Movable or removable closures – With means mounting closure for swinging – With latch or lock
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-21
2001-09-25
Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With means mounting closure for swinging
With latch or lock
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293051
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hatch cover for a bulk transport vehicle, such as a trailer truck, and, more particularly to a hatch cover that can be unlocked, opened, closed, or locked by one or more remote controls which are easily accessible by an operator or the driver of the vehicle.
Trucks used for transporting dry bulk goods, such as ash, cement, lime, plastic resin fertilizers, chemicals and the like typically include one or more storage containers, The bulk goods are loaded into a respective container through a fill opening which is provided on the top of the container and is covered and sealed by a hatch cover. The cover is typically pivotally mounted to the container and secured in a closed position over the fill opening by a plurality of hold-down clamps. The hold-down clamps are pivotally mounted to the container around the fill opening and engage a corresponding plurality of tabs or ears which are provided on the cover. In order to unlock the hatch cover, each hold-down clamp must be individually loosened and then disengaged from the tab; thereafter, the hatch cover can be opened. In a like manner, in order to close and lock the hatch cover, the cover must be pivoted to its closed position and then each hold-down clamp must be repositioned to engage a respective tab and tightened down to assure an effective seal between the cover and the container. Most hatch covers include four or more hold-down clamps; thus, it can be appreciated that the process of unlocking, opening, closing, and locking a conventional hatch cover is time consuming.
In addition to being time consuming, the driver or operator is exposed to potential injuries. In order to open the cover, the driver must exit the cab of the truck and scale the side of the truck to reach the hatch cover where the driver manually unlocks each hold-down clamp. Once unlocked, the driver lifts the hatch cover so that the container can be filled. After filling, the driver typically rescales the side of the truck to close and then lock the hatch cover. Since these storage containers are generally rounded, this process can expose the driver to the risk of siding or falling off the vehicle. Recently, this danger of falling from or sliding off the truck has prompted governing agencies to promulgate regulations that require both producers and delivery site owners to provide safety cages or platforms which support the driver while he or she opens and closes the hatch cover to reduce the risk of injury to the driver. However, these safety cages and platforms are expensive to install and maintain.
Consequently, there is a need for an automated hatch that will eliminate the associated risks with the conventional manual method of unlocking, opening, closing, and locking hatches and, further, will save time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and unique automated hatch which is especially suited for use on a bulk transport vehicle, The automated hatch includes a locking device which permits remote unlocking and locking of the hatch cover so that bulk material can be loaded into the vehicle through the fill opening quickly and without the risks associated with manual locking and unlocking of the hatch cover.
In one form of the invention, an automated hatch includes a cover and a locking assembly. The cover is adapted for pivotally mounting to a vehicle over a fill opening for covering and sealing the fill opening. The locking assembly is supported on the cover and includes at least one pivotal locking member, a pusher member, and a driver. The locking member is pivotally mounted to the cover and pivots between an unlocked position and a locked position for engaging an engagement surface adjacent the fill opening to thereby lock the cover over the fill opening. The pusher member is coupled to the driver and the locking member. The driver is remotely actuatable and moves the pusher arm outwardly to pivot the locking member to its locked position and moves the pusher arm radially inward to pivot the locking member to its unlocked position.
In one aspect, the driver includes a motor and a rotatable member. The pusher member is pivotally coupled to the rotatable member, such that rotation of the rotatable member by the motor about an axis of rotation moves the pusher member either inwardly or outwardly to pivot the locking member. In preferred form, the axis of rotation is substantially orthogonal to the pivot axis of the locking member,
In other aspects, the pusher member comprises an articulating pusher arm. For example, the arm may include a first portion which is pivotally coupled to the driver and a second portion which is pivotally coupled to the first portion on one end and pivotally coupled to the locking member on a second end.
In another form of the invention, an automated hatch for a bulk transport vehicle having a container with at least one fill opening and an engagement surface adjacent the fill opening, The automated hatch includes a cover for extending over the fill opening for closing the fill opening, a driver, a plurality of pusher members, and a corresponding plurality of locking members. The pusher members extend laterally and outwardly from the driver in a common plane. Each of the pusher members is coupled to a respective locking member. The locking members are mounted to the cover for pivotal movement between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the locking members are adapted to engage the engagement surface. The driver moves the pusher members in an outward direction in the common plane to pivot the locking members to their locked positioned and moves the pusher arms inwardly to pivot the locking members to their unlocked positions.
In one form, the driver includes a motor and a rotatable driving member, with the motor rotating the driving member about an axis of rotation. The pusher members extend outwardly from the axis of rotation for pivoting the locking members between their locked and unlocked positions.
In further forms, each of the pusher members is pivotally mounted to the driving member, the motor rotates the driving member about the axis of rotation through an arc having an angle in a range of approximately 25° to 45° to move the pusher arms between fully retracted and fully extended positions. In preferred form, the motor rotates the driving member about the axis of rotation through an arc having an angle of approximately 25°.
In yet another form of the invention, an automated hatch for bulk transport vehicle includes a cover which is adapted to pivotally mount on the vehicle, with the cover moving between an open position and a closed position for extending over an annular flange of the vehicle and closing the fill opening defined by the annular flange. The automated hatch further includes a locking assembly with a driver assembly and a plurality of locking members. The driver assembly includes a plurality of pusher members each of which is pivotally coupled to a respective locking member. The locking members are mounted to a peripheral portion of the cover for engaging the annular flange of the vehicle for locking the cover in its closed position. The driver assembly further includes a driving member which rotates about a drive axis. Each of the pusher members are pivotally mounted to the driving member and are moved by the driving member between a retracted position and an extended position, with the pusher members pivoting the locking members to unlocked positions when the pusher members are moved to their retracted positions and pivoting the locking members to locked positions when the pusher members are moved to their extended positions thereby locking and closing the cover over the fill opening.
In one aspect, each of the pusher members comprise an articulating arm having a first portion coupled to the driving member and a second portion coupled to the respective locking member. Preferably, the first portion comprises a rod and the second portion comprises a clevis. In yet another form
DCL, Inc.
Redman Jerry
Van Dyke Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
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