Retractable load cover for a vehicular container

Claim 2

A retractable load cover for a vehicular container comprising: a pair of track elements adapted to be mounted on the upper parallel edges of an open topped container; a pair of folding means adapted to be mounted on a side of said container adjacent to one end of said track elements; a pair of chain members, each of said chain members adapted to being driven between a folded position wherein it is guided through a plurality of closely spaced overlaying folds by a said folding means, and an extended position wherein it is guided along an upper edge of said container by a said track element; means for driving said chain members; cover support members movable with said chain members between said folded and extended positions; and flexible cover means carried by said cover support members.

Claim 3

A retractable cover for a trash trailer comprising: a pair of track elements, said track elements having first and second ends and being mounted on respective upper parallel edges of said trailer, each of said track elements having a first track and a second track extending parallel to one another in about the same substantially vertical plane, and a guide sprocket between said tracks at the first ends of said track elements, the plane containing the tracks of one track element being substantially parallel to the plane containing the tracks of the other track element; a pair of folding means, said folding means being mounted adjacent the respective second ends of said track elements on a side of said trailer, each of said folding means having a plurality of sprockets spaced from one another and positioned in substantially the same plane as said tracks, said sprockets defining a closely spaced, overlaying pathway, said pathway having a length at least about as long as said first track, a driver sprocket in each of said folding means, and means for simultaneously driving the driver sprockets in both of said folding means; a pair of continuous chain members, each of said chain members being movably carried in one plane by a track element and on adjacent folding means; a plurality of cover support members extending between said chain members, said cover support members including length adjustment means to compensate for variations in the lateral distance between said chain members at different locations in said tracks; and flexible cover means carried By said cover support members.

Claim 4

A retractable cover for a trash trailer comprising: a pair of track elements, said track elements having first and second ends and being mounted on respective upper parallel edges of said trailer, each of said track elements having a first track and a second track extending parallel to one another in about the same substantially vertical plane, and a guide sprocket between said tracks at the first ends of said track elements, the plane containing the tracks of one track element being substantially parallel to the plane containing the tracks of the other track element; a pair of folding means, said folding means being mounted adjacent the respective second ends of said track elements on a side of said trailer, each of said folding means having a plurality of sprockets spaced from one another and positioned in substantially the same plane as said tracks, said sprockets defining a closely spaced, overlaying pathway, said pathway having a length at least about as long as said first track, a driver sprocket in each of said folding means, and means for simultaneously driving the driver sprockets in both of said folding means; a pair of continuous chain members, each of said chain members being movably carried in one plane by a track element and on adjacent folding means; a plurality of cover support members extending between said chain members, said cover support members including length adjustment means to compensate for variations in the lateral distance between said chain members at different locations in said tracks; and flexible cover means carried By said cover support members.

Claim 5

A retractable cover assembly for a vehicular container comprising: a pair of track elements adapted to be mounted in horizontally spaced parallel relationship on the upper longitudinal edges of said vehicular container, each of said track elements having first and second tracks disposed in close vertically spaced parallel relationship; a pair of guide sprockets, each being positioned at the rearward end of a corresponding one of said track elements so as to carry a chain therearound and between said first and second tracks of the tracks element; a pair of folding means adapted to be mounted on the forward end of said vehicular container in a generally perpendicular relationship to said pair of track elements, each of said folding means being disposed adjacent to and being cooperable with the forward end of a corresponding one of said track elements, each of said folding means providing a folded track containing a plurality of closely spaced overlying folds, the total length of said folded track being at least about as great as the length of one of said tracks of said track elements; said track elements, guide sprockets, and folding means together providing a pair of endless conveyor pathways; a flexible cover adapted to be supported in a closed position from one pair of tracks of said track elements for covering the load contained within the vehicular container, and adapted to be supported in an open position from said folded tracks of said folding means; a pair of endless chain means carried by said endless conveyor pathways and cooperable with said cover for transporting said cover between its open and closed positions; and means for diving said endless chain means.

Claim 6

A retractable cover assembly for a vehicular container comprising: a pair of track elements adapted to be mounted in horizontally spaced parallel relationship on the upper longitudinal edges of said vehicular container, each of said track elements having first and second tracks disposed in close vertically spaced parallel relationship; a pair of guide sprockets, each being positioned at the rearward end of a corresponding one of said track elements so as to carry a chain therearound and between said first and second tracks of the tracks element; a pair of folding means adapted to be mounted on the forward end of said vehicular container in a generally perpendicular relationship to said pair of track elements, each of said folding means being disposed adjacent to and being cooperable with the forward end of a corresponding one of said track elements, each of said folding means providing a folded track containing a plurality of closely spaced overlying folds, the total length of said folded track being at least about as great as the length of one of said tracks of said track elements; said track elements, guide sprockets, and folding means together providing a pair of endless conveyor pathways; a flexible cover adapted to be supported in a closed position from one pair of tracks of said track elements for covering the load contained within the vehicular container, and adapted to be supported in an open position from said folded tracks of said folding means; a pair of endless chain means carried by said endless conveyor pathways and cooperable with said cover for transporting said cover between its open and closed positions; and means for diving said endless chain means.

Claim 7

A retractable cover as in claim 3 in which each of said folding means includes a plurality of guide members positioned in spaced relationship to each other.

Claim 8

A retractable cover as in claim 3 wherein each of said endless chain means consists of an endless chain having one longitudinal portion to which one side of said flexible cover is permanently attached.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 5, including a plurality of cover support members adapted to be movable with said chains and extending laterally between said chains, said cover support members being expansible to compensate for variations in the lateral distance between said chains at various locations along said track elements.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said cover support members include rods having counterbored ends therein and shafts slidably received in said counterbored ends, said shafts depending laterally from said chains.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said cover support members are telescoping rods.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein each of the chain means includes a roller chain, and the guide members are sprockets.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said drive means includes an electric motor, a reversing switch for said motor and a pair of limit switches for limiting the travel of the cover to its closed and open positions respectively.