An improved side structural component for the deck of a curtain sided vehicle

摘要

Existing side structural components for the deck of a curtain sided truck or trailer are commonly found to be vertically tensioned by having engager members comprising hooks or similar devices that are able to engage with engageable members disposed along the adjacent side of the deck, such as openings in a coaming rail or locations along a tie-rail. Such arrangements can have 22 or more hooks and buckles along each side of the truck or trailer. Manual operation of these components is time consuming and dangerous in poor weather conditions. Further, regulations currently governing the transportation of cargo by road vehicles in Australian States set stringent minimum requirements for load restraint. These conditions are not easily met by the existing side structural components commonly used. Further, existing components that do meet the stringent requirements often require 2 or more people to operate. The present invention seeks to provide an improved side structural component which satisfies the stringent requirements for load restraints, for the deck of a curtain sided vehicle. The invention addresses this aim and provides an improved deck structure for a curtain sided vehicle, and a deck structure with an improved side structural component, that at least reduces the risk of members catching on structure of the adjacent side of the vehicle body deck. Specifically the invention provides a side structural component for the deck of a curtain sided truck or trailer, wherein the component includes a coaming rail that, relative to the in-use orientation of the coaming rail when the component is installed along a side of a vehicle deck, has top and bottom laterally extending flanges and an upstanding web joining the top and bottom flanges; and the component further includes a plurality of facing members secured to the coaming rail and spaced along the length of the coaming rail over an outwardly facing surface of the web of the coaming rail; the facing members are of elongate form and have their longitudinal extent along the coaming rail, the facing members of each successive pair are spaced from each other at a respective location on the coaming rail at which, with the component so installed, is adjacent to a respective one of a plurality of locations on a side curtain at which the side curtain is to be engaged for vertical tensioning, and each facing member has a longitudinal, outwardly facing surface, and end surfaces, the end surfaces of the facing member are adapted to guide successive hooks or similar devices along a lower margin of the curtain, as the curtain is drawn along the vehicle deck.. The structure provides a simpler method of operation whilst also satisfying the stringent Australian requirements.