Abstract: A truck body that efficiently hauls oil sands, which 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 buildup of “carryback” is effectively prevented during haul cycles. Hauled amalgamated materials are dumped from the truck body such that the amalgamation breaks down 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 buildup over haul cycles. Plus, the body design encourages the material to break down as it is dumped.

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.

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 filed 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 wails of the dump body as it swings through an are 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: This invention provides an apparatus and method for safely lifting large off-highway truck bodies and also allows for lifting these truck bodies inside off-highway truck service bays with limited overhead lifting clearances. The invention minimizes the stresses on the truck body and on the lifting cables/slings. This lifting apparatus and method incorporates temporary lifting eyes installed through lifting hole receivers in the truck body floor. The temporary lifting eyes can be designed such that their strength is gained thru interlocking steel members versus simply welding.

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

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 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 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 rear loading lowboy trailer is described having a pair of rear wheel assemblies mounted to a chassis of the trailer for movement between transport and loading positions such that the wheel assemblies are aligned across a back of the chassis when they are in the transport position and raised and positioned outwardly when the chassis is in the loading position. A linkage mechanism moves each of the wheel assemblies in both horizontal and vertical directions so as to move each of the wheel assemblies between the transport and loading positions. Each linkage mechanism automatically fastens the wheel assembly to the chassis of the trailer when the wheel assembly is moved to its transport position.

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

Abstract: An open top body of an off-highway haulage vehicle is described for severe hauling applications such as hauling of high density, abrasive material. The body has a floor divided into at least two sections with first and second sections angled at different inclinations. The second section extends to the rear edge of the floor and is at an angle of inclination greater than the first section. The opposing sidewalls of the body extend vertically from the floor are flared or taper along their length such that the body floor is wider at the rear of the body than it is at the front. The body includes a tailgate pivotally attached to the sidewalls for rotation between closed and opened positions in response to the bumping of the load by the body.

Abstract: A rear eject body for a truck is provided. The body includes a floor and a pair of opposing sidewalls. A tailgate extends between the opposing sidewalls at a rear end of the rear eject body. The tailgate is pivotally supported for movement between an open position and a closed position. An ejector is supported in the rear eject body for movement between a retracted position at a forward end of the body and an extended position at the rear end of the body. A tailgate actuation assembly moves the tailgate between the open and closed positions in response to movement of the ejector between the retracted and extended positions. An ejector guide assembly includes sleds that slide in guide tracks to thereby guide the ejector as the ejector moves between the retracted and extended positions.

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 tank for transporting liquids is provided. The tank includes a tank vessel having an internal baffle system including an X-shaped baffle arrangement that extends through the interior of the tank vessel in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of entry hatches can be provided in the tank vessel for permitting access into the interior of the tank vessel. Each entry hatch has a removable hatch plate and is sized to allow a person to enter the tank therethrough. At least selected ones of the baffles in the tank have access openings therethrough. Each access opening has an associated pivotal baffle door that is movable between open and closed positions. The access openings are provided in the baffles such that a person can traverse through the interior of the tank between two of the entry hatches. The tank also is equipped with a variable volume system.

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 tank for transporting liquids is provided. The tank includes a tank vessel having an internal baffle system including an X-shaped baffle arrangement that extends through the interior of the tank vessel in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of entry hatches can be provided in the tank vessel for permitting access into the interior of the tank vessel. Each entry hatch has a removable hatch plate and is sized to allow a person to enter the tank therethrough. At least selected ones of the baffles in the tank have access openings therethrough. Each access opening has an associated pivotal baffle door that is movable between open and closed positions. The access openings are provided in the baffles such that a person can traverse through the interior of the tank between two of the entry hatches. The tank also is equipped with a variable volume system.

Abstract: A lowboy trailer is described having a pair of rear wheel assemblies mounted to a chassis of the trailer for movement between transport and loading positions such that the wheel assemblies are aligned across a back of the body when they are in the transport position and raised and positioned outwardly when the chassis is in the loading position. A linkage mechanism moves each of the wheel assemblies between the transport and loading positions. Each linkage mechanism automatically fastens the wheel assembly to the chassis of the trailer when the assembly is moved to its transport position. In operation, each of the wheel assemblies is moved from its transport position to the loading position by first moving to an intermediate raised position. By moving the wheel assemblies to the raised position they are automatically unfastened from the chassis and freed to move outwardly about a vertical pivot axis.

Abstract: Loads carried by a haulage vehicle are transferred from the vehicle to a container in a manner that maintains an ordered segmentation of materials comprising each of the loads, where each segment comprises a different type of material. The container receives the load such that each segment forms a layer in the container, which in the case of a charge bucket for feeding an electric arc furnace creates a layering of the different types of material according to a desired recipe for melting scrap metal processed by the mill incorporating the furnace. The transferring of the load is implemented by a haulage truck having a rear eject body whose ejector blade pushes the segmented load out and into the container.

Abstract: A system for detecting proper usage of a seatbelt in a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle is provided. The seatbelt usage detection system includes a first communication device arranged on the seatbelt and a second communication device. One of the first and second communication devices is a transmitter and the other of the first and second communication devices is a receiver. The receiver and transmitter are capable of establishing a communication link with each other. The second communication device is arranged in the vehicle so as to be able to establish a communication link with the first communication device of a predetermined signal strength upon proper fastening of the seatbelt around the body of an operator. The system also includes a processing unit for monitoring the signal strength of the communication link between the first and second communication devices and for providing a signal that the seatbelt is unfastened when the signal strength is less than the predetermined signal strength.