GB2318557A

GB2318557A - Cover assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2318557A
Application number: GB9621929A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oliver Brian Dixon; Philip Roobottom
Original assignee: RSD IND Ltd
Current assignee: RSD IND Ltd
Priority date: 1996-10-22
Filing date: 1996-10-22
Publication date: 1998-04-29
Also published as: GB9621929D0

Abstract

A cover assembly (10) for a vehicle (100) comprising at least one wall to define an open top (110) of the vehicle (100). The cover assembly (10) comprises cover means (12) movable between open and closed positions. The cover means (10) is adapted to extend substantially wholly over the open top (110) of the vehicle when the cover assembly (10) is in the closed positions. The assembly further includes movement means (14) to move the cover assembly (10) between the open and closed positions.

Description

Cover Assemblv This invention relates to cover assemblies. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to cover assemblies for vehicles.

As used herein, the term "vehicle" is intended to cover vehicles and, if appropriate, trailers for vehicles.

In the waste disposal industry, trailers are used to carry large amounts of waste in the form of rubbish from one place to another. Quite often the waste is piled high on these trailers and extends above the tops of the trailers. In order to prevent the rubbish from falling off the trailer, it is necessary for the driver to arrange a netting over the top of the trailer. It can often be difficult for the driver to manipulate the netting properly and injuries have occurred.

According to the present invention there is provided a cover assembly for a vehicle comprising at least one wall defining an open top of the vehicle, the assembly comprising cover means movable between open and closed positions and adapted to extend substantially wholly over the open top of the vehicle when the cover assembly is in the closed position, and movement means to move the cover assembly between said open and closed positions.

Preferably, the cover means is pivotally movable between the open and closed positions. When the cover assembly is in the open position, the cover assembly may be adapted to lie adjacent to, and substantially parallel with, one wall of said vehicle.

The cover means may comprise a cover member and support means to support the cover member. The cover member may be flexible and is preferably in the form of netting. The cover member is advantageously resiliently deformable to allow the cover member to be stretched and to return to its original configuration.

The support means may be in the form of a support frame extending around at least a portion of the periphery of the cover member.

In one embodiment, the cover means is substantially rectangular in configuration and the support frame may comprise first and second frame members adapted to extend along first and second opposite sides of the cover member.

A tensioning member may extend along a third side of the cover member between the first and second sides. The tensioning member may be in the form of a cable connected to the first and second frame members and having tensioning means at at least one end thereof to tension the cable thereby to pull the frame members towards each other. Preferably, the tensioning member extends between the ends of first and second frame members. The tensioning means is preferably in the form of a nut adapted threadably received an appropriate threaded ends of the tensioning member to engage the first or second frame member as appropriate. Each end of the tensioning member may be provided with tensioning means.

The support means may further include at least one support strut extending from the moving means to one, or each, frame member. At least one support plate may also be provided attached to the moving means and to one, or each, frame member.

Each frame member may be of an L-shaped configuration such that when the cover means is in the closed position, the foot of the L extends below the top of the vehicle. The tensioning member is preferably attached to the foot of the L of each frame member adjacent the free end thereof.

The movement means may comprise an elongate member extending between, and fixedly attached to, the first and second frame members. The elongate member is preferably of substantially circular cross-sectional profile and is desirably formed of a tube. The elongate member is preferably formed of one-piece or may be formed of several sections attached together, preferably by welding.

Journalling means are preferably provided along the length of the elongate member in which the elongate member is journalled and can rotate.

The journalling means are preferably in the form of brackets and may be adapted to be attached to the vehicle, for example by welding.

The moving means may further include a handle to cause rotation of the elongate member thereby to rotate the cover member pivotally about the longitudinal axis of the elongate member between the open and closed positions. Gearing means may be provided between the handle and the elongate member to facilitate having the cover assembly by hand. The gearing means is preferably in the form of a gearbox having a gear ratio in the range of 40:1 to 120:1 preferably, 50:1 to 70:1, more preferably substantially 60:1.

Connecting may connect the gearing means to the elongate member. The connecting means may comprise one or more shafts and may also comprise one or more universal joints to connect the shafts to each other. The universal joints may also, or alternatively, connect the shaft or shafts to the gearing means and the elongate member.

The gearing means may be adapted to be fixedly secured to the vehicle.

The handle may be connected to the gear means by an elongate bar which may be of rectangular cross-sectional profile The bar may extend through holding means to hold the elongate bar. The holding means may define a V-shaped aperture to hold the bar therein. The holding means may be in the form of a plate adapted to be fixedly secured to the vehicle.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle comprising at least one wall defining an open top and a cover assembly for the open top, the cover assembly being as described in the preceding 14 paragraphs.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle having a cover assembly attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a view along the lines II-II in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view along the lines III-III in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a trailer 100 for holding waste material such as rubbish, the trailer 100 comprising opposed end walls 102,104 and opposed side walls 106,108 extending between the end walls 102,104 to define a container having an open top 110 to receive the waste for disposal.

A cover assembly 10 is mounted on the trailer 100 to provide a cover for the open top 110. The cover assembly 10 comprises cover means 12 and moving means 14 to move the cover means 12 between a closed position as shown in the drawings in solid lines, and an open position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The cover means 12 comprises a frame 16 having first and second end frame members 18,20 and a cover member 22 in the form of an elasticated netting to enable the cover member to be arranged over the top 110 of the trailer 100 even when the contents of the trailer 100 extend above the top 110.

The moving means 14 comprises an elongate tube 24 extending the length of the open top 110 from the front wall to the rear wall 104. The tube 24 is mounted to the trailer 100 by means of brackets 26 in spaced relation along the length of the trailer 100. The brackets 26 are welded to the side of the trailer 100. Each bracket 26 defines an aperture through which the elongate tube 24 extends. As shown in the embodiment in the drawings, the tube 24 is formed of three sections 24A,24B and 24C. The sections are attached together, for example by welding, at junctions 24D and E. However, it will be appreciated that the tube 24 may consist of a one-piece tube extending the whole length of the open top 110 thereby obviating the need to provide junctions 24D,24E.

An arrangement of a shaft 28 and universal joints 30 are provided to connect the tube 24 to a gearbox 32. The gearbox 32 is a typical gearbox known in the art and has a gear ratio of 60:1.

An elongate bar 34 (See Figs. 2 and 3) extends downwardly from the gearbox 32 to a connecting plate 36 and terminates in a handle 38. A further universal joint 40 connects the elongate bar 34 to the junction box 32.

V-shaped member may be provided to enable the box section bar to be engaged therein thereby to lock the handle 38 in place. In use, the V-shaped member may be movable into and out of engagement with the bar 34 and the plate 36 to lock the bar 34, and the handle 38, in place, when desired.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the first and second frame members 18,20 are welded to the tube 24 at one end of each of the frame members 18,20. At the other end of the frame members 18,20, there is provided a cable 42 extending from the first frame member 18, to the second frame member 20. Tensioning means 44 are provided at either end of the cable 42 in order to tension the cable 42 thereby pulling towards each other the ends of the frame members 18,20.

The tensioning means 44 comprises nuts that have been mounted on correspondingly threaded regions of the end of the cable 42.

Struts 46,48 extend respectively from the first and second frame members 18,20 to the tube 24. Strengthening plates 48 are also attached between the frame members 18,20 and the tube 24. The struts 46 and the plates 48 act to strengthen the cover means 12. Net securing brackets 50 are provided along the length of both frame members 18,20 and of the elongate tube 24. Only a few of the brackets 50 are shown in Fig. 1, for reasons of clarity.

The elongate cable 42 is attached to the net 22 by means of appropriate ties (not shown).

As shown in Fig. 2, the frame members 18,20 are substantially L-shaped, thereby enabling the end of the net attached to the cable 42 to extend over the top 110 of the trailer 100.

In operation, the cover means 12 is movable from the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines in that figure. This is effected by manipulation of the handle 38 which when rotated is transmitted via the gearbox 32 and the shaft and universal joint arrangement 28,30 to the elongate tube 24. The causes the cover means 12 to be moved from the closed position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 pivotally about the tube 24 in the direction shown by the dotted arrow A to the open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When it is desired to move the cover assembly 12 to the closed position from the open position, the handle is rotated in the opposite direction and the cover assembly again pivots around the tube 24 to the closed position.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A cover assembly for a vehicle comprising at least one wall defining an open top of the vehicle, the assembly comprising cover means movable between open and closed positions and adapted to extend substantially wholly over the open top of the vehicle when the cover assembly is in the closed position, and moving means to move the cover assembly between said open and closed positions.

2. A cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cover means is pivotally movable between the open and closed positions, whereby when the cover assembly is in the open position, the cover assembly is adapted to lie adjacent to, and substantially parallel with, one wall of said vehicle.

3. A cover assembly according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the cover means comprises a cover member and support means to support the cover member.

4. A cover assembly according to Claim 3 wherein the cover member is in the form of netting.

5. A cover assembly according to Claims 3 or 4 wherein the cover member is resiliently deformable to allow the cover member to be stretched and to return to its original configuration.

6. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the support means is in the form of a support frame extending around at least a portion of the periphery of the cover member.

7. A cover assembly according to Claim 6 wherein the cover means is substantially rectangular in configuration and the support frame comprises first and second frame members adapted to extend along first and second opposite sides of the cover member.

8. A cover assembly according to Claim 7 wherein a tensioning member extends along a third side of the cover member between the first and second sides, the tensioning member being in the form of a cable connected to the first and second frame members and having tensioning means at at least one end thereof to tension the cable thereby to pull the frame members towards each other.

9. A cover assembly according to Claim 8 wherein the tensioning member extends between the ends of first and second frame members.

10. A cover assembly according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the tensioning means is in the form of a nut adapted threadably received an appropriate threaded ends of the tensioning member to engage the first or second frame member as appropriate.

11. A cover assembly according to Claim 10 wherein each end of the tensioning member is provided with said tensioning means.

12. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 7 to 11 wherein the support means further includes at least one support strut extending from the moving means to one, or each, frame member.

13. A cover assembly according to Claim 12 wherein at least one support plate is also provided, being attached to the moving means and to one, or each, frame member.

14. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 7 to 13 wherein each frame member is of an L-shaped configuration such that when the cover means is in the closed position1 the foot of the L extends below the top of the vehicle, the tensioning member being attached to the foot of the L of each frame member adjacent the free end thereof.

15. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 7 to 14 wherein the movement means comprises an elongate member extending between, and fixedly attached to, the first and second frame members.

16. A cover assembly according to Claim 15 wherein the elongate member is of substantially circular cross-sectional profile.

17. A cover assembly according to Claim 16 wherein the elongate member is formed of a tube.

18. A cover assembly according to Claim 16 or 17 wherein the elongate member is formed of one-piece or may be formed of several sections attached together.

19. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 15 to 18 wherein journalling means are provided along the length of the elongate member in which the elongate member is journalled and can rotate.

20. A cover assembly according to Claim 19 wherein the journalling means are in the form of brackets and are adapted to be attached to the vehicle.

21. A cover assembly according to Claim 19 or 20 wherein the moving means further includes a handle to cause rotation of the elongate member thereby to rotate the cover member pivotally about the longitudinal axis of the elongate member between the open and closed positions.

22. A cover assembly according to Claim 21 wherein gearing means is provided between the handle and the elongate member to facilitate having th cover assembly by hand.

23. A cover assembly according to Claim 22 wherein the gearing means is in the form of a gearbox having a gear ratio in the range of 40:1 to 120:1.

24. A cover assembly according to Claim 23 wherein the gear box has a gear ratio in the range of 50:1 to 70:1.

25. A cover assembly according to Claim 23 or 24 wherein the gear box has a gear ratio of substantially 60:1.

26. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 22 to 25 wherein connecting means connects the gearing means to the elongate members, the connecting means comprising one or more shafts and one or more universal joints to connect the shafts to each other.

27. A cover assembly according to Claim 26 wherein the or each universal joints also, or alternatively, connects the shaft or shafts to the gearing means and the elongate member.

28. A cover assembly according to any of Claims 22 to 27 wherein the gearing means is adapted to be fixedly secured to the vehicle.

29. The cover assembly according to any of Claims 22 to 28 wherein the handle is connected to the gearing means by an elongate bar is of rectangular cross-sectional profile, the bar extending through holding means to hold the elongate bar.

30. A cover assembly according to Claim 29 wherein the holding means defines a V-shaped aperture to hold the bar therein and the holding means being in the form of a plate adapted to be fixedly secured to the vehicle.

31. A cover assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

32. A vehicle comprising at least one wall defining an open top and a cover assembly for the open top, the cover assembly being as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 31.

33. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.