Dump body for an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle

• US 20020180241A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Terex Corporation
• Inventors: Fujan, Steven J., Borthick, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,565,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/183.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/283 Elements of tipping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/286 Loading buckets

Abstract

A dump body for use on a off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle includes a curved floor having a forward portion, a rearward portion, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward portion and the rearward portion. The floor includes a bottom surface adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle. A pair of sidewalls are provided that are joined to the floor along a corresponding one of the edges of the floor. Each of the sidewalls includes a forward portion, and each of the sidewalls may be curved. A curved front wall is joined to the forward portion of the floor and to the forward portion of each of the sidewalls. Accordingly, the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperate to define a payload space.

Claims

1. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle, the dump body comprising:

a curved floor, the floor having a forward portion, a rearward portion, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward portion and the rearward portion, the floor further having a bottom surface adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle;

a pair of curved sidewalls, each of the sidewalls joined to the floor along a corresponding one of the edges of the floor, each of the sidewalls having a forward portion; and

a curved front wall joined to the forward portion of the floor and to the forward portion of each of the sidewalls;

whereby the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperate to define a payload space.

2. The dump body of claim 1, further including a cab protector joined to a top edge of the front wall and extending generally in a forward direction from the front wall.

3. The dump body of claim 2, wherein the cab protector is curved.

4. The dump body of claim 1, wherein the floor includes a first radius of curvature, and wherein the sidewalls include a second radius of curvature, the first radius of curvature greater than the second radius of curvature.

5. The dump body of claim 1, wherein the floor and the sidewalls are concave with respect to the payload space.

6. The dump body of claim 5, wherein the front wall is concave with respect to the payload space.

7. The dump body of claim 1, wherein the floor is curved along more than one radius of curvature.

8. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle and having a longitudinal axis, the dump body comprising:

a floor adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle, the floor having a forward portion, a rearward portion, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward portion and the rearward portion, the floor having a curved cross-section taken transverse to the longitudinal axis;

a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls joined to the floor along a corresponding one of the edges of the floor, each of the sidewalls having a curved cross-section taken transverse to the longitudinal axis; and

a front wall joined to the forward portion of the floor and to the forward portion of each of the sidewalls, the front wall curved about a generally upright axis;

the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperating to define a payload space.

9. The dump body of claim 8, wherein the floor and the sidewalls are concave with respect to the payload space.

10. The dump body of claim 9, wherein the front wall is concave with respect to the payload space.

11. The dump body of claim 9, wherein the floor has a radius of curvature different than a radius of curvature of the sidewalls.

12. The dump body of claim 11, wherein the radius of curvature of the floor is greater than the radius of curvature of the sidewalls.

13. The dump body of claim 8, further including a cab protector joined to a top edge of the front wall and extending generally in a forward direction from the front wall.

14. The dump body of claim 13, wherein the cab protector is curved.

16. The dump body of claim 15, wherein at least one of the curved surfaces is concave with respect to the payload space.

17. The dump body of claim 16, wherein at least one of the curved surfaces is convex with respect to the payload space, and further wherein a radius of curvature of at least one of the curved surfaces is different than a radius of curvature of another one of the curved surfaces.

18. The dump body of claim 15, wherein a portion of the solid boundary includes an outer portion adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle.

20. The dump body of claim 19, wherein the curved portion of the floor and the curved portion of each of the sidewalls are concave with respect to the payload space.

21. The dump body of claim 20, wherein the curved portion of the front wall is convex with respect to the payload space.

22. The dump body of claim 19, including a cab protector joined to front wall, and wherein the floor is adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle, and further wherein each of the floor, the sidewalls and the front wall are formed of thin wall steel panels, and wherein each of the floor, the sidewalls and the front wall includes an external surface free of stiffening members.

23. The dump body of claim 19, wherein the curved portion of at least one of the floor, the sidewalls, or the front wall comprises a corrugated section.

26. The dump body of claim 25, further including a cab protector joined to a top edge of the front wall and extending generally in a forward direction from the front wall.

27. The dump body of claim 26, wherein the cab protector is curved.

28. The dump body of claim 25, wherein the floor includes a radius of curvature of about 500 inches.

29. The dump body of claim 25, wherein the floor and the front wall are concave with respect to the payload space.

30. The dump body of claim 25, wherein the floor is curved along more than one radius of curvature.

31. The dump body of claim 25, wherein the floor includes a corrugated cross-section.

15. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle and comprising a panel system, the panel system defining a payload space, the payload space including an open top, a rear spillway, and a solid boundary, the solid boundary defined exclusively by a plurality of curved surfaces.

19. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle, the dump body comprising:

a floor, the floor having a pair of side edges extending between a forward edge and a rearward edge, the floor including a curved portion disposed between the side edges;

a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls having a bottom edge joined to a corresponding one of the side edges of the floor, each of the sidewalls further having a top edge and including a curved portion disposed between the bottom edge and the top edge; and

a front wall joined to the forward edge of the floor and to a forward edge of each of the sidewalls, the front wall having a bottom edge, a top edge, and a curved portion disposed between the bottom edge and the top edge;

the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperating to define a payload space.

24. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle, the dump body comprising:

a floor, the floor having a pair of side edges extending between a forward edge and a rearward edge;

a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls having a bottom edge joined to a corresponding one of the side edges of the floor, each of the sidewalls further having a top edge; and

a front wall joined to the forward edge of the floor and to a forward edge of each of the sidewalls, the front wall having a bottom edge and a top edge;

the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperating to define a payload space, and wherein each of the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall are constructed of curved plates, the curved plates being free of stiffening members.

25. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle, the dump body comprising:

a curved floor, the floor having a forward portion, a rearward portion, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward portion and the rearward portion, the floor further having a bottom surface adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle;

a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls joined to the floor along a corresponding one of the edges of the floor, each of the sidewalls having a forward portion; and

a curved front wall joined to the forward portion of the floor and to the forward portion of each of the sidewalls;

whereby the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperate to define a payload space.

32. A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle and having a longitudinal axis, the dump body comprising:

a floor adapted for pivotal attachment to the haulage vehicle, the floor having a forward portion, a rearward portion, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward portion and the rearward portion, the floor having a curved cross-section taken transverse to the longitudinal axis;

a pair of sidewalls, each of the sidewalls joined to the floor along a corresponding one of the edges of the floor; and

a front wall joined to the forward portion of the floor and to the forward portion of each of the sidewalls, the front wall having a curved cross-section taken transverse to a vertical axis;

the floor, the sidewalls, and the front wall cooperating to define a payload space.

33. The dump body of claim 32, wherein the floor and the front wall are concave with respect to the payload space.

34. The dump body of claim 33, wherein the front wall is convex with respect to the payload space.

35. The dump body of claim 32, including a curved cab protector joined to a top edge of the front wall and extending generally in a forward direction from the front wall.