Abstract:
A pivot mounting assembly ( 10 ) allows a standard tipping truck ( 1 ) to easily transport for example earth moving machinery ( 20 ). The assembly ( 10 ) comprises a lever arm ( 11 ) between the chassis ( 2 ) and body ( 3 ) which can be pivoted by a ram ( 15 ) to cause the body ( 3 ) to rest on the ground ( 6 ).

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to a pivot mounting assembly for mounting a tipping trailer body on a trailer chassis of the type in which the pivot mounting assembly provides a pivot axis on the trailer chassis about which the trailer body is raised off and onto the trailer chassis by a tipping ram.  
           [0002]    In particular the present invention relates to tipping trucks and tipping trailers, hereinafter generally encompassed under the term “tipping trailers”. Thus, trailer chassis and trailer body also refers to a vehicle body and a vehicle chassis  
           [0003]    Tipping trailers are used extensively for the delivery of material such as stone, gravel, macadam, etc. from place to place. The standard tipping truck is an exceptionally useful piece of equipment However, very often it is required to transport machinery on such trailer bodies such as tractors, small excavators and various other dumpers, forklifts and mechanical engineering equipment generally. Many of these are machinery which have ground engaging wheels or tracks. To get them onto the trailer body, the trailer body is held in the horizontal position and planks or other means are used to form a ramp between the rear of the trailer body and the ground and then the equipment is in some way manhandled up the ramp so formed to put the equipment in the trailer body. In many instances, a ramp is not sufficient and usually the truck has to be backed up against a dock or the like raised ground to allow relatively heavy equipment to be placed on the trailer. The use of planks or other ramp forming means is often insecure and dangerous in the sense that it would be dangerous for example to drive a forklift truck up such a structurally insecure ramp. Indeed, it is often done and it has been the cause of many an accident. The same problem then arises after the equipment has been delivered by the truck to its destination in that it then has to be unloaded from the trailer body when the reverse process is carried out.  
           [0004]    The present invention is directed towards providing means so that a tipping trailer could overcome these problems.  
         STATEMENTS OF INVENTION  
         [0005]    According to the invention there is provided a pivot mounting assembly for mounting a tipping trailer body on a trailer chassis of the type in which the pivot mounting assembly provides a pivot axis on the trailer chassis about which the trailer body is raised off and onto the trailer chassis by a tipping ram characterised in that the assembly comprises an elongate lever arm having a chassis pivot locator for connection to the trailer chassis and a spaced apart body pivot locator for connection to the trailer body and actuating means to pivot the lever arm about the trailer chassis to cause portion of the trailer body on raising the trailer body to project away from and below the trailer chassis. Effectively the trailer body forms now its own ramp to allow equipment to be driven on and off the trailer body and thus in effect the pivot mounting assembly effectively provides a drive-on tipper truck for loading equipment and other machinery thereon.  
           [0006]    In one embodiment of the invention the spaced apart pivot locators are so arranged that the body pivot locator is closer, in use, to the tipping ram than the chassis pivot locator. This allows the trailer body to be first lifted up away from the chassis and pivoted rearward before it is pivoted downward. It facilitates the provision of what is in effect a relatively gentle slope to climb for the equipment being loaded.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment of the invention the body pivot locator in use with the trailer body lowered onto the trailer chassis is above the chassis pivot locator. This again provides a very efficient way of moving the trailer body.  
           [0008]    In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a base frame for connection to the trailer chassis and in which the chassis pivot locator is pivotally connected to the base frame. In this way a retro-fit pivot mounting assembly may be provided which can be easily mounted on an existing truck, Obviously if a truck is being built the chassis can be modifed ab initio to take the pivot mounting assembly according to the invention, but for many existing trucks ideally the pivot mounting assembly could be provided as an add-on unit which can be easily affixed to an existing chassis of either a trailer or a vehicle.  
           [0009]    Ideally the pivot mounting assembly comprises a trailer body engaging support for the trailer body when the trailer body projects beyond and below the trailer chassis. This will add further support to the trailer body when it is being loaded and unloaded.  
           [0010]    Ideally the spacing between the pivot locators is chosen to allow the trailer body rest on the ground.  
           [0011]    Ideally the actuating means is a ram connected to the lever arm and the ram has a connector for mounting on the trailer body and a connector on the vehicle chassis.  
           [0012]    Further invention provides a tipping trailer incorporating a pivot mounting as described above. It will be appreciated that such a tipping trailer will be particularly advantageous in use as it is now a drive-on tipper truck. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a side view of a tipping truck according to the invention,  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the truck tipped into a normal material discharge position,  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 shows the tipping truck in a tipping position utilising the invention,  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 shows the tipping truck tipped so that the rear of the trailer lies on the grounds,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows a mechanical shovel offered up to the trailer,  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 shows the mechanical shovel on the trailer,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 shows the mechanical shovel with the trailer tipping into its rest position,  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 shows further tipping of the trailer,  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 shows the trailer in the same position as FIG. 1 with the loading shovel now safely loaded on the trailer,  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a side view of portion of another construction of tipping trailer according to the invention,  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a side view of the tipping trailer of FIG. 10 in the normal tipping position for discharging material,  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a side view of the tipping trailer of FIG. 10 in the machinery loading position, and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a plan view of the trailer chassis with the body, wheels and springs removed. 
     
    
       [0027]    Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS.  1  to  9  thereof there is illustrated a tipping truck, indicated generally by the reference numeral  1 , having a conventional vehicle chassis namely a trailer chassis  2  and a trailer body  3  having a double acting tipping ram  4  and ground engaging wheels  5  which rest on the ground identified by the reference numeral  6 . All of this is conventional except that instead of having a conventional pivot mounting at the rear of the trailer chassis  2 , there is provided a pivot mounting assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral  10 . There are two pivot mounting assemblies one on either side of the trailer chassis  2 . The assembly  10  comprises an elongate arcuate ever arm  11  having a chassis pivot locator  12  for connection to the trailer chassis  2  and a spaced apart body pivot locator  13  for connection to the trailer body  3 . There is further provided actuating means in this embodiment a hydraulic ram  15 . The ram  15  is mounted by a pivot connector  16  on the trailer body  3  and by a pivot connector  17  on the vehicle chassis  2 .  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 2, the tipping truck  1  can be operated in conventional manner to discharge a load, the tipping ram  4  being operated in normal fashion so that the trailer body  3  is raised to about 45°. The ram  15  in this case is not used. The pivot mounting assembly  10  is operating as a conventional pivot.  
         [0029]    However, if it is desired to load for example a loading shovel onto the trailer body  3 , the tipping ram  4  and the ram  15  are operated so that the lever arm  11  starts to pivot upwards and then around in the direction of the arrow A (see FIG. 3) until the trailer body  3  rests on the ground  6  (see FIG. 4). Then as can be seen from FIG. 5 a loading shovel identified by the reference numeral  20  is driven up to the trailer body  3  and then driven up it (see FIG. 6). The tipping ram  4  and ram  15  are used to pivot the trailer body  3  carrying the loading shovel  20  first upwards off the ground and then across the trailer chassis  2  (see FIG. 8) into the transport position (see FIG. 9). The rams  4  and  15  can be operated sequentially or simultaneously.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIGS.  10  to  13  inclusive, there is illustrated an alternative construction of trailer. However, since this is substantially identical to the previously described construction with reference to FIGS.  1  to  9  parts similar to those described with reference to FIGS.  1  to  9  are identified by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment the lever arm  7  carries a trunion  25  to which the ram  15  is connected. In this embodiment the lever arm  7  is mounted on a base frame  26  which is con nected to the trailer chassis  2  The base frame  26  could be formed as an extension of the trailer chassis  2  when the trailer chassis is  2  originally constructed, but for retro-fitting will obviously be a separate base frame or plate which will be welded or bolted to the vehicle chassis  2 . There are also illustrated in this embodiment leaf springs  27  carried on trailer body supports  28  against which the trailer body  3  rests in the loading position as illustrated in FIG. 12.  
         [0031]    It is envisaged that lever arms other than the ones described may be provided and that it is not necessary though generally desirable that the pivot locators are so-arranged that the body pivot locator is closer in use to the tipping ram than the chassis pivot locator as this will allow a greater pivotal movement of the lever arm, but again this is not essential. Nor indeed is it essential but desirable that when the spacing between the pivot locators is chosen that it should be chosen so as to allow the trailer body rest on the ground in all situations and further the pivot locator should in use with the trailer body lowered onto the trailer chassis be above the chassis pivot locator, but again this is not essential. Also it is important that in many instances that the lever arm is not mounted in such a manner that in the transport position it is lower than the lowermost part of the vehicle or trailer chassis which will usually be the transmission or the vehicle axle.  
         [0032]    Also, generally speaking, it will be possible with the invention to have an incline in the trailer body when loading of the order of 18° or less which will ensure safe loading.  
         [0033]    Where the actuating means described above is a tipping ram, it will be appreciated that other forms of actuators may be used. However, generally speaking since such tipping trailers are usually operated by tipping rams, a hydraulically or pneumatically operated ram will be the most usual actuator.  
         [0034]    In the specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” or any variation thereof and the terms “include, includes, included and including” or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation.  
         [0035]    The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail.