Front tower for machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723253-B2
Application number	US-201816052792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2018
Priority date	Aug 2, 2018
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A front tower for a truck body of a machine includes a beam member. The front tower includes a landing plate. The front tower also includes a first plate member connected between the beam member and the landing plate, and a second plate member disposed adjacent to the first plate member. The second plate member is connected between the beam member and the landing plate. The front tower includes a first side plate and a second side plate spaced apart from the first side plate. The front tower further includes a cover plate assembly extending between the first side plate and the second side plate. The cover plate assembly, the first side plate, and the second side plate enclose the first plate member and the second plate member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A front tower for a truck body of a machine, the truck body having a beam member, the front tower comprising:
a landing plate subjected to load stress from the truck body;
a first plate member connected between the beam member and the landing plate;
a second plate member disposed adjacent to the first plate member, wherein the second plate member is connected between the beam member and the landing plate, the first and second plate members being adapted to transfer the load stress received by the landing plate to the beam member;
a first side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the first side plate is connected to the landing plate;
a second side plate spaced apart from the first side plate, the second side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the second side plate is connected to the landing plate; and
a cover plate assembly extending between the first side plate and the second side plate,
wherein the cover plate assembly, the first side plate, and the second side plate enclose the first plate member and the second plate member.

2. The front tower of claim 1 , wherein the first side plate is connected to an outer surface of the beam member and the second side plate is connected to the outer surface of the beam member.

3. The front tower of claim 1 , wherein each of the first side plate, the second side plate, and a baffle plate of the front tower includes a cut-out, each of the cut-outs being adapted to separate the landing plate and a front wall of the truck body.

4. The front tower of claim 3 , wherein each of the cut-outs is arch shaped.

5. The front tower of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plate member and the second plate member includes an angled profile.

6. The front tower of claim 1 further comprising:
a transverse plate extending between the first side plate and the second side plate;
a baffle plate extending between the transverse plate and the landing plate;
at least one first gusset plate connected between the first side plate and the landing plate;
a second gusset plate connected between the first side plate and the beam member; and
a third gusset plate connected between the second side plate and the beam member.

7. The front tower of claim 6 , wherein the cover plate assembly includes:
a first cover plate extending between a canopy of the truck body and an outer edge of the transverse plate; and
a second cover plate extending between the outer edge of the transverse plate and an outer edge of the landing plate.

8. The front tower of claim 1 further comprising a rib section protruding through the first side plate and the second side plate of the front tower, the rib section being spaced apart from the beam member such that a gap exists there between, wherein the rib section on respective ends of the first side plate and the second side plate includes:
a first end portion connected to a front wall of the truck body;
a second end portion spaced apart from the first end portion and connected to the front wall of the truck body; and
an outer surface connected to an outer surface of the first side plate and the second side plate, respectively.

9. A truck body for a machine having a frame, the truck body comprising:
a front wall;
a canopy extending from the front wall;
a beam member extending transversely across the front wall; and
a front tower adapted to transfer load stress from the truck body to the frame, the front tower comprising:
a landing plate subjected to the load stress from the truck body;
a first plate member connected between the beam member and the landing plate;
a second plate member disposed adjacent to the first plate member, wherein the second plate member is connected between the beam member and the landing plate, the first and second plate members being adapted to transfer the load stress received by the landing plate to the beam member;
a first side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the first side plate is connected to the landing plate;
a second side plate spaced apart from the first side plate, the second side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the second side plate is connected to the landing plate; and
a cover plate assembly extending between the first side plate and the second side plate,
wherein the cover plate assembly, the first side plate, and the second side plate enclose the first plate member and the second plate member.

10. The truck body of claim 9 , wherein the first side plate is connected to an outer surface of the beam member and the second side plate is connected to the outer surface of the beam member.

11. The truck body of claim 9 , wherein each of the first side plate, the second side plate, and a baffle plate of the front tower includes a cut-out, each of the cut-outs being adapted to separate the landing plate and a front wall of the truck body.

12. The truck body of claim 9 further comprising:
a transverse plate extending between the first side plate and the second side plate;
a baffle plate extending between the transverse plate and the landing plate;
at least one first gusset plate connected between the first side plate and the landing plate;
a second gusset plate connected between the first side plate and the beam member; and
a third gusset plate connected between the second side plate and the beam member.

13. The truck body of claim 12 , wherein the cover plate assembly includes:
a first cover plate extending between the canopy and an outer edge of the transverse plate; and
a second cover plate extending between the outer edge of the transverse plate and an outer edge of the landing plate.

14. The truck body of claim 9 further comprising a rib section protruding through the first side plate and the second side plate of the front tower, the rib section being spaced apart from the beam member such that a gap exists therebetween, wherein the rib section on respective ends of the first side plate and the second side plate includes:
a first end portion connected to the front wall of the truck body;
a second end portion spaced apart from the first end portion and connected to the front wall of the truck body; and
an outer surface connected to an outer surface of the first side plate and the second side plate, respectively.

15. A machine comprising:
a frame; and
a truck body pivotally connected to the frame, wherein the truck body includes:
a beam member; and
a front tower adapted to transfer load stress from the truck body to the frame, the front tower comprising:
a landing plate subjected to the load stress from the truck body;
a first plate member connected between the beam member and the landing plate;
a second plate member disposed adjacent to the first plate member, wherein the second plate member is connected between the beam member and the landing plate,
the first and second plate members being adapted to transfer the load stress received by the landing plate to the beam member;
a first side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the first side plate is connected to the landing plate;
a second side plate spaced apart from the first side plate, the second side plate disposed around the beam member, wherein a lower end of the second side plate is connected to the landing plate; and
a cover plate assembly extending between the first side plate and the second side plate,
wherein the cover plate assembly, the first side plate, and the second side plate enclose the first plate member and the second plate member.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Arul Samuel Judson William
• Kesani Sharath

Classifications

• B60P1/286 Primary

  Loading buckets · CPC title

• B60P1/28

  Tipping body constructions · CPC title

• B60P1/04

  with a tipping movement of load-transporting element (dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F3/00) · CPC title

• B60P1/283

  Elements of tipping devices · CPC title