Dump trailer having automatic tail gate lock

Claim 2

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: an automatic gate locking device having a pivoting locking hook including bell crank means having a horizontally extending portion lockingly engageable with associated locking portions of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of the locking hook; said bell crank means pivotally attached to the vehicle dump body at a pivot point vertically spaced from the hook operating means to thereby provide for generally vertical movement of said locking hook upon actuation of the reciprocable drive rod of the hook operating means; biasing means operatively connected with the locking hook and urging said hook into the locked position; said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to said dump body.

Claim 3

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: an automatic gate locking device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with associated locking portions of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of the locking hook; biasing means operatively connected with the locking hook and urging said hook into the locked position; said hook operating means including a pneumatically actuated operating chamber having a drive rod connected piston means operatively associated with the gate locking hook; said operating chamber having a biasing spring urging the drive rod and locking hook into the gate locked position; and said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to said dump body.

Claim 4

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: an automatic gate locking device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with associated locking portions of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of the locking hook; biasing means operatively connected with the locking hook and urging said hook into the locked position; said hook operating means including a pneumatically actuated operating chamber having a drive rod connected piston means operatively associated with the gate locking hook; said operating chamber having a biasing spring urging the drive rod and locking hook into the gate locked position; and said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to said dump body.

Claim 5

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: an automatic gate locking device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with associated locking portions of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of The locking hook; said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to said dump body; and a locking hook biasing means operatively connected between the locking hook and said housing module, and a coil spring positioned about said guide rod and thereby urging the locking hook downward into locking engagement with said discharge tail gate.

Claim 6

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: an automatic gate locking device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with associated locking portions of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of The locking hook; said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to said dump body; and a locking hook biasing means operatively connected between the locking hook and said housing module, and a coil spring positioned about said guide rod and thereby urging the locking hook downward into locking engagement with said discharge tail gate.

Claim 7

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: a pair of automatic gate locking devices, each device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with an associated locking portion of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of the locking hook; biasing means operatively connected with the locking hook and urging said hook into the locked position; said tail gate having a pair of spaced locking pins extending transversely therefrom; each of said locking hooks of a respective gate locking device extending longitudinally of the vehicle and engageable with one of the gate locking pins; each said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to a respective sidewall of said dump body.

Claim 8

A vehicle dump body pivotally mounted on a supporting chassis and including a hinged discharge tail gate movable between a closed locked position and an unlocked open position, the improvement comprising: a pair of automatic gate locking devices, each device having a pivoting locking hook lockingly engageable with an associated locking portion of the discharge gate; a hook operating means having a reciprocable drive rod connected to said locking hook to thereby translate reciprocating rod movement into gate locking and unlocking rotation of the locking hook; biasing means operatively connected with the locking hook and urging said hook into the locked position; said tail gate having a pair of spaced locking pins extending transversely therefrom; each of said locking hooks of a respective gate locking device extending longitudinally of the vehicle and engageable with one of the gate locking pins; each said locking hook being preassembled in a housing module having a mounting plate portion abutting and attached to a respective sidewall of said dump body.

Claim 9

A locking device for use of a dump truck tail gate and the improvement comprising: pivoting bell crank locking means having a gate engaging locking hook portion and operatively connected with a pneumatic actuating means having a reciprocable drive rod pivotally connected to the bell crank; said pneumatic actuating means having a rubber diaphragm piston portion operatively connected to drive the reciprocable drive rod; said drive rod having a bell crank connecting portion to thereby provide for translation of horizontal reciprocal movement of the drive rod into general vertical locking and unlocking pivotal movement of the locking hook portion of the bell crank locking means; bell crank biasing spring and guide rod means positioned to supply a locking biasing force to the locking device urging the locking hook portion of the bell crank into locking engagement with said tail gate; a mounting plate means forming a rigid attaching member for the pivoting bell crank locking means and having a horizontally extending plate portion forming a bias stop for said bell crank biasing spring and thereby providing a lock module assembly for ease of attachment to said dump truck; said dump truck tail gate having a pair of laterally extending locking pins; said locking hook portion of the locking device positioned to extend longitudinally of the dump truck and engageable with an associated locking pin of the tail gate.

Claim 10

A locking device for use of a dump truck tail gate and the improvement comprising: pivoting bell crank locking means having a gate engaging locking hook portion and operatively connected with a pneumatic actuating means having a reciprocable drive rod pivotally connected to the bell crank; said pneumatic actuating means having a rubber diaphragm piston portion operatively connected to drive the reciprocable drive rod; said drive rod having a bell crank connecting portion to thereby provide for translation of horizontal reciprocal movement of the drive rod into general vertical locking and unlocking pivotal movement of the locking hook portion of the bell crank locking means; bell crank biasing spring and guide rod means positioned to supply a locking biasing force to the locking device urging the locking hook portion of the bell crank into locking engagement with said tail gate; a mounting plate means forming a rigid attaching member for the pivoting bell crank locking means and having a horizontally extending plate portion forming a bias stop for said bell crank biasing spring and thereby providing a lock module assembly for ease of attachment to said dump truck; said dump truck tail gate having a pair of laterally extending locking pins; said locking hook portion of the locking device positioned to extend longitudinally of the dump truck and engageable with an associated locking pin of the tail gate.