Integrated top rail tension roller system
AssigneeRoll-Rite, LLC
InventorsStephen Hunter, Shane Hines
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRoll-Rite, LLC
InventorsStephen Hunter, Shane Hines
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for extending and retracting a cover over a bed of a vehicle transporting material therein. The apparatus comprises an arm assembly, a motor and a tarp reel for rolling and unrolling a tarp to uncover and cover the vehicle bed. To improve tarp tensioning, rollers are provided on a bracket in which the reel seats when the tarp is unrolled. Locations of sliding friction found in known designs are avoided and replaced with rolling friction. Rolling friction is significantly less than sliding friction and thus greater levels of motor output torque can be incorporated into stretching the tarp tighter before the motor is shut off. At this point of the covering operation, the vehicle bed is covered and the tarp held taut. The bracket may also be configured to provide a braking effect to the reel to assist in holding the tarp in tension.
A covering system for extending and retracting a tarp over a vehicle bed of a vehicle, the covering system comprising:
A bracket unit for a covering system configured for extending and retracting a tarp over a vehicle bed of a vehicle, wherein said covering system includes a motor-driven reel operatively supported on the vehicle bed by an arm assembly to displace said reel from a first side of said vehicle bed to a second side of said vehicle bed, said bracket unit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.