Roll-up Tarp Conversion Kit and Methods of Use

摘要

A motorized conversion kit for converting manually operated roll tarps includes front and rear arm assemblies and a roll tube extension. The front arm assembly includes a drive assembly that drives an output shaft. The output shaft is removably connectable to the roll tube extension that is connected to a modified roll tube. The connection between the output shaft and the roll tube extension has two distinct modes. The output shaft can be removably connected to the roll tube extension with a clevis pin such that the output shaft and the roll tube extension rotate together or the output shaft can be retained within the roll tube extension by a roll pin residing in a peripheral grove in the output shaft so that the output shaft may rotate independently of the roll tube extension. Methods of installing and using the conversion kit are also disclosed

主权项

1. A conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up tarp assembly to a motor driven roll-up tarp assembly that can be manually operated with a hand crank arm; the manually operated roll-up tarp assembly including a flexible tarp and a roll tube upon which the flexible tarp can be gathered and from which the flexible tarp can be unfurled when the flexible tarp is gathered upon the roll tube; the roll tube having a first length and first and second ends and a rear arm assembly; the conversion kit comprising:
a first arm assembly including a motor having an output shaft; a first pin; and a roll tube extension; the roll tube extension having first and second end segments; the first end segment being constructed and shaped so that the first end segment can slide onto the output shaft to become connected therewith; wherein the roll tube can be modified by removing a portion of the roll tube proximate the second end to form a modified roll tube that has a second length; wherein the second length is shorter than the first length; and wherein the second end segment of the roll tube extension is connectable to the modified roll tube so as to be an extension thereof and part of an extended modified roll tube; wherein the roll tube extension includes an inner surface that defines a hollow interior proximate the first end segment; and the roll tube extension further includes a first pin aperture such that the first pin can be inserted into the first pin aperture such that the roll tube extension is engaged with the output shaft; wherein the output shaft further includes a second pin aperture and the roll tube extension further includes a set of two second apertures that can be aligned with the output shaft in such a manner that the set of two second apertures can receive a second pin and the second pin can pass through the second pin aperture and both of the set of two second apertures to secure the roll tube extension to the second pin aperture in the output shaft so that the roll tube extension will turn with the output shaft when the second pin is secured in the set of two second apertures and the second pin aperture; wherein the roll tube extension will be engaged with the output shaft when the first pin is inserted in the first pin aperture, so that the roll tube extension will remain engaged with the output shaft but rotate freely with respect to the output shaft so that the extended modified roll tube can be turned by the hand crank arm if the second pin is removed from the set of two second apertures and the second pin aperture to permit the hand crank arm to turn the extended modified roll tube to roll and unroll the flexible tarp on the extended modified roll tube.