US2765032A - Raisable end gate for cattle trucks - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 2, 1956 c. G. BUTZOW RAISABLE END GATE FOR CATTLEYTRUCKS Filed Aug. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY 3 i 3 2 Arron v5) CHARLES G. Burzow Uct. 2, 1956 c. e. BUTZOW RAISABLE END GATE FOR CATTLE TRUCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1953 CHARLES G. Burzovv 4 INVENTOR. By

ATTORNEY United St This invention relates to a raisable end gate for cattle trucks.

The invention is more particularly concerned with a gate for normally closing the rear end of a truck body adapted for the transportation of cattle and the like and wherein the gate is of a flexible character and is of eiongated rectangular form and whose opposite edges are slidably mounted in laterally opposed guiding channel members adapting the gate to be bodily lifted from a closing position and which is readily closable under substantial action of gravity.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a gate of the above noted general character which is highly simple in construction, durable, and effective in operatron.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gate of the above noted general character which requires a minimum of manual eifort in the opening thereof and in which the closing action is substantially aided by the force of gravity.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a cattle truck body showing the improved gate in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion of the cattle truck body together with the improved gate as observed in the plane of line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the gate in partially raised position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view of the lower portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of one corner of the truck body and a corresponding portion of the gate.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the gate in a rolled position showing in particular the flexibility thereof together with the relative disposition of the slats, spacers and flexible connecting bands.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the cattle truck body is of usual construction and includes a floor F, opposite side horizontally extending and vertically spaced bars B and opposite side vertically spaced bars B which are disposed outwardly of the bars B and suitably secured thereto.

Suitably secured to the horizontal bars B adjacent the rear end of the truck body are a pair of laterally opposed gate guiding channel members 10 which include lower vertical portions 11, upper horizontal portions 12 and arcuate connecting portions 13.

The gate per se comprises a plurality of spaced parallel slats 14 which extend transversely of the truck body and whose opposite ends are slidably disposed within the guiding channel members 10.

tes Patent 0 2,765,032 Patented Oct. 2, 1956 Disposed between the slats 14 are two series of spacing blocks 15, one series adjacent each of the opposite ends of the slats and the blocks are preferably of a width sub- 1stantially equal to that of the slats but may be more or .ess.

The slats 14 and spacing blocks 15 are maintained in assembled relation by means of a pair of rubberized fabric bands 16, one thereof being disposed over each series of spacing blocks 15' and the bands are secured to the stats 14 and spacing blocks 15 by nails or any other suitable securing means.

The rubberized bands 16 not only provide a connecting means for the slats 14 and spacing blocks 15 but they provide marked flexibility to the gate in a direction from the lower to the upper end thereof or vice versa, as is Iczl earlg indicated by the rolled position of the gate in The rubberizing of the connecting bands renders same waterproof and accordingly substantially prolongs the life thereof.

The open construction of the improved gate in general correspondence to that of the truck body renders same relatively light in weight and accordingly little manual effort is required to raise same from its lowered closing position of Figs. 1 and 2 to its raised open position wherein the major portion thereof is disposed within the upper horizontal portions 12 of the guiding channels 10.

Less manual eifort will of course be required to lower the gate to the closed position of Figs. 1 and 2 since such closing action will be substantially aided by the force of gravity.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is: V

A gate structure for the rear end of a truck body having a floor, a top and opposite sides, comprising a channel guide member secured to each of said sides and extending upwardly from the floor adjacent said rear end, an upper horizontal portion and an arcuate portion interconnecting the vertical and horizontal portions of said channel guide, a slidable gate comprising a plurality of vertically spaced and horizontally disposed slats, the opposite ends of said slats being positioned in said channel guide members, two laterally spaced series of short spacer blocks disposed between said slats near their ends but removed from the channel guide members, said spacer blocks and said slats being of the same material and of the same width and thickness, and a flexible band extending transversely on one face of said slats near each end thereof but removed from the channel guide members, interconnecting said slats and said short spacer blocks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,713 Miller Aug. 26, 1924 1,725,750 Brinton Aug. 27, 1929 1,729,825 Gaiser Oct. 1, 1929 2,021,512 Lake Nov. 19, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 947,203 France Jan. 10, 1949 435,556 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1935 69,439 Switzerland June 16, 1915

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