Retractable cover system for open top end containers

A retractable cover system for an open top end container, said system comprising an elongated rectangular roll-up tarp wound on a drum, said drum being secured adjacent a top end of an end wall of said container, guide channels secured adjacent top edges of opposed side walls of said container for guidingly receiving therein a side seam portion provided on opposed longitudinal edges of said tarp, each said side seam portion being constituted by a pull cable immovably connected to a respective one of said longitudinal edges of said tarp, said pull cables extending beyond a free end edge of said tarp and each guidingly displaceable by a respective guide member secured adjacent a rear corner of an opposed end wall of said container, said cables interconnecting together at a predetermined connecting point spaced from said free end edge a distance greater than the length of said container, pulling means secured to said connecting point and wound on a drivable cable spool, said drum being mounted on a drive shaft, and a drive train assembly coupled to a reversible electric motor drive, said drive train assembly having a driven shaft rotatable by said electric motor in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, an idle shaft disposed parallel and spaced from said driven shaft, a pair of sprockets secured to each of said driven shaft and said idle shaft and aligned with one another and interconnected by a pair of endless sprocket chains, said sprockets on said driven shaft and idle shaft being secured to a respective clutch assembly, there being further provided drivable sprockets engageable by said clutch assembly of said driven shaft and connectable to a respective one of said drive shaft of said drum and said drivable cable spool whereby to drive one of said drum or said cable spool while idling the other and dependent on the drive direction of said electric motor whereby to pull said tarp over said top end of said container or to retract said tarp therefrom.