Frameless half-round trailer with butt joints

Abstract

A frameless dump trailer is provided. The frameless dump trailer includes a forward body portion and a rear body portion. Each body portion is formed from two or more panels joined together with butt-joint welds. The forward portion is first formed by welding planar sections together. After the body portion is formed from the plurality of planar panels, the larger planar portion is rolled in a rolling system to define the arcuate shape of trailer body. Then, the forward and rear body portions are welding together with a transversely extending butt-weld.

1 . A half-round dump trailer comprising:
 a forward end spaced apart from a rear end defining a longitudinal direction therebetween, a first side opposite a second side defining a transverse direction therebetween;   a trailer body formed from a plurality of arcuate plates welded together at butt seams collectively defining an outwardly and downwardly facing convex outer surface on the trailer body and defining an inwardly and upwardly facing concave inner surface on the trailer body adapted to retain bulk materials;   a longitudinally extending lower butt welded seam between transversely adjoining arcuate plates, wherein the bottom butt welded seam extends from the forward end to the rear end and defines a lowermost portion of the concave inner surface on the trailer body; and   a trolley supporting the trailer body from below adjacent the rear end.   
     
     
         2 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally extending lower butt welded seam is centered between the first and second sides. 
     
     
         3 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first arcuate plate extending upwardly and arcuately towards the first side from the bottom butt weld;   wherein a convex outer surface on the first arcuate plate is continuous across a transition region where the plate transitions in an arcuate manner from generally horizontal adjacent the lower butt weld to generally vertical adjacent an upper terminal end.   
     
     
         4 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 3 , wherein the convex outer surface is free of any longitudinally aligned external supports attached thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a structurally supportive non-integral overlay member positioned exterior to the convex surface adjacent the lower butt weld; wherein the supportive overlay member is configured to support the trailer bottom when the dump trailer is raised from a lowered first position to a raised second position.   
     
     
         6 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 on the trailer body, the outer surface including a first portion near the lower butt weld generally horizontal and parallel to ground when the trailer is in a lowered position, and the outer surface including a second portion near an upper terminal end generally vertical and perpendicular to ground when the trailer is in the lowered position;   wherein the trailer body is curved between the first portion and the second portion; and   wherein there is no angled support member extending exterior relative to the outer surface between the first portion and the second portion of the outer surface.   
     
     
         7 . A half-round dump trailer comprising:
 a forward end spaced from a rear end defining a longitudinal direction there between, and a first side opposite a second side defining a transverse direction there between;   a forward half-round dump trailer body portion defining the forward end and a rear half-round dump trailer body portion defining the rear end; and   wherein the forward half-round dump trailer body portion is formed from a plurality of forward planar panels butt welded together side-by-side at forward longitudinal unions, the butt welded panels adapted to be rolled into an arcuate configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 7 , further comprising a transversely extending union formed from an abutment joining the forward half-round trailer body portion and the rear half-round trailer body portion. 
     
     
         9 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an external arcuate support member directly connected to an outer surface of the half-round dump trailer and covering the transversely extending union.   
     
     
         10 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 9 , wherein the transversely extending union is a butt weld defining a flush alignment of the forward half-round trailer body portion, and the rear half-round trailer body portion across the butt weld. 
     
     
         11 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 9 , further comprising a leading apex on the arcuate support member. 
     
     
         12 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 11 , further comprising a trailing apex on the arcuate support member opposite the leading apex. 
     
     
         13 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 12 , wherein the support member only has arcuate edges. 
     
     
         14 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 9 , wherein the support member is symmetric about the longitudinal axis 
     
     
         15 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 wherein the rear half-round dump trailer body portion is formed from a plurality of rear planar panels butt welded together side-by-side at rear longitudinal unions and the butt welded rear planar panels adapted to be rolled into an arcuate configuration;   wherein the forward longitudinal unions are longitudinally coplanar with the rear longitudinal unions.   
     
     
         16 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 7 , wherein the forward half-round trailer body portion and the rear body portion collectively define a concave inner surface opposite a convex outer surface, and further comprising a first union between two adjoining butt welded panels; wherein the concave inner surface is flush across the first union between the two_adjoining butt welded panels, further comprising:
 a radius of curvature associated with the concave inner surface, wherein the radius of curvature is equal for the two adjoining panels on opposite sides of the first union.   
     
     
         17 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a longitudinally extending first union formed from a first butt weld connecting a first panel and a third panel;   a longitudinally extending second union formed from a second butt weld connecting a second panel and the third panel; wherein the third panel is intermediate the first and second panels;   wherein after rolling the planar forward portion, the first and second unions are above a lowermost region of a convex inner surface defined by the third panel having been rolled.   
     
     
         18 . A half-round dump trailer comprising:
 a forward end spaced from a rear end defining a longitudinal direction there between, and a first side opposite a second side defining a transverse direction there between;   a forward half-round trailer body portion defining the forward end and a rear half-round trailer body portion defining the rear end; wherein the forward half-round trailer body portion is formed from a plurality of forward planar panels butt welded together side-by-side at forward longitudinal unions and adapted to be rolled into an arcuate configuration;   a transversely extending union formed from an abutment joining the forward half-round trailer body portion and a rear half-round trailer body portion; and   an external arcuate support member directly connected to an outer surface of the dump trailer and covering the transversely extending union.   
     
     
         19 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 18 , wherein the transversely extending union is a butt weld defining a flush alignment of the forward half-round trailer body portion, and the rear half-round trailer body portion across the butt weld. 
     
     
         20 . The half-round dump trailer of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a leading apex on the arcuate support member; and   a trailing apex on the arcuate support member opposite the leading apex;   wherein the support member only has arcuate edges and is symmetric about the longitudinal axis.