DOOR PROP ASSEMBLY
Patent Number: US 10647239 Grant Date: 2020-05-12 Filing Date: 2018-02-21
Overview
This patent captures a pragmatic, safety-focused mechanical solution for supporting and releasing a rear gate on tilting vehicles such as vacuum trucks and dump trailers. Filed in February 2018 and granted in May 2020, the disclosure describes a compact door prop assembly that replaces ad hoc tension rods with a purpose-built prop arm, lock bar assembly, distal mount and a rotating lock arm. Inventors based in Navasota, TX and applicant Global Vacuum Systems conceived a system that reliably transitions between closed, transitional, open-and-locked, and fully-extended states while providing a controlled sequence for re-closing the gate. The design emphasizes simple, robust components—side plates, spacers, welded interfaces, hinge and hook features—that slide and rotate within a lock bar eye to securely hold the gate and to release it safely when commanded. The result is enhanced operator safety and reduced maintenance complexity for tilting bodies used in industrial and municipal environments.
Key Features
- Positive mechanical locking via a rotating lock arm and proximal locking hook that engages a lock bar eye
- Prop arm with paired side plates and welded spacers to create a guided rotation pocket for the lock arm
- Distal mount and hinge geometry enabling retrofit to existing tilting bodies
- Clear staged operation: closed, intermediate, open-and-locked, fully extended, and controlled re-close
This grant demonstrates the firm’s detailed claim drafting and practical engineering insight, delivering a durable, serviceable safety device for heavy‑duty vehicle applications with broad relevance across material‑handling and utility fleets.
Invention Details
Abstract: A door prop assembly for selectively supporting a rear gate of a tilting vehicle. Said door prop assembly is configured to selectively prop said rear gate in an open configuration and safely release said rear gate to transition to a closed configuration. Said door prop assembly comprises a prop arm assembly, a lock bar assembly, a distal mount assembly, and a rotating lock arm. Said distal mount assembly is attached to a side portion of said rear gate. Said lock bar assembly is attached to a side portion of a tilting body. Said prop arm assembly comprises a substantially straight element being adapted to slide through portions of a lock bar of said lock bar assembly. Said rotating lock arm is configured to rotate freely on a locking hook hinge. A side plates at a distal hinge is configured to rotate freely relative to said distal mount assembly.
Summary of the Invention: A door prop assembly for selectively supporting a rear gate of a tilting vehicle. Said door prop assembly is configured to selectively prop said rear gate in an open configuration and safely release said rear gate to transition to a closed configuration. Said door prop assembly comprises a prop arm assembly, a lock bar assembly, a distal mount assembly, and a rotating lock arm. Said distal mount assembly is attached to a side portion of said rear gate. Said lock bar assembly is attached to a side portion of a tilting body. Said prop arm assembly comprises a substantially straight element being adapted to slide through portions of a lock bar of said lock bar assembly. Said rotating lock arm is configured to rotate freely on a locking hook hinge. A side plates at a distal hinge is configured to rotate freely relative to said distal mount assembly. Said rotating lock arm can rotate so as to slide through said lock bar as said door prop assembly transitions from a closed configuration and an open and locked configuration. Said door prop assembly is configured to rotate be transitioned back to said closed configuration by rotating said rear gate still further from said tilting body so as to pass the remaining portions of said rotating lock arm through said lock bar, catching a proximal locking hook on said lock bar with said door prop assembly at a fully extended configuration. Stopping rotation of said rear gate with said proximal locking hook, reversing rotating direction, and pressing said rotating lock arm through said lock bar in the opposite direction until said rear gate is closed and said door prop assembly is in said closed configuration.
A door prop assembly for selectively supporting a rear gate of a tilting vehicle. Said door prop assembly is configured to selectively prop said rear gate in an open configuration and safely release said rear gate to transition to a closed configuration.
Patent Document
Related: Mechanical Engineering | Safety Systems | Transportation | Navasota, Texas | Shannon Warren, Patent Attorney