# US 10,308,450 B2 · Trailer stabilizer and leveler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,450 B2 - Document ID: US10308450B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/434,154 - Filed: 2017-02-16 - Published: 2017-06-29 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-19 - Assignees: Stabilock, LLC - Applicants: Stabilock, LLC - Inventors: Thomas Terrance Kimener - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308450B2 ## CPC - B65G 69/006: {Centring or aligning a vehicle at a loading station using means not being part of the vehicle} - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A method of leveling a parked semi-trailer at a loading dock, the method comprising: (a) positioning a portable stabilizing device at least partially underneath a forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; (b) positioning a lift associated with the portable stabilizing device to bear weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; (c) reorienting the parked semi-trailer so a floor of the parked semi-trailer goes from a substantially parallel orientation to an approximately non-parallel orientation with respect to a horizontal floor of the loading dock by repositioning at least one of the jack and a landing gear of the parked semi-trailer; and, (e) maintaining the lift in a weight bearing position while goods are at least one of unloaded from or loaded onto the parked semi-trailer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of reorienting a parked semi-trailer at a loading dock, the method comprising: positioning a portable stabilizing device at least partially underneath a forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; positioning a lift associated with the portable stabilizing device in a weight bearing position to bear weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; reorienting the parked semi-trailer while the stabilizing device bears the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer so a floor of the parked semi-trailer goes from a substantially parallel orientation to an approximately non-parallel orientation with respect to a floor of the loading dock by repositioning at least one of the lift and a landing gear of the parked semi-trailer; and, maintaining the lift in the weight bearing position and with the floor in the approximately non-parallel orientation while contents are at least one of unloaded from or loaded onto the parked semi-trailer at the loading dock. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of reorienting the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer so the lift associated with the portable stabilizing device bears all the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of reorienting the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer and repositioning of the lift so the lift and the landing gear bear all the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of reorienting the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning of the lift so the lift bears all the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of reorienting the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer so the lift associated with the portable stabilizing device bears at least some of the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of reorienting the parked semi-trailer includes: repositioning the lift so the lift bears at least some of the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; repositioning the landing gear to discontinue contact with the ground so that the lift bears all of the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer; and, repositioning the lift while the lift bears all of the weight of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising repositioning a tailhold, operatively coupled to the lift, between a raised position and an engaged position, where the engaged position couples the tailhold to the ground and the raised position does not directly couple the tailhold to the ground. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising disengaging a transport vehicle from underneath of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer prior to positioning the portable stabilizing device underneath the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer, proximate a king pin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the floor of the parked semi-trailer is substantially parallel to a floor of the loading dock immediately following the transport vehicle being disengaged from the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising actively monitoring changes in orientation of the parked semi-trailer using at least one of visual feedback from a spirit level and electronic feedback from an inclinometer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of positioning the lift includes positioning the lift to engage at least one of a king pin and a pin box of the parked semi-trailer. ### Claim 12 A method of reorienting a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising: activating a jack, configured to selectively operatively engage an underside of a parked semi-trailer and the ground, to operatively engage the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground while landing gear of the parked semi-trailer are in contact with the ground, wherein when the jack initially operatively engages the underside of the parked semi-trailer, a floor of the parked semi-trailer is at a first angle with respect to a horizontal level plane; activating the jack, while operatively engaging the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground, to change a distance between the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground, wherein the floor of the semi-trailer has a second angle with respect to the horizontal level plane post changing the distance, where the second angle is greater than is the first angle; maintaining the second angle to at least one of remove contents from the semi-trailer and load contents onto the semi-trailer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising raising the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer after the jack operatively engages the underside of the parked semi-trailer and before the parked semi-trailer floor reaches the second angle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising lowering the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer after the parked semi-trailer floor reaches the second angle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein: the act of lowering the landing gear includes having the landing gear contact the ground; and, the act of activating the jack to change the distance includes maintaining the operative engagement between the jack and the ground. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the act of activating the jack to operatively engage the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground includes continuing engagement between a landing gear of the parked semi-trailer and the ground. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein maintaining the second angle to at least one of remove contents from the semi-trailer and load contents onto the semi-trailer occurs at a loading dock. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising repositioning a tailhook, operatively coupled to the jack, between a raised position and an engaged position, where the engaged position couples the tailhook to the ground and the raised position does not directly couple the tailhook to the ground. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the act of activating the jack to operatively engage the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground includes utilization of an electronic controller to govern activation of the jack; and, the act of activating the jack to change a distance between the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground includes utilization of the electronic controller to govern activation of the jack. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the act of utilizing the electronic controller to govern activation of the jack to change the distance between the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground includes the controller receiving a signal from a sensor associated with at least one of the parked semi-trailer and the jack; and, the signal provides information about changes in position of at least one of the parked semi-trailer and the jack indicative of an angle of the floor of the parked semitrailer with respect to the horizontal level plane. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising repositioning the jack underneath a forward portion of the parked semi-trailer while the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer engages the ground, wherein the position of the landing gear with respect to the ground coincides with the floor of the parked semi-trailer and the ground being approximately non-parallel to one another. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the act of activating the jack to change the distance between the underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground coincides with the floor of the parked semi-trailer and the ground being initially angled less than ten degrees with respect to one another. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising operatively coupling the jack to a ground mount fixedly attached to the ground by repositioning a tailhook operatively coupled to the jack between a raised position and an engaged position, where the engaged position couples the tailhook to the ground and the raised position does not directly couple the tailhook to the ground.