Vehicle in-service/out-of-service rotatable tailgate mechanism

• US 5,887,914 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Original Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, Leroy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Merritt, Karen B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORSE, GREGORY ALLAN
• Application Number:
  US08/477,730
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 296/184, 298/23 R, 298/23 A, 298/23 D, 298/23 F, 298/23 MD
• US Class Current: 298/23.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/16 actuated by fluid-operated mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/26 Means for controlling movement of tailboards or sideboards open loading compartments with movable sideboards or tailgates B62D33/027
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/267 Controlling degree of tailboard or sideboard movement in dependence upon degree of tipping movement, e.g. by linkage or cam

Abstract

A load-carrying body for a truck is provided that includes a tailgate assembly positionable between in-service and out-of-service positions for hauling materials of different densities while maintaining a controlled distribution of the weight of the load on a chassis of the truck. Preferably, the body and the tailgate assembly are designed so that the centers of gravity or centers of mass of normal loads for both low and high density materials are located to achieve a desired weight distribution for both materials. Physical parameters of the body and tailgate are adjusted in accordance with the invention in order to place the fore-aft locations of the centers of mass for normal loads of both the low and high density materials at locations that result in the desired weight distribution on the truck chassis.

Claims

1. A load-carrying body for a truck comprising in combination:

a floor two opposing side walls spanned by a front wall, a tailgate assembly comprising side beams pivotably mounted to the two opposing side walls and a rear section spanning opposing ends of the side beams, an apparatus for rotating the tailgate assembly between in-service and out-of-service positions, the floor, front wall and side walls having shapes and sizes such that (a) with the tailgate assembly in the in-service position, normal loading of the body with light density material locates a center of gravity of a fill load of the material in proximate vertical alignment with a predetermined point and (b) with the tailgate assembly in the out-of-service position, normal loading of the body with heavy density material locates a center of gravity of a full load of the material in proximate vertical alignment with the predetermined point.

2. The body of claim 1 wherein the predetermined point is a preferred location of a center of gravity of the load.

3. The body of claim 1 wherein the floor is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

4. A body for a haulage vehicle having a tailgate assembly from which the body has a first load capacity when the tailgate assembly is in an in, service position and a second, lesser load capacity when the tailgate assembly is in an out-of-service position, the body made by the following process:

determining a desired distribution of weight on a chassis of the haulage vehicle,

establishing a line for a floor and a line for a front wall of the body,

adjusting a first set of parameters of the body such that normal loading of the body results in the desired distribution of weight on the chassis for a load of high-density material carried by the body with the tailgate assembly in the out-of-service position, where the parameters include the following;

(a) the slope of the floor, and (b) the slope of the front wall;

adjusting a second set of parameters of the body such that normal loading of the body results in the desired distribution of weight on the chassis for a load of low-density material carried by the body with the tailgate assembly in the in-service position, where the parameters include the following;

(a) a height of lateral sidewalls of the body, (b) a location of a rear section of the tailgate assembly when the assembly is in its in-service positions and, (c) a position of the front wall above where the high-density material contacts the front wall; and

producing the body in accordance with the values of the first and second sets of parameters.

5. The body of claim 4 wherein the centers of gravity for the low and high-density materials are approximately aligned.

6. The body of claim 4 wherein the tailgate assembly in its out-of-service position inhibits abnormal loading of the high-density material.

7. The body of claim 4 wherein a rear end of the floor for the body is determined by identifying where on the floor a profile of the high-density material load ends.

8. A body for a haulage vehicle having a tailgate assembly from which the body has a first load capacity when the tailgate assembly is in an in-service position and a second, lesser load capacity when the tailgate assembly is in an out-of-service position, the body made by the following process:

determining a desired distribution of weight on a chassis of the haulage vehicle;

establishing a line for a floor and a line for a front wall of the body;

adjusting a first set of parameters of the body such that normal loading of the body results in the desired distribution of weight on the chassis for a load of high-density material carried by the body with the tailgate assembly in the out-of-service position, where the parameters include the following;

(a) a position of the floor, (b) a position of sidewalls and ©

a position of the front wall;

adjusting a second set of parameters of the body such that normal loading of the body results in the desired distribution of weight on the chassis for a load of low-density material carried by the body with the tailgate assembly in the in-service position where the parameters include the following;

(a) a position of sidewalls of the body above where the high-density material contacts the body, (b) a position of the tailgate assembly when the assembly is in its in-service position, and (c) a position of the front wall above where the high-density material contacts the body, and

producing the body in accordance with the values of the first and second sets of parameters.

9. The body of claim 8 wherein the position of sidewalls of the body includes a height of the sidewalls.

10. The body of claim 9 wherein the position of sidewalls of the body also includes a distance between them.

11. The body of claim 8 including the step of adjusting the positions of (a) the sidewalls of the body, (b) the tailgate assembly in at least one of its service positions, (c) the front wall of the floor of the body to provide the lowest practical vertical location for the center of gravity of the load.

12. The body of claim 11 including the step of adjusting the position of a canopy of the body.

13. The body of claim 8 wherein the parameters of the body used to determine the desired location of the center of gravity for the normal loading of low-density material carried by the body with the tailgate assembly in the in-service position includes a position of a canopy of the body.

14. The body of claim 8 wherein the position of the floor includes a slope and a length of the floor.

15. The body of claim 8 wherein the position of the front wall includes a slope and a height of the front wall.

16. The body of claim 8 wherein the position of the tailgate assembly includes a height of the rear section of the tailgate.

17. The body of claim 8 wherein the position of sidewalls of the body includes a distance between them.

18. The body of claim 8 wherein the step of adjusting the position of the tailgate assembly in its in-service position includes adjusting a fore-aft position of the rear section of the tailgate assembly.