Patent ID: 8056960

Claim:
A sidewall assembly for a transporting vehicle comprising: a side wall including a plurality of composite panels having a non-metallic material imposed between a pair of sheets and extending vertically along a horizontal axis, said composite panels having vertical edge portions, a bottom edge, an interior surface, and an exterior surface, a plurality of inner side posts vertically positioned between adjacent pairs of said plurality of composite panels, said inner side posts having a generally hat-shaped horizontal cross-section forming a flat central portion and a pair of opposite edge portions forming inner surfaces and outer surfaces, a plurality of outer side posts being vertically positioned in generally contacting relationship with said outer surfaces of said plurality of inner side posts, mechanical fasteners for interconnecting said vertical edge portions of said plurality of composite panels, said edge portions of said plurality of inner side posts, and said plurality of outer side posts together as a unit with said vertical edge portions of said composite panels generally contacting said inner surfaces of said edge portions of said inner side posts and said outer surfaces of said inner side posts generally contacting a portion of said outer posts, and a bottom rail including an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion coupled to said interior surface of said composite panels and forming an interior scuff surface, said lower portion extending below said composite panels such that said lower portion of said bottom rail overlaps and is adjacent to said bottom edge of said composite panels.