IE85521B1 - A tipping truck body for a truck - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A tipping truck body (22) for a truck, which tipping truck body (22) comprises an under frame (24), a plurality of cavities (26) which are in the under frame (24) and which are for receiving heat insulating material (28), and retainer means (30) for retaining the heat insulating material (28) in the cavities (26), the under frame (24) being such that it comprises channel members (32), sides of the channel members (32) define the cavities (26), and the sides of the channel members (32) defining the cavities (26) are all vertical sides (34) for facilitating insertion and retention of the heat insulating material (28) in the cavities (26).

Description

A TIPPING TRUCK BODY FOR A TRUCK This invention relates to trucks, and more especially, this invention relates ‘IO a tipping truck body for a truck.

Trucks with tipping truck bodies are well known. The tipping truck body is basically a hinged platform which is raised and lowered by an appropnate raising and lowing mechanism. The trucks are used in the delivery of bulk products to ‘destinations. Any suitable and appropriate type of bulk products may be delivered including foodstuffs, construction materials, and waste materials. The foodstuffs ‘may be, for example, grain or fruit.

Trucks with tipping truck bodies are generally manufactured in two different parts. More specifically, the main part of the tmck is first manufactured and this usually comprises a chassis, axle, wheels, tyres. suspension, an engine, transmission, and a driver's cab. This part of the truck is known within the industry as the chassis cab. Once the chassis cab has been manufactured, it has to be fitted with the tipping truck body. For this purpose, the chassis cab would usually be a delivered to a body builder who mar ufactures and installs. or assembles and installs, or purely installs the tippirg truck body if it has been manufactured elsewhere. The chassis cab provides the motive part of the truck, whilst the tipping truck body handles and controls loads to be delivered.

A 35521 The trucks with the tipping truck bodies are produced in various sizes.

These sizes are defined by truck weights which are known as gross vehicle weights. The gross vehicle weight of a truck is the total potential weight of the entire truck plus the weight of its maximum potential payload. For example, a truck with a gross vehicle weight of seven and a half tonnes, may weigh three and a half tonnes as a chassis cab and a tipping truck body, and thus it has a potential payload allowance of just under four tonnes when the weight of driver and fuel are taken into consideration.

In addition to different sizes, trucks with tipping truck bodies are often referred to by the amount of axles that they have, and the amount of those axles which are driving axles which apply power to road. Each axle is referred to as a unit of two, based upon each axle having two wheels. An axle frequently has more than two wheels. Thus examples of different type of trucks are an eight by tour, which would have four axles with two of the axles being driven, a six by four truck would have three axles with two of them being driven. and a four by two truck would have two axles with only one axle being driven.

Trucks with tipping truck bodies are widely used, especially by civil engineering companies, local authorities. utility providers, truck rental companies, builders merchants, and garden centres. Because the trucks are so widely used. some truck manufacturers market a complete package of the chassis cab and the tipping truck body.

Tipping truck bodies currently in use. for example by the above mentioned industry sectors, have numerous specific modifications to enable the carriage of different types of loads. One such major modification is the modification of the tipping truck body to enable it to carry loads in the form of heated material such for example as asphalt. in order to transport the heated materials such as aephalt. without incurring an unacceptable level of heat 'loss,.the tipping truck body must be insulated. This Insulation is currently generally achieved by packing the underside of the tipping truck body with an insulation material. and then cladding the insulation material with sheet metal in order to retain the insulation material in position. The sheet metal is usually fitted by means of rivets and/or welding. Current tipping truck bodies have a body structure which makes extensive use of channel sections in order to create the tipping truck body structure. These channel sections do not lend themselves to retrospective insulation.

In view of the above mentioned difficutties in modifying the underside of tipping truck bodies to ensure that they are appropriately heat insulated. it often occurs that operators have fleets of trucks which are inflexible in their i use and/or fitted to‘ requirement levels which are greater than those required for loads being carried. it an aim of the present invention to reduce this problem by providing a tipping truck body with an underside which is designed to enable it to be fitted retrospectively with insulation.

Accordingly. the present invention provides a tipping truck body for a truck. which tipping truck body comprises an under frame. a plurality of cavities which are in the under frame and which are for receiving heat insulating material, and retainer means for retaining the heat insulating material in the cavities. the under frame being such that it oomprises channel members which extend longitudinally and transversely of the tipping truck body. the cavities are in rows which extend longitudinally and transversely of the tipping truck body. sides of the channel members define the cavities. and the sides of the channel members defining the cavities are all vertical sides for facilitating insertion and retention of the heat insulating material in the cavities.

The tipping truck body of the present invention may advantageously be produced such that there is no detriment to the structural integrity ofithe tipping truck body, no significant increase in the weight of the tipping truck body. and no excessive opportunity for corrosion in the tipping truck body.

The tipping truck body is preferably one in which some of the channel members are box channel members. The box channel members are closed on ‘all sides. Alternatively, the channel members may have one side open providing the open side is not on one of the sides defining thecavities.

A Theretainer means is preferably nplurality of’ The clamps may be such that they are bolted into position. Retainer means other than clamps may be employed. .

The present invention also extends to the tipping truck body when including the heat insulating material.

Preferably, the heat insulating materiai is in the form of slabs. hie slabs may be slabs of closed cell polyurethane or polystyrene foam material which are faced with glass reinforced plastics material. other plastiw materials may be employed for the slabs and the slabs may also be feced with aluminium. if desired. the slabs may be provided without the facing of the class reinfo-cad plastics material. or. alternatively. with another facing material.

The heat insulating material may alternatively be provided in a tray.

The tray is preferably a metal tray. Any suitable and appropriate metal may be employed for the tray.

The heat insulating material may altematively be provided on a panel, the panel forming a structural surface, the panel having flanges. and the flanges having fixing apertures for enabling the panel to be fixed in position.

In all embodiments of the invention, the tipping truck body may include a sealant around the periphery of the heat insulating material. The sealant is employed for preventing the ingress of water and moisture around sides of the heat insulating material. The sealant may also increase rigidity of the installed heat insulating material, for example when the heat insulating material is in slab form. Preferably the sealant is a polyurethane adhesive sealant but other sealants may be employed if desired.

The tipping truck body may include a towbar system. The towbar system may comprise brealr away eyes and/or an integral reversing camera mount andlor an adjustable height mechanism.

The tipping truck body may include at least one tool chest. Different tool chests of different sizes may be provided if desired.

The tipping truck body may include a security rack for securing thereto products being transported by the tipping truck body. The security rack may be especially useful for securing a compacting machine for compacting materials such for example as asphalt.

The tipping truck body may include a cover system for covering a load being transported in the tipping truck body. The cover system may comprise a cartridge assembly which is secured to a front part of the tipping truck body and which contains a rolled cover sheet. the rolled cover sheet being extendable and retractable on a roller.

The tipping truck body may include a hoist assembly.

The tipping truck body may include divider means for dividing the tipping truck body into sections. The divider means may be useful for loads which needs to be kept separate from each other.

The tipping truck body may include a rear gate having a plurality of tipping chutes. Preferably there are three of the tipping chutes but other numbers of tipping chutes may be employed.

The present invention also provides a truck when provided with the tipping truck body.

The truck may be of a wide variety of sizes. Preferably, the truck is one which has a chassis cab having a gross vehicle weight of 3 — 19 tonnes.

Preferably, the vehicle will be one having a chassis cab which is a four by two chassis cab although other types of chassis cabs such for exampie as four by four chassis cab may be employed if desired.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in inverted form the underside of a known tipping truck body; Figure 2 shows in inverted form known heat insutatiig material in the form of a set of heat insulating panels and covering cladding panels; Figure 3 shows in inverted fonn part of the underside of a tipping truck body of the present invention; Figure 4 shows heat insulating material in the form of a set of panels for use with the part of the tipping truck body shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of part of the tipping. truck body shown in Figure 3, when fitted with the heat insulating material shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the heat insulating panels shown in Figure 4; Figure 7 shows an aiternative heat insulating material; Figure 8 shows analternative heat insulating material; ‘Figure 9 is an exploded view of a towbar system; Figure 10 shows how a tipping truck body of the present invention may be provided with a choice of transversely extending tool chests; Figure 11 shows how a tipping truck body of the present invention may be provided with a security rack for securing thereto products being transported in the tipping truck body: Figure 12 shows how a tipping truck body of the present invention may be fitted with a hoist assembly; Figure 13 shows how a tipping truck body of the present invention may be fitted with divider means for dividing the tipping truck body into sections; and Figure 14 shows how a tipping tmck body of the present invention may include a rear gate having a plurality of tipping chutes.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown in inverted form the underneath of part of a tipping truck body 2 for a truck. The tipping truck body 2 comprises an under frame 4. The under frame 4 has a plurality of cavities 6.

The cavities 6 are for receiving heat insulating material in the form of slabs 8 as shown in Figure 2. Also as shown in Figure 2, the slabs 8 are retained in the cavity 6 by retainer means in the form of cladding panels 10.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the under frame 4 is such that it comprises channel members 12. Circled parts of the channels members 12 which are also shown in cross section in Figure 1. It will be seen that the channel members 12 have different possible cross sectional shapes. Only one of the illustrated possible cross sectional shapes is a closed box sectional shape which would have a pair of vertical sides for defining the cavities 12. With the other cross sectional shapes for the channel members 12. it will be seen that there is either only one vertical side or no vertical sides. The result is that these channel members 12 in the known tipping truck body 2 define the apertures 6 in such a way that the apertures 6 have one or more sides which are not defined by vertical sides of the channel members 12. This makes it difficult to insert and retain the heat insulating material in the form of the slabs 8 shown in Figure 2. The cladding panels shown in Figure 2 are riveted andlor welded to the under frame 4 and this is not easily accomplished if the insulation is to be fitted after an entire truck has been manufactured.

Also shown in Figure 1 are mudguards 14 and part of a headboard 16 positioned at a front of the tipping truck body 12 and which would be adjacent a driver cab of the completed truck. Also shown in Figure 1 are hooks 18 which form lashing points for receiving ropes which can be employed to tie goods and/or a cover for the goods in position in the tipping truck body 2.

In Figure 1, it should be noted that the illustrated cross sectional shapes of the channel members 12 have been shown such that the sections are in the correct way up, rather than being inverted as is the case for the entire tipping truck body 2. A similar drawing convention has been employed for Figure 3 which shows a tipping truck body 22 of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 3. the tipping truck body 22 is for a truck (not shown). The tipping truck body 22 comprises an under frame 24. The under frame 24 has cavities 26. The cavities 26 are for receiving heat insulating material in the form of slabs 28 as shown in Figure 4. The slabs 28 are retained in position by retainer means in the form of clamps 30.

The under frame 24 is such that it comprises channel members 32.

Sides of the channel members 32 define the cavities 26. As can be seen from the cross sectional shapes of the channel members 12 shown in Figure 3, the sides of the channel members 32 defining the cavities 26 are all vertical sides 34. The vertical sides 34 facilitate the insertion and retention of the slabs 28 in the cavities 26.

Figure 3 also shows how the tipping truck body 22 is provided with a front headboard 36. The mudguards 14 shown in Figure 1 have been transferred in Figure 3 to the chassis (not shown) of the truck. Hooks 38 are provided for the same purposes as the hooks 18 shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 3, the channel members 32 are provided with apertures 40. The apertures 40 are for receiving boils (not shown) which pass through apertures 42 in the clamps 30, one of which is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of part of the under frame 24 showing the slabs 28 clamped in position by the clamps 30 to the channel members 32. The clamps 30 are shown as having side flanges 44 which press on the slabs 28 and hold them in position. The clamps 30 are ‘shown in Figure 4 as being located in position by nuts 46 and washers 48 on bolts 50. The nuts 46 are preferably cage nuts but other type of nuts may be employed if desired.

Figure 6 shows a slab 28. The slab 28 is made of closed cell polyurethane material 52 having a glass reinforced plastics lower skin 54.

Figure 7 shows alternative heat insulating material in the form of a tray 56 which is made of a metal such for example as aluminum or steel.

The tray 56 IS packed with rockwall, polystyrene or similar heat insulating material 58.

Figure 8 shows further alternative heat insulating material 60 which is provided on a panel 62. The panel 62 fomis a structural surface. The panel 62 has flanges 64. The flanges 64 have fixing apertures 66. The fixing apertures 66 enable the panel 62 with its heat insulating material 60 to be fixed in position to the channel members 32. Bolts (not shown) can be passed directly through the apertures 66 and into apertures in the channel members 32, instead of using the clamps 30.

Figure 9 shows a towbar system 68 that may be included in the tipping truck body 2. The towbar system 68 has break away eyes 70, an integral reversing camera mount 72, and an adjustable height mechanism 74. The adjustable height mechanism 74 comprises a plate 76 with apertures 78. Bolts (not shown) secure a combined ball jaw coupling 80 to the plate 76 by passing through apertures 82 in the coupling 80. through the apertures 78 in the plate 76. and through apertures 84 in a member 86.

Also shown is a stay bar 88 extending upwardly at an angle from the bottom of the member 86. Pins 90 pass through side apertures 92. 94 to locate the plate 76 at a desired height.

Figure 10 shows the front of the tipping truck body 22. A side panel 96 is shown folded down about hinges 98. In the up position. the side panel 96 is held in position by a pin (not shown) passing through a locking member 100. Figure 10 shows how the tipping truck body 22 may be provided with optional sizes and numbers of tool chests 102 extending transversely across the tipping truck body 22. Figure 10 also shows a locating formation 104 for locating an asphalt compacting tool known as a Whacker. The asphalt compacting tool may be secured to a securing tack 106 fixed to the headboard 36 of the tipping truck body 2.

Figure 11 shows a view like Figure 10 but with the tool chests 102 removed, and with the securing rack 106 being replaced by a cover system . The cover system 108 is for covering a load (not shown) being transported by the tipping truck body 22. The cover system 108 is located inside the front part of the tipping truck body 22 as shown. The cover system 108 comprises a cartridge assembly 110 and which contains a rolled cover 112. The rolled cover 112 is extendable and retractable on a roller as can be appreciated from Figure 11.

Figure 12 shows how the tipping truck body 22 can be provided with a hoist assembly 114. The hoist assembly 114 is secured as shown to a front side part 116 of the tipping truck body 22. The hoist assembly 114 comprises a hoist 118 and a hook 120 which operates on a chain. Figure 12 also shows how a side 122 of the tipping truck body 22 may be provided with cleats 124 for tightening and holding webbing (not shown). Figure 12 also shows how the hoist assembly 114 is able to be provided with an extendable leg 126 which extends from a tube 128 and which is secured in a desired position by a locking pin 130 passing through registering apertures 132 in the leg 126 and the tube 128.

Figure 13 shows how the tipping truck body 22 is able to be provided with divider means 134 for dividing the tipping truck body 22 into sections.

The divider means 134 has a gate release mechanism 136 as shown. The gate release mechanism 136 is in the nature of a pull bar gate release mechanism. The divider means 134 also comprises a divider panel 138.

Figure 14 shows how the tipping truck body 22 may be provided with a rear tailgate 140 comprising three separate tipping chutes 142. The tipping chutes 142 slide vertically in guides 144 as shown. The entire tailgate 140 is able to pivot up and down about a pivot bar 146. The tailgate is locked in the illustrated up position by a locking pin 148 passing through apertures in a bracket 150.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the illustrated components may have different shapes than those shown. The tipping truck body 22 may be of a wide variety of sizes for fitting a wide variety of different types of tipping truck.

Claims (23)

1. A tipping truck ‘body for a truck, which tipping truck body comprises « an under‘ frame. a plurality of cavities which are in the under frame and which are for receiving heat insulating material, and retainer means for retaining the heat insulating material in the cavities. the under frame being such that it comprises channel mernbe_re_wnic_i1 extend. longitudinally and , transversely of the tipping truck body. the cavities are in rows which extend longitudinally and transversely of the tipping truck body, sides of tl1e channel members define the cavities. and the sides of the channel members defining the cavities are all vertical sides for facilitating insertion and retention ol the heat insulating material in the cavities.

2. A tipping truck body according to claim 1 in which some of the channel members are box channel members.

3. A tipping truck body according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the ~ retainer means isa plurality of clamps.

4. A tipping truck body according to claim 3 in which the clamps are bolted into position.

5. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including the heat insulating material.

6. A tipping truck body according to claim 5 in which the heat insulating material is in the form of slabs.

7. A tipping truck body according to claim 6 in which the slabs are slabs of closed cell polyurethane or polystyrene foam material which are faced with glass reinforced plastics material or aluminium.

8. A tipping truck body according to claim 5 in which the heat insulating material is provided on a tray.

9. A tipping truck body according to claim 8 in which the tray is a metal tray.

10. A tipping truck body according to claim 5 in which the heat insulating material is provided on a panel, in which the panel forms a structural surface, in which the panel has flanges, and in which the flanges have fixing apertures for enabling the panel to be fixed in position.

11. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including sealant around the periphery of the heat insulating material.

12. A tipping truck body according to claim 11 in which the sealant is a polyurethane adhesive sealant.

13. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including a towbar system.

14. A tipping truck body according to claim 13 in which the towbar system comprises break away eyes and/or an integral reversing camera mount and/or an adjustable height mechanism.

15. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including at least one tool chest.

16. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including a security rack for securing thereto products being transported in the tipping truck body.

17. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including a cover system for covering a load being transported in the tipping truck body.

18. ‘ A tipping truck body according to claim 17 in which the cover system comprises a cartridge assembly which is secured to a front part of the tipping truck body and which contains a rolled cover sheet. the rolled cover sheet being extendable and retractable on a roller.

19. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including a hoist assembly.

20. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including divider means for dividing the tipping truck body into sections.

21. A tipping truck body according to any one of the preceding claims and including a rear gate having a plurality of tipping chutes.

22. A tipping truck body according to claim 21 in which there are three of the tipping chutes.

23. A tipping truck body for a truck, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.