Transporting unit for trucks and the like

Claim 1

A transporting unit in combination with a truck or the like for loading the truck and then transporting the load, said truck including a cab, a chassis connected to an extending rearwardly of said cab, said chassis comprising the frame of the truck, said transporting unit comprising a horizontal section, said horizontal section comprising the floor of a dump box having first and second hinge means and being provided with dump box lifting means, said transporting unit further comprising means for detachably coupling said horizontal section to said frame of said truck whereby said floor of the dump box may function as the truck bed and whereby said unit may be selectively detached from said frame for attachment to another truck and for replacement by another transporting unit, a beaver tail section extending downwardly away from said horizontal section, a ramp section pivotally connected to said beaver tail section, said ramp section forming a shallow angle with the ground when said transporting unit is in its loading condition, support means secured to and below said ramp section to rest on the ground and support said ramp section when said transporting unit is in its loading conditon, lifting means connected to said ramp section for pivoting said ramp section upwardly toward said beaver tail section to dispose said ramp section in an elevated folded position when said transporting unit is in its non-loading condition, and locking means for maintaining said ramp section in its folded position; said first hinge means connecting said dump box to said truck frame, said dump box lifting means reacting between said dump box and said truck to pivot said dump box about said first hinge means, said second hinge means connecting said beaver tail section to said dump box, and said transporting unit being provided with means reacting between said beaver tail section and said dump box to pivot said beaver tail section about said second hinge means.