TRAILER FOR TRANSPORTING TANKS

REMORQUE POUR TRANSPORTER UN RESERVOIR

English Abstract

A trailer for moving large oblong objects, which objects are normally oriented so that the longer length is oriented vertically, notably as in oil storage tanks located at well sites. The trailer comprises a load bed which tips into a vertical position adjacent the object. When the load bed is in the vertical position, the rear end of the load bed contacts the ground and lift plates attached to the rear end of the load bed extend along the ground. The trailer is then backed up against the object and the lift plates slide under the object. One or more arms are activated to clamp the object against the bed, allowing it to be lowered with the bed to a horizontal position for transport.

French Abstract

Remorque permettant de déplacer des objets oblongs de grande taille, ces objets étant normalement orientés de manière que leur longueur soit dirigée verticalement, comme dans le cas notamment des réservoirs de pétrole sur les sites de forage. La remorque comprend une assise porteuse qui bascule pour prendre une position verticale adjacente à l'objet. Lorsque l'assise porteuse se trouve en position verticale, l'extrémité arrière de l'assise porteuse vient en contact avec le sol et des plaques de levage fixées sur l'extrémité arrière de l'assise porteuse se prolongent le long du sol. La remorque vient ensuite en appui contre l'objet et les plaques de levage coulissent sous l'objet. Un ou plusieurs bras sont activés pour serrer l'objet contre l'assise, lui permettant d'être abaissé conjointement à l'assise pour prendre une position horizontale en vue de son transport.

Claims

CLAIMS:
I claim:
1. A self loading trailer for picking up, transporting and placing into
position large, oblong
objects which are normally oriented so that the longer dimension is vertical,
the trailer
comprising:
a horizontal frame having hitch means attached at the front end of the frame
and wheels
supporting the rear end of the frame;
a load bed resting on the frame and pivotally attached to the rear end of the
frame, the
rear end of the load bed extending rearward of the rear end of the frame, the
pivotal
attachment such that the load bed may be rotated into a vertical position
about the pivot
point and such that when the load bed is in the vertical position, the rear
end of the load
bed contacts the ground;
at least one lift plate attached to the rear end of the load bed such that
when the load bed
is in the vertical position the lift plate contacts the ground and extends
along the ground,
perpendicular to the load bed;

at least one load arm pivotally attached to the load bed such that the load
arm may be
activated to clamp the object to be moved to the load bed;
lifting means to raise and lower the load bed; and
activation means to activate the load arm.
2. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the load bed is shaped to conform to the
shape of the
object to be moved.
3. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the activation means to activate the load
arm is at least
one hydraulically activated cylinder.
4. The invention of Claim 3 wherein the hydraulically activated cylinder is
mounted on
a raised tower at the front end of the load bed.
5. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the load arm comprises a hydraulically
activated arm
cylinder pivotally attached to a first point on the load bed, the arm cylinder
comprising
a load clamping plate at the load engaging end thereof.
6. The invention of Claim 5 further comprising a hydraulically activated swing
cylinder
pivotally attached to a second point on the load bed, which swing cylinder
acts to pivot
the arm cylinder about the first point on the load bed and force the load
clamping plate

against the object to be moved in the direction of the load bed, thereby
clamping the
object to be moved to the load bed.
7. The invention of Claim 6 wherein the first and second pivot points for the
hydraulically
activated arm and swing cylinders are located on a raised tower at the front
end of the
load bed.
8. The invention of Claim 7 wherein the lifting means to raise and lower the
load bed
includes at least one hydraulically activated lift cylinder.
9. The invention of Claim 2 wherein the load arm comprises a hydraulically
activated arm
cylinder pivotally attached to a first point on the load bed, the arm cylinder
comprising
a load clamping plate at the load engaging end thereof.
10. The invention of Claim 9 further comprising a hydraulically activated
swing cylinder
pivotally attached to a second point on the load bed which swing cylinder acts
to pivot
the arm cylinder about the first point on the load bed and force the load
clamping plate
against the object to be moved in the direction of the load bed, thereby
clamping the
object to be moved to the load bed.
11. The invention of Claim 10 wherein the first and second pivot points for
the hydraulically
activated arm and swing cylinders are located on a raised tower at the front
end of the
load bed.

12. The invention of Claim 11 wherein the lifting means to raise and lower the
load bed
includes at least one hydraulically activated lift cylinder.

Description

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VEHICLE FOR T~2ANSPORTING TANKS
This invention deals with the field of vehicles for transpozting large objects
and in particular for
15 tht; picking up, transportation and repositioning of large, vertically
oriented oblong objects such
as oil storage tanks.
BACKGROUND:
Storage tanks arc required at operating oil well sites which are not connected
to pipe lines.
These tanks are zxiost often cylindrical a.nd rest on one flat end next to the
well. They arc very
large, often being over 30 feet high arad 1.5 feet in diameter.
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Normal oil field operations require that these tanks often be moved from oz~e
location to another.
Present methods for transporting them are slow and hazardous for the personnel
involved. A
load bed is raised to a vertical position adjacent to the tank and the tank is
then secured to the
load bed by chains or straps at the top and bottom. This involves climbing to
the top of the tank,
oftf~n some 30 feet in the air, to secure chains. Not only is the climb
hazardous, but often the top
of the tank is rusted from exposure to the elements and thereby weakened,
making walking on
the top dangerous as well.
In ;some areas safety authorities do not allow persons to climb on the tanks
to secure chains,
requiring instead that a picker truck accompany the trailer truck to raise a
person safely to the top
to secure the chains.
The; present procedure is time consuming as well as hazardous.
IS
SU:MMA,R1' OF THE INVENTION:
1t i:; the object of the present invention to provide a vehicle suited for
picking up, transporting
and repositioning large, vertically oriented oblong objects such as oil
storage tanks that allflws
the job to be done much quicker and more safely than is presently possible.
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Tl:.c invention accomplishes this object providing a self loading trailer for
pic.kix~g up,
tra~lsporting and placing into position l~~rge, oblong objects which are
normally oriented so that
thc: longer dimension is vertical, said trailer con uprising a horizontal
frame having hitch ~xzeans
attached at the front end of said frame and whccls supporting the rear end of
said frame; a load
bed resting on said frame and pivotally attached to the rear end of said
frame, the rear end of the
load bed cxtendilig rearward of the rear end of said frame, the pivotal
attachment such that the
load bed may be rotated W to a vertical position about the pivot point; a lift
plate attached to the
re~wr end of the load bed so that when the; load bed is in the vertical
position the lift plate contacts
the; ground and extends along the ground, perpendicular to the load bed; at
least one Ioad ann
pivotally attached to the load bed such that the load arm may be activated to
clamp the object to
moved to the load bed; lifting means to raise and lower the load bed; and
activation means to
activate the Ioad arm.
Dl?SCRIPTION OF TAE DRAWINGS:
'While the invention is claimed in the coneludinS portions hereof, preferred
embodiments arc
provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood
in conjunction
with the aceompanyiung diagrams when: like parts ili each of the several
diagrams are labeled
with like numbers, and where:
pigure 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment, with the bed in a partially
raised
position;
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figure 2 is a plane side view of the embodiment, with the bed in the .lowered
position;
higure 3 is a plane side view of the embodiment, with the bed in the raised
vertical
S position;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE; INVENTION:
lU The invention provides a self loading txa.ilcr for picking up, transportYng
and placing into
position large, oblong objects which are normally oriented so that the longer
dimension is
vet~tica.l, said trailer comprising a horizontal frame having hitch means
attached at the front end
of said frazt~e and wheels supporting the .rear end of said frame; a Ioad bed
resting on said frame
and pivotally attached to the rear end of said frame, the rear end of the load
bed extending
15 rearward of the rear end of said frame, the pivotal attachment such that
the load bed ntay be
rotated into a vertical position about the pivot point; a lift plate attached
to the rear end of the
load bed so that when the: load bed is in the vertical position the lift plate
contacts the ground and
extends along the ground, perpendicular to the load bed; at least one load arm
pivotally attached
to 'the load bed such that the load arm may be activated to clamp the object
to moved to the load
20 bed; lifting means to raise and lower tl.~e load bed; and activation means
to activate the load
arrn_
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Figures 1, 2 and 3 slloW a preferred embodiment of the invention, designed for
use in
transporting vertically oriented cylindriical tanks. Horizontal frame I
includes a hitch 2 attached
at the front end 3 of the horizontal. frame 1 and wheels 4 supporting the rear
end 5 of the
horizontal fr~.me 1; a load bed 6 rents on the horizontal frame 1 and is
pivotal.ky attached to the
5 r<;ar end 5 of the horizont~~.l frame 1 at load bed hinbe 7. Cradle members
20 are curved to
approximately match the circumferene~e of the tank 15 to be moved, and fonn
the bottom of the
load bed 6. Lift plates ~ are attached tc~ the rear end 9 of the load bed 6.
The load arm in this embodiment is a hydraulically activated load cylinder IO
that is pivotally
artachcd to the load bed tower 11 at load cylinder pivot point 12. Fixed to
Che end of the load
c;ylindcr 10 is load clamp plate 13. A second hydraulically activated
cylinder, the srwing
cylinder 16, is pivotally attached to thf; land bed tower 11 at swing cylinder
pivot paint i 7, and
pivotally attached to the barrel 18 of the load cylinder 10 at barrel pivot
point 1.<.>. It is
c~~ntemplated that load arms could be xtlounted to pivot from the sides to
clamp the load, and
those skilled in the art vcrill recognize that still further modifications
could be made which would
fall within the scope of the invention.
f:ydraulically activated starter lift cylinder 21 is fixed to the horizontal
frame l, and extends
vertically to contact, when activated, the bottom of the load bed tower 11.
Hydraulically
activated final lift cylinders 22 are pivotally attached to the horizontal
frame 1 at frazxae pivot
points 23 and pivotally attached to the load bed 1 U at bed pivot poi.nt~s
2A..
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X111 hydraulically activated cylinders, beinb the load cylinder lU, the swinb
cylinder 16, the
starter lift cylinder 21 azld the final lift cylinders 22, are conventionally
powered and controlled
by hydraulic pumps and valves connected by hydraulic fluid lines, none of
which are shown in
the drawings.
Tn operation, the trailer is backed up t:o a tank 15 to be moved. Starter lift
cylinder 21 is fully
extended, raising the load bed C from the horizontal frame l, pivoting about
load bed hinge 7.
7vhen final lift cylinders 23 are extended , raising the load bed 6 into the
vertical position as
shown in Figure 2. As the load bed 6 pivots about the load bed hinge 7, the
rear end of the load
E,ed 6 contacts the ground 25, and when the load bed 6 reaches the vertical
position, the weight of
the trailer rests on the rear end of the load bed 9 and the lift plates 8.
Depending on the
suspension of the trailer, the wheels 4 may be raised off the ground 25. At
this point, the txailer
is backed against the tank 1.5. The lift, plates 8 slide along the ground 25
and under the tank 15.
Load cylinder 10 and swing cylinder 16 are activated to bring th.e Ioad clamp
plate 13 into
c:ontaet with the upper end of the tank 1 S, which thereby exerts a force on
the tank 15 in the
direction of the load bed 6, and holds t:~e tank in position against the load
bed 6.
Final lift cylinders 23 are then retracte,cl., lowering the load bed (i and
the tank 15 held by the load
clamp plate 13, to rest on the fully extended starter lift cylinder 21.
Starter lift cylinder 2.1 is then
retracted, lowering the load bed G to rest on the horizontal frame 1. As the
load bed 6 pivots
<iown about load bed hinge 7, the weight of the trailer is tr~,nsfcrrcd to the
horizontal fra»~e 1,
a,nd wheels 4 return to rest on the ground 25. The load bed 6 and tank 1 S are
then secured to the
horizontal frame by chains or other conventional xzz.eans prior to transport.
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Ihus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes all of its stated
objectives. The foregoing is
c~3nSidered as illustrative only of the; principles of the invention. purther,
since numerous
c:han~es azzd zn.odifieations will readily occur to these skilled in the art,
it is not desired to limit
the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and
accordingly, all
such suitable eh~.ngcs or modifications in structure or operation which may be
resoz-ted to are
intended to fall within the scope of the claimed izweotion_
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LISTING OF DIAGRAM REFERENCE NUMERALS:
1. horizontal frame; 13. load clamp plate;
2. hitch; 14. tank;
3. front end of the horizontal15. swing cylinder;
frame;
4. wheels; 16. swing cylinder pivot
point;
5. rear end of the horizontal 17. barrel of the arm
frame; cylinder;
6. load bed; 18. barrel pivot point;
7. load bed hinge; 19. cradle members;
8. lift plates; 20. starter lift cylinder;
9. rear end of the load bed; 21. final lift cylinders;
10.arm cylinder; 22. frame pivot points;
11.load bed tower; 23. bed pivot points;
12.arm cylinder pivot point; 24. ground.

Representative Drawing