Side underride guard
AssigneeWabash National, L.P.
InventorsDavid P. Kunkel, Brian C. Belcher, Andrzej Wylezinski, Mark Ehrlich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side underride system configured to be coupled to a trailer is provided. The side underride system includes a support system, including a brace system and a cable, configured to be positioned below the trailer to provide side underride protection. The brace system includes a plurality of cross-braces that each extend across a width of the trailer and are spaced apart at intervals along a length of the trailer. The cable is configured to extend across the intervals between the cross-braces.
Claims19
A side underride system configured to be coupled to a trailer, comprising:
- a support system configured to be positioned below the trailer to provide side underride protection, the support system comprising:
- a brace system including a plurality of cross-braces that each extend across a width of the trailer and are spaced apart at intervals along a length of the trailer;
- and
- a cable configured to extend across the intervals between the cross-braces, the cable further configured to be coupled to the trailer at a first anchor point forward of a forward-most cross-brace of the plurality of cross-braces and coupled to the trailer at a second anchor point rearward of a rearward-most cross-brace of the plurality of cross-braces.
A side underride system configured to be coupled to a trailer, comprising:
- a brace system including a plurality of cross-braces, each cross-brace of the plurality of cross-braces comprises:
- a first vertical post;
- a second vertical post opposite the first vertical post;
- a first truss beam oriented diagonally and coupled to a lower portion of the first vertical post and an upper portion of the second vertical post;
- and
- a second truss beam oriented diagonally and coupled to an upper portion of the first vertical post and a lower portion of the second vertical post so that the first truss beam and the second truss beam crisscross at an intersection point,
- each cross-brace of the plurality of cross-braces extends across a width of the trailer and is configured to be separately coupled to the trailer as a subassembly unit so that the plurality of cross-braces are spaced apart from one another at intervals along a length of the trailer.
A method of installing a side underride system on a trailer, the method comprising the steps of:
- welding a first bracket to a first cross member of a floor assembly of the trailer adjacent a first end of the first cross member;
- welding a second bracket to the first cross member adjacent a second end of the first cross member;
- assembling a subassembly by providing a first cross-brace comprising:
- a first vertical post,
- a second vertical post opposite the first vertical post,
- a first truss beam oriented diagonally and coupled to a lower portion of the first vertical post and an upper portion of the second vertical post, and
- a second truss beam oriented diagonally and coupled to an upper portion of the first vertical post and a lower portion of the second vertical post so that the first truss beam and the second truss beam crisscross at an intersection point;
- after assembling the subassembly, coupling the subassembly to the floor assembly by:
- coupling the first vertical post to the first bracket;
- and
- coupling the second vertical post to the second bracket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.