ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR A ROCK DEFLECTOR

Abstract

A rock deflector bracket supports a rock ejector, such as a chain or bar, used to remove debris from the space between two tires on a mining vehicle. The rock ejector is rotatably mounted on a horizontal side pin supported at both ends by bracket side plates. The pin has a series of holes along its length. Bar retainers and washers mounted on the pin allow the rock ejector to be offset laterally along the pin, thus providing different tire clearance configurations. Fasteners pass through the holes in the bar retainers and the pin holes to secure the rock ejector in a predetermined lateral position along the pin.Alternative designs for the pin and bracket include other systems for laterally displacing the rock ejector and mounting it in the predetermined lateral position.

Description

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR A ROCK DEFLECTOR BACKGROUND This application claims priority based on the United States Provisional Patent Application serial number 62907429, filed on September 27, 2019, and entitled Adjustable Support for a Rock Deflector, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This disclosure relates to an adjustable bracket for installing a rock deflector or rock ejector, such as a chain or rock deflector bar, for removing rocks lodged between truck tires. Specifically, this disclosure relates to a rock deflector suspended on a bracket above the space between two adjacent tires, extending downward into that space to remove rocks and other debris lodged there. Trucks with dual rear wheels often experience rocks getting stuck between them. In some systems, a chain is attached to the underside of the truck body and suspended between the tires. In others, an ejector bar positioned midway between the tires hangs from the chassis or body above the tires. When a rock becomes lodged between the tires as they roll, the chain or bar acts as an ejector, dislodging the rock. These rock ejection devices are typically shipped separately and are welded into place in the field once the truck body is mounted on the chassis. The reason for separate shipping is that there may be differences in the tires and / or rims, the truck body may be braced differently from the exact center, or manufacturing tolerances in the truck body production may require subsequent adjustment of all components. The ejector bar or chain must be positioned as close as possible to the midpoint between the dual tires, and therefore, this positioning is done in the field. Otherwise, if the bar is not centered between the dual tires and is offset to one side, the ejector bar will rub against the rim and may damage it. In the field, such positioning can be very difficult and often involves little more than pure luck.Such field installation results in a high cost and creates a potential safety problem for the workers installing these supports for the former rock deflectors. Other problems also arise. For example, truck tires are changed in the field, and consequently, the distance between the tires can change. Sometimes, truck bodies are swapped between different chassis when the truck bodies are removed for maintenance. This usually involves removing the bracket and reinstalling it by welding it in a new location. Again, this creates cost and safety issues, and some locations may not have welding services available. Often, these older brackets allow very little (or no) room for adjusting the lateral clearance of the rock deflector bar. As a result, to change the lateral location of the rock deflector bar, it was necessary to cut the entire bracket from the underside of the truck body and re-weld it to the underside in a new location.Therefore, a mounting bracket for the rock deflector that could allow such adjustments could save significant expenses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This disclosure provides an adjustable mounting bracket for a rock deflector that addresses many of the shortcomings of previous designs. Specifically, the adjustable rock deflector bracket can be factory-installed in a safer environment. The adjustable mounting bracket allows for adjustment of the rock ejector's lateral position. Therefore, the ejector can be positioned in the field directly between the tires, reducing the risk of tire damage, even with new tires of varying sizes. At the same time, the rock ejector remains effectively positioned to eject rocks and other debris that may become lodged in the space between the tires. The present rock deflector assembly includes a rock ejector, in the form of a bar extending downward from a rock deflector bracket. The bracket is attached to the underside of a truck body. The bracket supports a side-mounted pin (i.e., the pin extends horizontally from side to side of the truck body). The upper end of the rock deflector bar slides onto that pin. Two bar retainers are also slidably mounted on the pin, one on each side of the upper end of the rock deflector bar. The bar retainers can be secured to the pin (in one illustrative configuration, by using bolts that pass through the bar retainers and the pin, and which may have threaded nuts on the bolt) to hold the rock deflector bar in the designated lateral location on the pin. Washers can be placed on the pin between each bar retainer and the rock deflector bar to facilitate rotational movement of the rock deflector bar around the pin axis. In operation, when it is necessary to reposition the rock ejector, a worker releases the bar retainers (for example, by removing the nut from the end of each bolt and pulling the bolt out of the pin and bar retainer). The bar retainers, rock ejector, and any washers can then be slid in either lateral direction to realign the rock ejector to a different lateral position, depending on the location of the center of the area between the tires. The bar retainers are then placed next to the rock ejector (and any washers used), and both the bolt and nut are replaced on the pin. The rock ejector is thus positioned correctly to remove rocks and other debris lodged between the tires. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become evident from the following detailed description, together with the accompanying figures, in which: FIGURE 1 shows a schematic rear view of the chassis and body of a dual-tire truck with an adjustable bracket for a rock deflector mounted over each pair of tires with a rock deflector bar extending downwards from each bracket, as described in this disclosure; FIGURE 2 shows a schematic side view of an adjustable bracket for a tire-mounted rock deflector, with a rock deflector bar extending downwards from the bracket, as described in this disclosure; FIGURE 3 shows a close-up side view of the adjustable rock deflector bracket of FIGURES 1 and 2; FIGURE 4 shows a rear view of the rock deflector support from FIGURES 1, 2 and 3; FIGURE 5 shows a close-up side view of an adjustable rock deflector bracket in accordance with an alternative embodiment of this disclosure; FIGURE 6 shows a close-up rear view of the rock deflector bracket of FIGURE 5; FIGURE 7 illustrates a top view of the top plate of the support for the rock deflector shown in FIGURE 6; FIGURE 8A shows a top view of a top plate in accordance with a different modality; FIGURE 8B shows a side view of the top plate of FIGURE 8A illustrating a bolt that extends the length of the top plate; FIGURE 9 shows a close-up side view of an adjustable rock deflector bracket in accordance with another embodiment of this disclosure; FIGURE 10 shows a close-up rear view of the rock deflector bracket of FIGURE 9; FIGURE 11 shows a close-up side view of an adjustable rock deflector bracket in accordance with another embodiment of this disclosure; FIGURE 12 shows a close-up rear view of the rock deflector bracket of FIGURE 11; FIGURE 13 shows a close-up side view of an adjustable rock deflector bracket in accordance with another embodiment of this disclosure; and FIGURE 14 shows a close-up rear view of the rock deflector bracket of FIGURE 13; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a rear view of a truck chassis and body. The chassis has a pair of dual tires (3). An adjustable rock deflector bracket (2) mounted over each pair of tires allows a rock ejector, such as a chain or rock deflector bar (1), to be installed so that it extends downward from each bracket (2). Figure 2 shows a side view of the adjustable rock deflector bracket (2) mounted over a tire (3), with the rock deflector bar (1) extending downward from the bracket. As can be seen, when the bracket (2) is mounted on the truck body, the rock deflector bar (1) extends downward from the rock deflector bracket (2) into the space between the vehicle's tires (3). Figure 3 shows a closer side view of the rock deflector bracket (2). Figure 4 shows a close-up rear view of the rock deflector bar (1) mounted on the bracket (2). As can be seen, the upper end of the rock deflector bar (1) has an opening into which a pin (4) is inserted, and this pin (4) is then secured to the end brackets (8) of the bracket (2). The rock deflector bar (1) can therefore rotate about the pin (4). Typically, the rock deflector bar (1) can rotate more than 90° upward and toward the rear of the truck body on which the bracket (2) is mounted.In some embodiments, the rock deflector support (2) includes a bar retaining plate (9) that blocks the rotational movement of the rock deflector bar (1) well beyond a few degrees in the other direction (i.e., towards the front of the truck body). In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, the pin (4) has a series of holes (12) extending along its length. When the bracket (2) is attached to a truck body, the holes (12) are spaced laterally along the pin (4) and thus beneath the truck body. As shown in Figure 4, the bar retainers (6) slide over the pin (4) at opposite lateral ends of the upper edge of the deflector bar (1). In this embodiment, spacers or washers (5) between the bar retainers (6) and the upper end of the rock deflector bar (1) keep the rock deflector bar (1) away from the bar retainers (6). These washers (5) help maintain the rock deflector bar (1) in rotation around the pin (4). Figures 5 and 6 show close-up side and rear views of a rock deflector bracket (2) according to another embodiment. As illustrated, the upper end of a rock deflector bar (1) has an opening into which a pin (4) is connected, and the pin is then secured to the end brackets (8) of the bracket (2). The rock deflector bar (1) can therefore rotate about the pin. Typically, the rock deflector bar can rotate more than 90° upward and toward the rear of the truck body on which the bracket is mounted. In some embodiments, the rock deflector bracket (2) includes a bar retaining plate (9) that blocks the rotational movement of the rock deflector bar (1) well beyond a few degrees in the other direction (i.e., toward the front of the truck body).In this embodiment, a U-shaped bar retainer (6) is mounted around the pin (4), such that the sides of the bar retainer extend downwards on both sides of the deflector bar (1). Typically, a washer (5) is placed on the pin (4) on each side of the top of the deflector bar (1). i / crnn / zznz / B / Yi In this embodiment, the upper portion of the rod retainer includes holes through which one or more fasteners can be inserted. In the figures, the fasteners are represented as bolts (7), but other types of fasteners known in the art may be used. As shown in Figure 7, according to this embodiment, the upper plate (10) of the bracket (2) has a plurality of threaded holes (15) extending along its length, through which one or more bolts (7) can be screwed, whereby the upper plate (10) of the rod retainer (6) can be mounted to the rock deflector bracket (2). Therefore, in order to laterally displace the bar retainer (6) (and thus the rock deflector bar (1)), the bolts (7) are loosened and said bolts (7) are pulled out of the holes (15), and the rock deflector bar (1) and the bar retainer (6) are slid along the pin (4) in the desired lateral direction.When the rock deflector bar (1) is aligned in the chosen lateral position, the bolts (7) are screwed back into the appropriate holes (15) and the rock deflector bar (1) is placed in the new location. Figures 8A and 8B show a top view and a cutaway side view, respectively, of an alternative design for the top plate (10). In this embodiment, bolt slots (13) are machined into the top plate (10). The bolts (7) that hold the bar retainer (6) extend downward through the slots (13) and through the bar retainer (6), and are secured to the top plate (10) by means of nuts (14). Thus, to reinstall the rock deflector bar (1), the nuts (14) are loosened, and the bar retainer (6) slides laterally until it reaches the proper alignment to position the deflector bar (1) between the tires (3). The nuts (14) are then tightened to secure the rock deflector bar (1) in that position. As illustrated in Figures 8 and 10, in another embodiment, the adjustable bar support (2) secures a threaded pin (4), and the inner surfaces of the two bar retainers (6) are also threaded. Rotating the bar retainers (6) around the pin (4) causes the bar retainers (6), and therefore the rock deflector bar (1) and washers (5), to move along the pin (4) and thus laterally (side to side) along the underside of the truck body. Fasteners such as bolts (7) hold the bar retainers in the desired lateral position. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, according to another embodiment, the lateral location of a generally U-shaped bar retainer (6) is adjusted using bolts (7) screwed into threaded holes (15) in a top plate (10) of a rock deflector bracket (2). That is, similar to the embodiment described with respect to Figures 5-7, the location is adjusted by unscrewing the bolts (7), sliding the retainer along the pin (4) to the desired location, and using the bolts (7) to mount the bar retainer (6) to the top plate (10) of the bracket (2). According to this embodiment, the top plate (10) illustrated in Figure 8A (i.e., with slots (13) instead of threaded holes (15)) can also be used to provide greater positioning flexibility. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, according to another embodiment, the U-shaped bar retainer (6) can be adjusted laterally by moving the bar retainer (6) (and thus the lateral location of the rock deflector bar (1)) along the pin (4). Bolts (7) are then used to attach the bar retainer (6) to an intermediate mounting plate (20). The mounting plate (20) may be similar to those illustrated in Figures 7 or 8A, or it may adopt other designs. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 14, the mounting plate (20) has integrated slots (13) (as shown in Figure 8A) through which the bolts (7) are inserted, and instead of using nuts, the top of the bar retainer (6) has threaded holes to receive the bolts (7). During use, the rock deflector bar (1) is mounted on the pin (4). A bar retainer (6) and a washer (5) are positioned on either side of the top of the deflector bar (1). Fasteners, such as bolts (7), are inserted through the bar retainers (6) and through holes in pin 4 (or through a mounting plate (20) of the bar retainer (6)) to secure the bar retainers (6) (and thus the washers (5) and the rock deflector bar (1)) in a predetermined lateral position along the pin (4).As a result, the rock deflector bar (1) can be relocated relatively easily to a different lateral position along the pin (4) and thus to the underside of the truck body, to allow the rock deflector bar (1) to be placed in the empty space between the two tires, without the need to remove and replace the bracket (2) to and from the underside of the truck body. Those skilled in the art will observe that various designs and configurations of the rock deflector bracket (2) and pin (4) exist that meet the functional requirements of the various truck bodies and tire configurations used in the industry. Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art will observe that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its structures, methods, or other essential features, as described in detail herein and claimed below. The embodiments described should be considered in all respects as illustrative, not restrictive.

Claims

1. An adjustable rock deflector apparatus comprising: a bracket configured to be attached to the body of a truck, said bracket having a first bracket and a second bracket; a pin mounted on and extending between the first and second brackets, wherein the pin is configured to accept a first end of a rock ejector and to mount the first end of the rock ejector in an adjustable lateral position between the first and second brackets, wherein the lateral position depends at least partially on the lateral location of the tires mounted on the chassis of a truck on which the truck body is mounted for transporting the truck body; and a rock ejector rotatably mounted on a first end of the pin in a selected lateral position on the pin.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the rock ejector is mounted on the truck body, it extends towards the lower part of the truck body in the selected lateral position to make contact with and exert force on the debris that falls or accumulates in the selected lateral position and remove it.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support further comprises a rod retaining plate configured to limit the rotation of the rock ejector about the pin.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by at least one bar retainer that is fixed to the pin.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pin has a plurality of holes formed along the pin, wherein the holes pass, at least partially, through the pin, to receive a fastener for the purpose of attaching at least one bar retainer to the pin.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pin and at least one rod retainer are threaded accordingly to position at least one rod retainer laterally on the pin, thereby retaining the rock ejector in the selected lateral position.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by at least one bar retainer placed on the pin adjacent to the rock ejector, wherein at least one bar retainer can be fixed to the support.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by a bar retainer having a U-shaped configuration and comprising lateral portions projecting from a central portion, wherein the lateral portions receive the pin on each side of the rock ejector and the central portion of the bar retainer can be fixed to the support.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the support comprises a central portion from which the first and second supports extend, wherein the central portion of the support comprises a plurality of holes or slots along its lateral length to receive a fastener for fixing the bar retainer to the central portion of the support.

10. An adjustable rock deflector apparatus comprising: a bracket configured to be attached to the body of a truck, said bracket having a first side support and a second side support; and a pin mounted on and extending between the first and second side supports, wherein the pin has first and second ends connected to the first and second side supports of the rock deflector bracket, wherein the pin is configured to mount a first end of a rock ejector in an adjustable lateral position between the first and second side supports.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lateral position depends at least partially on the lateral location of the tires mounted on the chassis of a truck on which the truck body is mounted for transporting the truck body.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when the rock ejector is mounted on the truck body, it extends towards the lower part of the truck body in the selected lateral position to make contact with and exert force on the debris that falls or accumulates in the selected lateral position and remove it.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the support further comprises a rod retaining plate configured to limit the rotation of the rock ejector about the pin. i1 crnn / zznz / E / Yi 14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by means of at least one bar retainer that is fixed to the pin.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pin has a plurality of holes formed along the length of the pin, wherein the holes pass, at least partially, through the pin, to receive a fastener for the purpose of fixing the at least one bar retainer to the pin.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the pin and the at least one rod retainer are threaded accordingly to position at least one rod retainer laterally on the pin, thereby retaining the rock ejector in the selected lateral position.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by at least one bar retainer placed on the pin adjacent to the rock ejector, wherein the at least one bar retainer can be fixed to the support.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rock ejector is retained in the selected lateral position on the pin by means of a bar retainer having a U-shaped configuration and comprising lateral portions projecting from a central portion, wherein the lateral portions receive the pin on each side of the rock ejector and the central portion of the bar retainer can be fixed to the support.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the support comprises a central portion from which the first and second supports extend, wherein the central portion of the support comprises a plurality of holes or slots along its lateral length to receive a fastener for fixing the bar retainer to the central portion of the support.

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