Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roll-up covers
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-16
2004-08-24
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roll-up covers
C296S100110, C296S100140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06779828
ABSTRACT:
SCOPE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tarp enclosure system used for covering the upper surface of a truck bed or railcar, and more particularly a tarp enclosure system which is suitable for use with removable trailer bows and which may be extended or retracted from a remote location by a user standing on the ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the haulage of bulk goods such as heavy machinery, steel rods and coils, sod and non-prepackaged consumer goods, it is often desirable to ship the goods via a flat bed truck or train trailer. Conventional truck or train trailers consist of a flat rectangular trailer bed surface characterized by parallel longitudinal sides and lateral ends. It is known to cover the goods on the trailer with a tarp to protect the goods from exposure to the elements and, in the case of goods such as sod, to prevent debris and/or detritus from blowing from the trailer. In the most basic construction, the trailer is provided with a number of removable U-shaped metal bows which are used to support the flexible cover or tarp above the load while protecting it from the environment. Typically, the bows consist of a single length of bent tubular steel stock. The ends of the bows are removably secured in a complementary sized slot or hole formed along the opposing longitudinal sides of the trailer bed.
Conventionally, the trailer beds are enclosed by manually securing the tarp in place stretched over both the bows and the load on the trailer by means of shock cords and/or hold-down straps. When loading or unloading the trailer, the shock cords used to secure the flexible tarp in place stretched over the bows are manually released and the cover manually pulled aside. Once the cover has been removed, the driver or warehouseman removes the bows by pulling their ends from the slots in the trailer bed. Once removed, access to the surface of the trailer bed may be obtained along one or both of its longitudinal sides. Thereafter, the goods to be shipped are placed on the bed and the bows and cover are repositioned.
The manual positioning of the tarp typically requires that the driver or individual loading the trailer climb overtop of both the trailer bed and the load, while simultaneously positioning the tarp and re-securing it in place with the shock cords. The manual positioning of the tarp is both time consuming and inefficient. Furthermore, in physically climbing overtop of the loaded goods, there is increased risk of injury if, for example, the individual falls off the trailer and/or trips or falls on the loaded goods.
In an effort to simplify the manual loading and/or unloading of trailers, various individuals have proposed tarp covering or enclosure systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,575 to DeMonte et al discloses a tarp enclosure system which incorporates a number of horizontally slidable U-shaped bows which are used to collapse or extend a cover over the top of a truck trailer bed in an accordion-like manner. The Wahpeton Canvass Company of North Dakota has sold in conjunction with its trade mark SHURCO™ various enclosure systems which are adapted to be rolled or unrolled horizontally over the open top of dump truck and grain trailer bins.
Heretofore, however, the marketplace has achieved little or no success in providing vertically retractable tarp systems which are adapted to permit lateral access to a flat truck or railcar trailers which have bows which are either permanently secured to the trailer bed, or which are removable for loading and unloading goods thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a retractable trailer enclosure system for use in covering at least part of the upper surface of the bed of a truck or railcar trailer, and which has tarp or cover supporting bow members which are either permanently secured to the trailer bed, or which are removable so as to permit loading and/or unloading of goods onto the trailer from at least one of its lateral sides.
Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable trailer enclosure system which includes a flexible tarpaulin or cover, hereinafter also generally referred to as a tarp, which may be selectively vertically and/or horizontally retracted or extended so as to expose or cover the upper surface of a truck or train trailer bed by a user standing beside the trailer or from another remote location.
Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable trailer enclosure system which includes a flexible tarp which when extended over the trailer, is adapted to provide a substantially fluid-seal tight arrangement between the longitudinal sides of the trailer bed and the tarp.
Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable trailer enclosure system which may be vertically retracted along one longitudinal side of a flat truck or rail car trailer, so as to permit the loading or unloading of goods thereon by a conventional fork lift, tractor, crane or the like.
A further object of the invention is to provide in combination a trailer and a retractable tarpaulin system which includes one or more U-shaped bows and a flexible cover or tarp which may be selectively extended or retracted to cover or uncover the U-shaped bows of a trailer, and which when retracted, permits the bows to be manually lifted clear of the trailer to facilitate its loading or unloading.
To achieve at least some of the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a retractable trailer enclosure system for use in covering at least part of the bed of a truck trailer, railcar trailer or the like, hereinafter collectively referred to as a “trailer”. Typically, the trailer has a flat horizontally extending bed characterized parallel and longitudinally elongated sides, lateral front and rear ends and a generally flat upper surface.
One or more bows are vertically mounted on the trailer bed and arc used to support a flexible cover above the transported goods, so as to prevent rain, snow and/or wind damage to the goods, as well as preventing debris from blowing off of the trailer during transportation. The bows are formed from lengths of straight, bent or welded steel or aluminum stock and when assembled have a generally inverted U-shape. The bows have a width selected to span substantially the lateral width of the trailer bed and have a height which is selected having regard to the desired cargo to be moved, and which in the typical case is selected at between 4 and 10 feet, and more typically between about 6 and 8 feet. In a more economical construction, the bows are provided as part of a welded lattice, permanently secured to the trailer bed. More preferably, however, one or more of the bows are removable, allowing the trailer roof to be largely opened up to facilitate loading and/or unloading of the goods. Removable bows are mounted to the trailer in a number of manners, as for example, with the lower ends of each vertical side of the bows being received in a complementary sized socket formed in the upper surface of the trailer bed.
Although not essential, at least one and preferably two to three bows are supported by a removable truss member. The truss members consist of a vertically extending support which extends from the trailer bed, upwardly to engagingly support an underside of the bed. An adjustable T-support provided on the truss member is brought into contact with a bow, wedging the truss member in place as a vertical support. The T-support is adjustable in height and is configured to enable the truss members to be moved into a desired position under a selected bow, having regard to the positioning and form of the goods to be shipped.
The cover or tarpaulin of the trailer enclosure system may be retracted to expose and permit access to the trailer bed surface, or extended to cover the trailer bed together with any goods which are positioned thereon for transport. An elongated spindle is provided which is mounted to the trailer by means of a spindle mount assembly. As will be described, the spindle is used to wind the tarp, coiling or un
Dayoan D. Glenn
Gutman H.
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