Telescopic body with ejection bulkhead

A telescopic container body comprising:

• (a) an inner section and an outer section, the inner section being mounted in the outer section for movement with respect to the outer section between an extended position and a contracted position, the inner section and the outer section each having a front end and a back end, the back end of the inner section opening into the front end of the outer section, the back end of the outer section being adapted to open to permit a load to be discharged therethrough,
• (b) an ejection bulkhead mounted in said inner section and extending transversely thereacross, said ejection bulkhead having a leading face directed toward the back end of said inner section and a trailing face directed toward the front end of said inner section, said ejection bulkhead being mounted for movement between a loading position disposed adjacent the front end of said inner section and a discharge position disposed adjacent the back end of said inner section, said bulkhead having at least three alignment anchor locations arranged at spaced points on said trailing face, imaginary lines drawn through adjacent spaced points defining the perimeter of a push area which is located inwardly thereof on said trailing face,
• (c) an extensible hydraulic drive assembly having a first end secured with respect to the front end of said inner section and a second end secured to said trailing face of said bulkhead in said push area, said extensible hydraulic drive assembly being operable to drive said bulkhead to and fro between said loading and discharge positions,
• (d) first guides on said inner section adjacent the back end thereof,
• (e) a plurality of flexible connector lines each having a first end and a second end, said connector lines having their first ends connected to said bulkhead, one at each anchor point, said connector lines extending forwardly from their associated anchor points and around one of said first guides and thereafter extending rearwardly to be retained against movement with respect to said front section at points in the proximity of the position in which the front end of the inner section is to be located when the inner section is in said contracted position, whereby extension of said extensible hydraulic drive assembly drives said bulkhead relative to said inner section in a direction toward said discharge position and the bulkhead draws the first ends of the flexible connector lines away from said first guide means to effect a simultaneous movement of said inner section with respect to said outer section in a direction toward said contracted position, said flexible connector lines being inextensible such that they maintain the transverse alignment of the bulkhead and thereby prevent binding of the bulkhead with respect to the inner section as it is driven therealong toward said discharge position, and
• (f) means for moving the telescopic container body to the extended position to simultaneously move the ejection bulkhead to the loading position.