This invention relates generally to tarp deploying devices for use on rear dump trailers.
Trailers used to haul loose materials such as dirt, sand, gravel, or grain commonly have beds or tubs that have an open top. Therefore, if the trailer bed is not covered as the trailer is pulled over the road, the loose contents may be blown and scattered out of the open top of the trailer bed. Additionally, the contents of the trailer bed may be compromised by rain, or other contaminants. Accordingly, it is known to deploy tarps across the open top space of the trailer beds to cover the contents of the trailer beds.
Several mechanisms have been devised for deploying the tarps across the trailer bed. Many of these devices include radial arms that are rotatably mounted at the front and rear of the tub and have a roll of tarp disposed between them. As the radial arms rotate in one direction across the truck bed, the roll of tarp between the arms is unrolled to cover the contents of the truck bed. When the arms are rotated back in the opposite direction, the tarp is taken back up upon the roll to uncover the trailer bed. Examples of such devices may be seen in Searfoss, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,449 and in Michel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,328.
Rear dump trailers are able to dump their contents by raising the forward end of the tub and releasing a rear door or flap to permit the contents of the tub to slide out under the bottom of the door or flap. Typically the radial arm of the tarp deploying apparatus will be mounted to the rear door or flap. Bremer, U.S. Pat. No. 8,910,996, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, shows and describes such a structure.
The rear flap can be subjected to significant stresses during dumping operations as the contents of the of the trailer slide down the trailer and bang into the flap. As a result, the rear flap will occasionally be dislodged from the trailer. In instances where there is no tarp deploying apparatus attached to the rear flap this is an inconvenience, but is easily fixed by simply reattaching the flap. However, for the systems that have the radial arms attached to the rear flap the dislodging of the flap often results in damage to the tarp deploying apparatus. The damage can take the form of bent radial arms, deformed tarp rollers, and ripped tarps. The damage to the tarp deploying system is expensive to repair. Even worse, it can result in lengthy down time for the trailer while replacement parts are being acquired and repairs are being made.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved tarp deploying apparatus for rear dump trailers that reduces the risk of significant and expensive damage to the tarp deploying apparatus when the rear door or flap becomes dislodged from the trailer.
According to one embodiment the present invention is directed to a tarp deploying apparatus that includes a breakable connection between a tarp roller and the radial arms. According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a tarp deploying apparatus wherein a mounting bracket is attached to a rear flap of a tub of a rear-dump trailer. A radial arm is pivotally mounted to the mounting bracket. A breakaway connector is provided at a free end of the radial arm. A universal joint is connected to the breakaway connector. A tarp roller operably attached to the universal joint. The breakaway connector is adapted to fracture upon the rear flap becoming dislodged from the rear-dump trailer. The breakaway connector may have a hollow cylindrical body having a first end connected to the universal joint and a second end attached to the radial arm. The hollow cylindrical body may include a notch to create a frangible portion of the breakaway connector. The breakaway connector may be made from a material that is inherently less durable than the radial arm and the universal joint. The universal joint and the radial arm may made of metal and the breakaway connector may be made of nylon.
According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a breakaway connector for use in a tarp deploying apparatus of the type having a radial arm assembly pivotally associated with a rear flap on a rear-dump trailer and a tarp roller assembly. The breakaway connector has a body having a first end adapted for connection to the radial arm assembly and a second end adapted for connection to a universal joint adapted to be connected the tarp roller assembly. The body includes a frangible portion. The body may be a hollow cylindrical body. The hollow cylindrical body may include a notch to create the frangible portion of the breakaway connector.
According to yet another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a rear dump trailer that has a trailer frame with a tube supported on the trailer frame and a mechanism for selectively elevation a forward portion of the tub relative to a rear portion of the tub to thereby dump contents of the tub rearwardly. A rear flap is hingedly attached to the rear portion of the tub. A radial arm assembly is rotatably mounted to the rear flap. A tarp roller positioned to selectively cover and uncover the tub with a tarp on the tarp roller. A breakaway connector is provided between the radial arm assembly and the tarp roller, such that the breakaway connector will fracture to prevent damage to the radial arm assembly and tarp roller if the rear flap becomes separated from the tub. The breakaway connector may be made of nylon. The breakaway connector may have a hollow cylindrical body having a first end connected to a universal joint attached to the tarp roller and a second end attached to a distal end of the radial arm assembly. The hollow cylindrical body may have a notch to create a frangible portion of the breakaway connector.
The tarp deploying apparatus 12 includes a mounting bracket 18 fixed to the flap or door 16. The mounting bracket 18 includes a pin 20. A radial arm assembly 25 includes proximal radial arm 22 is pivotally mounted to pin 20. The proximal radial arm 22 should be made of a durable rigid material, such as steel or aluminum. At the free end of the proximal radial arm 22 a distal radial arm 24 is mounted. According to a preferred embodiment, the distal radial arm 24 is flexible, and may be formed from a double-walled hydraulic hose. Alternatively, the distal radial arm 24 may be formed from a helical spring or a helical spring provided within a flexible cover. As a further alternative, the distal radial arm may be rigid, similar to the proximal radial arm 22. At the free end of the radial arm assembly 25 a universal joint 26 is attached to a breakaway connector 100. The universal joint is connected to a tarp roller 28.
As can be seen in
The radial arm assembly 25 is biased towards the closed deployed configuration of
On rare occasions the electric motor 34 may be inoperable, either because of failure of the motor or lack of a power source. In that case it becomes necessary to deploy the tarp 30 without the use of the motor 34. According to the present invention this can be easily accomplished by disconnecting the socket portion 38 of the universal joint 26 from the splined end 40 of the tarp roller 28. The catch pin 42 is withdrawn from the socket potion 38, for example by unscrewing it if it is a threaded fastener, and the socket portion 38 is then pulled off of the splined end 40. The flexible distal arm 24 permits disconnection without the need to remove the arms 22, 24 from the mounting bracket 18. The splined end 40 of the tarp roller 28 also permits a hand crank to be used to rotate the tarp roller 28 in the case where the socket portion 38 is disconnected from the tarp roller 28.
The breakaway connector 100, along with the universal joint 26, provides a connection between the radial arm assembly 25 and the tarp roller 28. The breakaway connector 100 may take several forms. The breakaway connector 100 is designed to fracture, such that the radial arm assembly 25 will separate from the tarp roller 28 before the radial arm assembly 25 can put sufficient stress on the tarp roller 28 that there is a risk of permanent damage to the tarp roller 28. The most common occurrence that could result in such damaging stress being applied to the tarp roller 28 by the radial arm assembly 25 is when the rear flap 16 becomes accidentally dislodged from the tub 14 and pulls the radial arm assembly 25 violently downward. The breakaway connector 100 should be durable enough that it will not break during standard use of the tarp deploying apparatus 12, but should permit separation of the radial arm assembly 25 from the tarp roller 28 before any permanent damage occurs to the arms 22 and 24 or the tarp roller 28.
A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the breakaway connector 100 is shown in
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to commonly owned U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/075,631, filed Oct. 5, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5002328 | Michel | Mar 1991 | A |
5240303 | Hageman | Aug 1993 | A |
6206449 | Searfoss | Mar 2001 | B1 |
8272676 | Bremer | Sep 2012 | B2 |
8496283 | Schmeichel | Jul 2013 | B1 |
8910996 | Bremer | Dec 2014 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62075631 | Nov 2014 | US |