# US 9,751,445 B1 · Front tower structure for a mining vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,445 B1 - Document ID: US9751445B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/160,005 - Filed: 2016-05-20 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-20 - Assignees: Caterpillar Inc. - Applicants: Caterpillar Inc. - Inventors: Samuel J. Arul; Steven J. Fujan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751445B1 ## CPC - B60P 1/286: {Loading buckets} - B62D 21/09: Means for mounting load bearing surfaces - B60Y 2200/41: Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A front tower on a truck body for use with a mining vehicle. The truck body includes a truck bed including a canopy and a front exterior wall. The front exterior wall includes at least one front tower. The front tower includes two longitudinal plates spanning the front exterior wall, at least one gusset plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates, and a landing plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates. The landing plates are configured to transfer load stress from the bed to a frame of a mining vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A truck body for use with a mining vehicle comprising: a canopy and a front exterior wall, wherein the front exterior wall comprises a front tower, wherein the front tower comprises: two or more longitudinal plates spanning the front exterior wall; a gusset plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates; and a landing plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates, wherein the landing plate is configured to transfer load stress from the truck body to a frame of a mining vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front tower comprises two or more gusset plates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front tower is welded to the front exterior wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front tower is bolted to the front exterior wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front tower is connected to the canopy of the truck body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The truck body of claim 5, wherein the front tower is connected to the canopy of the truck body with canopy connecting plates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front tower spans the front exterior wall from a base of the front exterior wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the front towers are offset from a vertical axis by about 14 degrees to about 16 degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The truck body of claim 1, wherein the landing plate is connected to the longitudinal plates with a landing connecting plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The truck body of claim 9, wherein the landing connecting plate includes support plates. ### Claim 11 A front tower for use on a mining vehicle comprising two or more longitudinal plates configured to span a front exterior wall of a mining vehicle body; a gusset plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates; and an landing plate transverse and connected to the longitudinal plates, wherein the landing plate is configured to transfer load stress from a truck body to a chassis of the mining vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The front tower of claim 11, wherein the front tower comprises two or more gusset plates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The front tower of claim 11, wherein the front tower is configured to be connected to a canopy of the truck body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The front tower of claim 13, wherein the front tower is configured to be connected to the canopy of the truck body with canopy connecting plates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The front tower of claim 11, wherein the longitudinal plates are substantially parallel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The front tower of claim 11, wherein the landing plate is connected to the longitudinal plates with a landing connecting plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The front tower of claim 16, wherein the landing connecting plate includes support plates. ### Claim 18 A mining truck comprising: a truck frame; a truck body comprising a front exterior wall and a canopy; the front exterior wall comprising a front tower configured to transfer load stress from the truck body to the truck frame; wherein the front tower comprises: parallel longitudinal plates spanning the front exterior wall from a base of the truck body to the canopy; at least one gusset plate transverse to the longitudinal plates; and a landing plate transverse to the longitudinal plates. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The mining truck of claim 18, wherein the front tower comprises two or more gusset plates. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The mining truck of claim 18, wherein the front tower is configured to be connected to the canopy of the truck body with canopy connecting plates.