I have been out of trig for...hmm more years than I'd want to say. 20+
I am trying to build a dump trailer and I need to figure placement of a cylinder for a desired dump angle. There are a lot of unknowns and I was hoping to use my good friend trigonometry to fill in these unknowns. Apparently we are not as friendly as I had hoped.
Here is what I know. The hydraulic cylinder when closed is 46 1/4 inches. It must be at a 15 degree angle in order to start. Since this made a simple right triangle, I was able to find the measurement of how many inches down the fixed point must be to be at the 15 degree starting angle. I needed to solve for side A. My answer is 12 inches.

But notice that this puts the cylinder fixed point (which makes up part of the triangle I cannot solve for) down 12 inches below. Now here is where I start to lose my brain. I need the dump angle to be a desired angle between 50 and 60 degrees. I want the most angle I can get from this cylinder. Here is what I know. I know the cylinder is at a fixed point 12 inches below the bottom leg of the top triangle. That cylinder fully extended will be 82 1/4 inches. My desired angle for the sake of the example is 55 degrees.
Answers I need: What is horizontal distance from the fixed point to the pivot point (LINE B in the pic) of the new top triangle created by the dump bed at 55 degrees. What is the distance from the pivot point to the connection point of the cylinder? (LINE A in the pic) Really I'd like to also know the maximum angle I can achieve given the placement of the cylinder and its length and the distance from fulcrum point to achieve it.
I think a picture is in order if I am to have any hope of anyone knowing what the heck I just said. :shock:

Do I have enough information to solve? or am I going to have to cut a stick and manually figure this out?
...and yes I know, its not a scale drawing. What can I say, I'm short on time.
I am trying to build a dump trailer and I need to figure placement of a cylinder for a desired dump angle. There are a lot of unknowns and I was hoping to use my good friend trigonometry to fill in these unknowns. Apparently we are not as friendly as I had hoped.
Here is what I know. The hydraulic cylinder when closed is 46 1/4 inches. It must be at a 15 degree angle in order to start. Since this made a simple right triangle, I was able to find the measurement of how many inches down the fixed point must be to be at the 15 degree starting angle. I needed to solve for side A. My answer is 12 inches.

But notice that this puts the cylinder fixed point (which makes up part of the triangle I cannot solve for) down 12 inches below. Now here is where I start to lose my brain. I need the dump angle to be a desired angle between 50 and 60 degrees. I want the most angle I can get from this cylinder. Here is what I know. I know the cylinder is at a fixed point 12 inches below the bottom leg of the top triangle. That cylinder fully extended will be 82 1/4 inches. My desired angle for the sake of the example is 55 degrees.
Answers I need: What is horizontal distance from the fixed point to the pivot point (LINE B in the pic) of the new top triangle created by the dump bed at 55 degrees. What is the distance from the pivot point to the connection point of the cylinder? (LINE A in the pic) Really I'd like to also know the maximum angle I can achieve given the placement of the cylinder and its length and the distance from fulcrum point to achieve it.
I think a picture is in order if I am to have any hope of anyone knowing what the heck I just said. :shock:

Do I have enough information to solve? or am I going to have to cut a stick and manually figure this out?
...and yes I know, its not a scale drawing. What can I say, I'm short on time.
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