Trailer stabilization and restraint
AssigneeStabilock, LLC
InventorThomas Terrance Kimener
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parked freight trailer stabilizer and restraint comprising: (a) a kingpin receiver configured to lock onto a kingpin of a parked freight trailer; (b) a jack operatively coupled to the kingpin receiver, the jack repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position; (c) a tail hold operatively coupled to the kingpin receiver, the tail hold repositionable between a stowed position and a restraining position, the tail hold configured to engage a ground mount; and, (d) a transport receiver configured to engage a transport vehicle.
Claims22
A method of stabilizing a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising:
- transporting a trailer stabilizer removably engaging a front of a transport vehicle so that at least a portion of the trailer stabilizer is lifted off the ground;
- approaching a front of the parked semi-trailer, while the parked semi-trailer includes a rear end positioned adjacent an opening of a loading dock, with the transport vehicle while at least the portion of the trailer stabilizer remains lifted off the ground;
- repositioning the trailer stabilizer, using the transport vehicle, underneath a front nose of the parked semi-trailer to interpose the parked semi-trailer and the ground, where a vertical gap exists between an underside of the front nose of the parked semi-trailer and the ground that is unoccupied by the trailer stabilizer;
- disengaging the trailer stabilizer from the transport vehicle while the trailer stabilizer is underneath the front nose of the parked semi-trailer and the vertical gap is maintained.
A method of positioning a trailer stabilizer for a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising:
- lifting, using a front lift of a transport vehicle, the trailer stabilizer completely off the ground;
- deploying the trailer stabilizer, by repositioning a front of the transport vehicle toward a front end of the parked semi-trailer, underneath a forward portion of the parked semi-trailer in a non-weight bearing position where the trailer stabilizer does not concurrently engage both an underside of the parked semi-trailer and the ground, opposite a rear end of the parked semi-trailer that is oriented adjacent an opening of a loading dock, wherein deploying the trailer stabilizer in the non-weight bearing position includes providing a vertical gap between the parked semi-trailer and the ground unoccupied by the trailer stabilizer;
- repositioning the front lift of the transport vehicle to reposition the trailer stabilizer toward the ground as part of deploying the trailer stabilizer;
- and
- repositioning the front of the transport vehicle away from the front end of the parked semi-trailer after deploying the trailer stabilizer.
A method of stabilizing a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising:
- engaging a transport vehicle connection at a front of a transport vehicle with a transport receiver of a trailer stabilizer, wherein the trailer stabilizer is configured to stabilize a parked semi-trailer;
- approaching a front of the parked semi-trailer with the front of the transport vehicle carrying the trailer stabilizer;
- repositioning the trailer stabilizer underneath the parked semi-trailer using a forward motion of the transport vehicle;
- disengaging the transport vehicle connection with respect to the transport receiver;
- and
- repositioning the transport vehicle away from the front of the parked semi-trailer using a rearward motion of the transport vehicle, opposite the forward motion, after disengaging the transport vehicle connection with respect to the transport receiver.
A method of moving a trailer stabilizer, the method comprising:
- approaching a trailer stabilizer with a front of a transport vehicle, the trailer stabilizer positioned at least partially underneath a forward portion of an underside of a parked semi-trailer at a loading dock, where a vertical gap exists between the underside of the forward portion of the parked semi-trailer and the ground that is unoccupied by the trailer stabilizer;
- using the front of the transport vehicle to establish a connection with the trailer stabilizer;
- and
- repositioning the trailer stabilizer out from underneath the forward portion of the underside of the parked semi-trailer while connected to the transport vehicle by reversing the transport vehicle away from the parked semi-trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.