FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for packaging bulk materials into a container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for bagging sand carried by truck, a trailer, or the like. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a self-driven modular sandbagging device that may be applicable to any type of sand carrier vehicles, including but not limited to, dump trucks, trailers, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Sand is used in several different applications. For instance, in construction, it is a vital element for making concrete. There are other applications in which it is especially important to provide sand in bags. For example, in those areas affected by hurricanes, every time a hurricane approaches the shores people to protect their homes from flooding by placing bags of sand in front of the house's entrances. In several cities around the US, this sand-supplying service is provided by local authorities for free. A truck full of sand usually brings a pile of sand to a public place so people may go there and pick up as many bags of sand as necessary to protect their homes.

The problem is that someone needs to manually fill small bags with sand what is a hard and cumbersome task. The main idea of this invention is to provide a device that can be installed to any dump truck or trailer to fill these bags in an easy, fast, and convenient way.

There are several sandbagging solutions in the prior art. For example, a big open static rigid recipient that may be filled with sand from above and is equipped with a hydraulic-driven bi-directional auger and agitator inside to keep the sand flowing. The device comes with four chutes in each of which a bag can be placed. The auger is rotated, and the user places a bag below the delivering opening of the chute until the bag is filled with sand. The main problem with this device is the limited volume of sand the contained can accept, and therefore, the limited number of bags of sand that can be filled from it.

Another solution is described at U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,365 of Babiarz referred to apparatus for attachment to a mobile machine and for filling a container with bulk material particles held in the apparatus comprising: a receptacle, the receptacle having a bottom, a first wall, and a second wall, a first opening in the first wall, a second opening in the second wall, a first auger positioned within the receptacle for moving bulk material particles from a location in the receptacle towards a first location adjacent the first opening, the first auger mounted in operative relation to the first opening to cause the bulk material particles to exit the receptacle through the first opening, and a second auger positioned within the receptacle for moving bulk material particles from a location in the receptacle towards a second location adjacent the second opening, the second auger mounted in operative relation to the second opening to cause the bulk material particles to exit the receptacle through the second opening, wherein the first and the second auger are configured to rotate independently of each other. As described, this device is specially designed to be attached to the hitch of a tractor, using the tractor's hydraulic power, and processing a limited amount of sand in each batch. It includes two augers, and it cannot be installed on a truck without affecting the functionality of the vehicle. In fact, when this device is installed to the hitch of a tractor, said hitch cannot be used for any other purpose until the device is taken out.

USPA 2007/0243053 also of Babiarz describes another embodiment of the previously-described idea but including the possibility of having only one auger in the hitch of the tractor.

USPA 2020/0263376 of Fossett et al. describes a spreader comprising a hopper for containing sand, salt or other granular material to be spread upon snow or ice on paved surfaces, the hopper being adapted to be installed in or on a bed of a truck, the hopper having a trough, a shaftless auger positioned in the trough, an auger motor for driving the auger, a spinner positioned at one end of the auger for slinging the granular material upon the snow or ice, a spinner motor for driving the spinner, and at least one keeper supported by the trough and extending over the auger for retaining the auger in place during operation and thereby reducing flexure of the auger and resulting loss of efficiency of material transport by the auger during operation of the spreader. This is a complex and expensive device that cannot be installed on the tailgate of a truck, it is neither modular nor self-contained or self-driven like in the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,499,949 of Kline describes a sander body attachment that accommodates operation in conjunction with a towed trailer. In order to allow a truck the ability to distribute sand to a roadway, while also having the ability to tow accessories, a uniquely configured sander body is provided. The sander body is uniquely adapted for attachment to the truck tailgate and specifically sized so that it does not interfere with the towing mechanisms of the truck. Further, the sander body is also uniquely configured to have a sand distribution chamber, with a removable rear wall, thus allowing easy access for cleaning and maintenance purposes. This device cannot be used to fill sandbags, it is not self-driven and only distributes sand or salt to a roadway.

Therefore, there is a need in the market for a sandbagger device applicable to dump trucks, trailers, and the like with which sand can be easily bagged in a fast, convenient, and easy way overcoming the difficulties and drawbacks of the devices of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies and the unsolved problems of the sandbagging devices of the prior art by providing an easy-to-install, modular, self-driven, and practical sandbagging device. In a first exemplary embodiment, the sandbagging device in accordance with the present invention comprises: an auger installed at the lower edge of a double-acting tailgate of the dump truck bed; an engine coupled to one end of the auger and driven by a hydraulic engine attached to the outer face of the said tailgate, a bag-filler nozzle at the other end of the auger; the auger is in free contact with the sand carried by the truck bed. The sand filler device is part of a modular tailgate of the dump truck, that can be installed on any truck by an easy and fast installation operation.

It is the main purpose of the present invention to provide a self-driven modular sandbagging device with all the operative elements attached to the body of a tailgate of a dump truck. The device can be easily installed in a regular dump truck, by replacing the original tailgate of the truck with the present device.

It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a sandbagging device that includes a hydraulic motor driven by a pump attached to the outer face of the tailgate independent from the power circuit of the truck.

It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a sandbagging device wherein the pump is installed on a support that swings around an axis attached to the outer side of the tailgate.

It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a sandbagging device including an auger rotatably attached to an auger housing that is an integral part of the lower inner edge of the tailgate.

It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a sandbagging device in which the hydraulic motor that drives the auger is located inside the auger housing.

It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a sandbagging device including at one end of the auger housing a sandbag-filler nozzle.

In summary, the present invention is referred to as a self-driven modular sandbagging device applicable to a dump-truck with a truck bed that defines a sand carrying volume, comprising:a replacing tailgate for the truck bed, capable of replacing the original regular tailgate of the dump truck,at the lower inner end of the replacing tailgate, an integral elongated housing is included, in free contact with the carrying volume of the truck bed,in the integral elongated housing an auger is rotatably installed;the auger is driven by a hydraulic motor located inside the housing,a hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic motor is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate,at one end of the housing, a bag-filler nozzle is included.

The present invention is also referred to a method for converting a regular dump truck into a sandbagging dump truck, including the steps of:stripping down the original regular tailgate from the hinges of the truck bed of a dump truck,installing on the same hinges a replacing tailgate including at the lower inner end an integral elongated housing in free contact with the carrying volume of the truck bed, in the integral elongated housing an auger is rotatably installed, driven by a hydraulic motor located inside the housing, a hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic motor is attached to the external side of the replacing tailgate, and at one end of the housing a bag-filler nozzle is included.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

