UNIBODY HOPPER TRAILER

摘要

A hopper trailer has a chassis with longitudinal rails mounted to a wheeled suspension. Triangular load transfer plates are mounted vertically on and carried by the longitudinal rails. A container has opposing sidewalls, opposing end walls, and two sloping walls each spanning between and adjoining the opposing sidewalls. The sloping walls and the sidewalls form a hopper. One of the sloping walls is mounted on and carried by the load transfer plates. The sidewalls are mounted to and carried by the sloping wall. The weight of a bulk material carried in the hopper and the weight of the sidewalls is carried by the sloping wall. This weight is transferred vertically downwardly from the sidewall through the load transfer plate into the chassis without substantial deflection from a vertical path. Bending stresses caused in the hopper slopes and floor frame of conventional trailers by indirect weight trans mission is avoided.

主权项

1. A hopper trailer comprising:
a partial frame chassis mounted to a wheeled suspension, the partial frame chassis comprising two parallel longitudinal rails; two triangular load transfer plates formed of hollow-core extruded aluminum panels, wherein each load transfer plate is mounted vertically on and carried by a different one of the longitudinal rails; a container comprising opposing sidewalls, opposing end walls, and two sloping walls each spanning between and adjoining the opposing sidewalls, wherein the two sloping walls diverge upwardly and approach downwardly, the two sloping walls and the sidewalls forming a hopper having at a bottom of the hopper a discharge opening for emptying a bulk material carried in the hopper, and a gate for selectively retaining the bulk material in the hopper, wherein the sloping walls comprise a first sloping wall mounted on and carried by the load transfer plates, and the sidewalls are mounted to and carried by the first sloping wall; and a coupler attached to a front end of the container for mounting to a trailer hitch.