US 4,657,062 AGranted

Roll tarp locking assembly

OwnerRobert P. Tuerkinventor

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Abstract

A roll tarp system for covering the open top of a truck semi-trailer, characterized by the use of a novel roll bar construction in combination with an adjustable toggle clamp for locking the tarp in its closed unrolled condition. A rectangular tarp or cover member is connected at one longitudinal edge with the upper edge of one longitudinal side wall of the container. A roll bar is connected with the other longitudinal edge of the tarp via a first longitudinally extending peripheral groove contained in the roll bar. The roll bar includes at least one longitudinally slidable and positionable fastening device arranged in a second groove diametrically opposite the first groove, a cable member being fastened at one end to the fastening device. The other end of the cable is connected to the adjustable toggle clamp which is mounted on the external surface of the other longitudinal side wall of the container below and vertically spaced from the roll bar when the tarp is in the unrolled condition covering the opening in the top of the container. When the clamp is operated, it tensions the cable and the tarp and retains the tarp in the unrolled closed condition. The roll bar may have a generally circular outer cross-sectional configuration, or a "figure-8" cross-section.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A roll tarp system for covering an open-topped rectangular container, comprising

(a) a rectangular cover member connected along one longitudinal edge thereof with an external surface of one longitudinal side wall of the container, said cover member extending over the container;
(b) claiming means connected with an external surace of the other longitudinal side wall of the container;
(c) a roll bar containing on its outer surface first and second diametrically-arranged longitudinally-extending grooves;
(d) first means for connecting the other longitudinal edge of said cover with said roll bar within said first groove;
and
(e) means for connecting said roll bar with said clamping means, including
(1) fastening means including at least one slide member slidably connected with said roll bar second groove for longitudinal displacement within said groove to a position vertically aligned with said clamping means;
and
(2) means connecting said slide member with said clamping means, said clamping means being operable from a released condition to a clamped condition to tension said cover via said roll bar and said connecting means, whereby when said cover member is in an unrolled condition covering the top of the container and said connecting means are connected with said clamping means said clamping means are operable to clamp said roll bar and tension said cover member in the unrolled condition, and when said connecting means are disconnected from said clamping means and said roll bar is rotated toward said container one longitudinal side wall, said cover member is rolled about said roll bar to uncover the top of the container.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.