US 4,372,572 AGranted

Lift bed tandem axle trailer

AssigneeThe Advance Metalworking Co.

InventorRichard Verschage

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Abstract

A lift bed, tandem axle trailer includes a bed with a load supporting base structure and a pair of wheel support arms mounted for pivotal movement about longitudinally spaced apart, transverse axes on each side of the bed for raising and lowering the bed with respect to a road or supporting surface. An axle and wheel is mounted at the outer end of each support arm. A tongue extends forwardly of the trailer bed with the forward end adapted to be hitched to a towing vehicle. Load equalizing linkages are provided between the forward and rearward support arms on each side of the bed and this linkage is interconnected with a lift on each side of the bed for pivoting the support arms to raise and lower the bed to the desired level for loading/unloading or travel. A shock absorber assembly is interconnected with the lift on each side of the bed for providing a smoothed out ride for the trailer bed during travel.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A lift bed, tandem axle, trailer, comprising:

a bed having a load supporting floor structure with opposite sides and front and rear ends;
a pair of wheel support arms mounted for pivotal movement about a pair of longitudinally spaced apart transverse axes on each side of said bed for raising and lowering the bed with respect to the ground;
an axle and wheel mounted at the outer end of each support arm for rolling support of said bed;
a tongue extending forwardly of the front end of said bed having an outer end adapted to be hitched to a pulling vehicle for towing said trailer;
load equalizing linkage means between each pair of said wheel support arms on each side of said bed comprising a first link pivotally connected at one end to the rear support arm eccentric of the mounting axis thereof and a second link pivotally interconnected to an opposite end of said first link and pivotally connected to the front support arm eccentric of the mounting axis thereof;
lift means on each side of said bed for pivoting said support arms to raise and lower said bed, said lift means including a longitudinally extensible thrust member having one end pivotally connected to said second link at a point between the pivotal connections of said first link and said front support arm therewith, said thrust member having an opposite end interconnected with said bed;
and
shock absorber means for interconnecting the opposite ends of said thrust member and said bed permitting limited travel of said ends in opposite directions longitudinally of said thrust member, said shock absorber means including a bracket fixed to said bed and a pair of resilient cushion members on opposite faces of said bracket, and pressure pad means connected with said thrust member for compressive engagement with said cushion members permitting limited travel of said opposite end of said thrust member in response to pivotal movement of a wheel support arm on said bed during travel.

5 more elements

A lift bed, tandem axle, trailer, comprising:

a bed having a load supporting floor structure with opposite sides and front and rear ends;
a pair of wheel support arms mounted for pivotal movement about a pair of longitudinally spaced apart transverse axes on each side of said bed for raising and lowering the bed with respect to the ground;
an axle and wheel mounted at the outer end of each support arm for rolling support of said bed;
a tongue extending forwardly of the front end of said bed having an outer end adapted to be hitched to a pulling vehicle for towing said trailer;
means for supporting said tongue for pivotal movement about a transverse pivot axis adjacent said front end of said bed, and tongue linkage means for interconnecting said wheel support arms and said tongue for maintaining said outer end of said tongue at a relatively constant level when said bed is raised or lowered;
said tongue support means including a shaft aligned on said pivot axis and interconnected with an inner end portion of said tongue intermediate the ends of said shaft and said tongue linkage means includes a pair of tongue linkages on opposite sides of said bed interconnected between outer ends of said shaft and said lift means;
load equalizing linkage means between each pair of said wheel support arms on each side of said bed comprising a first link pivotally connected at one end to the rear support arm eccentric of the mounting axis thereof and a second link pivotally interconnected to an opposite end of said first link and pivotally connected to the front support arm eccentric of the mounting axis thereof;
and
lift means on each side of said bed for pivoting said support arms to raise and lower said bed, said lift means including a longitudinally extensible thrust member having one end pivotally connected to said second link at a point between the pivotal connections of said first link and said front support arm therewith, said thrust member having an opposite end interconnected with said bed.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.