Truck body for a machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649966-B2
Application number	US-201514728302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A truck body for a machine is disclosed. The truck body has a bottom wall defining a front end and a rear end, a pair of lateral walls extending from the bottom wall, and a front wall extending between the pair of lateral walls at the front end. The truck body includes a pair of bottom beams pivotally coupled to a frame of the machine. The truck body further includes a plurality of tubes disposed on the pair of bottom beams. Each of the plurality of tubes is disposed adjacent to each other to at least define the bottom wall and the pair of lateral walls of the truck body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck body for a machine, the truck body comprising:
a bottom wall defining a front end and a rear end, a pair of lateral walls extending from the bottom wall, and a front wall extending between the pair of lateral walls at the front end;
a pair of bottom beams configured to be pivotally coupled to a frame of the machine;
a plurality of tubes comprising a plurality of first tubes and a plurality of second tubes, the plurality of first tubes disposed on the pair of bottom beams, wherein each of the plurality of first tubes is disposed adjacent to each other to at least define the bottom wall and the pair of lateral walls of the truck body;
a pair of lateral beams spaced from each other, wherein each of the pair of lateral beams is disposed on a corresponding lateral wall of the pair of lateral walls defined by the plurality of first tubes
a front beam extending between the pair of lateral beams at the front end of the bottom wall;
each of the plurality of first tubes further comprising:
a bottom leg disposed on the pair of bottom beams, wherein the bottom legs of the plurality of first tubes together define the bottom wall of the truck body;
a first side leg extending from a first end of the bottom leg, the first side leg configured to engage with one of the pair of lateral beams, wherein the first side legs of the plurality of first tubes together define one of the pair of lateral walls of the truck body; and
a second side leg extending from a second end of the bottom leg, the second side leg configured to engage with the other of the pair of lateral beams, wherein the second side legs of the plurality of first tubes together define the other of the pair of lateral walls of the truck body; and

the plurality of second tubes extending from the front end of the bottom wall, wherein each of the plurality of second tubes is disposed adjacent to each other to define the front wall of the truck body.

2. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second tubes are disposed between the pair of lateral beams.

3. The truck body of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of second tubes is configured to engage with the front beam.

4. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of bottom beams defines a plurality of notches on a top surface thereof, and wherein each of the notches is configured to at least partially engage with an outer surface of the bottom leg of each of the plurality of first tubes.

5. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein one of the pair of lateral beams defines a plurality of notches, and wherein each of the plurality of notches is configured to at least partially engage with an outer surface of the first side leg of each of the plurality of first tubes.

6. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein the other of the pair of lateral beams defines a plurality of notches, and wherein each of the plurality of notches is configured to at least partially engage with an outer surface of the second side leg of each of the plurality of first tubes.

7. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein the front beam defines a plurality of notches configured to at least partially engage with an outer surface of each of the plurality of second tubes.

8. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tubes is filled with a polymeric material.

9. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tubes is welded to the pair of bottom beams.

10. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tubes has a circular cross section.

11. The truck body of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tubes has a square cross section.

12. A transport container for shipping a truck body, the truck body comprises a plurality of first tubes configured to define a bottom wall and a pair of lateral walls for the truck body, the transport container comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of side walls extending from the base, wherein the base and the plurality of side walls define a space therebetween, wherein the space is configured to receive the plurality of first tubes such that at least a portion of each of the plurality of first tubes is disposed adjacent to one of the plurality of side walls of the transport container;
wherein the base of the transport container has a length equal to or greater than a maximum width of the truck body;
wherein the base of the transport container has a width equal to or greater than a maximum height of the truck body; and
a plurality of second tubes disposed within a space defined by the plurality of first tubes within the transport container, wherein each of the plurality of second tubes is configured to define a front wall of the truck body.

13. A method of assembling a truck body of a machine, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of notches on a pair of bottom beams, the pair of bottom beams configured to be pivotally coupled to a frame of the machine;
disposing a plurality of first tubes adjacent to each other on the pair of bottom beams to at least define a bottom wall and a pair of lateral walls of the truck body, wherein each of the plurality of first tubes is engaged with each of the plurality of notches;
welding each of the plurality of first tubes with the pair of bottom beams; and
disposing a pair of lateral beams on a corresponding lateral wall of the pair of lateral walls defined by the plurality of first tubes, wherein the lateral beams define a plurality of notches configured to engage with the plurality of first tubes.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising disposing a plurality of second tubes between the pair of lateral beams to define a front wall of the truck body.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Wang Huijun
• Stickel Iii Donald A
• Ludewig Howard W
• Mccaherty Danny L

Classifications

• B23K9/00

  Arc welding or cutting · CPC title

• B60P1/04 Primary

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

• B62D65/18

  Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)} · CPC title

• B60P1/286 Primary

  Loading buckets · CPC title

• B23K31/02

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title