Patent ID: 7314244

Claim:
A system for positioning a tarpaulin on a flatbed, comprising: a lifting device; a tarpaulin positioning apparatus structured to be attached to said lifting device, said tarpaulin positioning apparatus comprising: a base member having an operational axis that is oriented so as to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flatbed when the tarpaulin is being positioned on the flatbed; and a tarpaulin positioning portion attached to said base member, wherein said tarpaulin positioning portion extends from said base member in a direction substantially perpendicular to said operational axis, said tarpaulin positioning portion comprising first and second substantially planar sections, said first section being attached to said second section and being disposed at an obtuse angle relative to said second section; and wherein said lifting device is structured to lift at least a portion of said tarpaulin positioning apparatus above the flatbed and to move said portion of said tarpaulin positioning apparatus over the length of the flatbed from one end to the other, and wherein said tarpaulin positioning apparatus is structured to deploy the tarpaulin on the flatbed as said portion of said tarpaulin positioning apparatus is moved over the length of the flatbed from one end to the other by said lifting device.