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US 10,532,620 B1Granted
Mechanism and suspension to improve stability and handling for knuckle-boom loader trailers in off-road conditions
OwnerJason M. Klein, Jeff B. Pittsinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A knuckle-boom loader trailer has a trailer frame, a heavy equipment package of a knuckle-boom crane and an operator cab mounted on top of the trailer frame, and a walking-beam suspension propping up the trailer frame.
Claims6
A knuckle-boom loader trailer comprising:
- a longitudinally-extending trailer frame;
- a heavy equipment package comprising a knuckle-boom crane and an operator cab mounted on top of the trailer frame;
- a walking-beam suspension propping up the trailer frame comprising a laterally-extending trunnion;
- left and right laterally-spaced trunnion hub-and-clamp fixtures;
- left and right longitudinally-elongated walking beams, the left walking beam being suspended for oscillation about a laterally-extending rocking axis from the left trunnion hub-and-clamp fixture and the right walking beam being suspended for independent oscillation about the laterally-extending rocking axis from the right trunnion hub-and-clamp fixture;
- said left and right trunnion hub-and-clamp fixtures cooperatively defining the laterally-extending rocking axis such that the left and right walking beams can oscillate reversibly between clockwise and counterclockwise extremes in generally laterally-extending planes independently from each other;
- each walking beam extending between a front end terminating in a longitudinally-extending arbor and a rear end terminating in a longitudinally-extending arbor, each arbor defining a longitudinally-extending pivot axis.
4 more elements
A knuckle-boom loader trailer comprising:
- a longitudinally-extending trailer frame;
- a heavy equipment package comprising a knuckle-boom crane and an operator cab mounted on top of the trailer frame;
- and
- a walking-beam suspension propping up the trailer frame comprising a laterally-extending trunnion as well as a front axle, a rear axle, and trunnion mounts suspending for oscillation about a laterally-extending rocking axis a laterally-spaced pair of left and right, longitudinally elongated rocking beams about a relative center of geometry for the rocking beams;
- the rocking beams longitudinally extending between respective front and rear ends, wherein the front ends of the left and right rocking beams mate with the front axle at respective laterally-spaced left and right positions, and, the rear ends of the left and right rocking beams mate with the rear axle at respective laterally-spaced left and right positions;
- the walking beam suspension further comprising four semi-cylindrical axle saddles mated respectively to one of the left and right, front and rear ends of the left and right rocking beams;
- wherein the rocking beams are arranged with respect to the trunnion to rock about the laterally-extending rocking axis between clockwise and counterclockwise extremes in generally longitudinally-extending planes and the axle saddles are arranged with respect to the ends of the rocking beams to pivot about generally longitudinally-extending pivot axes between clockwise and counterclockwise extremes in generally laterally-extending planes.
4 more elements
A trailer adaptable for a heavy equipment package, said trailer comprising:
- a longitudinally-extending trailer frame;
- a heavy equipment package mounted on top of the trailer frame;
- and
- a walking-beam suspension propping up the trailer frame comprising a laterally-extending trunnion, flanking longitudinally-spaced laterally-extending front and rear axles, and longitudinally-extending laterally-spaced left and right rocking beams interconnecting the axles and trunnion on respective laterally-spaced left and right positions thereon and each rocking beam extending longitudinally between spaced ends;
- wherein the rocking beams are arranged with respect to the trunnion to rock about a laterally-extending rocking axis between clockwise and counterclockwise extremes in generally longitudinally-extending planes;
- and
- the axles are arranged with respect to the ends of the walking beams to pivot about generally longitudinally-extending pivot axes between clockwise and counterclockwise extremes in generally laterally-extending planes.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.