Rigid cover for bottom dump trailer tank

The present invention is directed to a rigid cover for a bottom dump trailer tank having a storage region with an open top used to transport bulk material. The rigid cover includes cover side walls having a top wall perimeter and a bottom wall perimeter and is configured along the bottom wall perimeter to correspond in shape with the open top of the trailer tank. The rigid cover includes a cover top connected to the cover side walls along the top wall perimeter and includes one or more ports in the top. The rigid cover includes cover fasteners mounted along the bottom wall perimeter configured to secure the plurality of cover side walls to the trailer tank so the traditional storage region of the trailer tank is transformed into an expanded storage region that allows storage of more bulk material than could otherwise be stored in the trailer tank alone.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to large truck trailer covers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a rigid cover for bottom dump trailers, enabling enhanced trailer capacity with easy loading and unloading capability.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

For many years, bottom dump trailers have been the best choice for transporting a large volume of goods across long distances. Transporting goods using trailers is profitable only if it is possible to transport large volumes which can be rapidly loaded and unloaded. Generally trailers of the same nature have a similar loading capacity and it becomes the transporter's responsibility to increase the load-bearing capacity utilizing an alternate means. Normally a trailer does not have an installed covering for protecting the loaded goods from the weather or loss of some of the load during transport. These drawbacks can have a negative impact on the profitable transportation of goods using trailers.

Conventional methods utilize tarpaulin to cover the loaded area of the trailers to protect the loaded goods. Using tarpaulin covers can cause a delay in the unloading of the goods. Attaching tarpaulin covers in the proper orientation can also require a considerable amount of manpower. In addition to this, tarpaulin covers do not allow for increasing the load capacity. Other conventional methods include the use of pneumatic trailers, which provide a sealed tank that provides increased storage capacity and protects the goods from the outside environment and weather. The drawback to pneumatic trailers is that they are more expensive to purchase and operate given the additional cost and weight associated with the pneumatic system. Also, the unloading time for a typical pneumatic trailer may be as much as twenty minutes as opposed to the twenty seconds or so that it takes to unload a conventional belly dump trailer. Therefore, there is a need for a rigid cover for belly dump trailer which enables the trailer to increase the loading capacity without sacrificing unload times. Such a needed cover would facilitate the loading and unloading of a trailer in a shorter period of time with less manpower. This cover would be cost effective and relatively easy to install. Moreover, such a needed cover would provide multiple ports for the fast loading and unloading with less loss of cargo. The present embodiment overcomes prior art shortcomings by accomplishing these critical objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

To overcome the limitations found in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon the reading of the specification, the present invention is a rigid cover for a bottom dump trailer used to transport bulk material. The bottom dump trailer has a traditional storage region with an open top onto which the rigid cover may be configured as described in these embodiments of the present invention.

The rigid cover includes a plurality of cover side walls, a cover top, one or more ports and a plurality of cover fasteners. The plurality of cover side walls includes a top wall perimeter and a bottom wall perimeter and is configured along the bottom wall perimeter to correspond in shape with the open top of the trailer tank. The plurality of side walls is designed such that it may include a first side wall, a second side wall, a front side wall and a rear side wall, that flares outward away from the center of the rigid cover with respect to the plurality of side walls at the bottom wall perimeter to allow for increased bulk material storage capacity. The cover top is connected to the plurality of cover side walls along the top wall perimeter. The cover top may be higher at a center region than at side regions adjacent to the plurality of cover side walls to allow for increased bulk material storage capacity. Each of the ports in the top cover may include a port lid which may, for example, be implemented as a sliding port lid or a hinged port lid. The cover fasteners are mounted along the bottom wall perimeter and are configured to secure the plurality of cover side walls to the trailer tank so that the traditional storage region of the trailer tank is transformed into an expanded storage region that allows storage of more bulk material than could otherwise be stored in the trailer tank alone. The cover fasteners may include a fastener hinge mounted to the trailer tank along a top edge of the trailer tank, a fastening bar operatively connected to the hinge to swing upward toward the plurality of side walls and a fastener cradle mounted to the plurality of side walls along the bottom wall perimeter. The fastener cradle may have two cradle guides spaced apart to receive the fastening bar between the two cradle guides when the fastening bar rotates into the fastener cradle. The cover fasteners may include a fastening cap threaded onto the distal end of the fastening bar that secures the fastening bar in the cradle by rotating the fastening cap until the fastening cap tightens down on the cradle guides. The fastening cap may have a movable handle that provides additional leverage to an operator turning the fastening cap. The cover fasteners may also include a fastening plate mounted to the plurality of side walls along the bottom wall perimeter which includes at least one fastening plate hole, a bolt configured to pass through the fastening plate hole in the mounting plate and a tank mounting hole in a tank mounting plate configured along a top edge of the trailer tank and a nut configured to secure the bolt in the fastening plate and in the tank mounting plate of the trailer tank. The rigid cover for the bottom dump trailer tank may also include one or more alignment projections extending downward from the bottom wall perimeter at the corners formed from the plurality of side walls. The alignment projections hold the rigid cover in place on the trailer tank while an operator secures the rigid cover to the trailer tank with the cover fasteners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustrating specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which does not limit the scope and the ambit of the invention.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. “And” as used herein is interchangeably used with “or” unless expressly stated otherwise. All embodiments of any aspect of the invention can be used in combination, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”. Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural and singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “wherein”, “whereas”, “above,” and “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of the application.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a rigid cover10mounted over a traditional storage region of a bottom dump trailer tank12according to embodiments of the present invention. The rigid cover10includes a plurality of cover side walls14, a cover top16, one or more ports18(SeeFIG. 2) and a plurality of cover fasteners20. The cover side walls14ofFIG. 1are substantially vertical structures that permit the rigid cover10to extend the traditional storage region of a bottom dump trailer tank12according to embodiments of the present invention. The cover side walls14ofFIG. 1may be construction using a variety of materials as will be known to those of skill in the art including, for example, but not limited to metal, alloys, wood, certain rigid plastics or rubber, or some combination thereof.

The plurality of cover side walls14ofFIG. 1includes a top wall perimeter22and a bottom wall perimeter24and is configured along the bottom wall perimeter24to correspond in shape with the open top of the trailer tank12. The plurality of cover side walls14is designed such that it includes a front side wall26, a rear side wall28(SeeFIG. 5), a first side wall30and a second side wall32(SeeFIG. 5). In the example ofFIG. 1, the front side wall30is the wall of the cover side walls14that faces the front of the trailer where the trailer hitches to a truck. The rear side wall28(SeeFIG. 5) described herein is the wall of the cover side walls14that faces the opposite direction of the front side wall26away from where the trailer hitches to a truck. The first side wall30and second side wall32(SeeFIG. 5) described in these embodiments are the walls of the cover side walls14that face laterally away from the sides of the trailer.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of the rigid cover10for a bottom dump trailer tank12according to embodiments of the present invention. The cover top16is connected to the plurality of cover side walls14along the top wall perimeter22. The cover top16is higher at a center region than at side regions adjacent to the plurality of cover side walls14to allow for increased bulk material storage capacity and helps to load as much as into the trailer because if the top was flat then the material would fill up to the hole in a conical fashion before filling into the area around the hole. The one or more ports18in the cover top16also include a port lid34which can be a sliding port lid or a hinged port lid. A sliding port lid according to some embodiments of the present invention is a lid used to open and close the port by sliding away from and on to, respectively, the port. A hinged port lid according to some embodiments of the present invention is a lid used to open and close the port by rotating down on to and away from, respectively, the port.

FIG. 3is a side view of the rigid cover10mounted over a traditional storage region of the bottom dump trailer tank12according to embodiments of the present invention. The rigid cover10for the bottom dump trailer tank12further includes one or more alignment projections36extending downward from the bottom wall perimeter24at corners formed from the plurality of cover side walls14. The alignment projections36ofFIG. 3hold the rigid cover10in place on the trailer tank12while an operator secures the rigid cover10to the trailer tank12with the plurality of cover fasteners20. The alignment projections36ofFIG. 3are useful because these projections36not only keep the rigid cover10from sliding off of the trailer tank12, but such projections36also help ensure that the cover fasteners are aligned properly for engagement when the rigid cover10is lowered onto the trailer tank12.

FIGS. 1-3each utilize two different types of cover fasteners20. In the middle of the first side wall30(SeeFIG. 3), the cover fastener20consists of two plates mounted together with a bolt-nut combination in the manner described herein according to embodiments of the present invention. That is, the middle cover fastener20(SeeFIG. 1) includes a fastening plate38mounted to the plurality of cover side walls along the bottom wall perimeter24which includes at least one fastening plate hole (not shown), a bolt46configured to pass through the fastening plate hole (not shown) in the mounting plate38and a tank mounting hole (not shown) in a tank mounting plate44configured along a top edge of the trailer tank12and a nut42configured to secure the bolt in the fastening plate38and the tank mounting plate44on the trailer tank12.

The second type of cover fastener20used inFIGS. 1-3is a quick connect fastener according to embodiments of the present invention. A quick connect fastener as used in embodiments of the present invention allows an operator to engage and disengage a particular cover fastener without the use of tools other than the operator's hands. This second type of cover fastener20used inFIGS. 1-3is further described with reference toFIG. 4.

FIG. 4is a perspective view of another type of the cover fasteners20of the rigid cover10for the bottom dump trailer tank12according to embodiments of the present invention. The plurality of cover fasteners20is mounted along the bottom wall perimeter24and is configured to secure the plurality of cover side walls14to the trailer tank12so that the traditional storage region of the trailer tank12is transformed into an expanded storage region that allows storage of more bulk material than could otherwise be stored in the trailer tank12alone. The cover fastener20ofFIG. 4includes a fastener hinge48mounted to the trailer tank12along a top edge of the trailer tank12. The cover fastener20ofFIG. 4also includes a fastening bar50operatively connected to the fastener hinge48to swing upward toward the plurality of side walls14. The cover fastener20ofFIG. 4has a fastener cradle52mounted to the plurality of cover side walls14along the bottom wall perimeter24. The fastener cradle52has two cradle guides54spaced apart to receive the fastening bar50between the two cradle guides54when the fastening bar50rotates into the fastener cradle52. The cover fastener20ofFIG. 4includes a fastening cap56threaded onto the distal end of the fastening bar50that secures the fastening bar50in the cradle52by rotating the fastening cap56until the fastening cap56tightens down on the cradle guides54. To facilitate tightening the fastening cap without the need for any tools, the fastening cap56ofFIG. 4includes a movable handle58that provides additional leverage to an operator turning the fastening cap56.

Those of skill in the art will recognize that although the embodiments of the present invention described herein utilize both of these previously described fastener types, such use in combination is for example and illustration only, not for limitation. Either of these fastener types or any other cover fastener as will occur to those of skill of the art may be useful in embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6are schematic diagrams of the rigid cover10showing three 18″ ports18and two 30″ ports18for loading and unloading the trailer tank12in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Having more than one port18in the cover top16enables an operator to load more, as the material is filled to form an ant hill-like structure in the trailer tank12and multiple ports18allows loads of even more material to get multiple ant hill structures.

FIG. 7is a front view of the rigid cover10mounted over the traditional storage region of the bottom dump trailer tank12showing the cover side walls14flare outwards away from the center of the rigid cover with respect to the plurality of side walls at the bottom wall perimeter to allow for increased bulk material storage capacity according to embodiments of the present invention.

The claimed subject matter has been provided here with reference to one or more features or embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that, despite the detailed nature of the exemplary embodiments provided here; changes and modifications may be applied to said embodiments without limiting or departing from the generally intended scope. These and various other adaptations and combinations of the embodiments provided here are within the scope of the disclosed subject matter as defined by the claims and their full set of equivalents.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is intended that the scope of the present invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.