Frameless half-round trailer with butt joints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457185-B2
Application number	US-201715481655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A frameless dump trailer is provided. The frameless dump trailer includes a forward body portion and a rear body portion. Each body portion is formed from two or more panels joined together with butt-joint welds. The forward portion is first formed by welding planar sections together. After the body portion is formed from the plurality of planar panels, the larger planar portion is rolled in a rolling system to define the arcuate shape of trailer body. Then, the forward and rear body portions are welding together with a transversely extending butt-weld.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A frameless dump trailer comprising:
a forward end spaced from a rear end defining a longitudinal direction there between, and a first side opposite a second side defining a transverse direction there between;
a forward frameless trailer body portion defining the forward end and a rear frameless trailer body portion defining the rear end; and
wherein the forward frameless trailer body portion is formed from a plurality of forward planar panels butt welded together side-by-side at forward longitudinal unions, the butt welded panels adapted to be rolled into an arcuate configuration.

2. The frameless dump trailer of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the rear frameless trailer body portion is formed from a plurality of rear planar panels butt welded together side-by-side at rear longitudinal unions and adapted to be rolled into an arcuate configuration.

3. The frameless dump trailer of claim 2 , wherein the forward longitudinal unions are longitudinally coplanar with the rear longitudinal unions.

4. The frameless dump trailer of claim 1 , wherein the forward frameless trailer body portion and the rear body portion collectively define a concave inner surface opposite a convex outer surface, and further comprising a first union between two adjoining butt welded panels; wherein the concave inner surface is flush across the first union between the two adjoining butt welded panels.

5. The frameless dump trailer of claim 4 , further comprising:
a radius of curvature associated with the concave inner surface, wherein the radius of curvature is equal for the two adjoining panels on opposite sides of the first union.

6. The frameless dump trailer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel defining the forward frameless trailer body portion;
the first panel associated with the first side, the second panel associated the second side, and the third panel positioned intermediate the first and second panels.

7. The frameless dump trailer of claim 1 , further comprising a transversely extending union formed from an abutment joining the forward frameless trailer body portion and the rear frameless trailer body portion.

8. The frameless dump trailer of claim 7 , further comprising:
an external arcuate support member directly connected to an outer surface of the dump trailer and covering the transversely extending union.

9. The frameless dump trailer of claim 8 , wherein the transversely extending union is a butt weld defining a flush alignment of the forward frameless trailer body portion, and the rear frameless trailer body portion across the butt weld.

10. The frameless dump trailer of claim 8 , further comprising a leading apex on the arcuate support member.

11. The frameless dump trailer of claim 10 , further comprising a trailing apex on the arcuate support member opposite the leading apex.

12. The frameless dump trailer of claim 11 , wherein the support member only has arcuate edges.

13. The frameless dump trailer of claim 8 , wherein the support member is symmetric about the longitudinal axis.

14. The frameless dump trailer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a longitudinally extending first union formed from a first butt weld connecting a first panel and a third panel;
a longitudinally extending second union formed from a second butt weld connecting a second panel and the third panel; wherein the third panel is intermediate the first and second panels;
wherein after rolling the planar forward portion, the first and second unions are above a lowermost region of a convex inner surface of the frameless trailer.

Assignees

• Mac Trailer Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Maiorana James A

Classifications

• B60P1/286 Primary

  Loading buckets · CPC title

• B62D53/06

  Semi-trailers · CPC title

• B62D33/023

  Sideboard or tailgate structures {(vehicle side panels in general B62D25/02)} · CPC title

• B62D35/001

  For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans · CPC title