NZ783394B2 - Side tipper system - Google Patents

Abstract

side tipper system for a vehicle including a chassis supported by wheels, the system including a container for carrying material and selectively discharging carried material to a lateral discharge side of the chassis, the container including a container body defining an upper portion of a first side wall of the container on the discharge side; a second side wall of the container opposing the first side wall; and a pair of opposing end walls of the container; a floor pivotally coupled to the second side wall; and a side door pivotally coupled to the floor, the side door defining a lower portion of the first side wall of the container in a closed position and forming a discharge opening in an open position; and a first and second end assemblies mounted to the chassis at respective ends of the container, each end assembly being operatively coupled to the container for supporting the container relative to the chassis and controlling the discharge of carried material from the container by moving the side door from the closed position to the open position; and lifting the container body relative to the chassis, to thereby cause carried material to be discharged to the discharge side via the discharge opening.

Claims (29)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: l) A side tipper system for a vehicle including a s supported by wheels, the system including: a) a container for carrying material and selectively discharging carried al to a lateral discharge side of the chassis, the container including: i) a container body defining:
1. (I) an upper portion of a first side wall of the container on the discharge side; (2) a second side wall of the ner opposing the first side wall; and (3) a pair of opposing end walls of the container; ii) a ?oor lly coupled to the second side wall; and iii) a side door pivotally coupled to the ?oor, the side door ng a lower portion of the first side wall of the container in a closed position and forming a discharge opening in an open position; and b) first and second end assemblies mounted to the chassis at respective ends of the container, each end assembly being operatively coupled to the container for supporting the container relative to the s and controlling the discharge of carried material from the container by: i) moving the side door from the closed position to the open position; and ii) lifting the container body relative to the chassis, to thereby cause carried material to be discharged to the discharge side via the discharge opening.
2. 2) A system ing to claim 1, wherein the end assemblies are configured so that lifting the container body causes the floor to pivotally rotate away from the container body to thereby define a discharge ramp for directing material to the rge side.
3. 3) A system according to claim 2, wherein the end assemblies are configured so that lifting the container body causes the ?oor to be oriented at a ramp angle that depends on a lifting height to which the container body is lifted.
4. 4) A system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the side door in the open position effectively extends the rge ramp laterally beyond the chassis on the discharge side.
5. 5) A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, n the end assemblies are configured so that g the container body causes the container body to tip away from the discharge side.
6. 6) A system according to claim 5, wherein the end assemblies are configured so that lifting the container body causes the second side wall to be oriented at a tipping angle that depends on a lifting height to which that the container body is lifted.
7. 7) A system according to claim 6, wherein, when the container body is lifted to a predetermined lifting , the second side wall and the ?oor are substantially aligned.
8. 8) A system ing to claim 7, wherein, when the container body is lifted to the predetermined height, the second side wall, the floor and the side door are substantially aligned to define a substantially continuous discharge ramp.
9. 9) A system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the side door is substantially d with the upper portion of the first side wall in the closed position and substantially aligned with the floor in the open position.
10. 10) A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, when the container body is not lifted: a) a base of the upper portion of the first side wall is offset from the ?oor; and b) the side door extends n the floor and the offset base of the upper portion of the first side wall in the closed position.
11. 11) A system according to claim 10, wherein: a) moving the side door to the open position forms the discharge opening between the ?oor and the offset base of the upper portion of the first side wall; and b) lifting the container body expands the discharge opening.
12. 12) A system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the ?oor includes: a) a first ?oor edge that is pivotally d to a base of the second side wall; and b) an opposing second ?oor edge that is pivotally d to the side door.
13. 13) A system according claim 12, wherein the side door includes: a) a first door edge that is pivotally coupled to the second ?oor edge; and b) an opposing second door edge that abuts a base of the upper portion of the first side wall when the side door is in the closed position.
14. l4)A system according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the second ?oor edge is pivotally coupled to the end lies such that the second floor edge is not lifted when the ner body is lifted.
15. 15)A system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the floor includes a pair of opposing end plates protruding from respective ends of the ?oor such that, when the container body is not lifted, the end plates extend inside the container body alongside the end walls, and when the container body is lifted, the end plates extend between the floor and the end walls.
16. 16) A system according to claim 15, wherein at least one of: a) each end plate includes a curved edge; b) each end wall has a smooth inside e having a shape corresponding to a respective end plate shape; and c) each end wall includes a plate guide for supporting an edge of a tive end plate.
17. 17) A system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein each end assembly is provided as a modular assembly that can be adapted for use at either end of the ner.
18. 18) A system according to claim 17, wherein each end assembly is configured to be mounted onto the chassis and coupled to interface points provided at the respective end of the container.
19. 19)A system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein each end assembly includes a lifting or for lifting the container body relative to the chassis.
20. 20) A system according to claim 19, wherein each end assembly includes: a) a frame; b) a lever arm lly coupled to the frame and the container body; and c) a linkage pivotally coupled to the frame and the container body.
21. 21)A system according to claim 20, wherein the lifting actuator pivotally rotates the lever arm ve to the frame for lifting the container body and the linkage controls an orientation of the container body as the container body is lifted.
22. 22) A system according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the frame includes: a) a frame base for mounting the end assembly to the chassis; and b) a frame arm extending away from the discharge side.
23. 23) A system ing to claim 22, wherein: a) the lever arm has a first lever end pivotally coupled to the frame base on the discharge side and a second lever end pivotally coupled to the container body proximate to the base of the second side wall; and b) the linkage has a first linkage end pivotally coupled to a distal end of the frame arm and a second linkage end pivotally coupled to the container body proximate to the base of the upper portion of the first side wall.
24. 24) A system ing to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the lifting actuator is lly coupled to the frame and the lever arm.
25. 25) A system according to claim 24, wherein the g actuator is a cylinder actuator configured so that extension of the lifting actuator causes the lever arm to pivotally rotate relative to the frame, thereby causing the ner body to be .
26. 26)A system according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein each end assembly includes a door actuator for moving the side door between the closed position and the open on.
27. 27) A system according to claim 26, wherein each end assembly includes a frame and a lever arm pivotally coupled to the frame, and wherein the door actuator is pivotally coupled to the lever arm and the side door.
28. 28)A system according to claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the door actuator is a cylinder actuator ured so that extension of the door actuator causes the side door to pivotally rotate between the closed position and the open position.
29. 29) A vehicle including: a) a chassis supported by wheels; and b) a side tipper system according to any one of claims 1 to 28. ME ON? 163 \\\\\§