VEHICLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A SLOPED GATE
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The current disclosure relates to a tank trailer for transporting meat packaging by-products. The tank trailer has a cylindrical body having a sloped rear end. An opening is formed in the sloped rear end, and a gate selectively blocks the opening. A locking mechanism is provided to securely lock the gate to the cylindrical body, thereby sealing the cylindrical body. The sloped rear end forms a chute through which meat by-products can be poured. The chute extends for a distance rearwardly of the trailer'"'"'s rear wheel assembly.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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5. (canceled)
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6. (canceled)
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7. A tank trailer comprising:
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a cylindrical body including; a top; a bottom; a front; a rear;
wherein a longitudinal axis extends between the front and the rear, and a vertical plane extends between the top and the bottom, and wherein the top, bottom, front, and rear bound and define an interior compartment adapted to carry a load;wherein the rear is oriented at an acute angle relative to the vertical plane; wherein the rear defines an opening that is in communication with the interior compartment; a gate;
wherein the gate is movable between an open position and a closed position, and when in the closed position, the gate blocks the opening; anda locking mechanism;
wherein the locking mechanism is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and when in the locked position, the locking mechanism locks the gate to the cylindrical body; andwherein the locking mechanism is remotely controllable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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8. (canceled)
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9. (canceled)
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10. (canceled)
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13. A method of dumping a load out of a tank trailer, comprising steps of:
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providing a tank trailer having a cylindrical body including a top, a bottom, a front and a rear;
wherein a longitudinal axis extends between the front and rear, and a vertical plane extends between the top and bottom, and wherein the top, bottom, front, and rear bounds and defines a compartment;orienting the rear at an acute angle relative to the vertical plane; defining an opening in the rear that is in communication with the compartment; providing a gate at the rear, wherein the gate is selectively movable between a closed position and an open position; placing a load in the compartment and moving the gate to the closed position to close off access to the compartment; moving a locking mechanism provided on the gate or on the body from an unlocked position to a locked position; carrying the load in the compartment; defining a chute in a rear end of the body;
wherein the chute comprises a portion of each of a left side and a right side of the body as well as a portion of the bottom; andmoving the locking mechanism from the locked position to the unlocked position;
wherein the moving of the locking mechanism to the unlocked position includes;actuating a first actuator of the locking mechanism to rotate a center plate in one of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction; moving locking rods of the locking mechanism inwardly towards the center plate; actuating a second actuator that is operatively engaged with the body and the gate; and
the method further includes;moving the gate from the closed position to the open position; and removing the load from the compartment through the chute. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of fabricating a tank trailer, comprising steps of:
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providing a first cylindrical body having first circumferential wall with a forward section and a rearward section, wherein the rearward section has an inclined rear edge that bounds and defines a first opening; and
the first opening is of substantially a same first circumference as the first circumferential wall;providing a gate assembly including a second cylindrical body having a second circumferential wall with a forward section and a rearward section, wherein the second circumferential wall is of a second circumference that is smaller than the first circumference, wherein the rearward section of the second circumferential has an inclined rear edge that bounds and defines a second opening, and wherein the rear edges of the first and second cylindrical bodies are inclined at substantially a same angle; inserting the forward section of the second cylindrical body into the first opening; aligning the rear edge of the second circumferential wall with the rear edge of the first circumferential wall; and welding the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body together. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A tank trailer comprising:
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a cylindrical body having a circumferential wall, wherein the body includes a front and a rear; and
wherein the wall bounds and define an interior compartment adapted to carry a load, and wherein the rear includes an inclined rear edge that bounds and defines an opening to the compartment, and wherein the opening is of substantially a same circumference as the circumferential wall;a gate movable between an open position and a closed position, and when in the closed position, the gate blocks the opening; a locking mechanism operative to move the gate between a locked position and an unlocked position, and when the locking mechanism is in the locked position the gate is unable to move to the open position;
wherein the locking mechanism comprises;a center plate; a first actuator operative to rotate the center plate in one of a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction; at least one locking rod operative to selectively move one of inwardly toward the center plate and outwardly toward the rear of the circumferential wall; and a second actuator operatively engaged with the cylindrical body and the gate, wherein the second actuator is actuated to move the gate between the open position and the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification