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US 11,104,308 B1Granted
Semi-trailer
AssigneeGlen J. Dunn & Associates, Ltd.
InventorsGlen J. Dunn, Jr., Dariusz J. Las
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semi-trailer including an elongated trailer frame having a front portion and a rear portion, a wheel bogie disposed beneath the trailer frame, a jack disposed proximal the rear portion of the trailer frame, where the jack is configured to raise and lower the rear portion of the trailer frame, The jack includes an actuator connected to the trailer frame at the rear portion, a plurality of pivotal support arms connected to an end of the actuator and a plurality of ground engaging members connected to the end of the plurality of support arms, where the ground engaging members are powered to transversely move the rear portion of the trailer frame.
Claims19
A semi-trailer, comprising:
- an elongated trailer frame having a front portion and a rear portion;
- a wheel bogie disposed beneath the elongated trailer frame, where the wheel bogie includes a plurality of wheels having corresponding axles;
- and
- a jack disposed proximal the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame, wherein the jack includes one or more arms that are extendable and retractable relative to the elongated trailer frame towards and away a ground surface, each of the one or more arms having a ground engaging member disposed thereon, wherein extension of the one or more arms is configured to bring the ground engaging member of each of the one or more arms in contact with the ground surface to raise and lower the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame;
- and
- wherein each of the ground engaging members is configured to lift the wheel bogie and its plurality of wheels off of the road surface, thus raising the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame off the ground.
3 more elements
A semi-trailer, comprising:
- a frame having a front portion and a rear portion, the frame including a longitudinal axis, the front portion including a kingpin connection adapted for mating engagement with a socket disposed on a tractor, the rear portion including a wheel bogie having a plurality of wheels connected via respective axles;
- a jack associated with the wheel bogie, the jack configured:
- to raise the wheel bogie off a ground surface in an extended position to a height such that a gap is formed between the plurality of wheels and the ground surface and the jack bears a load of the semi-trailer, and
- to lower the wheel bogie back down to the ground surface in a retracted position such that the plurality of wheels contacts the ground surface to bear the load of the semi-trailer;
- wherein the jack further includes moveable ground engaging members configured to move the wheel bogie and the rear portion of the frame in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the jack is in the extended position;
- and
- wherein each of the ground engaging members is configured to lift the wheel bogie and its plurality of wheels off of the ground surface, thus raising the rear portion of the frame off the ground surface.
4 more elements
A method for operating a semi-trailer, comprising:
- providing a frame having a front portion and a rear portion, the frame including a longitudinal axis, the front portion including a kingpin connection adapted for mating engagement with a socket disposed on a tractor, the rear portion including a wheel bogie having a plurality of wheels connected via respective axles;
- providing a jack associated with the wheel bogie;
- selectively activating the jack to move from a retracted position to an extended position to raise the wheel bogie off a ground surface to a height such that a gap is formed between the plurality of wheels and the ground surface and the jack bears a load of the semi-trailer;
- selectively activating the jack to move from the extended position to the retracted position to lower the wheel bogie back down to the ground surface such that the plurality of wheels contacts the ground surface to bear the load of the semi-trailer;
- and
- selectively activating one or more moveable ground engaging members of the jack while the jack is in the extended position to move the wheel bogie and the rear portion of the frame in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
3 more elements
A semi-trailer, comprising:
- an elongated trailer frame having a front portion and a rear portion;
- a wheel bogie disposed beneath the elongated trailer frame, where the wheel bogie includes a plurality of wheels having corresponding axles;
- and
- a jack disposed proximal the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame, wherein the jack includes one or more arms that are extendable and retractable relative to the elongated trailer frame towards and away a ground surface, each of the one or more arms having a ground engaging member disposed thereon, wherein extension of the one or more arms is configured to bring the ground engaging member of each of the one or more arms in contact with the ground surface to raise and lower the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame;
- and
- wherein the ground engaging members are configured to move the rear portion of the elongated trailer frame in a direction transverse to the elongated trailer frame.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.