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US 10,094,703 B2Granted
Onboard trailer weighing system above a kingpin
AssigneeAir Ops, LLC
InventorCarl Mitchell Dyal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trailer includes: a chassis; a floating coupling apparatus coupled to the chassis, a portion of the floating coupling apparatus configured to move in a vertical direction relative to the chassis; a kingpin attached to the floating coupling apparatus; a displacement-sensing device positioned between an attachment portion on the chassis and an attachment portion on the floating coupling apparatus, the displacement-sensing device configured to sense a load acting on the displacement-sensing device; and a fluid system in fluid communication with the displacement-sensing device.
Claims20
A trailer comprising:
- a chassis defining a pair of cross members, each of the pair of cross members positioned substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the trailer and fixed in position with respect to the chassis;
- a floating coupling apparatus coupled to the chassis between a first cross member and a second cross member of the pair of cross members, the floating coupling apparatus comprising:
- a fixed rail suspended between and attached to each of the first cross member and the second cross member of the chassis;
- a floating rail extending from a position proximate to the first cross member to a position proximate to the second cross member, the floating rail configured to move in a vertical direction relative to the fixed rail, the floating rail positioned adjacent to the fixed rail in a horizontal direction;
- and
- a fifth wheel plate coupled to the floating rail;
- a kingpin attached to the fifth wheel plate of the floating coupling apparatus, a portion of the fifth wheel plate proximate to the kingpin fixed in position with respect to the floating rail;
- a displacement-sensing device positioned between an attachment portion on the chassis and an attachment portion on the floating coupling apparatus, the displacement-sensing device configured to sense a load acting on the displacement-sensing device;
- and
- a fluid system in fluid communication with the displacement-sensing device.
7 more elements
A weighing system for a trailer, the system comprising:
- a floating coupling apparatus comprising:
- a fifth wheel plate;
- a kingpin fixably attached to the fifth wheel plate and configured to slideably and lockably fit within a coupling aperture defined in a fifth wheel of a vehicle configured to pull the trailer;
- a fixed rail attached to a chassis of the trailer, the fixed rail comprising a substantially vertical portion resistant to deflection between a first end and a second end of the fixed rail;
- and
- a floating rail slideably attached to the fixed rail, the floating rail comprising a substantially vertical portion resistant to deflection between a first end and a second end of the floating rail, the floating rail configured to move in a vertical direction with respect to the fixed rail;
- and
- a displacement-sensing device positioned above each of the fixed rail and the floating rail, the displacement-sensing device configured to sense a load acting on the displacement-sensing device through the floating rail.
5 more elements
A method of using a trailer, the method comprising:
- loading the trailer with a load, the trailer comprising:
- a chassis defining a pair of cross members, each of the pair of cross members comprising a substantially vertical portion resistant to deflection between a first end and a second end of the respective cross member;
- a floating coupling apparatus coupled to the chassis between a first cross member and a second cross member of the pair of cross members, the floating coupling apparatus comprising:
- a fixed rail of the floating coupling apparatus suspended between and attached to each of the first cross member and the second cross member of the chassis;
- and
- a floating rail of the floating coupling apparatus extending from a position proximate to the first cross member to a position proximate to the second cross member, the floating rail configured to move in a vertical direction relative to the fixed rail, the floating rail positioned adjacent to the fixed rail in a horizontal direction;
- a displacement-sensing device coupled to the floating coupling apparatus;
- and
- a load indicator;
- measuring displacement of a portion of the floating coupling apparatus relative to the chassis with the displacement-sensing device;
- and
- signaling via the load indicator when the displacement of the portion of the floating coupling apparatus corresponds with a trailer weight reaching a target trailer weight.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.