Abstract: The sweep tarpaulin has an upper sheath, a bottom sheath and an intermediate sheath. An upper tube is housed in the upper sheath. A lower tube is housed in the bottom sheath. An intermediate tube is housed in the intermediate sheath. The sides of the tarpaulin engage the container side walls. Left and right resilient members hold the upper tube in a loading position. The bottom sheath and the lower tube are supported on a reciprocating floor slat conveyor. Cargo and the lower tube move toward the rear during unloading. The left and right resilient members are deformed to release the upper tube. A winch returns the upper tube to the cargo receiving position. The left and right resilient members are deformed when the upper tube returns.

Abstract: The conveyor floor slat is an extruded translucent UHMW polyethylene member with a top plate and two side walls. The top plate has an upwardly facing cargo support surface and a downwardly facing bearing surface between the two side walls. A support and hold down flange with a downwardly facing horizontal support surface and an upwardly facing horizontal hold down surface is integral with the bottom edge of each side wall. The UHMW polyethylene can be formed by extrusion, reduces slat weight and requires less force to reciprocate back and forth to discharge cargo than expected. A rubber like seal can be mounted in a seal holder on the outboard side of one sidewall. A seal contact flange is integral with the outboard side of the other side wall.

Abstract: Reciprocating floor conveyor include floor slats and slide bearings. The floor slats include a top section, first and second side walls that extend downward from the top section, a first bottom flange integral with the first side wall and a second bottom flange integral with a second side wall. A top section cantilever portion extends laterally outward from the second side wall. A seal flange is integral with the first side wall and includes a seal support surface and a seal flange wall that cooperate with the first side wall to form a seal retainer channel position below the cantilever portion of an adjacent floor slat. The slide bearings have a cross beam, and right and left walls. Wings extend laterally outward from the top of the walls and sit on guide beams.

Abstract: A bearing for a reciprocating floor conveyor. The reciprocating floor conveyor includes a plurality of sub-deck guide beams and a plurality of floor slats. The bearing includes a load carrying top having an upper surface to receive at least one floor slat thereon and an opposed lower surface mating with one of the guide beams. The upper surface of the top includes a plurality of clean-out grooves. A first leg and a second leg each extend from the top with the legs spaced from each other a distance slightly longer than the width of one of the guide beams. A hinge mechanism permits the legs to move between two positions, a use position with the distance between the legs slightly shorter than the width of one of the guide beams and an installation position where the legs are separated or wider than the guide beam while installing onto the guide beam.

Abstract: The reciprocating floor conveyor employs slide bearings with a base, a left side wall, a right side wall, and left and right wings that extend outward from the side walls. The base has a lower surface that sits on cross beams between adjacent guide beams. The left wing sits on the left guide beam. The right wing sits on the right guide beam. A left upper finger snaps under a support plate on the left guide beam and a right upper finger snaps under a support plate on the right guide beam to hold the slide bearing in place. The slide bearing extends from the front of the conveyor to the rear of the conveyor and seals the opening between adjacent guide beams that extend from the front end to the rear end of the floor conveyor. Slide surfaces on the base and the wings support floor slats.

Abstract: The tarpaulin (54) has a first edge (56), clamped to the right side wall (18) by a fixed shaft (60) and pipe retainers (62). A tubular rotatable bar (66) is secured to the second edge (70) of the tarpaulin (54). A square shaft (74) is slidably mounted in a square tube (76) secured inside the bar (66). A universal joint (84) is secured to the square shaft (74) and a crank (100) is secured to the universal joint. The square shaft (74) is moved axially to the rear and the crank (100) is rotated to roll the tarpaulin (54) onto or from the bar (66). When the open top of the cargo container (10) is covered, the square shaft (74) is slid axially forward and the crank (100) is secured to the left side wall (20) by a clevis (114). In this position the door (26) can be opened.

Abstract: The reciprocating floor conveyor (11) includes a plurality of elongated floor slats (52) that are slidable supported on bearings (50) and constitute a substantial portion of the floor 46 of a cargo container (10). Drive bars (60, 62 and 64) are reciprocated back and forth by a drive and control system to move cargo supported by the floor slats (52). Wedges (68) are attached to the upper surfaces of the floor slats (52) where required to improve conveying. Each wedge (68) has a generally vertical pushing surface (70) with a height and width. The width of a wedge (68) is about 30% of the width of a floor slat (52). An upwardly facing inclined surface (72) of the wedge (68) has a length that is about four times the height of the pushing surface (70). The wedges (68) can be removed or neutralizing wedges (82) can be added to block action of the wedges.

Abstract: A trailer 10 has a frame 12 with cross members (20). A bottom rail (62) is secured to the frame 12. A top rail (130) is supported by the frame. A plurality of extruded panels (70) are attached to the bottom rail 62 and the top rail (130) to form side walls (22 and 24) and a front wall (26). Each panel (7) is a hollow member with an outside wall 72, and inside wall (74), a first end wall 76 and a second end wall (78). A first outside flange (80) and a first inside flange (82) are integral with the first end wall (76). A second outside flange (90) and a second inside flange (92) are integral with the second end wall (78). When plural panels (70) are connected together to form a trailer wall (22, 24, or 26) first inside flanges (82) are between second inside and outside flanges (90, 92) and second inside flanges (92) are between first inside and outside flanges (80, 82). A passage (99) is formed between adjacent first and second inside flanges (82 and 92) and end walls (76 and 78).

Abstract: The reciprocating floor conveyor floor slat (50) and seal (102) includes a horizontal upper section (82) with an upper cargo support surface and a bottom surface (90) that is supported by and slides on a bearing surface (56). Slide walls (86) are integral with and extend downwardly from the upper section (82). A lip (94) on one side of the upper section (82) extends outwardly from a side wall (86) and has a downwardly facing sealing surface (108). A seal retainer (96) is integral with the other side wall (86). The seal retainer (96) includes a bore (98) and a slot (100) extending the length of the floor slat (50). The seal (102) includes a base (104) and an integral blade (106). The base (104) is telescopically received in the bore (98) and the blade (106) extends out through the slot (100).

Abstract: The reciprocating floor conveyor (10) has a floor support frame with crossbeams (28). A plurality of parallel, spaced apart guide beams (46) are secured to the crossbeams (28). Slide bearings (52) are attached to the guide beams (46). A floor slat (50) is slid over the slide bearings (52) and extends substantially the full length of the floor conveyor (10). A floor slat drive assembly (48) reciprocates the floor slats (50) back and forth in such a way that material supported by the floor slats is moved toward one end or the other of the floor slats. Each floor slat (50) has an upper section (82 or 92) that supports material to be conveyed and side bearing surfaces (84 or 94). The bearing surfaces are in constant sealing contact with bearing surfaces on adjacent floor slats. The floor slats (50) are an extruded thermoplastic. The sides of the floor slats (50) can have contoured bearing surfaces (104 and 108) which improve sealing and hold the floor slats in a common plane.