Hinged bows used to support tarpaulin on trailers
AssigneeRitchie Sand, Inc.
InventorsAaron J. Barkus, Virgil E. Royer, Robert A. Landers, Steven D. Snyder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tarpaulin support bows are provided on a vehicle trailer or bed for supporting the tarpaulin which covers the material being hauled on the vehicle. The support bows are hingedly mounted so they are able to move when they are contacted by a material loading bucket or compacted material. The movement of the support bows reduces the opportunity for damage or breakage of the bows or the vehicle sideboards to which the bows are mounted.
Claims20
A device for supporting a tarpaulin overlying a vehicle bed or trailer, said device comprising:
- a support member having first and second ends and having a length sufficient to substantially span the distance between opposed sides of the vehicle bed or trailer;
- a hinge coupled with the first end of the support member for coupling with one side of the vehicle bed or trailer to permit swinging movement of the support member about a pivot axis in response to a downward directional force impacting the support member;
- and
- a biasing member coupled with the support member for urging the support member in an upward direction to return the support member to a normal position after said swinging movement in response to the downward directional force.
An apparatus mounted on a vehicle bed or trailer for supporting a tarpaulin, said apparatus comprising:
- a support member extending between opposed walls of said vehicle bed or trailer and being hingedly mounted at a first end to one of said walls for downward swinging movement about a pivot axis;
- a biasing member coupled with the support member and exerting an upwardly biasing force on said support member;
- and
- a stop mounted on the other of said opposed walls for receiving an opposite end of said support member, said stop positioned for restricting upward movement of said support member but permitting downward movement thereof, whereby said support member can be moved downwardly upon application of a downward force to the support member and is returned by the upward biasing force into engagement with the stop when the downward force is removed.
Apparatus coupled with a vehicle bed or trailer for supporting a tarpaulin over the bed or trailer, said apparatus comprising:
- a hinged support extending between opposed walls of said vehicle bed or trailer and mounted on one of said opposed walls, said support being moveable in a downward direction from a normal position in response to application of a downward force to the support;
- and
- a biasing member coupled with the support and exerting an upward biasing force on the support to maintain the support in a normal position for supporting said tarpaulin and for returning the support to said normal position following removal of the downward force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.