Dump tray

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a chassis for a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle, the chassis being operative to support a floor of the dump tray and comprising: at least one chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail having a top and bottom surface, at least one web extending both in the longitudinal direction and between the top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions on the web and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a transition member fixed to the web at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions; and a plurality of floor bolsters projecting from the chassis rail at the floor bolster receiving regions, wherein the transition members are operative to accommodate load transfer from the floor bolsters to the chassis rail under loading of the vehicle tray floor.

Description

DUMP TRAYTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to dump trays particularly for dump vehicles for transporting bulk material, and components for use therein. The disclosure has particular application to dump trays for mining dump trucks used for removing excavated material from a mine site and is described in that context. However, it is to be appreciated that the disclosure has broader application and may be used in other vehicle types (such a rail wagons), or in other applications (such as in civil or agricultural works) where the vehicle tray is subjected to cyclical loading and unloading of payloads.BACKGROUND

[0002] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

[0003] Mining dump trucks are typically used to carry payload material that is excavated by a mining machine. The payload is placed in the dump tray of the truck that includes a chassis that supports the dump tray floor that carries the payload. Through use, the chassis of the dump tray is exposed to stresses that are caused by the loading induced by the received payload when placed in the dump tray. These induced stresses are cyclical as the dump tray is loaded and unloaded in use.

[0004] The dump tray’s chassis typically includes one or more chassis rail that extends in the front-to-back direction of the truck and bears on the truck body. The chassis further includes floor bolsters that project laterally from the chassis rail. These floor bolsters may be connected to the chassis rail directly (typically by a welded connection) or may extend through the chassis rail. In either case, the region of intersection between the floor bolsters and chassis rail is susceptible to high levels of stress concentrations and is therefore susceptible to fatigue cracks under cyclical loading.SUMMARY

[0005] In a first aspect, there is disclosed a chassis for a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle, the chassis being operative to support a floor of the dump tray and comprising: at least one chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail having a top and bottom surface, at least one web extending both in the longitudinal direction and between the top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions on the web and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a transition member fixed to the web at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions; and a plurality of floor bolsters projecting from the chassis rail at the floor bolster receiving regions, wherein the transition members are operative to accommodate load transfer from the floor bolsters to the chassis rail under loading of the vehicle tray floor.

[0006] In some embodiments, the transition member comprises a body that extends in the direction of the plane of the web and including a stem that is fixed to the web.

[0007] In some embodiments, the stem is coplanar with the web so that the stem and web are fixed in abutting relation.

[0008] In some embodiments, the stem is parallel with the web and fixed to the web by a lap connection.

[0009] In some embodiments, at one or more of the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolster is connected to the chassis rail through the transition member, the body of transition member forming the corner between the web of the chassis rail and the floor bolster.

[0010] In some embodiments, the body includes at least one arm projecting laterally in the plane of the web, the at least one arm being fixed to a respective floor bolster.

[0011] In some embodiments, the body of the transition member is turned in the plane of web to include a base region and opposite side regions.

[0012] In some embodiments, the transition member further comprises a stiffening member extending between the opposite side regions of the body.

[0013] In some embodiments, the stiffening member is in the form of a web.

[0014] In some embodiments, the stiffening member is in the form of a bridging member and wherein a passage is formed through the transition member, the passage being defined by the base region and opposite side regions of the body and the bridging member.

[0015] In some embodiments, at one or more of the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolster passes through a discontinuity formed in the web, and wherein the transition member is fixed to an edge of the web defining the discontinuity to thereby strengthen the web.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the body is substantially cruciform, T- shaped or L-shaped.

[0017] In some embodiments, the web is welded to the body of the transition member.

[0018] In some embodiments, the transition member defines a contact surface that is configured to abut with the floor of the dump tray.

[0019] In some embodiments, the chassis rail includes a pair of webs, and the transition member comprises two said bodies fixed to respective webs, and a connecting member interconnecting the respective bodies.

[0020] In some embodiments, the top and / or bottom surface of the rail is formed from an edge of the web. In such an arrangement, the rail is formed as an open section.

[0021] In some embodiments, the top and / or bottom surface is formed from an outer wall of flange. In one arrangement, the flange may interconnect two webs thereby providing a closed section at the top and / or bottom surface.

[0022] In some embodiments, the transition member is integrally formed as a casting.

[0023] In a second aspect, there is disclosed a chassis for a dump tray of a bulk material transport vehicle, the dump tray having a floor, opposite side walls, and a front wall defining a payload bed, the chassis comprising: at least one chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail including a plurality for floor bolster receiving regions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of floor bolsters projecting from the chassis rail at the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolsters extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, a plurality of side wall bolsters extending along the side wall transverse to the floor bolsters, and a plurality of transition members, each transition member providing a corner interconnecting a respectivefloor bolster to either the chassis rail or side wall bolster and operative to accommodate load transfer therebetween under loading induced by a payload in the payload bed.

[0024] In some embodiments, the transition members are formed of metal castings.

[0025] In some embodiments, the transition members are formed from a forging process.

[0026] In a third aspect, there is a chassis rail sub-assembly for a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle, the sub-assembly comprising: a chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail including a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and a transition member fixed to the web at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions, the transition members being operative to accommodate floor bolsters at the floor bolster receiving regions.

[0027] In some embodiments, the floor bolsters are arranged to extend transverse to the chassis rail and the transition members are arranged to interconnect respective ones of the floor bolsters to the chassis rail and provide a corner therebetween to accommodate load transfer between the floor bolster and the rail.

[0028] In some embodiments, the rail comprises a top and bottom surface, at least one web extending between the top and bottom surfaces and in the longitudinal direction, the web including discontinuities at the floor bolster receiving regions to receive the floor bolsters wherein the transition members are operative to strengthen the web at the discontinuities to accommodate loading within the rail.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, there is a transition member for use in a chassis or chassis rail subassembly according to any one of the preceding aspects or embodiments.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, there is a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle having a chassis or chassis rail sub-assembly according to any one of the preceding aspects or embodiments.

[0031] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the above Summary, specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The present technology is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements including:

[0033] Figs. 1 A-1 B illustrates an example of a mining dump truck including a dump tray;

[0034] Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of the connection between the dump tray and truck chassis of the truck shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0035] Fig. 3 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the dump tray shown in Fig 1 ;

[0036] Fig. 4 illustrates a top perspective view of the dump tray shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0037] Fig. 5 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the dump tray of Fig. 3 showing the chassis rail assembly;

[0038] Fig. 6 illustrates a partial close-up perspective view of the chassis rail assembly of the dump tray shown in in Fig 3;

[0039] Fig. 7A - 7B illustrate a top perspective and bottom perspective view of a transition member in accordance with a first embodiment for use in the dump tray of Fig. 3;

[0040] Fig. 8A - 8B illustrate a sectional and bottom perspective view of a chassis rail assembly of the dump tray of Fig. 3;

[0041] Fig. 9 illustrates a bottom perspective view of a variation of transition member of Figs. 7A and 7B;

[0042] Fig. 10A - 10B illustrate a top perspective and bottom perspective view of a transition member in accordance with a second embodiment for use in the dump tray of Fig. 3;

[0043] Fig. 10C - 10D illustrate a top perspective and bottom perspective view of a transition member in accordance with a variation of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 10A - 10B for use in the dump tray of Fig. 3;

[0044] Fig. 11A - 11 B illustrate a close-up view of an example of weld preparations on the transition member shown in Fig. 10A - 10B;

[0045] Fig. 12A - 12B illustrate a cross-sectional side and a top cross-sectional perspective view of a transition member in a chassis rail assembly in accordance with a third embodiment;

[0046] Fig. 13A - 13B illustrate side perspective views of a transition member in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

[0047] Fig. 14A - 14B illustrate top side perspective and bottom side perspective view of an example of a method of assembling the chassis rail assembly with the transition member shown in Fig. 10A-10B; and

[0048] Fig. 15A - 15B illustrate a close-up bottom perspective view and a transparent bottom perspective view of the method of assembling the chassis rail assembly with the transition member shown in Fig. 10A-10B.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0049] Before the present technology is described in further detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, which may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing only the particular examples or embodiments discussed herein, and is not intended to be limiting.

[0050] The following description is provided in relation to various embodiments which may share one or more common characteristics and / or features. It is to be understood that one or more features of any one of the embodiments may be combinable with one or more features of another embodiment. In addition, any single feature or combination of features in any of the embodiments may constitute a further example.

[0051] The reader will also appreciate and understand that any use of relative, directional and / or positional terms as described herein (e.g., front, rear, top, bottom, above, proximal, central, lower, upper, right side, left side, etc) are used to convey and describe to the reader the relative position, and / or orientation of features of the dump tray as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0052] For example, with reference to the image of Fig. 3, the “front” side of the dump tray 6 would be the left side of Fig. 3 (when facing into the page) and the “rear” side of the dump tray 6 would be the right side of Fig. 3 (when facing into the page). Similarly, with reference to Fig. 4, the “right” side of the dump tray 6 would be on the right side of Fig. 4 (when facing into the page) and the “left” side of the dump tray 6 would be on the left side of Fig. 4 (when facing into the page).

[0053] Furthermore, the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ surfaces of the floor plates of the dump tray 6 are described relative to where the payload material is located in the dump tray 6. The person skilled in the art would understand that the ‘inner’ surfaces of the floor plates of the dump truck 6 would be proximal to where the payload material 24 is generally located in the payload bed 22, whereas the “outer” surfaces of the floor plates of the dump truck 6 would be the surfaces facing away from the payload bed and would therefore be configured to receive the chassis 50, further described herein.

[0054] Figs. 1 A, 1 B and 2 illustrate a mining dump truck 2 including a truck body 4 and a dump truck tray 6. The mining dump tray 6 is mounted to the truck body 4 via a pivot assembly 8 and a hydraulic system 10 (further described herein). In use, the dump tray 6 is arranged to receive a payload 24 from an excavator (not shown) whilst the tray 6 is orientated in a horizontal position (Fig. 1 B). The payload 24 is then transported to a dump site, where it is dumped by tilting of the dump tray as shown in Fig. 1 under operation of the hydraulic system 10. The payload 24 exits via the open rear region 20 of the dump tray 6.

[0055] The dump tray 6 has a canopy section 12 at the front side and a payload section 14 at the rear side of the dump tray 6, with the canopy section 12 (while the chassis 50 is mounted in the generally horizontal position onto the frame 5 of the truck body 4) being located above the front driver compartment 16 and cantilevered off the payload section 14 that is located above the rear portion 17 of the truck body 4.

[0056] The payload section 14 of the dump tray 6 has an open top region 18 to receive the payload 24 from the excavator and the open rear region 20 for dumping of the payload 24.

[0057] Turning now to Figs. 3 and 4, a payload bed 22 of the payload section 14 is defined by a floor 26, a front wall 28, and opposing left and right side walls 30 and 32 respectively. In the illustrated form, the surfaces of the payload bed are made from plates (typically steel plate) that are connected together, typically by welding, to create a continuous structure.

[0058] To define corner regions, the dump tray 6 also has a lower floor-front wall transition portion 34 that extends between the front wall 28 and floor 26, a lower floor-to-right-side transition portion 36 that extends between the right wall 32 and floor 26, and a lower floor-to- left-side transition portion 38 that extends between the floor 26 and the left wall plate 30. The dump tray 6 also has a curved front-to-right-side wall transition portion 42 that extends between the front wall 28 and right-side wall plate 32, and a curved front-to-left-side wall transition portion 44 that extends between the front wall 28 and left side wall plate 30.

[0059] Defining the canopy section 12, the dump tray 6 has a canopy 46 that extends from the front wall 28 of the payload section 14 via a front wall-to-canopy transition portion 40 to a canopy headboard 48 that is situated above the driver compartment 16 of the truck 4 to thereby protect the driver from the payload material 24.

[0060] The payload bed 22 is typically made from steel wear plates and the adjoining chassis 50 (as further described herein) is also typically made from high tensile steel. In some forms, the payload bed of the dump tray 6 can be made from other materials such a rubber-based or even carbon fibre type material. In such cases, rather than being formed from plates and transition regions, the payload bed may be moulded or otherwise formed into its desired shape.

[0061] Referring now to Fig. 5 and 6, the chassis 50 is operative for supporting the payload bed 22. In use, the chassis 50 is designed to support the payload bed 22 so as to ensure the bed 22 retains its required shape during operation and to transfer load through to the frame 5 of the truck body.

[0062] The chassis 50 has a chassis rail sub-assembly 52 that has at least one chassis rail 54 that is adapted to be supported on the frame 5 of the truck 2. Whilst in the illustrated form, two chassis rails are disclosed, for ease of reference, the following description will refer to only a single rail 54. However, it is to be appreciated that this description is not limiting to a single rail assembly and encompasses the multiple rail arrangement as illustrated.

[0063] The chassis rail 54 extends in a longitudinal (forward-and-back) direction along the outer surfaces of the floor of the dump tray 6 (e.g., of the floor plate 26, lower floor-front wall transition portion 34) between opposite ends defined by a protruding front end member 56 and a rear end 58. However, it is to be appreciated that in some forms the front end member 56 does not protrude from the dump tray 6.

[0064] The chassis rail 54 has a top and bottom surface 60, 62 and at least one web or side surface 64 extending in the longitudinal direction between the front end 56 and the rear end 58 of the chassis rail 54 and between the top surface 60 and bottom surface 62 of the chassis rail 54. In the illustrated form, the rail 54 includes two webs (forming a closed section by flanges 63). However, it is to be appreciated that the rail may form an open section at one of the top or bottom surfaces or a single web may be used, typically in an I-beam configuration.

[0065] As indicated above, the chassis rail 54 also has a chassis rail flange 63 that is fixed, or integrally formed with, the bottom edge 62 of the chassis rail webs 64 to thereby define II beam profile defining an enclosure or cavity between the chassis webs 64. In use, the floor 26 of the payload bed 22, spans the chassis webs along an upper edge such that the chassis rail forms a closed section.

[0066] The webs of the chassis rail 64 also provide a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions 68 (better shown in Fig. 14A) that are defined by discontinuities 69 (see Fig 14A) to receive the floor bolsters 66. These regions are spaced along the chassis rail (in the illustrated form seven floor bolster regions are included along the rail).

[0067] Associated with these floor bolster regions 64 are transition members 100 (or 150, 200, 300 and / or 400). In tsome forms, these transition members are made from metal castings. Whilst the use of castings provide a cost effective means of production to allow the members to have the required structural properties, it is to be appreciated that the members could be made by other ways including from a machining, forging, or milling process or combination thereof. For example, the castings may include components (such as casting pads (not shown)) that are incorporated into the castings but which may be subsequently removed by a post casting processes (such as milling).

[0068] The transition members 100 (or 150, 200, 300 and / or 400) are operative to better accommodate the stress concentrations and metal fatigue that typically occur at the floor bolster receiving regions 68. These stress concentrations may be induced by the discontinuities 69 in the chassis rail and, when the floor bolsters are directly connected to the rail, at the corner region formed at the connection of those components. This can allow the stress concentrations to be taken up by the transition members themselves rather than the welding to thereby provide superior fatigue life and to further accommodate loading within the chassis rail 54 and / or the chassis system 50 as a whole.

[0069] In arrangements where the floor bolsters are welded to the chassis rail, the transition members can advantageously be made of the same ‘parent’ metal as with chassis 54 and bolster 66 which can have a significantly longer fatigue life than welds, as the metal forming process such as casting or forging can lend themselves well to the organic and curved shapes that help to mitigate the stress concentrations that might normally accelerate fatigue damage. Further, whilst welds may still be used at the connection, these can be moved from areas of high stress concentration.

[0070] The use of transition members can also provide mass reduction benefits, where they can allow the overall mass of the dump tray 6 to be lower thereby allowing payloads 24 to be higher and increasing the overall productivity of the truck 2.

[0071] Furthermore, the use of transition members can advantageously facilitate the use of full penetration butt welds, instead of fillet welds, to join the bolsters 66 to the chassis rails 54 of the chassis 50 to thereby give superior fatigue life and reduce the overall cost of welding.

[0072] The chassis rail 54 further includes one or more pivot brackets or clevises 92 defining a pivot point that is adapted to receive the pivot assembly 8 of truck frame 5 (better shown in Fig. 2). The pivot brackets 92 provide a tray up or body prop restraint 94 and / or pivot bosses 96 that are configured to couple the pivot assembly 8 of the truck frame 5 to the dump tray 6.

[0073] The chassis 50 also provides one or more hydraulic cylinder brackets or hoist brackets 98 that extend between adjacent floor bolsters 66 typically proximal the front wall 28 of the dump tray 6 to couple with the hydraulic lift point or system 10 of the truck frame 5, with the brackets 98 providing one or more hydraulic bosses 97 that are adapted to receive the hydraulic lift system 10 (better shown in Fig. 2).

[0074] The hydraulic lift system 10 connects with the hoist bracket 98 to provide a lifting force which provides a moment to thereby pivot the payload section 14 of the tray 6 about the pivot point of the pivot bracket 92 to allow the payload material 24 to be removed from the payload bed 22 (by external forces such as gravity).

[0075] Mounted on the flange 63 of the chassis rail 54 are a plurality of chassis rail body mounts or pads or shims 99 that are configured to align with the truck frame 5. During travel or use, the dump tray 6 engages the truck frame 5 at the pads 99 which provide a protective resilient support layer for interfacing between the dump tray 6 and truck 2. In some forms, thepads 99 are made of rubber though other suitable materials for cushioning the dump tray 6 with the frame of the truck 5 can be used as is known in the art.

[0076] The chassis 50 also includes a plurality of floor bolsters 66 projecting transversely or laterally from the chassis rail 54 at the respective floor bolster receiving regions 68. The floor bolsters 66 typically extend transversely to a floor bolster capping plate 70 or to a floor-to-side wall transition bolster 72.

[0077] In some forms, the chassis 50 of the dump tray 6 can further include front vertical bolsters or stanchions 74 extending upwardly from the chassis rail 54 of the chassis rail assembly 50 along the front wall 28 of the dump tray.

[0078] In some forms, the chassis 50 of the dump tray 6 can also include side-wall vertical bolsters or stanchions 76 extending vertically from the respective floor-to-side wall transition bolsters 72 along the side walls 30, 32 of the dump tray 6.

[0079] The front wall vertical bolsters 74 typically extend vertically along the front wall 28 to a canopy support stay or strut 78 with a plurality of front wall horizontal bolsters 80 extending transversely or laterally therefrom.

[0080] In some forms, a plurality of canopy stringers 82 can extend longitudinally from the respective canopy support stays 78 along the outer surface of the canopy plate 46 to the canopy headboard 48, with a plurality of horizontal canopy bolsters 88 transversely or laterally extending therebetween opposing canopy cantrails 90.

[0081] The side-wall vertical bolsters 76 typically extend from the floor transition bolsters 72 towards an upper side cantrails 86 with a plurality of lower side cantrails 84 extending transversely or laterally therefrom.

[0082] Referring now to Fig. 6, the bolster transition members 100 (further described herein) that are fixed to the web 64 of the chassis rail 54 and are disposed at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions 68 to thereby provide a corner 101 for the respective floor bolsters 66 and the web 64 of the chassis rail 54 to interconnect thereat.

[0083] The transition members 100 are operative to accommodate load transfer therebetween or from the floor bolsters 66 to the chassis rail 54 while under loading of the floor or payloadbed 22 of the truck tray 6 induced by a payload 24 to thereby improve the fatigue life of the dump tray 6.

[0084] The individual floor bolsters 66 and / or the floor transition bolsters 72 can be welded or fixed to the outer surface of the dump tray 6 and / or directly to the web 64 of the chassis rail 54 with or without the interconnecting transition members 100 (as further described herein).

[0085] With reference to Fig. 7A-8B, a first embodiment of the transition member 100 will now be described. The transition member 100 has a body 102 and a stiffening web member or portion 104. The body 102 extends generally in a Y-Z plane which is aligned with the stiffening web 104 and is turned in that Y-Z plane to follow and / or align with the profile of the adjoining floor bolsters 66 (better shown in Fig. 8B) and / or the floor bolster receiving region 68 (e.g., in Fig. 14A).

[0086] In the illustrated form, the body 102 is generally U-shaped having a base region 112 and opposite side regions 114 and 116. The body 102 typically has a constant cross-section that is generally cruciform or T-shaped having opposite arms 106, 108 that project laterally or transversely from the Y-Z plane, and a stem, 110 which extends in the Y-Z plane.

[0087] In the disclosed form, the transition member 100 is made from a single metal forming process such that the body 102 and stiffening web 104 are integrally formed as a single unit. However, it is to be appreciated that the body 102 may be made from other manufacturing processes that are known in the art and such methods are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the components of the transition member 100 could be machined or the body 102 and / or the stiffening web 104 may be made separately and assembled.

[0088] In some forms, the shape of the profile of the body 102 can vary according to the profile of the discontinuities 69 at the floor bolster receiving region 68 of the chassis rail 54 and / or floor bolster 66 (e.g., V-shaped, rectangular, arcuate etc).

[0089] In some forms, the cross-section of the body 102 can also vary according to the profile of the required corner configuration required at the floor bolster receiving region 68 (e.g., L- shaped, X-shaped).

[0090] Referring to Fig. 8A, the chassis rail 54 includes two parallel webs 60. At each floor bolster receiving region 68, a respective transition member 100 is secured within thediscontinuity formed in each web 64. As illustrated, each transition member 100 is located in place such that the stem 110 of the body 102 is in the plane of its associated chassis rail web 64 such that the transition members form a continuation of the respective webs 60. As such, the end faces of the respective stems are directly opposing the inner edge surface of the web 60 that is defining the discontinuity 69. The stem 110 of the transition member 100 may be fixed to the web 64 using a full penetration butt weld (instead of, e.g., fillet welds) to form a connection thereat which can advantageously provide a superior fatigue life and a reduction in the cost for welding.

[0091] With the transition members 100 in place, a chassis rail sub-assembly 52 is formed comprising the chassis rail 54 including webs 64 and flange 63, and transition members 100. The opposite arms 106, 108 of the transition members 100 project outwardly from the chassis rail 54 and provide connections regions 93 for the floor bolsters 66 and a stubby floor bolster 91 that locates between aligned transition members 100. A benefit of this arrangement is that the corner, or transition, between the chassis rail 54 and floor bolsters 66, 91 , is formed by the body 102 of the transition members 100 and the connection regions 93 are spaced from the corner (by the length of the respective arms). This not only allows for easier connection of the floor bolsters 66, 91 to the chassis rail 54, it also moves the connection for the area of highest stress, being at the corner between the connected rail 54 and floor bolsters 66, and 91.

[0092] The in-rail floor bolster or stubby floor bolster 91 is disposed to be in alignment with the arms 106,108 of the transition members 100 and is configured to stiffen the webs 64 of the chassis rail 54 to resist bucking and to allow a continuous load path across aligned sections of floor bolsters 66.

[0093] Full penetration butt welds are able to be used at the connection regions to connect the transition members 100 to the floor bolsters 66 and the stubby floor bolsters 91. To facilitate welding, the user may cast or machine weld preparations (e.g., chamfers and / or bevels) onto the transition member casting 100 to minimise the amount of work that is required while in the manufacturing site (better shown as bevel 228 on transition member 200 in Fig. 11A - 11 B).

[0094] In some forms, the transition member 100 may also include backing bars (better shown as backing bar 230 for transition member 200 in Fig. 11 A - 11 B) extending or projecting from the body 102 of the transition member 100 to assist with the welding process.

[0095] Referring to Fig. 8B, the transition member 100 is shown to be interconnected with the floor bolsters 66, chassis rail webs 64 and with the provided stubby floor bolster 91.

[0096] The transition members 100 are typically made from the same ‘parent’ material as with the floor bolster 66, 91 and chassis rail 54 to further improve the fatigue life of the welding formed therebetween.

[0097] In some forms, a contact surface 132 defined by the body 102 and / or web 104 of the transition member 100 can be machined to remove any unwanted rough surfaces and for a cleaner finish to thereby prevent related cracks from forming on the floor 26 of the dump tray 6.

[0098] With reference to Fig. 9, a variant 150 of the transition member 100 will now be described. The transition member 150 includes many of the same structural features as the transition member 100, and like features have been given like reference numerals. The difference in the variant 150 is that an internal opening 152 is defined within the transition member 100. This internal opening is provided by using a bridging member 153, in place of the stiffening web 104. The bridging member 153 still provide stiffening of the body 100 and is located at the distal ends of the body arms 114, 116, but uses less materials, providing both weight and material cost savings.

[0099] Advantageously, the opening 152 of the transition member 150 can also provide the user access to certain corners and / or edges between the transition member 150, chassis rail 54 and / or floor bolster 66 for welding, particularly to access and / or inspect the inside region of the transition member 150 and / or to facilitate tray heating.

[0100] For tray heating, particularly when the dump tray 6 is used in colder climates, the dump trays 6 can be heated with exhaust gas that are provided through a connected floor bolster 66, or other means (e.g., through side wall bolsters 72, chassis rail 54 etc.), to advantageously avoid and prevent payload material 24 from freezing and / or sticking to the payload bed 22. The internal opening provides fluid communication across the floor bolsters 66, 91 and into the chassis rail 54.

[0101] With reference to Fig. 10A - 11 B, a second embodiment of the transition member 200 will now be described. Drawing similar structural features as with the transition member 100, 150 previously described herein, the transition member 200 differs in having at least a pair of bodies 202 and a stiffening web member or portion 204, which areinterconnected by channel member 220. As such, the transition member 200 integrates the two transition members 100 and stubby floor bolster 91 at a floor bolster receiving region 68 of the first embodiment into a single unit. Again, advantageously, the transition member 200 can be made from a single metal forming process. Alternatively, it can be made of separate components (be they made from individual castings or other processes) which are then connected (e.g. by welding) and then supplied as an integrated unit 200.

[0102] In the illustrated form, each body 202 extends generally in a Y-Z plane which is aligned with the respective stiffening webs 204 and are turned in the Y-Z plane to follow and / or align with the profile of discontinuity 69 (as shown in Fig. 14A) and the floor bolster 66 (as shown in Fig. 15B).

[0103] In the illustrated form, the bodies 202 are generally U-shaped and each having a base region 212 and opposite side regions 214 and 216. The bodies 202 each have a constant cross-section that is generally cruciform or T-shaped having opposite arms 206, 208, that project laterally from the plane Y-Z, and a stem 210 which extends in the Y-Z plane. In the transition member, the inner arms 208 merge with the channel 220 that spans the two bodies 202.

[0104] The centrally aligned bridging or channel member 220 extends between the opposite inner arms 208 of the bodies 200. The bridging member 220 is also generally turned in a U-shape profile along the Y-Z plane and provides opposing first and second side bridging walls 222, 224 that extend between the opposing side regions 214, 216 of the bodies 202, and a base bridging member 226 that extends between the base regions 212 of the bodies 202 to align with the profile of the floor bolster 66 (better shown in Fig. 15B).

[0105] In the disclosed form, the transition member 200 is made from a single casting such that each body 202, stiffening web 204 and the bridging member 220 are integrally formed as a single unit. However, it is to be appreciated that the transition member 200 may be made from other manufacturing processes that are suitably known in the art. For example, the individual components of the transition member 200 could be machined, or the bodies 202, stiffening webs 204 and the bridging member 220 may be made separately and assembled.

[0106] With reference to Fig. 10C - 11 D, a variation of the second embodiment of the transition member 200 will now be described. The variation of the transition member 200 primarily differs in having no stiffening web member(s) or portion(s) 204. As such, the transition member 200 can comprise a generally open space defined by the base region 212 and theopposite side regions 214 and 216. Such a profile / configuration of the body 202 can provide advantages, for example, to provide greater access within the transition member and reduce the complexity of the component to manufacture for example if the transition member 200 is formed by casting, an efficacy of such casting process can be improved, e.g., reducing voids, improving mould release, etc.

[0107] Referring now to Fig. 11A and 11 B, for full penetration butt welds used with the transition member 200, the user can form or machine weld preparations (e.g., chamfers or bevels 228) onto the stem 210 to then weld or fix to the chassis rail 64 and / or the opposing arms 206, 208 to minimise the work that is required while in the manufacturing site and to improve / strengthen the weld connections.

[0108] In the illustrated form, the transition member 200 includes a backing bar 230 extending from the opposing arms 206, 208 to assist with welding preparations (e.g., with the floor bolster 66 shown in Fig. 15B), The backing bar 230 is machined post-forming to correct surface tolerances, though, in other forms, the backing bar 230 can be integrally formed with the transition member 200. In other forms, these backing bars 230 can be incorporated onto the stem 210 to improve the connection with the (e.g.) chassis rail 64 or floor 26 of the dump tray 6.

[0109] A planar abutting contact surface 232 defined by the body 202 and / or web 204 of the transition member 200 can be machined to remove any unwanted rough surfaces and for a cleaner finish to advantageously prevent fatigue related cracks forming on the abutting floor plate 26 of the dump tray 6.

[0110] Though the disclosed form of weld preparation techniques is illustrated and described with reference to the transition member 200, these techniques can also correspondingly apply to other variations of the transition member (e.g., 100, 150, 300, 400).

[0111] Referring now to Fig. 12A-12B, a third embodiment of the transition member 300 will now be described. Drawing similar structural features to transition members 100, 150 and 200, at each floor bolster receiving region 68, a transition member 300 is secured within the discontinuity 69 formed in each web 64 with a separate but coupled web stiffener 304 that is provided or housed within the floor bolster 66.

[0112] The transition member 300 is used for a “through-bolster” configuration of the chassis assembly 50, whereby the floor bolster 66 extends or passes through a discontinuityof the chassis web 64 (as shown as 69 in Fig. 14A). In the illustrated form, a clearance gap 360 is defined or situated between the floor bolster 66 and transition member 300. The use of the transition member 300 strengthens the web 64 to which it is connected in the region of the discontinuity which is an area of high stress concentration by virtue of its shape and reduced cross-sectional area.

[0113] In the illustrated form, the transition member 300 has a body 302 and a separate stiffening web 304 that is arranged within the floor bolster 66. The stiffening web 304 extends within the inner surfaces of the floor bolster 66 and is aligned with the body 302.

[0114] In the illustrated form, the body 302 extends in a Y-Z plane generally in a II- shaped profile that is aligned the profile of the floor bolsters 66. The body 302 has a base region 312 and opposite side regions 314 and 316. The body 300 has a constant cross-section that is T-shaped having opposing arms 306, 308, that project laterally or transversely from the Y-Z plane and having a stem 310 which extends in the Y-Z plane.

[0115] The transition member 300 is secured to a respective web 64 of the chassis rail 54 with the plane of the body 302 aligned with the plane of the chassis web rail 64. With this arrangement, the stem 310 and the stiffening web 304 is in the plane of its associated chassis rail web 64 such that the transition members form a continuation of the respective webs 64. To secure the transition member 300 in place, a fully penetration butt weld is formed between the opposing edges.

[0116] At the opposing ends of side regions 314 and 316 proximal to the floor 26 of the dump tray 6, the body 302 has opposing first and second planar contact surfaces 332, 334 that are generally rectangular in profile and are configured to abut with the outer surface of the floor 26 of the dump tray 6.

[0117] In the illustrated form, the contact surfaces 332, 334 are substantially coplanar with the top surface 60 of the chassis rail web 64. In some forms, the contact surfaces 332, 334 can be parallel and can be machined and / or casted into profiles that are not necessarily restricted to the illustrated form, e.g., curved, triangular, square, circular etc.

[0118] Unlike the earlier embodiments where the opposing arms of the body form connection regions for the floor bolsters, in the transition member 300, the arms 306, 308, provide geometric stiffness to the member 300 by acting as flanges to give rigidity to the member 300.

[0119] In the disclosed form, the transition member 300 is typically made from a single casting or forming process such that the body 302 is integrally formed as a single unit. However, it is to be appreciated that the body 302 may be made from other manufacturing processes that are known in the art. For example, the components could be machined, or the side regions 314, 316, contact surface 332, 334, the base region 312, the body 302 and / or the web 304 may be made separately and assembled.

[0120] Referring now to Fig. 13A-13B, a fourth embodiment of a transition member 400 will now be described. It is understood that the transition member 400 is typically used (though not restricted to) being fitted onto a chassis rail assembly 50 whereby there is no discontinuity 69 in the chassis rail web 64 to receive the transition member 400.

[0121] Though not shown in the illustrated form, the transition member 400 is configured to be lapped over the web 64 of the chassis rail 54 to then align with a floor bolster 66 (not illustrated herein) to thereby improve the fatigue life of the existing dump tray 6 and to prevent stress concentrations that may cause weld cracking between the chassis rail 54 and floor bolster 66.

[0122] The transition member 400 has a body 402 that is configured to lap over the surface of the web 64 of a chassis rail 54 . The body 402 extends in a Y-Z plane and is turned in that Y-Z plane in a generally U-shaped profile to follow and align with the profile of a floor bolster 66 (not illustrated herein).

[0123] In the illustrated form, the body 402 has a base region 412 and opposite side regions 414 and 416. The body 400 has a cross-section that is generally L-shaped having an arm 406 that projects laterally or transversely from the Y-Z plane to define a bolster contact surface 440, and a stem or fin 410 which extends in the Y-Z plane to define a web contact surface 442.

[0124] Though not illustrated herein, the bolster contact surface 440 defines a floor bolster channel or discontinuity 480 that is adapted to align with the inner surface of the floor bolster 66. The bolster surface 440 is adapted to abut with the edge of the floor bolster 66, and the web contact surface 442 is adapted to lap over or abut with the surface of the chassis web 64.

[0125] With this arrangement, the stem 410 or the chassis web contact surface 442 is disposed to be parallel with the plane of the chassis rail web 64. In use, the edge of the stem 410 are fixed at the web 64 of the chassis rail 54, and the arm 406 is configured to extend inline with the floor bolster 66 with a full-penetration butt weld formed therebetween.

[0126] In the disclosed form, the transition member 400 may be made from a single casting such that the body 402 is integrally formed as a single unit. However, it is to be appreciated that the body 402 may be made from other manufacturing processes that are suitably known in the art. For example, the components could be machined, or the side regions 414, 416 and / or the base region 412 of the body 402 may be made separately and assembled.

[0127] Referring now to Fig. 14A-15B, an example of a method of assembling or preparing the chassis rail assembly 50 or chassis rail sub-assembly 52 will now be described in accordance with the embodiments of the invention. Though the example of the method is illustrated and described with reference to the transition member 200, the method can apply to other variations of the transition member (e.g., 100, 150, 300, 400). The welding preparation techniques previously described herein (as shown from, e.g., Fig. 11A and 11 B) are also typically used prior to assembling the chassis rail assembly 50.

[0128] As shown in Fig. 14A, the chassis rail webs 64 of the chassis rails 54 are provided with floor bolster receiving regions 68 with discontinuities 69 that are configured or adapted to receive floor bolsters 66 or the transition member 200.

[0129] The stems 210 of each body 202 of the transition member casting 200 are aligned with to be coplanar with a plane defined by the floor bolster receiving region 68 of the web 64 and then butt welded to the webs 64 of the chassis rail 54 at the respective edges of the discontinuities 69.

[0130] Referring now to Fig. 14B, the chassis rail 54 and the transition member 200 are arranged at the outer surface of the provided floor 26 of the dump tray 6. The internally facing edges of the webs 64 and the outer edges of bridging member 220 of the transition member 200 are welded onto the floor plate 26 of the dump tray 6 to form a welded connection or corners thereat.

[0131] Referring now to Fig. 15A, the user can lay down a weld between the outer edges of the webs 204 of the transition member 200 and the floor 26 of the dump tray 6 to form a welded edge or corner thereat between the transition member 200 and floor 26.

[0132] Referring now to Fig 15B, the user can then weld the web 64 of the chassis rail 54 and the provided floor bolster 66 to close any gaps defined therebetween, thereby connecting the chassis rail assembly 50 to the dump tray 6.

[0133] A covering flange member 63 can also be fixed onto the web 64 to enclose the chassis rail assembly 50 with the floor 26 to define a cavity or enclosure therein.

[0134] It is understood that the disclosed form of the method of assembling or preparing the chassis rail 50 with reference to transition member 200 can also be applied with other variations of the transition member (e.g.,100, 150, 300 and / or 400).

[0135] In the above description the transition members (100, 150, 200, 300, 400), interconnect floor bolsters 66, 91 to the chassis rails 54 or strengthen the chassis rail at junctions between those components (in the case of a “through bolster arrangement”). In either case, these junctions are characterised by the components extending in different directions that requires management of stress concentrations that occur at such junctions. A feature of at least some of these arrangements is that the transition members form the corner (or transition) at that junction and as such, is better able to accommodate the stress at that junction. Further, connection regions for those components can be moved away from those corners (to areas where there is less stress). Further, making these transition members as castings provide a cost-effective component with the required material properties.

[0136] It is to be understood that the use of transition members, particularly cast transition members, can also apply to other corner connections formed along the chassis 50 for the entire dump truck tray 6 where chassis components change direction or where two mutually inclined components meet. Such connections for the chassis 50 may include, and are not limited to, e.g.: the side wall vertical bolsters 76 with the upper and / or lower side cantrails 84, 86; the floor transition bolsters 72 with the side wall vertical bolsters 76 and / or floor bolsters 66; the front wall horizontal bolsters 80 with the front wall vertical bolsters 74, the lower side cantrails 84 and / or the canopy support struts 78; and / orthe horizontal canopy bolsters 88 with the canopy stringers 82 and / or canopy support struts 78.

[0137] It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0138] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.REFERENCE NUMERAL GUIDE

Claims

CLAIMS1. A chassis for a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle, the chassis being operative to support a floor of the dump tray and comprising: at least one chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail having a top and bottom surface, at least one web extending both in the longitudinal direction and between the top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions on the web and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a transition member fixed to the web at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions; and a plurality of floor bolsters projecting from the chassis rail at the floor bolster receiving regions, wherein the transition members are operative to accommodate load transfer from the floor bolsters to the chassis rail under loading of the vehicle tray floor.

2. The chassis according to claim 1, wherein the transition member comprises a body that extends in the direction of the plane of the web and including a stem that is fixed to the web.

3. The chassis according to claim 2, wherein the stem is coplanar with the web so that the stem and web are fixed in abutting relation.

4. The chassis according to claim 2, wherein the stem is parallel with the web and fixed to the web by a lap connection.

5. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, at one or more of the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolster is connected to the chassis rail through the transition member, the body of transition member forming the corner between the web of the chassis rail and the floor bolster.

6. The chassis according to claim 5, wherein the body includes at least one arm projecting laterally in the plane of the web, the at least one arm being fixed to a respective floor bolster.

7. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the body of the transition member is turned in the plane of web to include a base region and opposite side regions.

8. The chassis according to claim 7, wherein the transition member further comprises a stiffening member extending between the opposite side regions of the body.

9. The chassis according to claim 7, wherein the stiffening member is in the form of a web.

10. The chassis according to claim 7, wherein the stiffening member is the form of a bridging member and wherein a passage is formed through the transition member, the passage being defined by the base region and opposite side regions of the body and the bridging member.

11. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, at one or more of the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolster passes through a discontinuity formed in the web, and wherein the transition member is fixed to an edge of the web defining the discontinuity to thereby strengthen the web.

12. The chassis according any one of claims 2 to 11 , wherein the cross-section of the body is substantially cruciform, T-shaped or L-shaped.

13. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein the web is welded to the body of the transition member.

14. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 13, wherein the transition member defines a contact surface that is configured to abut with the floor of the dump tray.

15. The chassis according to any one of claims 2 to 14, wherein the chassis rail includes a pair of webs, and the transition member comprises two said bodies fixed to respective webs, and a connecting member interconnecting the respective bodies.

16. The chassis according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition member is integrally formed as a casting.

17. A chassis for a dump tray of a bulk material transport vehicle, the dump tray having a floor, opposite side walls, and a front wall defining a payload bed, the chassis comprising: at least one chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail including a plurality for floor bolster receiving regions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction,a plurality of floor bolsters projecting from the chassis rail at the floor bolster receiving regions, the floor bolsters extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, a plurality of side wall bolsters extending along the side wall transverse to the floor bolsters, and a plurality of transition members, each transition member providing a corner interconnecting a respective floor bolster to either the chassis rail or side wall bolster and operative to accommodate load transfer therebetween under loading induced by a payload in the payload bed.

18. The chassis according to claim 17, wherein the transition members are formed of metal castings.

19. A chassis rail sub-assembly for a dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle, the sub-assembly comprising: a chassis rail adapted to be supported on a frame of the vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the rail including a plurality of floor bolster receiving regions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and a transition member fixed to the web at respective ones of the floor bolster receiving regions, the transition members being operative to accommodate floor bolsters at the floor bolster receiving regions.

20. The chassis rail sub-assembly according to claim 18, wherein the floor bolsters are arranged to extend transverse to the chassis rail and the transition members are arranged to interconnect respective ones of the floor bolsters to the chassis rail and provide a corner therebetween to accommodate load transfer between the floor bolster and the rail.

21. The chassis rail assembly according to claim 18, wherein the rail comprises a top and bottom surface, at least one web extending between the top and bottom surfaces and in the longitudinal direction, the web including discontinuities at the floor bolster receiving regions to receive the floor bolsters wherein the transition members are operative to strengthen the web at the discontinuities to accommodate loading within the rail.

22. A transition member for use in a chassis or chassis rail sub- assembly according to any preceding claim.

23. A dump tray for a bulk material transport vehicle having a chassis or chassis rail subassembly according to any preceding claim.

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