Tapered trailer with horizontal seams and support rails
AssigneeVantage Dump Trailers, Inc.
InventorCliff McWilliams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trailer for a vehicle having a front, two opposing sidewalls, a rear for unloading of materials, and a floor extending from the front to the rear. The opposing sidewalls are each constructed of two or more sheets of metal welded together along one or more horizontal seams that run longitudinally from the front to the rear of the trailer. The horizontal seams are covered by horizontal rails on the interior surfaces of the sidewalls. Additional horizontal rails on the interior surfaces may be included to provide added support for the sidewalls. The floor slopes downward from the front to the rear of the trailer and is wider at the rear than the front in order to promote the unloading of the trailer cargo. One sheet can be thicker than the other sheet for better wear and use.
Claims15
A trailer comprising:
- a front;
- a rear for unloading of materials;
- a floor extending between said front and said rear;
- and
- two opposing sidewalls, each said sidewall extending from said front to said rear having two or more horizontal rails attached to an interior surface of said sidewall to provide mechanical support.
A trailer comprising:
- a front;
- a rear for unloading of materials;
- a floor extending between said front and said rear;
- and
- two opposing sidewalls, each said sidewall constructed of two or more metal sheets welded together along one or more horizontal seams that run longitudinally from the front to the rear of said sidewalls.
A trailer comprising:
- a front;
- a rear for unloading of materials;
- two opposing sidewalls, each sidewall having a front edge at said front and a rear edge at said rear;
- a floor which slopes downward from said front to said rear so that said rear edge is longer than said front edge;
- and
- said floor tapers so that said floor is wider at said rear than at said front.
A process for manufacturing a sidewall for a trailer in the shape of a trapezoid, having a right edge and a left edge of differing lengths, a top edge perpendicular to said right and left edge, and a bottom edge in angular relation to said top edge, which process comprises:
- fabricating a first rectangular sheet having a top, bottom, right and left edge, with the lengths of said top and bottom edges being equal to the desired length of said sidewall;
- fabricating a second rectangular sheet having a top, bottom, right and left edge, having said top and bottom edges longer than said first sheet;
- trimming said top, right and left edges of said second sheet;
- and
- welding said top edge of said second sheet to said bottom edge of said first sheet to form said trapezoid.
A process for manufacturing a sidewall for a trailer in the shape of a trapezoid, having a right edge and a left edge of differing lengths and a top edge that is perpendicular to said right and left edges, which process comprises:
- fabricating a first rectangular sheet of metal that has a top, bottom, right and left edge, with the lengths of said top and bottom edge being equal to the desired length of said sidewall;
- fabricating a second rectangular sheet of metal that has a top, bottom, right and left edge, with said top and bottom edges having a sufficient length so that said right and left edges of said second rectangular sheet extend beyond said right and left edges of said first rectangular sheet when said second rectangular sheet is placed either on top of or underneath said first rectangular sheet at an angle as described in the next step;
- placing said second rectangular sheet either on top of or underneath said first rectangular sheet so that:
- said rectangular sheets overlap along their lengths;
- said second rectangular sheet slopes downward either from the right to the left or from the left to the right of said second rectangular sheet at an angle with respect to said first rectangular sheet;
- and
- said right and left sides of said second rectangular sheet extend beyond said right and left edges of said first rectangular sheet;
- and
- welding said top side of said second rectangular sheet to said first rectangular sheet along the entire length where said first rectangular sheet and said second rectangular sheet overlap thereby forming a seam along which said first rectangular sheet and said second rectangular sheet are connected to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.