The present invention concerns a device for exploitation of the capacity of tipping platforms by preventing material having been loaded onto the platform, and when tipped, from adhering to the sides and the front of the tipper lorry platform and thus not being removed when the platform reached its apex in its deloading position.

When a tipper lorry with a tipping platform has become filled with material of a damp or adhering type, e. g. clay, clay-containing and humus-containing earth, sand, etc. , and especially when the temperature is below the freezing point so that the material freezes on the platform, a main problem is that the material adheres to the side walls of the platform, especially the front wall of the platform, and will not slide off the platform by itself when the platform is tipped (the load becomes"shot"). If nothing is done to remove remains of clay, earth or sand on the platform after the load has been shot, the loading capacity of the platform will at subsequent collections of material become reduced, and the situation will become especially unpleasant if subsequent collections of material makes the building of congealed and not removed material on the walls to increase over time.

The solution for this problem has previously been either to remove the material by machines or manually from the platform after each time the platform has been tipped and the cargo has been shot. This is heavy and. time consuming work and represents a bad solution.

Other attempts for avoiding the problem has been to pour e. g. diesel oil onto the platform to make the material non- adherent to the platform walls when the platform is tipped.

This represents a better solution, but the oil, having been applied manually prior to the loading of the platform, will

gradually be removed and additionally the oil in the material will represent an environmental problem on the location where the material is unloaded. Additionally, any control of where the oil is applied and in what quantity is has been applied will be random, and if persons other than the ones responsible for the cargo and/or the tipper lorry is to be responsible for such an application, there may arise errors by either no oil being applied of that a double or triple amount of oil is applied. Such a solution will consequently be short-term and harmful for the environment.

The same problem with adherence of the load to the platform will also be present concerning transport of e. g. chipped wood, asphalt, garbage, etc.

Consequently there exists a need for a device solving the above mentioned problem.

The present invention concerns a device which may be attached to the edges of the tipper lorry platform, especially the edge of the forward platform wall, but also the side walls of the platform. Such a device comprises a container for a fluid which may lubricate the sides and edges of the interior of the tipper lorry platform, leading tubes or conduits which may transport the fluid from the container to the platform, as well as one or more nozzles being located at the edge of the platform or on a suitable location on the tipper lorry for applying the liquid onto the edges and walls of the platform. Such a spraying device may be attached to a pump being connected to the pressurised air system of the vehicle in the instance where the vehicle is equipped with such a system. The pump may also be operated manually.

Such a device being disclosed supra is also shown in the attached figures wherein:

Fig. 1 shows schematically an elevated depiction of a tipper lorry platform being equipped with an embodiment of a spraying device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows schematically a side depiction of a platform being equipped with an embodiment of a spraying device according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows schematically s coupling scheme for an embodiment of a spraying device according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a possible location of a container for spraying liquid as well as an alternative location of the spraying nozzles in the spraying system according to the invention.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative location of the spraying nozzles on the front edge of a platform.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative coupling scheme for a spraying system according to the invention using pressurised air as a driving medium for the spraying liquid.

With reference to the figures a spraying device according to the invention comprises a main tank 1 for storing spraying liquid. Such a spraying liquid will preferably be an aqueous liquid supplied with a freezing point-reducing substance, e. g. organic alcohols (for instance glycol), salt (for instance sodium chloride) or other conventional freezing point-reducing substances. It is preferred that the freezing point-reducing substance is not harmful for the environment, corrosive or corroding. An aqueous composition of a salt or glycol is preferred. It may, however, also be possible to use an oil-based spraying/anti-adhesion substance, and in this case it may also be advantageous that the substance is not harmful for the environment. An advantageous substance in this category will be casting oil. Such an oil may be phormol

being a petrol distillate comprising C1l-C30 hydrocarbon chains. Such carbon chains may also be treated (hardened, hydroxylated, saponified, etc. ) for supplying them with advantageous properties such as bio-degradability, better solubility in water, less environmental toxicity etc. , or they may also be untreated.

It the instance where it is used an electrical suction pump for distributing the spraying fluid, the container 1 will be equipped with an opening 2 for filling the spraying liquid and with a valve 3 for preventing that a vacuum arises in the system. Alternatively, if the system uses the air-pressurising system of the vehicle, such pressurised air might be supplied at the top of the container 1, an in this instance it must be closed so that the fluid may be sprayed through the nozzles.

In the container 1 there is placed a rising conduit 4 for the spraying liquid, preferably with a filter 5. The rising conduit 4 may, in the case where the system is operated electrically, be connected to a pump 6 leading the liquid from the container 1 to at lest one spraying nozzle 7. In the case where the system is operated by pressurised air, the pump 6 will not be required.

With reference to fig. 1 showing schematically and elevated a tipper lorry platform 8, and wherein the front wall of the platform is indicated with an arrow, it is here shown how nozzles 7 for spraying the platform 8 may be located on the front edge 9 of the platform 8. In fig. 1 it is also shown how material 10 may adhere to the front wall and forward corners of the platform 8.

It is preferred that the spraying area of the nozzle 7 covers at least the front wall of the platform 8. Nozzles 7 may also be secured to the side walls 11 of the platform 8. This is shown with a dotted line in fig. 1. The nozzle apertures in the nozzles 7 may be un-adjustable or may be

adjustable. For the spray from the nozzles 7 to cover as large an area as possible, it is preferred that the nozzle aperture is flat. Additionally, the nozzles may be pivotable for covering a larger area of the platform's front wall/side walls.

The placement of hoses/conduits 4 is preferably hidden or made in such a way that they are not squeezed or harmed in any other way by the platform 8 or the material 10. The nozzles 7 are made of such a material that they are not squeezed or harmed in any other way by the material 10. As an example the container 1 for the spraying substance may be located at the front wall and be mounted onto the platform, as shown in fig. 4. Thereby it may be possible to let the container follow the platform when it is tipped, and movable hoses/pipes will then not be required since these also may follow the platform's movements during the tilting.

The placement of the nozzles 7 may also be done so that the nozzles 7 are secured to a solid frame which as an example may be mounted above the edge of the platform 8 or on the rear wall of the driver's house so that the nozzles may spray onto the front wall of the platform 8. This accomplishes the item that it optionally will not exist too great a load on hoses and joints in the spraying system when the platform 8 is moved.

The spraying system according to the invention may also be equipped a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the spraying liquid to ensure that it does not freeze inside the pipes. Likewise, the spraying system according to the invention may be equipped with a manometer for measuring the pressure in the system in connection with possible errors such as blocking of the nozzles 7. This may also be connected to a warning lamp or similar device in the driver's house of the tipper lorry so that the user of the system may be alerted if the operating conditions should

stray outside of acceptable parameters for operating the system. Such parameters are connected to the selected nozzle types, the pipe diameter, the type of pump, etc. and are known to the person skilled in the art.

The spraying of the front wall 9 and the side walls 11 of platform 8 interior is mainly meant as a preventive means for preventing material 10 adhering too solidly to the platform bottom and side walls. This is done by spraying releasing/spraying liquid onto the relevant platform surfaces prior to the platform becoming loaded, and also prior to the platform becoming loaded at subsequent rounds.

The spraying system according to the invention will be explained infra with reference to certain embodiments.

These embodiments may in no way be interpreted as limiting for the invention.

In a spraying system comprising plastic hoses (polyethylene hoses, diameter 1 cm) and metal pipes (acid tempered steel, diameter 1 cm), there is to the hose system connected a spraying liquid container of 10 litres with a combined filling and air valve at its top. The container for spraying liquid is located below the front wall of the tipper lorry platform of the vehicle's frame. To the vehicle's frame it is also mounted a stationary pump (12V or 24V pumping system) being connected to the vehicle's electrical system through an activator. The pump drives spraying liquid (5% glycol/water solution) from the container to nozzles (ES 90-02, acid tempered steel, flat nozzle configuration) being located at the front edge and above the platform on a separate stationary frame. There exist four nozzles on the frame which may distribute spraying fluid evenly over the front wall of the platform.

The pressure in the spraying system lies in the area of 8- 10 kg/cm3.

Alternatively, the spraying system may use the vehicle's pressurised air system provided the vehicle is equipped a pneumatic system for e. g. brakes, pneumatic pistons for rising the platform or for operating other equipment. In this case pressurised air may be supplied to the container 1 for spraying liquid at the top (or any other suitable location) through a supplying valve 3 (corresponding to the valve 3 in fig. 3). When the system is inoperative, access to pressurised air to the container 1 will be stopped by the use of a closing valve 12.

Another embodiment of the device according to the invention may be to replace the electrical pump 6 or pump for pressurised air in the pneumatic system with a manual pump which may advance the fluid from the container 1 to the nozzles 7 through the pipes/hoses 4. The design and location of such a manual pump will lie within the competence of the person skilled in the art.

The amount of supplied spraying liquid will be dictated by the condition of the material being transported, and may be determined by the skilled person based on the experience of that person.

The invention has been explained supra with reference to different embodiments, but it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art that the invention encompasses great possibilities for variation without departing from the idea of the invention.