Abstract: A universal cutter assembly comprising a transport device carrying a plurality of freewheeling cutters mounted to freely rotate about an axis, where the axis is canted about two angles with respect to the surface being cut and a line of action imparted by the transport device.

Abstract: A tanker vehicle for distributing liquid on a surface includes a chassis that supports a tank for holding the liquid. A fluid pump discharges the liquid from the tank and is driven by a hydraulic motor. A hydraulic system delivers hydraulic fluid to the motor through a supply line and returns the fluid to a tank through a return line. A bypass circuit is disposed between the supply line and the return line, bypassing the motor. The bypass circuit includes a system for providing a combination soft start and soft stop of the hydraulic motor that is configured to enable hydraulic fluid to flow from the supply line through the bypass circuit to the return line at a start of the hydraulic system and to flow from the return line through the bypass circuit to the supply line at a shutdown of the hydraulic system.

Abstract: A truck body designed for transporting hard rock mined ore. The truck body includes a body floor having a first material forming a floor structure and a liner structure including a second material covering at least a portion of the floor structure. The second material has a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first material and prevents wear of the truck body floor by the hard rock ore. The truck body includes a front wall and two opposing body sidewalls that taper outwardly from front to rear of the truck body such that a width between the body sidewalls at a rear of the truck body is at least 10% greater than a width at the front of the truck body. The outward tapering of the body sidewalls promotes movement of the load away from the body sidewalls as the load is released from the truck body.

Abstract: A universal cutter assembly comprising a transport device carrying a plurality of freewheeling cutting elements mounted to freely rotate about an axis, where the axis is canted about two angles with respect to the surface being cut and a line of action imparted by the transport device.

Abstract: An apparatus for recovering large disabled off-highway vehicles. The apparatus utilizes a trailing axle structure configured to hook up and tow off-highway disabled vehicles. The apparatus includes a trailing axle in conjunction with a trailing structure that is raised and lowered with hydraulic cylinders in relation to the trailing axle so that the trailing structure can hook and unhook from disabled off-highway vehicles as well as hook and unhook from off-highway lowboy trailers either mid section on the trailing structure or at the rear of the trailing structure.

Abstract: A universal cutter assembly comprising a transport device carrying a plurality of freewheeling cutters mounted to freely rotate about an axis, where the axis is canted about two angles with respect to the surface being cut and a line of action imparted by the transport device.

Abstract: A method is provided for loading material into a dump body of a truck using a loading bucket whose volumetric capacity is approximately ? or more than that of the dump body. The loading bucket is filled with an amount of earthen material and centered over the dump body. The bucket is then lowered to a position that: (1) substantially minimizes the clearance between the floor of the dump body and a swinging gate of the loading bucket in its freed position; (2) allows the swinging gate to clear the side walls of the dump body as it swings through an arc after it is freed, and (3) allows the material to be discharged substantially in the center of the dump body. After it is positioned, the swinging gate is then freed so as to release the material held in the bucket.

Abstract: A vehicle recovery tool is used to tow disabled vehicles. The recovery tool includes a structural member that is mounted on an axle assembly including wheels. The structural member is configured to be coupled to or engage a vehicle to be towed that is positioned behind the recovery tool and to be coupled to or engage a towing vehicle positioned in front of the vehicle. A linear actuator is used to lift the structural member as well as the vehicle to be towed to a raised position. With the structural member in the raised position, the linear actuator further positions the structural member into a locked position in which the load of the vehicle being towed is supported by a control linkage against a stop, preferably on the axle assembly.

Abstract: A method for estimating the effective volumetric capacity of a truck body includes establishing a side-to-side profile of a generic load model by extending load side lines upward at a predetermined material angle of repose from the upper edge of the side walls of the truck body and a front-to-rear profile by extending a front load line upward from the upper edge of the front wall and a rear load line upward from at or near a rear edge of the floor at the predetermined material angle of repose. Load plateau lines having predetermined dimensions are established and the height of the plateau lines is determined. A top profile of the generic load is then created and the shape of the load plateau is adjusted into a closed curve shape. A final three-dimensional generic load model is formed and the volume of the load model is calculated.

Abstract: A truck body that efficiently hauls homogeneous and cohesive materials that typically coagulate and adhere together in one consolidated mass. The adhesion of this consolidated mass to the surface of the truck body is minimized and the build up of “carryback” is effectively prevented during haul cycles. Hauled amalgamated materials are dumped from the truck body such that the amalgamation breaks up and is safely dumped. One typical material that displays such a coagulated conglomerate massing is “oil sands” from which oil is extracted. The body design encourages the material to break up as it is dumped by using outwardly tapered walls and a non-linear edge from which the loaded material falls.

Abstract: A truck body designed for transporting hard rock mined ore. The truck body includes a body floor having a first material forming a floor structure and a liner structure including a second material covering at least a portion of the floor structure. The second material has a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first material and prevents wear of the truck body floor by the hard rock ore. The truck body includes a front wall and two opposing body sidewalls that taper outwardly from front to rear of the truck body such that a width between the body sidewalls at a rear of the truck body is at least 10% greater than a width at the front of the truck body. The outward tapering of the body sidewalls promotes movement of the load away from the body sidewalls as the load is released from the truck body.

Abstract: A truck body designed for transporting hard rock mined ore. The truck body includes a body floor having a first material forming a floor structure and a liner structure including a second material covering at least a portion of the floor structure. The second material has a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first material and prevents wear of the truck body floor by the hard rock ore. The truck body includes a front wall and two opposing body sidewalls that taper outwardly from front to rear of the truck body such that a width between the body sidewalls at a rear of the truck body is at least 10% greater than a width at the front of the truck body. The outward tapering of the body sidewalls promotes movement of the load away from the body sidewalls as the load is released from the truck body.

Abstract: A method of loading material into a dump body of a truck using a loading bucket whose volumetric capacity is approximately ? or more than that of the dump body is provided. The dump body having side walls that are spaced relatively wider than conventional dump bodies. The loading bucket having a gate at a lower end thereof that when free swings open and causes the material contained in the loading bucket to drop into the dump body. The method including the steps of filling the loading bucket with an amount of earthen material and centering the loading bucket over the dump body. The bucket is then lowered to a position that: (1) substantially minimizes the clearance between the floor of the dump body and the swinging gate in its freed position; (2) allows the swinging gate to clear the side walls of the dump body as it swings through an arc after it is freed, and (3) allows the material to be discharged substantially in the center of the dump body.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to a predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding the state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.

Abstract: A universal cutter assembly comprising a transport device carrying a plurality of freewheeling cutting elements mounted to freely rotate about an axis, where the axis is canted about two angles with respect to the surface being cut and a line of action imparted by the transport device.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to a predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding the state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to the predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.

Abstract: A truck body floor includes a truck body floor frame and a floor plate attached to and supported by the truck body floor frame. The truck body floor frame includes two frame rails extending along a longitudinal length of the truck body floor, and a plurality of bolster structures attached to both of the two frame rails and extending across a width of the truck body floor. The plurality of bolster structures includes at least one layered bolster structure having an inner bolster and an outer bolster that is at least partially flush with and attached to the inner bolster.

Abstract: A truck body that efficiently hauls homogeneous and cohesive materials that typically coagulate and adhere together in one consolidated mass. The adhesion of this consolidated mass to the surface of the truck body is minimized and the build up of “carryback” is effectively prevented during haul cycles. Hauled amalgamated materials are dumped from the truck body such that the amalgamation breaks up and is safely dumped. One typical material that displays such a coagulated conglomerate massing is “oil sands” from which oil is extracted. The body design encourages the material to break up as it is dumped by using outwardly tapered walls and a non-linear edge from which the loaded material falls.

Abstract: A truck body that efficiently hauls homogeneous and cohesive materials that typically coagulate and adhere together in one consolidated mass. The adhesion of this consolidated mass to the surface of the truck body is minimized and the build up of “carryback” is effectively prevented during haul cycles. Hauled amalgamated materials are dumped from the truck body such that the amalgamation breaks up and is safely dumped. One typical material that displays such a coagulated conglomerate massing is “oil sands” from which oil is extracted. A non-stick surface is provided on the truck body to overcome the natural adhesiveness displayed by this material and, when being dumped from a truck body, provides a means to assist in releasing the material from the truck body without leaving significant “carryback” that tends to build up over haul cycles. Plus, the body design encourages the material to break up as it is dumped.