Truck body
A truck body includes a front wall, side walls, and a floor. The floor has panels disposed at predetermined angles from the horizontal that, with the other parts of the body, form a payload volume within the body. The floor also includes a tail panel disposed at a lesser angle from the horizontal to facilitate the shedding of the payload when dumping, and further to maintain the center of mass of the payload in a generally forward position during dumping.
1. A dump truck body for the transport of materials of different densities, the truck body configured to be mounted on a chassis of a truck having at least one front axle having a center point and at least one back axle having a center point, the center point of the at least one front axle and the center point of the at least one back axle thereby defining a reference line, the truck body having a longitudinal floor with a pair of laterally opposed spaced upwardly extending side walls coupled to the floor and a forward upwardly extending front wall coupled thereto between the side walls to create a volume for carrying a payload having a center of mass, the truck body further comprising at least one pivot point at which the truck body may be pivotally mountable to the truck chassis, the body further configured to connect to at least one lift cylinder mounted to the truck chassis and to the body, the lift cylinder being configured to lift and to pivot the body about the pivot point and thereby dispense a payload, the floor comprising:
a first forward panel coupled to the front wall and disposed to create a first predetermined angle as compared to the reference line when the truck body is in a lowered position for transport;
a second intermediate panel disposed to create a second predetermined angle as compared to the reference line when the truck body is in a lowered position for transport, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle; and
a tail panel disposed to create a third predetermined angle as compared to the reference line, the third predetermined angle being less than the second predetermined angle.
2. The truck body of claim 1 wherein the third predetermined angle is such that when the truck body is rotated into a dumping position, the tail panel does not apply a significant rotational load torque on the truck body.
3. The truck body of claim 1 in which the tail panel forms a spillway for a payload so that the center of mass of the payload remains forward of the pivot point when the truck body is pivoted upward to dispense the payload.
4. A truck body having a longitudinal floor with a pair of laterally opposed upwardly extending laterally spaced side walls coupled to the floor and a forward upwardly extending front wall coupled thereto between the side walls to create a volume for carrying a payload having a center of mass, the truck body further comprising at least one pivot point at which the truck body may be pivotally mountable to a truck chassis, the body further configured to connect to at least one lift cylinder mounted to the truck chassis and to the body, the lift cylinder being configured to lift and to pivot the body about the pivot point and thereby dispense a payload, the truck chassis having at least one front axle having a center point and at least one back axle having a center point, the center point of the at least one front axle and the center point of the at least one back axle thereby defining a reference line, the floor comprising:
a first forward panel coupled to the front wall and disposed to create a first predetermined angle of between 5 and 26 degrees as compared to the reference line when the truck body is in a lowered position for transport;
a second intermediate panel disposed to create a second predetermined angle as compared to the reference line when the truck body is in a lowered orientation; and
a tail panel disposed to create a third predetermined angle as compared to the reference line when the truck body is in a lowered orientation.
5. The truck body of claim 4 wherein the third predetermined angle is such that when the truck body is rotated into a dumping position, the tail panel does not apply a significant rotational load torque on the truck body.
6. The truck body of claim 4 in which the second predetermined angle is between 6 and 26 degrees.
7. The truck body of claim 4 in which the third predetermined angle is between 0 and 15 degrees.
8. The truck body of claim 4 in which the tail panel forms a spillway for a payload so that the center of mass of the payload remains forward of the pivot point when the truck body is pivoted upward to dispense the payload.