| CPC B60P 7/04 (2013.01) [B65D 90/66 (2013.01); E06B 9/68 (2013.01); B60J 7/068 (2013.01); B60J 7/085 (2013.01)] | 26 Claims |
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1. An arm assembly for a cover system to cover the open top of a container, comprising:
a non-circular pulley including an outer curved surface, said pulley defining a pivot point and having a major dimension from the pivot point to a first tangent point on said outer surface and a minor dimension from the pivot point to a second tangent point on the outer surface, the major dimension being greater than the minor dimension, said pulley further including a mounting component for mounting said pulley on said container;
an elongated arm having one end connected to the cover and an opposite end pivotably mounted to said pulley at said pivot point; and
a force mechanism mounted to said elongated arm, said force mechanism connected to said non-circular pulley by a cable, said cable contacting said pulley at said first tangent point when said elongated arm is in a first position and said cable wrapped on said pulley to contact said second tangent point when said elongated arm is in a second position, said force mechanism configured to store energy when said elongated arm moves from said first position to said second position and to release energy to move said elongated arm from said second position to said first position.
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21. An arm assembly for a cover system to cover the open top of a container, comprising:
a pulley supported on the container, the pulley defining an outer curved surface;
a mounting hub pivotably mounted on said pulley to pivot relative to said pulley;
an elongated housing having one end engaged to said mounting hub to pivot with said mounting hub relative to said pulley, said housing defining an elongated bore extending from said one end at least part way through said housing;
a resiliently compressible element disposed within the elongated bore, the compressible element having an inboard end positioned at one end of said bore adjacent said mounting hub, and an opposite outboard end;
a spring base movably mounted to said mounting hub and defining a head to support said compressible element at said inboard end thereof; and
a cable extending through said mounting hub and compressible element, one end of said cable engaged to said outboard end of said compressible element and an opposite end of said cable fastened to said pulley so that said cable can wrap around at least a portion of said outer curved surface of said pulley as said housing pivots relative to said pulley, to thereby compress said compressible element between said one end of said cable and said spring base,
wherein said spring base is movable relative to said mounting hub toward or away from said one end of said cable engaged to said outboard end of said compressible element, to thereby adjust the compression of the compressible element between said one end of said cable and said head of said spring base, and
wherein said spring base includes a hollow piston slidably mounted within said hollow stem, said piston including said head disposed outside said hollow stem within said hollow tubular portion of said housing.
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