SELF-DRIVEN MODULAR SANDBAGGING DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

A self-driven modular sandbagging device applicable to a dump-truck with a truck bed that defines a sand carrying volume, comprising: a replacing tailgate for the truck bed, capable of replacing the original regular tailgate of the dump-truck, at the lower inner end of the replacing tailgate an integral elongated housing is included, in free contact with the carrying volume of the truck bed, in the integral elongated housing an auger is rotatably installed; the auger is driven by a hydraulic motor located inside the housing, a hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic motor is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate, at one end of the housing a bag-filler nozzle is included.

Claims

1. A self-driven modular sandbagging device applicable to a dump truck with a truck bed that defines a sand carrying volume, comprising: a replacing tailgate for the truck bed, capable of replacing the original regular tailgate of the dump truck, at the lower inner end of the replacing tailgate, an integral elongated housing is included, in free contact with the carrying volume of the truck bed, in the integral elongated housing an auger is rotatably installed; the auger is driven by a hydraulic motor located inside the housing, a hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic motor is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate, at one end of the housing, a bag-filler nozzle is included.

2. The self-driven modular sandbagging device of claim 1, wherein the integral elongated housing has a cylindrical shape.

3. The self-driven modular sandbagging device of claim 1, wherein the integral elongated housing includes at least two inner supports on which the auger is rotatably mounted.

4. The self-driven modular sandbagging device of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic motor is installed at one end of the housing and the bag-filler nozzle at the opposite end.

5. The self-driven modular sandbagging device of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic pump is installed on a pump support linked to the outer face of the replacing tailgate.

6. The self-driven modular sandbagging device of claim 5, wherein the pump support includes a base on which the pump rests, including two arms rotatably mounted on an axis attached to the outer side of the tailgate.

7. A method for converting a regular dump truck into a sandbagging dump truck, including the steps of: stripping down the original regular tailgate from the hinges of the truck bed of a dump truck, installing on the same hinges a replacing tailgate including at the lower inner end an integral elongated housing in free contact with the carrying volume of the truck bed, in the integral elongated housing an auger is rotatably installed, driven by a hydraulic motor located inside the housing, a hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic motor is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate, and at one end of the housing a bag-filler nozzle is included.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the integral elongated housing has a cylindrical shape.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the integral elongated housing includes at least two inner supports on which the auger is rotatably mounted.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the hydraulic motor is installed at one end of the housing and the bag-filler nozzle at the opposite end.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the hydraulic pump is installed on a pump support linked to the outer face of the replacing tailgate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pump support includes a base on which the pump rests, including two arms rotatably mounted on an axis attached to the outer side of the tailgate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of the dump truck including the sandbagging device in accordance with the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an exemplary dump truck including the sandbagging device in accordance installed to the outer face of the tailgate of the truck bed.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tailgate including the sandbagging device in accordance with the present invention, in a passive position.

[0032] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but the sandbagging device is in an active position.

[0033] FIG. 5 is an elevation view showing in detail the sandbagging device with the sand-filler nozzle in an open position.

[0034] FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 with the sand-filler nozzle in an operative position, ready to fill bags with the sand contained in the truck.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a general perspective view of the sandbagging device showing the inner face of the tailgate, the auger housing, the auger, and the hydraulic motor in it.

[0036] FIG. 8 is an elevational view showing in detail the sand-filler nozzle, and the support on which the axis of the auger is mounted.

[0037] FIG. 9 is another perspective view of the sandbagging device showing the support on which the hydraulic pump is mounted, the hydraulic motor that drives the auger, and the lid that covers one end of the auger housing, finally:

[0038] FIG. 10 is another perspective view showing a bag being filled by the sandbagging device of the present invention.

[0039] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0040] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claim. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0041] A dump truck 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, includes a truck bed 110 (that defines a carrying volume 111) and a tailgate 120. The dump truck includes, as usual, a hydraulic device capable of rotating the truck bed around a fulcrum. None of these means are illustrated as they are not part of the present invention.

[0042] The main purpose of this invention is to create a system for converting a regular dump truck into a sandbagging truck without affecting the original features of the truck. In order to do so, the only operation required is to replace the original tailgate by the replacing tailgate that defines the sandbagging device 200 in accordance with the present invention. Tailgates are attached to the structure of the truck bed through different attaching means not illustrated in the attached drawings as they do not form part of the invention. In order to proceed with the conversion of the truck, the original tailgate is replaced by the device 200 and saved. When the truck needs to return to its original functionality, the original tailgate is re-installed with a simple operation that usually takes some hours. The rest of the features of the truck are not affected or modified in any way.

[0043] As it is clearly seen in FIGS. 1-2, the original tailgate of the dump truck 100 has already been replaced by the sandbagging device 200 of the present invention. Thus, the sandbagging device 200 works as a regular tailgate but includes as an integral part thereof the features described below.

[0044] This replacement operation is especially easy because the replacing tailgate of the present invention is fully autonomous and does not need any of the truck features, including pneumatic or hydraulic power, electric power, or the like.

[0045] The self-driven modular sandbagging device 200 comprises a replacing tailgate 200 for the truck bed 110, capable of replacing the original regular tailgate of the dump-truck 100. At the lower inner end 201 of the replacing tailgate 200 an integral elongated housing 202 is included, in free contact with the carrying volume 111 of the truck bed 110. In this particular case, the carrying volume 111 carries sand, and the housing will be full of sand as will be explained below.

[0046] In the integral elongated housing 202, an auger 205 is rotatably installed. Axis 207 of the auger 205 is rotatably mounted on respective supports 206 located inside the housing 202.

[0047] Said auger is driven by a hydraulic motor 220 located inside the housing 202. When the sandbagging device 200 is not operating, a lid 208 covers one of the openings of said housing 202, and a lid 209 covers the opposite end where the hydraulic motor 220 is located.

[0048] Said hydraulic motor 220 is in turn driven by a hydraulic pump 240. Said pump 240 is linked to the replacing tailgate 120 by pump support 241 comprising a base 242 to which two parallel rigid arms 243-244 are attached. Said arms 243-244 are hinged to respective transversal arms 245-246 through respective fulcrums 247-248. Said arms 245-246 are in turn welded to the outer side 121 of the replacing tailgate 120. Thus, the pump 240 while resting on the base 242 is always at a straight vertical position. When the dump truck 100 inclines the truck bed 110 and thus the arms 245-246 welded to the outer side of the tailgate 120, the base 242 rotates around the fulcrums 247-248 by gravity to keep the pump 240 in a vertical position. This is important to keep the normal feeding of gas to the internal combustion engine of the pump 240.

[0049] At the end of said housing 202, a bag-filler nozzle is hinged to the outer side 121 of the replacing tailgate 120 through a hinge 231. Said hinge allows the nozzle to rotate from the passive position shown in FIGS. 1-3 to the operative position shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 10. Once the nozzle 230 is in its operative position covering the exit of the housing 202, it is then rotated 180° over its axis and coupled to said exit (see FIGS. 4 and 10).

[0050] When the truck arrives at the place in which the sand will be supplied, with the carrying volume 111 full of sand, the lid 208 is open, the nozzle 230 is rotated and coupled to the exit of the housing 202, the nozzle 230 is then rotated over its axis to the operative position and a bag 250 is placed at the end of the nozzle 230 and the pump 240 and engine 220 are turned on. The auger will then start rotating carrying the sand from the carrying volume 111 into the nozzle 230 and thus into the bags 250. Once the operation is over, the pump 240 and the motor 220 are turned off, the nozzle 230 is rotated up and hinged, and the truck is now ready to go to another place to provide bagged sand.

[0051] The present invention is also referred to a method for converting a regular dump truck into a sandbagging dump truck, including the steps of: [0052] stripping down the original regular tailgate from the hinges (not illustrated) of the truck bed 110 of a dump truck 100, [0053] installing on the same hinges a replacing tailgate 200 including at the lower inner end an integral elongated housing 202 in free contact with the carrying volume 111 of the truck bed 110, in the integral elongated housing 202 an auger 205 is rotatably installed, driven by a hydraulic motor 220 located inside the housing 202, a hydraulic pump 240 connected to the hydraulic motor 220 is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate 200, and at one end of the housing, a bag-filler nozzle 230 is included.

[0054] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications can be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

REFERENCE ELEMENT LIST

[0055] Ref. No. Description [0056] 100 dump truck [0057] 110 truck bed [0058] 111 carrying volume [0059] 120 tailgate [0060] 200 sandbagging device [0061] 201 lower inner end of the replacing tailgate 200 [0062] 202 integral elongated housing [0063] 205 auger [0064] 207 axis of the auger 205 [0065] 206 supports [0066] 208 lid [0067] 209 lid [0068] 220 hydraulic motor [0069] 230 bag-filler nozzle [0070] 231 hinge [0071] 240 hydraulic pump [0072] 241 pump support [0073] 242 base [0074] 243 parallel rigid arms [0075] 244 parallel rigid arms [0076] 245 transversal arms [0077] 246 transversal arms [0078] 247 fulcrum [0079] 248 fulcrum [0080] 250 bag