat bed trucks or portions of other vehicle-pulled trailers wherein the tarp structure 22 is secured to a headboard 20 with various slider side tarping systems.
This disclosure has been described as having exemplary embodiments and is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations using its general principles. It is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as recited in the following claims. Further, this disclosure is intended to cover such variations from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice within the art to which it pertains.
