US 12,397,864 B1Granted

Convertible trailer

OwnerNicholas Ryan Hallinventor

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Abstract

A trailer convertible between step deck trailer and flatbed trailer configurations includes a frame, wheel and axle assemblies supported on the frame, an upper deck at the front of the frame, a lower deck configured for vertical movement on a vertical slide rail from a first step deck position to a second raised flatbed position wherein the lower deck and the upper deck are coplanar; a controller actuatable for upward and downward movement of the lower deck; at least one locking support beam; and landing gear deployable to support the convertible trailer while it is parked for loading. An air lift jack assembly is configured to raise the lower deck, and an air pressure release valve is configured to release air pressure to lower the lower deck, in response to actuation of the controller. The wheel and axle assemblies may be configured for forward-backward movement and/or upward-downward movement.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A convertible trailer constructed and arranged for conversion from a step deck trailer configuration to a flatbed trailer configuration, the convertible trailer having a trailer front, a trailer rear, a trailer right side, a trailer left side, a trailer top, and a trailer bottom, the convertible trailer comprising:

a trailer frame having a frame front, a frame rear, a frame right side, a frame left side, a frame top, and a frame bottom;
a plurality of wheel and axle assemblies supported on the trailer frame, wherein each wheel and axle assembly of the plurality of wheel and axle assemblies comprises a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on a respective axle;
an upper deck located at the frame front of the trailer frame;
a lower deck located rearward of the upper deck, the lower deck being constructed and arranged for vertical movement on a vertical slide rail from a first step deck position to a second raised flatbed position wherein the lower deck and the upper deck are coplanar;
a controller operably connected to the lower deck, the controller being configured for actuation to move the lower deck upward and downward on the vertical slide rail with respect to the upper deck;
at least one locking support beam extending from the frame right side to the frame left side;
and
a right landing gear mounted to an underside of the upper deck at the trailer right side and a left landing gear mounted to an underside of the upper deck at the trailer left side, the right landing gear and the left landing gear being deployable from a raised storage position to a deployed position contacting a ground or paved surface to support the convertible trailer while it is parked for loading.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.