Patent ID: 8007219

Claim:
A sweep tarp for cleaning a cargo container with a left side wall, a right side wall, a front end wall with a front end wall center midway between the left side wall and the right side wall, a rear discharge opening, and a floor conveyor with reciprocating floor slats comprising: a left side resilient arm, with a base end anchored to said front end wall between the left side wall and the front end wall center, and extending from the base end upward and away from the front end wall to a left resilient arm free end; a right side resilient arm, with a base end anchored to said front end wall between the right side wall and the front end wall center, and extending from the base end upward and away from the front end wall to a right resilient arm free end; a winch assembly attached to the front end wall and having a winch rope that extends from the winch assembly at a location directly to the rear of said front end wall center and above the left side resilient arm and the right side resilient arm; a sweep tarpaulin with an upper sheath, a left side resilient arm aperture in the upper sheath, a right side resilient arm aperture in the upper sheath, a winch rope aperture in the upper sheath mid way between the left side resilient arm aperture and the right side resilient arm aperture, a bottom sheath, a center sheath between the upper sheath and the bottom sheath, a horizontal upper tube housed in the upper sheath, a horizontal lower tube housed in the bottom sheath, and a horizontal center tube housed in the center sheath; wherein during loading of said cargo container the horizontal upper tube, is supported by the left side resilient arm with the left resilient arm free end extending through the left side resilient arm aperture, and by the right side resilient arm with the right resilient arm free end extending through the right side resilient arm aperture, the lower tube in the bottom sheath supported by said floor conveyor to the rear of said front end wall, the winch rope secured to the horizontal upper tube through the winch rope aperture in the upper sheath; and wherein during unloading of said cargo container the horizontal lower tube in the bottom sheath moves rearward with cargo, the upper tube and the upper sheath are pulled rearward and downward, and the left side resilient arm and the right side resilient arm are deformed and release the upper tube.