Self-unloading vehicle

Claim 1

A vehicle unloading apparatus for unloading sticky corrosive material such as manure comprising a frame, a box on said frame and having a generally smooth material supporting surface and vertical sidewalls, a bulkboard slidably disposed on said surface, said bulkboard having an inclined pushing surface engageable by material in the box for holding the bulkboard downward on the supporting surface, flexible seal means on said bulkboard for tightly engaging the sidewalls as the bulkboard is moved therealong, guide means for reciprocably moving said bulkboard including a forward movable rigid frame member pivotally mounted at its lower end to said box, a rearward movable rigid frame member pivotally mounted at its lower end to said bulkboard, each of said movable rigid frame members including a pair of laterally spaced arms, bracing means rigidly joining said spaced arms to rigidify the frames whereby both arms of a respective movable rigid frame move as an integral unit, and means joining said spaced arms at their upper ends to a substantially horizontal pivot shaft for allowing pivotal movement of said movable frame members but substantially restricting any lateral movement of the arms of the rearward movable frame member relative to the forward movable frame member thereby guiding the bulkboard in a straight movable frame member thereby guiding the bulkboard in a straight path in said box whereby the guided movement of the bulkboard is obtained substantially solely by said guide means, and hydraulic ram means for spreading said movable frame members for moving the bulkboard rearwardly in said box.