Abstract:
A dump body, with a floor panel assembly, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall panel assembly, and a canopy panel is disclosed. The floor panel assembly is equipped with a first frame assembly which includes a pair of spaced rails and a plurality of cross members. The pair of spaced rails overlay the plurality of cross members and is generally perpendicularly positioned relative to the pair of spaced rails. The front wall panel assembly includes a second frame assembly having a pair of spaced rails and at least one cross member being in a generally perpendicular overlay position relative to the pair of spaced rails. The canopy panel extends outwards from the front wall panel assembly and is attached to a top edge portion of the front wall panel assembly.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to load carrying dump bodies for machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a reinforced dump body using curved panels for carrying structure and decreasing the use of heavy frame members to optimize dump body design. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Machines, such as off-highway trucks, may be used to carry payload to a dumpsite. The amount of the payload that may be hauled in such machines is often limited by a maximum gross vehicular weight. The maximum gross vehicular weight is a limit established by factors, such as a power-train and a weight that can be carried by wheels. Moreover, for applications in rough terrains and harsh environments larger and more robust systems are often required which increases the weight of the machines. For this purpose, the machines may be designed and manufactured from metals for durability and robustness. This generally results in heavier machines. A reduction in machine weight may allow an operator to increase the payload by the same amount without exceeding the maximum gross vehicular weight. An increase in payload may translate to an increase in productivity, which results in higher profits. Further, a reduction of the weight of the machine lowers fuel consumption. In order to maximize the machine&#39;s productivity, it is desirable to minimize the machine&#39;s weight to maximize the weight of the payload that may be safely carried or transported by the truck. 
         [0003]    One method to reduce the weight of the machine is to reduce the size and number of heavier, metal components on a machine. For example, a dump body on the machine may be manufactured by using metal plates with a lower minimum thickness required to support the payload. However, as the amount of metal utilized in the machine is decreased, the durability and life of certain portions of the machine may be affected. For example, the use of thin metal in the payload container may cause the metal to sag, deform, and wear out quickly. It is also known to reduce weight of the machine by having the dump body that is made of curved bed portions. This increases rigidity and lessens the need for heavier frame structures. However, these contoured beds require special curved sections and are expensive to manufacture. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,590 discloses a truck bed for a mining dump truck. A bottom surface of the bed hopper has a plurality of externally positioned transverse beams along a curved bottom or floor of the truck. The bottom and the frame supporting the same may provide the proper support to carry the intended loads however it is expensive to invest in the tooling needed for such truck bed especially if the bed is manufactured at more than one site. Moreover, the costs associated with manufacturing this truck bed are high and such a bed may not be easy to manufacture using traditional materials and techniques throughout manufacturing facilities worldwide. 
         [0005]    The present disclosure seeks to address one or more of the problems associated with known truck beds or dump bodies. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Various aspects of the present disclosure disclose a dump body for a machine. The dump body includes a floor panel assembly, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall panel assembly, and a canopy panel. The floor panel assembly includes a bottom plate member, a first curved panel member and a second curved panel member. The floor panel assembly is equipped with a first frame assembly which includes a pair of spaced rails and multiple cross members. The pair of spaced rails overlay the multiple cross members and is generally perpendicularly positioned relative to the pair of spaced rails. The first frame assembly is attachable to the bottom plate member is completely enclosed within the bottom plate member. The first sidewall is attached to the first curved panel member and the second sidewall is attached to the second curved panel member. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend outwardly from the bottom plate member. The front wall panel assembly includes a front plate member, a first curved corner member, and a second curved corner member. The front plate member is integrally attached to the first curved corner member and the second curved corner member. The first curved corner member includes a first edge which is attached to the first curved panel member of the floor panel assembly. The second curved corner member has a second edge being attached to the second curved panel member of the floor panel assembly. The front wall panel assembly includes a second frame assembly having a pair of spaced rails and at least one cross member being in generally perpendicular overlay position relative to the pair of spaced rails. The second frame assembly of the front wall panel assembly is attachable to the front plate member and is completely enclosed within the front plate member. The canopy panel extends outwards from the front wall panel assembly and is attached to a top edge portion of the front wall panel assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exterior, underside of a dump body illustrating the floor panel assembly, a first side and a front wall of the dump body, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the dump body of  FIG. 1  illustrating a second side of the dump body, a floor panel assembly and the front wall of the dump body, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the dump body shown of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the front wall and the first side and the floor panel assembly thereof, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a dump body  10  which shows a first side. Description for  FIG. 1  is equally applicable to  FIG. 2 , which shows a second side of the dump body  10 . The dump body  10  may be attached to and supported by a frame of a machine (not shown). The machine (not shown) may be an off-highway vehicle, dump truck, or/and a mining truck. The dump body  10  extends between a front end  12  and a rear end  14  of the dump body  10 . The dump body  10  includes a floor panel assembly  16 , a first sidewall  18 , a second sidewall  20  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), a front wall panel assembly  22 , and a canopy panel  24 . 
         [0011]    The floor panel assembly  16  includes a bottom plate member  26 , a first curved panel member  28 , a second curved panel member  30  ( FIG. 2 ), and a first frame assembly  32 . The bottom plate member  26  includes a first lateral side  34   a  and a second lateral side  34   b.  The first curved panel member  28  includes a first edge  36   a  and a second edge  36   b.  Similarly, the second curved panel member  30  includes a first edge  38   a  and a second edge  38   b.  The first lateral side  34   a  of the bottom plate member  26  is attached with the first edge  36   a  of the first curved panel member  28 , to form a continuous and uninterrupted joint  40   a,  through welding. Similarly,  FIG. 2  shows the second lateral side  34   b  of the bottom plate member  26  attached with the first edge  38   a  of the second curved panel member  30 , to form a continuous and uninterrupted joint  40   b.    
         [0012]    In addition, the bottom plate member  26  includes a first end  42 , which is proximal to the front end  12  of the dump body  10 . The bottom plate member  26  includes a first surface (not shown) and a second surface  44 . The first surface (not shown) supports a load. The second surface  44  of the bottom plate member  26  is provided with the first frame assembly  32 . The bottom plate member  26  may be manufactured from a flat plate. The first frame assembly  32  is attached onto the second surface  44  of the bottom plate member  26  such that the first frame assembly  32  is completely enclosed in an area of the flat plate, that is, the bottom plate member  26 . 
         [0013]    The first frame assembly  32  includes two spaced rails  46 ,  48  and four cross members  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 . The spaced rails  46 ,  48  are oriented along a direction of the first curved panel member  28  and the second curved panel member  30 . Length of the spaced rails  46 ,  48  may be equal to or lesser than length of the bottom plate member  26 . The cross members  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  are oriented in a direction, perpendicular to the spaced rails  46 ,  48 . The cross members  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  have a length equal to or lesser than a width of the bottom plate member  26 . The cross members  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  overlay the spaced rails  46 ,  48 , so as to form an interlacing grid support structure, such that the interlacing grid support structure, is completely enclosed in an area of the bottom plate member  26 . 
         [0014]    The floor panel assembly  16  is further attached to the first sidewall  18  and the second sidewall  20 . The first sidewall  18  is structured and arranged opposite to the second sidewall  20 . The first sidewall  18  and the second sidewall  20 , respectively, include a first sidewall lateral edge  58  and a second sidewall lateral edge  60 . The first sidewall lateral edge  58  is attached to the second edge  36   b  of the first curved panel member  28 , to facilitate attachment of the floor panel assembly  16  with the first sidewall  18 . The attachment is such that the first sidewall  18  extends outwardly longitudinally from the bottom plate member  26 . Similarly,  FIG. 2  shows the second sidewall lateral edge  60  being attached to the second edge  38   b  of the second curved panel member  30 . This results in attachment of the floor panel assembly  16  with the second sidewall  20 . The attachment is such that the second sidewall  20  extends outward longitudinally from the bottom plate member  26 . The first sidewall  18  and the second sidewall  20  along with the bottom plate member  26 , form a closed-volume structure to receive and carry a payload. 
         [0015]    The floor panel assembly  16  is attached to the front wall panel assembly  22 . The front wall panel assembly  22  may be located behind an operator cab of the machine (not shown). The front wall panel assembly  22  supports a significant portion of the load or weight of a load within the dump body  10 . The front wall panel assembly  22  includes a top edge portion  62 , a front plate member  64 , a first curved corner member  66 , and a second curved corner member  68 . The top edge portion  62  is a top periphery portion, which is distant from the floor panel assembly  16 . The front plate member  64  may be manufactured from a flat plate. The front plate member  64  is attached to the first end  42  of the bottom plate member  26 . The front plate member  64  includes a first lateral edge  70  and a second lateral edge  72 . The first curved corner member  66  and the second curved corner member  68 , respectively, include a first edge  74  and a second edge  76 . The first lateral edge  70  of the front plate member  64  is integrally attached to the first edge  74  of the first curved corner member  66 . Similarly, the second lateral edge  72  of the front plate member  64  is integrally attached to the second edge  76  of the second curved corner member  68 . The first curved corner member  66  includes a first corner edge  78 , via which the first curved corner member  66  is attached to the first curved panel member  28 . Similarly, the second curved corner member  68  includes a second corner edge  80 , via which the second curved corner member  68  is attached to the second curved panel member  30 . 
         [0016]    In addition, the front wall panel assembly  22  is provided with a second frame assembly  82 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , a front view of the dump body  10  shows the front wall panel assembly  22 , fully enclosing the second frame assembly  82 . The second frame assembly  82  includes two spaced rails  84 ,  86  and one cross member  88 . The spaced rails  84 ,  86  are attached to the front plate member  64 , in a direction parallel to the first curved corner member  66  and the second curved corner member  68 . Length of the spaced rails  84 ,  86  is equal to a length of the front plate member  64 . It may be contemplated that the length of the spaced rails  84 ,  86  may be lesser than the length of the front plate member  64 . The cross member  88  is attached to the front plate member  64 , in a way such that the cross member  88  is generally perpendicular to the two spaced rails  84 ,  86 . The cross member  88  with a length lesser than a width of the front plate member  64 , overlays the spaced rails  84 ,  86 , so as to form the interlacing grid support structure. The second frame assembly  82  is attached onto the front plate member  64 , such that the second frame assembly  82  is completely enclosed in an area of the flat plate, that is, the front plate member  64 . 
         [0017]    The front wall panel assembly  22  is attached to the canopy panel  24 . The canopy panel  24  is attached to the top edge portion  62  of the front wall panel assembly  22 . The canopy panel  24  extends outwardly in a horizontal direction, from the top edge portion  62  of the front wall panel assembly  22  over the operator cab (not shown). The canopy panel  24  may have a horizontal orientation which is nearly parallel to the bottom plate member  26 . The canopy panel  24  includes a canopy surface  90 , which is proximal to the operator cab (not shown). The canopy panel  24  provides protection to the operator cab (not shown) from earth, debris, and other material that may be dumped into the dump body  10 , and on the canopy panel  24 . Further, the canopy panel  24  includes two longitudinal beams  92 ,  94  which are attached to the canopy surface  90 . The two longitudinal beams  92 ,  94  are attached to the canopy surface  90  in a direction parallel of a length of the canopy panel  24 . The two longitudinal beams  92 ,  94  extends outwardly from the top edge portion  62  along the length of the canopy panel  24 . Length of the longitudinal beams  92 ,  94  is equal to a length of the canopy panel  24 . It may be contemplated that the length of the longitudinal beams  92 ,  94  is lesser than the length of the canopy panel  24 . 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0018]    In operation, the dump body  10  is loaded by an operator for various operations. The payload carried by the dump body  10  exerts forces on the floor panel assembly  16  and the front wall panel assembly  22  of the dump body  10 . For this purpose, the dump body  10  is provided with the first frame assembly  32  attached and completely enclosed in the bottom plate member  26  and the second frame assembly  82  attached and completely enclosed in the front plate member  64 . The frame assemblies  32 ,  82  provide support to the dump body  10 . This configuration may strengthen the floor panel assembly  16  and the front wall panel assembly  22 , and enable thinner panels to carry additional weight without increased deformation. The distance between individual, adjacent spaced rails  46 ,  48 ,  84 ,  86  and individual, adjacent cross members  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  68  may be determined to properly support predicted loads on the floor panel assembly  16  and the front wall panel assembly  22  of the dump body  10 . The forces against the canopy panel  24  and the front wall panel assembly  22  are generally less than forces against the floor panel assembly  16 . The canopy panel  24 , which is least subjected to forces, has only two longitudinal beams  92 ,  94 . 
         [0019]    The disclosed dump body  10  is made of selective curved members to provide a strong and robust structure. This minimizes requirement of many and heavy frame members for supporting the dump body  10 . Hence, the disclosed dump body  10  is structured in a way so as to minimize spaced rails and cross members, in number. Minimization of the number of spaced rails and cross members results in a light-weight dump body  10 . This makes manufacturing of the dump body  10  an easy and less expensive process, as alight-weight dump body  10  reduces weld process, manufacturing time and cost. Also, the curved body design of the disclosed dump body  10  will improve the machine performance by a reduction in fuel consumption, repair and maintenance cost. In addition, the curved floor panel assembly  16  will improve the material flow during unloading of the load. 
         [0020]    The many features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the disclosure that fall within the true spirit and scope thereof. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the disclosure.