Apparatus and method for on-board measuring of the load carried by a truck body
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing an indication of the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is pivotally mounted on a truck frame, said apparatus comprising:
- a truck frame including a hinge assembly;
a truck body pivotally mounted to said truck frame at said hinge assembly, said truck body being pivotally movable on said frame between a lowered position and a raised position;
a substantial length of the surface of said truck frame serving as a support surface for said truck body in its lowered position;
at least one fluid-filled tubing assembly mounted on said substantial length of the surface of said truck frame and forming a continuous interface between said substantial length and a mating portion of said truck body, thereby transferring at least a portion of the weight of said truck body to said frame in a substantially even and continuous distribution along said substantial length; and
a pressure sensor assembly in communication with the fluid in said at least one fluid-filled tubing for providing a pressure measurement indicative of the weight of the truck body and its load transferred to said frame along said interface.
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Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus for accurately measuring the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is pivotally mounted on a truck frame. With the truck body in its lowered position, the apparatus is located along an interface between the truck frame with the load carried by the truck body. In order to measure the weight of the load, the apparatus includes pressure sensors which communicate the entire weight of the load to the truck frame. The pressure sensors provide an electrical signal proportional to the pressure exerted by the load on the apparatus. This electrical signal is processed to calculate the weight of the load carried in the truck body. By providing a pressure sensing apparatus at an interface between the load and truck frame, the weight on the load carried by the truck body can be continually monitored without interrupting the loading, hauling and dumping routine.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing an indication of the weight of a load carried by a truck body which is pivotally mounted on a truck frame, said apparatus comprising:
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a truck frame including a hinge assembly; a truck body pivotally mounted to said truck frame at said hinge assembly, said truck body being pivotally movable on said frame between a lowered position and a raised position; a substantial length of the surface of said truck frame serving as a support surface for said truck body in its lowered position; at least one fluid-filled tubing assembly mounted on said substantial length of the surface of said truck frame and forming a continuous interface between said substantial length and a mating portion of said truck body, thereby transferring at least a portion of the weight of said truck body to said frame in a substantially even and continuous distribution along said substantial length; and a pressure sensor assembly in communication with the fluid in said at least one fluid-filled tubing for providing a pressure measurement indicative of the weight of the truck body and its load transferred to said frame along said interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for measuring the weight of a load carried by a truck body pivotally mounted to a truck frame, said truck body being pivoted between lowered and raised positions, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning at least one length of fluid-filled tubing between said truck frame and the load carried by said truck body; positioning said truck body at its lowered position; supporting a predetermined portion of the weight of said load on said truck frame and through said fluid-filled tubing such that said tubing continuously and uniformly distributes the weight of said load along at least a substantial portion of the length of said truck frame; measuring the fluid pressure in said fluid-filled tubing; converting at least said fluid pressure measurement to a weight value indicative of the entire weight of said load; and indicating to the truck operator the entire weight of the truck'"'"'s load.
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12. An apparatus for the on-board sensing of the load carried in a truck body which is pivotally mounted to a truck frame, said apparatus comprising;
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a hinge assembly mounted on said truck frame and coupled to said truck body so as to allow said truck body to pivot between lowered and raised positions; support means mounted on elongated beams of said truck frame; said hinge assembly including means for decoupling said body and frame at said assembly when said truck body is in its lowered position, thereby causing the entire weight of said truck body to be communicated to said truck frame by way of said support means; said support means supporting the entire weight of the truck body in its lowered position in such a manner as to evenly and continuously distribute the entire weight along said interface with none of the weight of the body transferred to the truck frame via said hinge assembly; said support means includes at least one elongated, inverted U-shaped member and fluid-filled elongated tubings sandwiched between said elongated beams and said U-shaped member, and said elongated inverted U-shaped member serving to shield and protect said fluid-filled elongated tubings from direct contact with a surface of said body; and at least one pressure sensor in communication with the fluid in said fluid-filled elongated tubing for measuring the pressure therein and thereby provide an indication of the weight of the truck body. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification