Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/131,575 filed Jun. 2, 2008, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a dump device for a side dump trailer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a prior art side dump trailer is shown. The side dump trailer includes a frame  100  which has a tub  101  pivotally attached thereto. A pivot of tub  101  to the frame  100  is provided at  102 . A hydraulic assembly  108  includes rod  110  and a barrel  112 . A pivot point  104  is provided between the rod  110  and the tub  101 . A pivot point  106  is provided between the barrel  112  and the frame  100 . 
     Of particular importance is the arrangement of the hydraulic assembly  108 . The barrel  112  is attached to the frame at  106 . The rod  110  is attached to the tub  101  at pivot point  104 . The extension of the entire hydraulic assembly  108  is at a distance between  106 ,  104 . Consequently, the geometry results in an increase in velocity and acceleration of the tub  101  from its centered position on frame  100  to its side dump position shown in  FIG. 4 . Furthermore, the hydraulic assembly  108  forms an angle with respect to  102 ,  104 ,  106  that closely approaches parallel to  102 ,  104 . The result is sometimes tilting of the frame  100 , in response to the extension of the barrel  112  and the rod  110  to the side dump position as shown in  FIG. 4 . This sometimes results in the tipping over of the frame  100 . 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is the provision of an improved dump device for a side dump trailer. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a dump device which minimizes the velocity and acceleration of the dumping of tub relative to the frame of the vehicle. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a dump device wherein the hydraulic assembly moves a lesser distance than the pivot points at the opposite ends of the hydraulic assembly. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a tub which moves at a substantial decrease in velocity and acceleration relative to the frame as it moves from the upstanding position toward the side dump position. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of a tilt device which has a hydraulic assembly extending at an angel of 35° plus or minus 10° with respect to pivots  102 ,  104 . 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device which reverses the barrel and the rod so that the barrel is attached to the tub and the rod is attached to the frame. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a dump device for a side dump trailer which utilizes a pivotal attachment between the tub and the barrel within the first one-half of the barrel. 
     A further object of the present invention is a hydraulic assembly which has a barrel that is directly pivoted to the tub so that it pivots with the tub from its upstanding position to its side dump position. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device which is economical, durable in use, and efficient in operation. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a side dump trailer having an elongated frame that includes a longitudinal axis. A tub having an open top, first and second ends, first and second opposite sides, is provided and is pivotally connected to a frame for pivotal movement from an upstanding position wherein the top is upwardly presented and is centrally located with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame to a side dump position wherein the tub is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame for dumping. The first hydraulic assembly is mounted to one of the first and second opposite ends of the side dump trailer. The hydraulic assembly has a barrel pivotally fixed to the tub and having a rod at least partially within the barrel and pivotally fixed to the frame. The barrel and the rod are extensible with respect to one another between a retracted position wherein the tub is in the upstanding position and in an extended position wherein the tub is in the side dump position. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, a second hydraulic assembly identical to the first hydraulic assembly is mounted to the other of the first and second opposite ends. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the barrel has first and second ends. The rod is telescopically inserted within the second end of the barrel and the pivotal connection between the barrel is adjacent the second end of the barrel and located away from the first end of the barrel. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the barrel pivots about the pivotal connection of the barrel to the tub between an upstanding position of the tub to the side dump position of the tub. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the barrel has first and second opposite ends. The second end has the rod telescopically inserted therein for telescopic movement therein. The barrel is pivotally connected to the tub between the second end and one-half of the length of the barrel. 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by the method of the present invention by mounting the pivotal movement of an elongated frame having a longitudinal axis to a tub. The tub includes an open top, a first end, a second end, a first side, and an opposite second side. The tub is pivoted with respect to the frame from an upstanding position wherein the top is upwardly presented and is in a central location with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame to a side dump position wherein the tub is longitudinally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame for dumping. The method includes making a first pivotal connection between the barrel and the tub and making a second pivotal connection between a rod and the frame. The telescoping of the rod is accomplished within the barrel from a retracted position wherein the tub is in the upstanding position to an extended position wherein the tub is in side dump position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the present invention in an upstanding position. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view showing the hydraulic cylinder in the extended position and the side dump trailer in a side dump position. 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematic view showing the relationship of pivot geometry when the tub is pivoted with respect to the frame about pivot  32 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a schematic view showing the relationship of the pivot geometry when the tub is pivoted with respect to the frame about pivot  30 . 
         FIG. 4  is a prior art device. 
         FIG. 5  is a chart showing the comparative velocities of the prior art and the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a chart showing the comparative acceleration of the prior art and the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A tub  10  includes a curved bottom wall  12  including a V-shaped side wall  14  and a V-shaped side wall  16 . The end walls  18 ,  20  enclose an open top  22 . Reinforcing members  24  extend around the outer surface of curved wall  12  and V-shaped walls  14 ,  16 . A side rail  26  is provided at the upper edge of V-shaped wall  14  and a side rail  28  is shown at the upper end of V-shaped side wall  16 . The structure of the tub  10  may vary and the walls  14 ,  16  may have a flat bottom instead of a curved wall  12 . 
     A frame  34  is provided with two longitudinal members  36  and with a plurality of cross members  38  mounted thereon. A front and rear pivot point  30  is provided adjacent one of the sides of the frame  34  and an alternative pivot point  32  is provided adjacent the opposite side of member  36 . 
     The pivot points  30 ,  32  are shown in  FIG. 2  and are alternatively positioned so that the tub  10  may be pivoted as shown in  FIG. 3 , or alternatively, may be pivoted about member  30  in the opposite direction from that shown in  FIG. 3 . The mechanism for pivot points  30 ,  32 , are conventional in structure, and may include a mechanical pin, an electrical pin or other device for holding the side dump trailer while the other pivot point  30 ,  32  provide the pivoting of the side dump trailer. In this way, the member hinge pivot point  32  may be utilized, or in the alternative, the member  30  may be utilized with the member  32  being disconnected. 
     Rear tandems  40  are provided adjacent the rear end of the frame member  34 , and front stands  42  may be provided at the opposite end from rear tandems  40 . While tandem wheels  40  are shown, the present invention may have any number of wheels. A fifth wheel  44  is partially shown for mounting the trailer to a tractor (not shown). 
     A hydraulic assembly  46  includes a barrel  48  having a first end  49  and a second end  51 . 
     The barrel  48  is shown pivoted to the tub  10  at a pivot point  54  on a cross frame  52  which is mounted on the tub  10 . The rod  50  is telescopically mounted within the second end  51  of barrel  48  and is pivoted at point  56  to frame  34 . The pivotal mount  54  of the barrel  48  to the tub  10  is accomplished between second end  51  and the center point of the barrel  48 . Preferably the pivot point  54  is attached adjacent the second end  51 . This results in the barrel  48  pivoting from the position shown in  FIG. 2  which is substantially vertically disposed either to the left or the right as indicated by arrow  58 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the vertically oriented position of the barrel  48  pivots about  54  from the position shown in  FIG. 2  to the position shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     However, the device may be utilized to tilt about pivot axis  30  and consequently the direction of pivoting of barrel  48  is to the left, as shown in  FIG. 3B .  FIG. 3A  shows the relative positions of members  46 ,  54 ,  56 ,  32  and angle A. Alternatively,  FIG. 3B  shows the relative positions of members  46 ,  54 ,  56 ,  30  and angle A. 
     As can be seen by a comparison of  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 3 , the prior art hydraulic assembly  108  forms a position nearly parallel, but not quite parallel, with respect to the pivot point  102 . Whereas the hydraulic assembly  46  is shown in  FIG. 3  to form an angle of approximately 35° (plus or minus approximately) 10° with respect to the side dump position. Furthermore, the prior art hydraulic assembly  108  (both the barrel  112  and the rod  110 ) extends outwardly a substantially greater distance between pivot points  104 ,  106  than the hydraulic assembly  46  of  FIG. 3  extends between pivot points  54 ,  56 . This is because the pivot point  54  is attached between longitudinal center point and the second end  51  of the cylinder  48 . 
     A wing member  60  and the end wall  18  are provided for nesting the barrel  48  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and a similar wing member  62  and the end wall  18  are provided for nesting the barrel  48  when the pivot point  30  is utilized. The same is true for the other end of the tub  10 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the velocity of the center of gravity of tub  101  increases at the end of the stroke of hydraulic assembly  108  whereas the velocity of center of gravity of tub  10  remains more constant and lower. Similarly  FIG. 6  shows that the acceleration of the center of gravity of the tub  101  increases at the end of the stroke toward the side dump position whereas the acceleration of the center of gravity of tub  10  remains more constant and lower. Both the velocity of the center of gravity of the tub  101  increases to 8.0 in/sec and the acceleration increases to over 3.5 in/sec 2 , whereas the velocity of the center of gravity of tub  10  increases only to 4.5 in/sec and the acceleration increases to only 0.75 in/sec 2 . The charts of  FIGS. 5 and 6  utilize cylinders of the same size and pumps having the same capacity. 
     The present invention provides substantial results which are not achieved by the prior art device. The result is that there is less tilting action of the frame  34  due to the reduced velocity ( FIG. 5 ) and acceleration ( FIG. 6 ). In contrast, the hydraulic assembly  108 , because of increased velocity and acceleration, results sometimes in the tilting action of the frame  100  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Sometimes it tips over. The hydraulic assembly  46  forms an angle of 35° plus or minus 10° with respect to both  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The tilting action of cylinder  46  is about the pivot axis  54  in a clockwise direction as viewed in  FIG. 3A  and in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in  FIG. 3B . 
     As an alternative to the present invention, the hydraulic assembly  46  can be reversed with barrel  48  attached pivotally to the frame  34  at  56  and with the rod  50  pivotally connected to the tub  10 . In that situation, the first end  49  of barrel  48  would be below frame  34 , and the second end  51  of barrel  48  would be adjacent the pivotal connection  56  to frame  34 . This second alternative is less desirable because the barrel  48  would be below frame  34  and would necessarily pivot about pivotal connection  56 . This would be cumbersome because the pivoting of barrel  48  about connection  56  would require considerable space which normally would be taken up by the structure below frame  34 . 
     The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

Technology Category: 7