Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
: 1084006
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a trailer apparatus and is
particularly directed to a trailer apparatus having a load sup-
porting bed pivotally mounted on a trailer frame for outward la-
teral movement for loading large cylinarical objects thereon and
for unloading said objects onto a surface below the horizontal
plane of the trailer bed.
U.S. patent 3,922,036 discloses an apparatus for unload-
, ing large cylindrical objects such as hay bales from trailers.
; 10 This unloading apparatus, however, cannot lower the bales onto
the ground at a level below the plane of the trailer bed and thus
is unsuitable for loading or unloading large cylindrical objects
such as tanks which are easily damaged through mishandling.
U.S. Patent 3,399,791 illustrates a side dumping trailer
for unloading rectangular containers and U.S. Patent 3,655,218
shows a side unloading trailer for large, bulky objects. The
structures of these patents are not suited for use with cylindri-
cal objects and provide limited lateral transfer.
, A problem inherent in conventional side loading and
unloading trailers typified by the structure of the foregoing
patents is the inability to load and unload cylindrical objects
below the horizontal plane of a trailer bed.
It is a principal object of the present invention
to provide a side loading and unloading trailer capable of
handling cylindrical objects such as tanks.
Another object of the present invention is the
provision of a side loading and unloading trailer which can
elevate a large cylindrical object such as a tank from the
ground for transport onto a trailer bed and which can safely
lower said object, if fabricated of brittle material such as
plastic reinforced fiberglass, onto the ground at a horizontal
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plane below the plane of the trailer.
SUM~`IARY OF THE INVENTION
The structure of the invention comprises, in general,
an elongated trailer having a longitudinal frame and at least
one transverse axle secured to said frame rotatably mounting
vehicle wheels for transport of said trailer, said trailer
frame including at least two longitudinal spaced-apart frame
members and a plurality of cross frame members interconnecting
the longitudinal frame members and rigidly secured thereto, an
elongated load-supporting bed normally positioned on said frame,
at least two spaced-apart links each pivotally mounted at one
end on one side of said trailer frame and pivotally mounted at
the other end to the corresponding side of said load supporting
bed, an actuating member comprising a bent lever pivotally
mounted at one end to form a fulcrum on one side of said trailer
frame and pivotally mounted at the opposite end on the corres-
pon~.ing side of said load supporting bed, said pivotal
li.nkages and said actuating mechanism mounted on the same side
of said trailer frame and load supporting bed, and a piston-
cylinder assembly pivotally mounted at one end on said trailer
frame and pivotally mounted at the other end intermediate the
:: ends of the bent lever whereby extension of the piston from the
cylinder pivots the load supporting bed about the said links
laterally outwardly from the side of said trailer frame and
retraction of the piston into the cylinder pivots the load
supporting bed about the links laterally inwardly onto the
trailer frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~I~iGS
The foregoing objects of the invention and the manner
in which they can be attained will become apparent from the
following detailed description of the drawings, in which:
84006
Figure 1 is a perspective vi.ew of a truck and
trailer assembly showlng the trailer
. of the invention having a cylindrical
tank loaded thereon;
Figure 2 is a detailed elevation along the
,
line 2 - 2 of Figure l showing a load
support device and one end of a tie-down
mechanism;
Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view showing the
tiltable frame of the invention in its side
loading or unloading position;
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a detail of
the opposite end of the tie-down mechanism
shown in Figure 2;
. Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view showing the
: trailer apparatus of the invention supporting
a load in solid lines and in ghost lines in
its operative position for receiving or
depositing a cylindrical tank; and
Figure 6 is a sectional view, partly in elevation,
showing in more detail the piston-cylinder
: and linkage assembly of the invention
.;. illustrated in Figure 5.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout
:. the description of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF TI~E PREFERRED EMBODIME~T
The trailer apparatus of the invention shown generally
in Figure 1 comprises an elongated frame 10 having at least one
set of wheels 14 journalled on transverse axle 15 for transport
of the trailer at one end and a support mechanism ll formed at
the opposite end thereof for pivotal connection by means of, for
exampler a fifth wheel, to a truck 12. Trailer 10 has particular
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utility in loading, transporting and unloading large cylindrical
objects such as storage and pressure tanks designated by
numeral 16.
Trailer 10 comprises an elongated frame having longi-
tudinal members 17,19 to which axle 15 is secured. A plurality
of cross frame members 18 (Figure 3) equispaced along the length
of members 17,19 and secured thereto such as by welding provide
therewith a strong unitary trailer flat bed structure.
Load supporting bed 20 comprises spaced-apart main
longitudinal members 22,23 interconnected by a plurality of
cross members 24 each having a medial portion 26 to which longi-
tudinal members 22, 23 are secured and end portions 28,29 inclined
upwardly from the plane of medial portions 26 preferably inter-
connected at their free ends by means of additional longitudinal
side members 30,32. One side of bed 20 may be laterally extended
by elongated cross members 24' shown most clearly in Figure 1,
for reasons which will become apparent as the description proceeds.
Upwardly inclined end portions 28,29 of cross members 24
define with medial portion 26 a generally arcuate shape which
accommodates the circular cross-section of tank 16. ~ongitudinal
members 23,32 are designed to receive a pair of arcuate plate
, sections 34, one of which is shown in Figure 4, slidably mounted
for longitudinal movement on bed 20 by means of slots 36,38 cut in
side wall members 40 adapted to receive flanges 42,44 of longi-
tudinal members 32,23 respectively. A pair of similar arcuate
plate sections defining a generally concave shape having
substantially the same radius of the circular cross section of
the cylinder to be transported is slidably mounted on longitudinal
members 22,30 on the opposite side of the trailer bed.
Cross members 24 of load supporting bed 20 preferably
correspond with and seat on cross frame mem~ers 18 of trailer 10
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when bed 20 is in its load transporting position sho~m in
Figures 1 and 6.
Figures 2 and 4 illustrate tie-down devices 46,4~
mounted on arcuate-shaped members 34, the former journalled
therein, whereby a drum 48 receiving strap 50 extending from
device 47 can be rotated by handle 51 to tightly secure the
load 16 on bed 20.
With reference now to Figures 3, 5 and 6, load-
supporting bed 20 is mounted on trailer 10 for lateral pivotal
movement by means of at least two spaced-apart links 52,54 each
pivotally mounted at one end on longitudinal member 17 in frame
10 by pin 56 in bracket 57 and pivotally mounted at the other
end on cross memher end portion 28 in bed 20 by pin 58. An
actuating member 60, which comprises a bent lever, e.g. an
inverted, generally V-shaped lever, is pivotally mounted at the
free end of one arm 62 of said lever onto the side of the
trailer frame supporting links 52,54, i.e. pivotally mounted
, onto a cross member 18 in proximity to longitudinal member 17 by
pin 63 to form a fulcrum and is pivotally mounted at the free
end of the other arm 64 by pin 65 onto the upwardly inclined
portion 28' of a cross frame member 24'.
A double-acting piston-cylinder assembly 66 having
piston rod 68 extending therefrom is pivotally mounted at 69
onto a cross frame member 18 at one end and onto the apex 70
of the V-shaped lever 60 at the other at a horizontal plane
above the linkage connection 63 whereby extension of the piston
rod 68 from the cylinder assembly 66 pivots the load supporting
bed about the said links 52,54 laterally outwardly from the side
of the trailer frame 10 to a position shown in Figure 3 and
illustrated by broken lines in Figures 5 and 6. A conventional
hydraulic system, well known in the art, actuates the piston-
cylinder assembly.
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A detent 75 formed by a rod extending laterally down-
wardly from an end 28 of cross member 24 and braced by a
diagonal member 76 is adapted to abut longitudinal member 17 at
the completion of lateral pivotal travel of bed 20 to limit
pivotal movement thereof.
In operation, the trailer 10 is positioned beside the
object to be transported and an outrigger 70, preferably located
in each corner of trailer 10, lowered to ground level to support
the trailer. Bed 20 is pivotted laterally outwardly and down-
wardly by extension of piston rod 68 and clockwise pivotal
movement of lever 60, as viewed in Figures 3, 5 and 6, to abut,
for example, cylindrical object 16. Straps S0 extending between
tie-down devices 46,47 to encircle object 16 are tightened by
rotation of drum 48 to secure object 16 on bed 20 and object 16
elevated onto the trailer frame 10 by double pivotal action of
links 52,54 concurrently with pivotal action of actuating lever
60 to clear the side edge of frame 10. Lateral transfer and
lowering of object 16 onto the ground at its destination is in
like manner easily effected.
The trailer apparatus of the present invention provides
7 a number of important advantages. Large cylindrical objects such
as glass fibre reinforced plastic fuel tanks can be loaded onto
and off a trailer to a level below the plane of the trailer.
Although the descxiption has proceeded with reference to
cylindrical objects, it will be understood that large objects of
rectangular and irregular shapes can in like manner be easily
and safely handled by this apparatus. The load supporting bed
would be modified to receive the configuration of the object
transported.
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