GB2080210A - Vehicle bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle body (1) which is capable of carrying liquid in bulk has a roof wall (7) which is removable from the side and end walls of the body, together with the roof wall hatches, 5, 6, thereby to convert the body into open-topped bulk load carrier.

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle bodies This invention relates to vehicle bodies suitable for transporting liquid material in bulk.

As compared with bulk solids carriers, bulk liquid-carrying vehicles are of relatively sophisticated and expensive construction. Provision of at least one roof hatch with a sealable hatch cover is required, also of course a sealable gate or other closure for the discharge opening, and generally speaking it is necessary for internal baffles to be provided for inhibiting mobility of the liquid mass and consequential dangerous fluctuations in load distribution. The bulk liquid carrying bodies are conventionally cylindrical, or at least of outwardly convexly curved profile in transverse section, which is conductive to a high strength/weight ratio.

Investment in such vehicles is profitable in businesses wherein they can be continuously deployed. But the capital costs bear adversely on material suppliers or hauliers who have only occasional need for these vehicles and who must also run other types of transport for carrying other kinds of loads.

The present invention makes investment in bulk jiquid-carrying transporters more viable in the foregoing circumstances.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle having a body capable of carrying liquid in bulk, such body having at least one roof hatch with a sealable cover and a discharge opening with a sealable closure, characterised in that the body is of generally rectanguloid form and the entire roof wall, incorporating the said hatch(es), is liquidtightly connected to the side and end walls of the body in a manner permitting the said roof wall to be removed, thereby to convert the body to an open-topped bulk load carrier.

On removal of the roof wall of the body of a vehicle according to the invention, the vehicle can be used for transporting coarse solids in bulk.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the roof wall is clamped in position by means of releasable fastenings. The roof of such a vehicle can be removed and replaced at any time when it is required to revert to the bulk transportation of liquid material. The term "liquid material" includes not only liquids alone, but also liquids mixed with solid material, forming e.g. a suspension or slurry.

Preferably the body is provided internally with one or more baffles, useful for a purpose hereinbefore referred to, which is or are held in place so as to be easily removable and replaceable as required.

The discharge opening can be at the tail end of the vehicle body. This opening may extend over substantially the entire transverse cross-sectional area of the body. The tail end wall of the body will in this case be constituted by the sealable closure for such opening, e.g. by a hinged sealable tail-door or gate. Alternatively the discharge opening may be localised within the area of the tail end wall of the vehicle body. For example the opening can be located centrally at the bottom of the tail end wall and be fitted with a hinged, slidable or pivotable closure, which latter may be moveable manually or under remote control.It is also possible to provide a hinged or otherwise displaceable tail door or gate as above referred to which itself has a local discharge opening with closure device so that discharge can be effected through the whole of the tail end of the body or through the local discharge opening according to requirements.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the vehicle body is tippable and has a tail end discharge opening as aforesaid.

In certain very advantageous embodiment of the invention the roof wall occupies a position within the confines of the top margins of the side and end walls of the body.

This arrangement enables the body to be built to a certain maximum height specification without having to allow for the thickness of the roof wall so that the carrying capacity of the body in open-topped condition is as large as possible for given length and width dimensions.

The side and end walls of the vehicle body may be provided with an internal flange providing a support for the roof wall.

Rubber or other elastically deformable sealing elements can be secured to the side and end walls of the body and/or to the roof wall to ensure liquid-tight sealing of the roof-tobody joint.

The roof wall may be clamped in position by clamping bolts. The side and end walls of the body may be provided with threaded sockets or captive nuts for such bolts.

The vehicle body can advantageously be constructed wholly or partly from aluminium alloy. The employment of aluminium alloy for the roof wall is very beneficial because of its low weight/volume ratio, for facilitating the handling of the roof wall when converting the vehicle from one condition to the other.

The rectanguloid geometry of the body is compatible with adequate strength for the bulk carriage of liquid in loads of several tons, even using lightweight alloy, provided that the body is appropriately constructed. It is suitable for the body to be of welded construction using one or more skins welded to ribs running horizontally and vertically in transverse planes of the body, and horizontally along the longitudinal corner edges, as known per se in vehicle body design.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general view of a vehicle incorporating the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing details of a side wall and the roof wall at the region of the roof joint; and Figure 3 shows a modification.

The illustrated vehicle has a rectanguloid load-carrying body 1 and has tipping mechanism for tipping the body about an axis located towards the rear of the vehicle chassis, for discharging fluid contents through a discharge tube 2 which is closable by a valve mechanism 3.

Within the body there are baffles such as 4 which are releasably held by baffle supports within the body.

The body has two roof hatches fitted with hinged covers 5, 6, via which fluid material, whether liquid alone or liquid mixed with particular solid forming a slurry or suspension, can be poured into the container.

In accordance with the invention, the entire roof wall 7 is removable from the vehicle body. Following such removal, and removal of the baffles such as 4 if required, the vehicle can be bulk-loaded with solid material, which can be heaped in the open topped body.

The tail end wall 8 of the body, which is fitted with the discharge tube 2 and associated valve mechanism 3, can itself be formed by a displaceable tail door or gate. For exam ply'such tail end wall can be hinged at its top to the rear end body frame. This will enable bulk-loaded solid material to be discharged more quickly, or permit loading and unloading of manufactured articles Referring to Fig. 2, which shows how the roof wall is fastened in place, this figure shows part of the near side wall 9 of the vehicle body, which like the other body walls, including the roof wall, is a double-skinned wall comprising aluminium alloy skins welded to vertical and horizontal hollow ribs which are formed from folded sheet aluminium alloy.

To the inner skin 10 of the side wall 9, at some distance below its top edge, there is welded an angle strip 11 which extends along the whole length of the side wall. Similar strips are welded to the other side and the end walls of the body and are joined end to end to form a continuous ledge for supporting the roof wall. The ledge is buttressed at intervals by gussets such as 1 2. At intervals along the ledge there are holes such as 1 3 for the passage of fastening bolts. Below and in register with each such hole there is a threaded nut 14 held captive in a bush 1 5 welded to the angle strip.

On top of the angle strips there are welded solid rectangular section bars such as 1 6 which together form a continuous seal bar along the endless course of the ledge.

Channels such as 1 7 are welded to the peripheral frame of the roof wall so as to form along the peripheral margin of the roof a continuous downwardly opening groove for the reception of an elastically deformable sealing element (not shown) which may be in the form of an endless tube. For fastening the roof wall in place bolts such as 1 8 are used.

Each bolt passes through a Tufnel sleeve such as 19, which is sweated into a tube 20 welded to the roof frame. By way of example there may be thirty of such bolts distributed around the periphery of the roof.

As the bolts are tightened following positioning of the roof wall, the sealing element (not shown) becomes deformed over the sealf bar 1 6 to form a liquid-tight joint. The fullyfastened position of the roof is positively de- termined by abutment of a depending strip 21 against the roof-supporting ledge 11.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig.

3, the roof wall is formed with a peripheral flange 22 which is bolted onto a roof-supporting ledge 23 with interposition of a sealing" strip 24.

Claims (11)

1. A vehicle having a body capable of carrying liquid in bulk, such body having at least one roof hatch with a sealable cover and a discharge opening with a sealable closure, characterised in that the body is of generally rectanguloid form and the entire roof wall, - incorporating the said hatch(es), is a liquidtightly connected to the side and end walls of the body in a manner permitting the said roof wall to be removed, thereby to convert the, body to an open-topped bulk load carrier.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the roof wall is clamped in position by meahs of releasable fastenings.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said roof wall occupies a position within the confines of the top margins of the side and end walls of the body.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the side and end walls of the vehicle body are provided with an internal flange providing a support for the roof wall.

5. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein rubber or other elastically de,- formable sealing material is present in the roof-to-body joint.

6. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the roof wall is clamped in position by clamping bolts which co-operate with threaded sockets or captive nuts provided on the side and end walls of the body.

7. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein said discharge opening is at, the tail end of the vehicle body.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said discharge opening extends over substantially the entire transverse cross-sectional area of the body.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said discharge opening is localised within the area of the tail end wall of the vehicle body.

10. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein said body is tippable.

11. A vehicle according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.