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 transmission is avoided.