Truck box divider

A truck box divider is installed in a truck box to divide the box into a front chamber and a rear chamber for carrying different materials, for example seed and fertilizer. The divider includes a V-shaped divider mounted midway along the box with the apex directed towards the back end of the box. A tunnel tapering in height leads from the back end of the V shaped box separator to a gate at the back of the truck box. Two additional side gates are positioned on opposite sides of the tunnel gate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to box dividers for trucks, particularly 
agricultural trucks. 
BACKGROUND 
In modern agricultural practice, it is common to seed and fertilize at the 
same time, for example using an air seeder. This requires the farmer to 
fill two tanks in the seeder, one with seed and the other with fertilizer. 
This in turn may require two trucks to carry the two materials to the 
field or two trips with one truck. Some box dividers have been proposed to 
alleviate this problem, so that both materials can be carried in the 
truck. These generally require the use of unloading augers or a specially 
constructed truck box with a built in unloading auger mechanism. 
The present invention is concerned with an alternative solution to this, 
problem. 
SUMMARY 
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a box divider 
for a truck box, said divider comprising: 
separator means adapted to extend across the box to divide the box into 
front and back compartments and having an opening therethrough; and 
an elongate hollow tunnel having an open front end connected to the 
separator means in communication with the opening and an open back end 
that is spaced from the front end. 
The divider, when installed in the truck box, forms a front chamber and a 
rear chamber in the box. The latter is partially divided by the tunnel, 
but the tapering tunnel ensures in the main that there is good cross flow 
in the back chamber. The tunnel leads to a discharge gate at the back of 
the truck box, so that the front chamber can be emptied by tipping the 
box. 
The divider is preferably V shaped so that when the box is tipped, the 
material in the front chamber will be funneled down into the tunnel. A 
gate controlled opening is used to allow flow from the tunnel. Two side 
gates are located on opposite sides of the centre gate to provide for full 
discharge from the back chamber. 
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided, in 
an agricultural truck box having a front wall, a back wall and two spaced 
side walls, a box divider comprising: 
divider means extending across the box and dividing the box into front and 
back compartments; 
an elongate hollow tunnel extending from the divider means to the back wall 
for delivering particulate material from the front compartment to the back 
wall; and 
gate means in the back wall for selectively releasing a flow of material 
from the front compartment of the box, through the tunnel, and for 
selectively releasing a flow of material from the back compartment of the 
box. 
In preferred embodiments, the gate means comprise a gate in the back wall 
of the box and gate divider means dividing the gate into plural gate 
sections including at least one gate section communicating with the end of 
the tunnel and at least one gate section communicating with the back 
compartment of the truck box. The back compartment preferably discharges 
through two gate sections on opposite sides of the tunnel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the accompanying drawings, especially to FIG. 1, there is 
illustrated a truck box divider 10 that includes a V-shaped separator 12 
for separating a truck box into a front chamber 14 and a back chamber 16. 
Extending from the apex of the V-shaped separator to the back of the 
divider is a tunnel 18. 
The separator component 12 includes two rectangular side panels 20 that 
diverge forwardly. A rear panel 22 extends across the apex of the two side 
panels, above the front end of the tunnel 18. A cross brace 24 spaced from 
the apex stiffens the structure against bending at the apex. 
The divider is mounted in a truck box 26 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The box 
has a front wall 28, two side walls 30 and a back wall or tail gate 32 The 
box also has a flat floor 34. 
The divider is installed with the separator 12 extending across the box 
about midway therealong and the tunnel 18 extending from the apex of the 
separator to the back wall 32 of the truck box. Each of the side panels 20 
is fastened to the floor of the truck box using two base brackets 36. At 
its front end, each of the side panels 20 is connected to a respective 
side wall 30 of the truck box by a front bracket 38 at the top corner of 
the side panel. 
Extending along the front edge of each side panel 20 is a front edge seal 
40 that is contoured to match the internal contour of the truck box to 
ensure a good seal between the separator and the side walls 30 of the box. 
The seal is fastened to the panel 20 using a series of tabs 42 projecting 
from the back end of the seal and bolted to the side panel. 
At the back end of each side panel 20 is a flange 44 extending along the 
back edge for connection to the back panel 22 and to the tunnel 18. 
The tunnel 18 has a rectangular cross section. It has a front end 46 that 
is much greater in height than the back end 48. At the front end of the 
tunnel is a coupling flange 50 that is connected to the back flanges 44 on 
the side panels 20. Mounting angles 52 extend along the bottom edges of 
the tunnel for connecting the tunnel to the floor of the truck box. At the 
back end of the tunnel, on its opposite sides, are coupling flanges 54 
that connect the back end of the tunnel to the back wall 32 of the truck 
box. 
As illustrated most particularly in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the back wall 32 of 
the truck box has a centre gate opening 56 aligned with the back end of 
the tunnel and two side gate openings 57 on opposite lateral sides of the 
gate opening. 
On the outer sides of the side openings 57 are respective side rails 58. 
Each of these includes a flange 60 mounted on the back of the box back 
wall 32. An offset section 62 along the inner edge of the flange 60 
carries a flange 64 generally parallel to the back wall of the truck box 
to provide a slot between the two. 
Between the centre gate opening 56 and the side gate openings 57 are 
respective inner rails 66. Each of these includes inner and outer flanges 
68 and 70 providing two slots which face inwardly and outwardly 
respectively. A centre gate panel 72 slides in the two inwardly facing 
slots provided by the inner rails 66. The panel closes the centre opening 
56 in a closed position of the panel, at the bottom of its travel. Two 
side gate panels 74 likewise close the side gate openings 57 and slide in 
the pairs of slots provided by the side and inner rails 58 and 66. 
Above the gate openings 56 and 57, the side rails 58 carry brackets 76. Two 
brackets 78 are mounted on the inner rails 66. These brackets 76 and 78 
are aligned and carry a cross shaft 80. Each section of the cross shaft, 
between a respective pair of the rails, carries a tube 82 that rotates on 
the shaft. A handle 84 is fixed to each tube 82 to project from it. A link 
86 is connected to the handle by a pivot 88 and to a pair of lugs 90 on a 
respective gate by a pivot 92. The handles, when rotated upwardly, raise 
the gates to open the respective gate openings. 
In use, one material is placed in the front chamber of the box, while a 
second material is placed in the back chamber. To unload the material from 
the front chamber, the centre gate panel 72 is raised and the truck box is 
raised to a dumping position to unload the desired quantity of material. 
This will be dumped into a hopper for an auger or any other suitable 
receptacle. 
To deliver the materials from the back chamber of the truck box, one or 
both of the side gate panels is open and the truck box is raised to dump 
material from the open gate. Because of the tapered configuration of the 
tunnel, the material in the back chamber is a single body of material for 
most of the dumping process. Both side gates will be opened to complete 
the cleanout. Any known corner or cleanout can be used for emptying the 
back corners of the truck box. 
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the 
foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible 
within the scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein. 
The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the 
appended claims.