GB2111916A

GB2111916A - Curtain-sided vehicle body

Info

Publication number: GB2111916A
Application number: GB08136561A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Anema
Original assignee: PANEMA
Current assignee: PANEMA
Priority date: 1981-12-03
Filing date: 1981-12-03
Publication date: 1983-07-13
Also published as: GB2111916B

Abstract

The roof structure (26) is connected to the corner pillars (18-24) through stress relief devices (38), preferably also employed to connect the rear corner pillars (22, 24) to the floor, which devices permit relative movement between two connected parts to a limited but sufficient extent to reduce or eliminate stress at these connections. Each stress relief device (38) may comprise (Figure 3) washers 52, 54 of lesser resilience sandwiched between fixing plate 46 and platform 48 and a thicker washer 56 of greater resilience sandwiched between the platform and a load-distributing washer 58 beneath nut 60. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in curtain sided vehicle bodies This invention relates to the construction of the body of a curtain sided vehicle. Usually such vehicle will take the form of a curtain sided trailer unit for attachment behind a powered cab unit.

Typically, a curtain sided trailer is a long vehicle, e.g. of 15 metres length or more, and is in use supported between a pair of road wheel axles near the rear end and a road wheel axle near the front, the latter axle being carried by the rear part of the chassis of the cab unit, which underlies the front end portion of the trailer.

In a conventional curtain sided vehicle, rigidity is imparted by solid interconnection of the chassis, headboard structure, roof structure and rear corner pillars. The vehicle may be permanently closed between the rear pillars or may have doors mounted therebetween. However, when the vehicle is loaded, the chassis is subject to sagging between the road axle supports, and is also liable to twist during cornering.

Since the current trend is to construct the chassis of increasingly lightweight materials, the deformation which takes place is tending to increase.

While the deformation of the chassis is in itself relatively unimportant, it inevitably leads to strains and stresses in the rigidly interconnected structure thereof with the headboard structure, roof structure and rear pillars. Increasingly commonly, these strains and stresses result in metal fatigue and the occurrence of cracks, especially at the solid joints between the headboard structure and the roof structure, the rear pillars and the roof structure, and either one or both of the headboard structure and the chassis and the rear pillars and the chassis. This damage can be dangerous, and must be repaired.

However, such repairs are both laborious and expensive, and lead to a costly period of idleness while the vehicle is off the road.

It is an object of this invention to provide a construction of curtain sided vehicle body which partly or wholly overcomes the above-described problem.

According to the present invention, in a curtain sided vehicle body having a chassis, a headboard structure, a roof structure and rear corner pillars, the roof structure is connected to the headboard structure and to the rear corner pillars through stress relieving means which permits relative movement to a limited but sufficient extent substantially to reduce or eliminate stress at the connections where said stress relieving means is located.

Usually, the headboard structure will include front corner pillars, and the stress relieving means will then comprise four stress relief devices, one connecting the top of each of the four vehicle corner pillars with one of the ends of the two cant rails which extend along the two longitudinal edges of the roof.

Preferably, stress relieving means will also be provided between the chassis and either the headboard structure or the rear corner pillars, most desirably the latter.

Thus, the rear corner pillars may be rigidly interconnected at or near the lower ends thereof by a cross-member which supports said pillars and which is itself connected to the rear of the vehicle chassis through the stress relieving means, conveniently two stress relief devices which connect with the chassis at the rear ends of two longitudinal chassis members providing floor support, spaced inwardly of the respective raves.

For each two parts to be connected, the stress relief device preferably comprises a housing carried by one part, said housing being open at at least one end but having a transverse crosspiece within it, and a fixing member carried by the other part and extending into said housing through the open end thereof to be bolted to the transverse crosspiece through one or more resilient washers.

Preferably at least two resilient washers are provided, one on each side of the transverse crosspiece.

The stress relief device clearly has to transmit weight from the part above it to the part below it, and conveniently the washer on one side of the crosspiece will be a relatively hard washer of material of lesser resilience, primarily used to transmit weight, and the washer on the other side will be a softer washer of material of greater resilience, primarily used to accommodate relative movement. Two relatively hard washers may be provided on the one side of the crosspiece, respectively longitudinally extended in direction at right angles so that the end portions thereof fold down to cup the end of the fixing member with minimal clearance within the housing, thereby to restrict relative lateral displacement of the two connected parts.

Although the invention is not restricted to use with a long curtain sided vehicle, it is of primary interest in connection therewith. In such a long vehicle, it is conventional to provide at least one, commonly two, floor to ceiling pillars, which effect stiffening, centrally across the vehicle at one or more intermediate points in its length. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, these intermediate pillars are also connected to the chassis and to the roof structure by stress relieving means, conveniently stress relief devices as heretofore described.

A practical construction of curtain sided vehicle body in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a curtain sided vehicle body in perspective; Figure 2 is a section on the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line B-B in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of an intermediate pillar shown in Figure 1.

The vehicle body shown in Figure 1 comprises a chassis 10 having two longitudinal primary chassis members 12 for floor support and side raves 14.A headboard 16 extending between two front corner pillars 18, 20 is rigidly connected to the chassis. The body also has rear corner pillars 22, 24 which may be closed therebetween by a fixed tail board or by doors, and a roof structure 26 having two transverse primary stiffening members 28 extending between cant rails 30. Intermediate pillars 32, 34 interconnect transverse, secondary chassis members 36 with the stiffening members 28 in the roof 26. The sides of the vehicle will be closable by curtains of conventional type.

If the chassis 10, headboard 16, roof structure 26 and rear corner pillars 22,24 are rigidly interconnected, metal fatigue and cracking are liable to occur when the chassis yields under a heavy load and/or deforms during cornering. The present invention provides stress relieving means for avoiding this problem.

Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, stress relief devices 38 are used to interconnect the top of each corner pillar 18, 20, 22, 24 with the end of a cant rail 30. Such a stress relief device 38 is shown in Figure 3, an identical device being employed at the top of each pillar.

The device 38 is not dissimilar to a vehicle engine mounting.

Asquare open-ended housing section 40 is welded, as indicated at 42, to the end of the cant rail 30, whilst to the top of the pillar 22 (or 18 or 20 or 24) is welded, as at 43, a square, hollow fixing member 44 closed by fixing plate 46 at its free end.

A crosspiece in the form of a transverse platform 48 is welded in place within the housing 40, and the fixing plate 46 is clamped to this platform 40 by means of fixing bolt 50, with the aid of various washers. Beneath the platform 48, two resilient washers 52, 54 are sandwiched between said platform and the fixing plate 46. As shown for the washer 54, these washers 52 and 54 are longitudinally extended in directions at right angles so that their end portions fold down to cup the end of the upper end region of the fixing member 44, filling the gap between said fixing member 44 and the housing 40 with minimal clearance. This restricts lateral movement between the cant rail 30 and the pillar 22.

Above the platform 48, a thicker flat resilient washer 56 is sandwiched between said platform and a load distributing washer 58 below the bolt securing nut 60.

The washers 52, 54 below the platform 48 transmit the weight of the roof 26, and are made of a relatively hard, less resilient, rubberised fibre material, whilst the washer 56 above the platform is made of a softer, more resilient, rubber material to accommodate relative movement between the cant rail 30 and the pillar 22. The relative movement accommodated may be axial (in the direction of the bolt), or tiling (about a horizontal axis through the bolt).

Thus, in use, the washer 56 may be uniformly or non-uniformly compressed, and this is equally true to a much lesser extent of the washers 52, 54.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the rear corner pillars 22,24 are also connected to the chassis 10 through two similar stress relief devices 62 (see Figure 1). One such device 62 is shown in Figure 2; the other is similar.

Nearthe lower ends, the rear corner pillars 22,24 are rigidly interconnected by a box section 64 fixedly carrying, at two positions spaced along its length, i.e. across the width of the rear of the trailer, two square section fixing elements 65 each closed by a fixing plate 66. The latter is bolted by means of the stress relief device to a platform 68 fixedly welded transversely across a square section housing 70 fixedly connected, as at 72, to the rear of the chassis 10 of the vehicle. In practice, the housing 70 is connected to the chassis 10 at the rear end of a primary, floor supporting chassis member 12. Two such primary chassis members 12 are conventionally provided, spaced inside the raves 14 by about one quarter of the vehicle width, and these determine the location of the two stress relief devices 62 (see Figure 1).

Each stress relief device 62 is generally similar to that previously described with reference to Figure 2.

Thus, in Figure 2, the bolt is designated 76, the securing nut thereof is designated 78, the harder resilient washers are referenced 80,82, the softer resilient washer is referenced 84, and the load distributing washer is designated 86. It is important to note, however, that the device is inverted, as far as the washers 80,82,84 are concerned, with respect to the stress relief device of Figure 2, i.e. the softer washer 84 primarily accommodating relative movement is positioned below the platform 68 and the harder washers 80, 82 primarily transmitting weight are positioned above the platform.

In a long curtain sided vehicle body, it is conventional to provide the two intermediate pillars 32, 34 previously referred to. In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, these intermediate pillars 32,34 are also connected, respectively to the chassis and to the roof, through stress relief devices 88,90 (see Figure 4).

The devices 90 connect to the previously mentioned secondary chassis members 36 and each comprise a vertically inverted form (see Figure 2) of the device shown in Figure 3. The devices 88 connect to the previously mentioned roof stiffening members 28 and each comprise a device substantially identical with that shown in Figure 3. These devices will therefore be clear without further illustration and description.

It will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment may be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention as hereinbefore defined. For example, although not usually to be preferred, stress relief devices may be provided at the bottom of the front corner pillars, the rear stress relief devices for the lower ends of the rear corner pillars then being omitted, since it is essential to provide a solid connection with the chassis either at the front or at the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, whilst the engine-mounting type stress relief devices described and illustrated are especially convenient to provide the necessary degree of stress relief within the limited space available for the accommodation of such a device, it is possible to devise other forms of stress relief device which can provide for the limited but sufficient relative movement that is required.

CLAIMS (Filed on 30. Nov 82) 1. A curtain sided vehicle having a chassis, a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. primary stiffening members 28 extending between cant rails 30. Intermediate pillars 32, 34 interconnect transverse, secondary chassis members 36 with the stiffening members 28 in the roof 26. The sides of the vehicle will be closable by curtains of conventional type. If the chassis 10, headboard 16, roof structure 26 and rear corner pillars 22,24 are rigidly interconnected, metal fatigue and cracking are liable to occur when the chassis yields under a heavy load and/or deforms during cornering. The present invention provides stress relieving means for avoiding this problem. Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, stress relief devices 38 are used to interconnect the top of each corner pillar 18, 20, 22, 24 with the end of a cant rail 30. Such a stress relief device 38 is shown in Figure 3, an identical device being employed at the top of each pillar. The device 38 is not dissimilar to a vehicle engine mounting. Asquare open-ended housing section 40 is welded, as indicated at 42, to the end of the cant rail 30, whilst to the top of the pillar 22 (or 18 or 20 or 24) is welded, as at 43, a square, hollow fixing member 44 closed by fixing plate 46 at its free end. A crosspiece in the form of a transverse platform 48 is welded in place within the housing 40, and the fixing plate 46 is clamped to this platform 40 by means of fixing bolt 50, with the aid of various washers. Beneath the platform 48, two resilient washers 52, 54 are sandwiched between said platform and the fixing plate 46. As shown for the washer 54, these washers 52 and 54 are longitudinally extended in directions at right angles so that their end portions fold down to cup the end of the upper end region of the fixing member 44, filling the gap between said fixing member 44 and the housing 40 with minimal clearance. This restricts lateral movement between the cant rail 30 and the pillar 22. Above the platform 48, a thicker flat resilient washer 56 is sandwiched between said platform and a load distributing washer 58 below the bolt securing nut 60. The washers 52, 54 below the platform 48 transmit the weight of the roof 26, and are made of a relatively hard, less resilient, rubberised fibre material, whilst the washer 56 above the platform is made of a softer, more resilient, rubber material to accommodate relative movement between the cant rail 30 and the pillar 22. The relative movement accommodated may be axial (in the direction of the bolt), or tiling (about a horizontal axis through the bolt). Thus, in use, the washer 56 may be uniformly or non-uniformly compressed, and this is equally true to a much lesser extent of the washers 52, 54. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the rear corner pillars 22,24 are also connected to the chassis 10 through two similar stress relief devices 62 (see Figure 1). One such device 62 is shown in Figure 2; the other is similar. Nearthe lower ends, the rear corner pillars 22,24 are rigidly interconnected by a box section 64 fixedly carrying, at two positions spaced along its length, i.e. across the width of the rear of the trailer, two square section fixing elements 65 each closed by a fixing plate 66. The latter is bolted by means of the stress relief device to a platform 68 fixedly welded transversely across a square section housing 70 fixedly connected, as at 72, to the rear of the chassis 10 of the vehicle. In practice, the housing 70 is connected to the chassis 10 at the rear end of a primary, floor supporting chassis member 12. Two such primary chassis members 12 are conventionally provided, spaced inside the raves 14 by about one quarter of the vehicle width, and these determine the location of the two stress relief devices 62 (see Figure 1). Each stress relief device 62 is generally similar to that previously described with reference to Figure 2. Thus, in Figure 2, the bolt is designated 76, the securing nut thereof is designated 78, the harder resilient washers are referenced 80,82, the softer resilient washer is referenced 84, and the load distributing washer is designated 86. It is important to note, however, that the device is inverted, as far as the washers 80,82,84 are concerned, with respect to the stress relief device of Figure 2, i.e. the softer washer 84 primarily accommodating relative movement is positioned below the platform 68 and the harder washers 80, 82 primarily transmitting weight are positioned above the platform. In a long curtain sided vehicle body, it is conventional to provide the two intermediate pillars 32, 34 previously referred to. In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, these intermediate pillars 32,34 are also connected, respectively to the chassis and to the roof, through stress relief devices 88,90 (see Figure 4). The devices 90 connect to the previously mentioned secondary chassis members 36 and each comprise a vertically inverted form (see Figure 2) of the device shown in Figure 3. The devices 88 connect to the previously mentioned roof stiffening members 28 and each comprise a device substantially identical with that shown in Figure 3. These devices will therefore be clear without further illustration and description. It will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment may be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention as hereinbefore defined. For example, although not usually to be preferred, stress relief devices may be provided at the bottom of the front corner pillars, the rear stress relief devices for the lower ends of the rear corner pillars then being omitted, since it is essential to provide a solid connection with the chassis either at the front or at the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, whilst the engine-mounting type stress relief devices described and illustrated are especially convenient to provide the necessary degree of stress relief within the limited space available for the accommodation of such a device, it is possible to devise other forms of stress relief device which can provide for the limited but sufficient relative movement that is required. CLAIMS (Filed on 30. Nov 82)

1. A curtain sided vehicle having a chassis, a

headboard structure, a roof structure and rear corner pillars, wherein the roof structure is connected to the headboard structure and to the rear corner pillars through stress relieving means which permits relative movement to a limited but sufficient extent substantially to reduce or eliminate stress at the connections where said stress relieving means is located.

2. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the headboard structure includes front corner pillars, and the stress relieving means comprises four stress relief devices, one connecting the top of each of the four vehicle corner pillars with one of the ends of the two cant rails which extend along the two longitudinal edges of the roof.

3. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, having stress relieving means between the chassis and eitherthe headboard structure or the rear corner pillars.

4. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the rear corner pillars are connected at or near the lower ends thereof by a cross-member which supports said pillars and which is itself connected to the rear of the vehicle chassis through the stress relieving means.

5. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the stress relieving means for said crossmember comprises two stress relief devices which connect with the chassis at the rear ends of two longitudinal chassis members providing floor support, spaced inwardly of the respective raves.

6. A curtain sided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stress relieving means comprises a plurality of stress relief devices each of which, for each two parts to be connected, comprises a housing carried by one part, said housing being open at at least one end but having a transverse crosspiece within it, and a fixing member carried by the other part and extending into said housing through the open end thereof to be bolted to the transverse crosspiece through one or more resilient washers.

7. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 6, wherein each stress relief device includes two resilient washers, one on each side of the transverse crosspiece.

8. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the washer on one side of the crosspiece is a relatively hard washer of a material of lesser resilience, primarily used to transmit weight, and the washer on the other side of the crosspiece is a softer washer of a material of greater resilience, primarily used to accommodate relative movement.

9. A curtain sided vehicle according to claim 8, wherein two relatively hard washers are provided on one side of the crosspiece, respectively longitudinal ly extended in direction at right angles so that the end portions thereof fold down to cup the end of the fixing memberwith minimal clearance within the housing, thereby to restrict relative lateral displace ment of the two connected parts.

10. A curtain sided vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 9, having one or more floor to ceiling pillars intermediate of the length of the vehicle, wherein the or each intermediate pillar is connected to at least one of the floor and roof structure by stress relieving means.

11. A curtain sided vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.