Land vehicles: dumping – Miscellaneous – Vibrator means to facilitate removal of material
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-03-06
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: dumping
Miscellaneous
Vibrator means to facilitate removal of material
C298S02200C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196634
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to dumping apparatus for trucks, and in particular to a dumpable pickup truck bed liner and actuating apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art structures exist for use in converting a regular pickup or flatbed truck into a dump truck. These prior art structures have relative structural complexity problems that may influence their practical value.
For example, some conventional structures act to lift the existing body of the truck, and require major modifications to the truck body structure. The structural and ride characteristics of the truck are affected. Certain other prior art structures use a central hydraulic cylinder which results in stability problems during the dumping operation.
In other cases, such as the structures shown in Dingler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,261 and Hill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,236, two hydraulic cylinders have been provided, but the ride characteristics of the truck worsen when the body of the truck is being lifted. In other prior art structures, where a bed liner is provided and two hydraulic cylinders were used, a modification was made in the truck body. Using two single-acting cylinders avoids the control complexity and safety concerns of using two double-acting hydraulic cylinders. Also, using two double-acting cylinders results in wasted space in the truck.
Another prior art structure (Anthony, U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,475) shows two hydraulic cylinders hinged on a common pipe or shaft in tandem on the front of the truck bed. But this design results in wasted space in the front of the liner.
Another prior art structure (Anthony, U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,864) shows a bed liner using two hydraulic cylinders (either double-acting or single-acting) that are partially disposed in front of the truck wheel wells and use separate hydraulics to operate the cylinders; this structure requires a separate bottom frame that is attached to the bottom floor of a pickup truck creating unusable space under the liner. The space occupied by the hydraulic cylinder from the front to the back on each side is unusable for other purposes. Also the hydraulic components occupy space in front of the insert container on the floor of the flatbed. This creates another unusable space adding to the loss of carry-on volume.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a dumping bed liner which converts a conventional pickup truck to a dump truck. Inwardly protruding recesses are formed in the left and right sidewalls of a liner which, in its lowered position, is disposed adjacent the conventional pickup truck bed. The inwardly protruding recesses are formed at the junction of the left and right sidewalls of the liner with a bottom panel of the liner, and extend from a position over the rear wheel of the pickup truck forwardly so as to create a pair of lifting mechanism compartments. In each one of the compartments is housed, in its retracted position, a lifting mechanism such a hydraulic ram.
According to a further aspect of the invention, these inwardly protruding recesses fit over the respective left and right rear wheel wells of a conventional truck bed, emulating the appearance of such wheel wells. In a preferred embodiment, the left and right inwardly protruding recesses extend forwardly from these wheel wells to the front panel of the liner, providing a pleasing appearance to the liner.
The apparatus can be bolted onto a conventional truck bed to convert the pickup truck into a dump truck, and can be easily removed when no longer desired. Structural changes or additions are not made to the existing truck body, thus preserving the appearance and structural integrity of the truck.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2640725 (1953-06-01), Dale
patent: 2684864 (1954-07-01), Anthony
patent: 2685475 (1954-08-01), Anthony
patent: 3600038 (1971-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 3617090 (1971-11-01), Huffman et al.
patent: 3740097 (1973-06-01), Parker et al.
patent: 3833261 (1974-09-01), Dingler
patent: 3871706 (1975-03-01), Odem
patent: 4139236 (1979-02-01), Hill et al.
patent: 4647110 (1987-03-01), McKee
patent: 4681371 (1987-07-01), Leonard
Maxi-Dump™ brochure by Maxi Products Co., Inc., 2536 Center Ave., Janesville, WI 53546, (608) 755-1199, 2 pages.
E-Z Dumper® Truck brochure by E-Z Dumper, P.O. Box 31, Waynesboro, PA 17268; 1-888-Dumpers 3 pages.
Gordon Stephen T.
Jefferson Perkins Foley & Lardner
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