Mounting bracket for a truck body and method for mounting a composite truck body to a chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407103-B2
Application number	US-201815867227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2018
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A mounting bracket configured to mount a composite truck body to a chassis is provided. The mounting bracket includes a first side plate having a first hole therethrough and configured to be coupled to a first side of a main beam of the composite truck body and a second side plate having a second hole therethrough and configured to be coupled to a second, opposite side of the main beam and aligned opposite the first side plate. The mounting bracket also includes a tube configured to be routed through the first hole of the first side plate, a main beam hole of the main beam, and the second hole of the second side plate, and a bar configured to be routed through the tube. The bar includes a vertical hole through each end, and each vertical hole is configured to receive a mounting rod.

First claim

I claim:

1. A connector assembly configured to couple a beam of a composite floor to a rail of a chassis, the connector assembly comprising:
a first side plate having a first hole, the first side plate configured to couple to a first side of the beam;
a second side plate having a second hole, the second side plate configured to couple to a second side of the beam;
a bar configured to extend horizontally through the first hole in the first side plate, through a beam hole in the beam, and through the second hole in the second side plate;
a mounting plate configured to couple to the rail; and
at least one rod configured to couple the bar to the mounting plate.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tube configured for placement in the beam hole to support the bar.

3. The connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the bar is longer than the tube such that an end of the bar projects outward from the tube.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least one rod extends vertically through a hole in the end of the bar.

5. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the end of the bar includes a flat surface configured to support a fastener on the at least one rod.

6. The connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the bar is sized to move freely within the tube.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second side plates are shorter in height than the beam.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rod includes a first rod positioned on the first side of the beam and a second rod positioned on the second side of the beam.

9. A truck comprising:
a truck body having a composite floor assembly with a beam, the beam having a first side, a second side, and a beam hole that extends from the first side to the second side;
a chassis having a rail; and
at least one connector assembly coupling the beam to the rail, the at least one connector assembly comprising:
a first side plate coupled to the first side of the beam, the first side plate having a first hole positioned in communication with the beam hole;
a second side plate coupled to the second side of the beam, the second side plate having a second hole positioned in communication with the beam hole;
a bar extending horizontally through the first hole in the first side plate, through the beam hole in the beam, and through the second hole in the second side plate;
a mounting plate coupled to the rail; and
at least one rod coupling the bar to the mounting plate.

10. The truck of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of connector assemblies spaced apart along a length of the truck.

11. The truck of claim 9 , further comprising a wooden beam sandwiched between the beam and the rail.

12. The truck of claim 9 , wherein the first and second plates are offset from a vertical orientation to follow a tapered shape of the beam.

13. The truck of claim 9 , wherein the mounting plate is clamped against a bottom side of the rail.

14. The truck of claim 9 , wherein the composite floor assembly comprises a fiber-reinforced plastic.

15. A method for coupling a beam of a composite floor to a rail of a chassis, the method comprising:
coupling a first side plate having a first hole to a first side of the beam;
coupling a second side plate having a second hole to a second side of the beam;
positioning a bar through the first hole in the first side plate, through a beam hole in the beam, and through the second hole in the second side plate;
coupling the bar to the rail.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein coupling the first and second plates to the beam comprises adhering the first and second plates to the beam.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising drilling through the beam to form the beam hole.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising positioning a tube in the beam hole and inserting the bar through the tube.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising adhering the tube to the beam.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein coupling the bar to the rail comprises:
positioning a mounting plate beneath the rail; coupling a first vertical rod to the bar and the mounting plate on the first side of the beam and
coupling a second vertical rod to the bar and the mounting plate on the second side of the beam.

Assignees

• Wabash National Lp

Inventors

• Hatke Dennis G

Classifications

• B62D24/02 Primary

  Vehicle body, not intended to move relatively to the vehicle frame, and mounted on vibration absorbing mountings, e.g. rubber pads · CPC title

• B62D25/2054

  Load carrying floors for commercial vehicles · CPC title

• B62D65/02

  Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components · CPC title

• B62D33/04

  Enclosed load compartments {; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains (side curtains per se B60J5/065; tarpaulins per se B60J7/00, B60P7/04)} · CPC title

• B62D27/06

  readily releasable · CPC title