Unit for converting flat-bed trucks to side-dump trucks

Claim 1

A side-dump unit for converting a flat-bed truck to a sidedump truck, comprising: A. a rectangular frame of substantially planar configuration having a length and a width substantially equal to the length and the width of a flat-bed mounted on the chassis of a selected flat-bed truck and adapted to be received upon the uppermost planar surface of the flat-bed, including, 1. a pair of stringers disposed in mutual parallelism having a length substantially equal to the length of said flat-bed and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width thereof, and 2. a plurality of transverse members extended in mutual parallelism between said stringers and connected thereto; B. a side-dump box having a length and a width substantially equal to the length and the width of said frame seated on said frame in a superimposed relationship therewith, including, 1. a pair of side walls having a length substantially equal to the length of said frame and disposed in planes arranged in mutual parallelism and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of said frame, and 2. a pair of transversely oriented end walls extended in mutual parallelism between said side walls and connected thereto; C. means defining in one side wall of said pair a normally closed, discharge opening for said side-dump box; D. means including an enclosure member having a substantially Ushaped cross-sectional configuration defining within the other side wall of said pair of side walls a recess extended inwardly and opened outwardly with respect to said side-dump box; E. hinge means adjacently related to said one side wall and affixed to said frame in juxtaposition with one stringer of said pair for pivotally connecting said side-dump box to said frame for oscillation about an axis extended in substantially juxtaposed parallelism with said one stringer; F. means including a pressure-responsive ram positioned above the plane of said frame for imparting oscillatory motion to said side-dump box including a base end disposed adjacent to saId frame and a distal end disposed within said recess; and G. mounting means for pivotally interconnecting said ram between said frame and said side-dump box including a bracket pivotally connected to the base end of said ram and affixed to the frame above the plane thereof in juxtaposition with the other stringer of said pair, and coupling means disposed within said recess for pivotally connecting the distal end of said ram to said enclosure member.