US 4,836,735 AGranted

Load positioning container chassis

AssigneeXTRA Corporation

InventorsMichael J. Dennehy, Jr., Robert A. Rials

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A container chassis is supported at one end by a movable bogie unit or "slider" mounted below it, and has a sliding bolster unit mounted above it to accommodate a heavy twenty foot cargo container. Retractable roller mechanisms on the bogie unit and on the bolster unit are urged against the chassis to permit easy placement of a unit at a desired position along the chassis, and a releasable coupling between the slider and the bolster allows the bolster to be moved along the chassis by the slider. Protocols are described for moving a container between a first position centered on the chassis and a second position flush with the rear of the chassis. In a preferred embodiment, the front portion of the chassis is elevated with respect to the rear portion, so that the bolster slides along a region lower than the front. With the bolster in its rearmost position, the chassis accommodates a forty foot container.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A chassis for carrying a short overweight freight container, such chassis comprising

a structural frame longer than the container, and having a front mounting member for coupling to a tractor and a pair of frame members extending rearwardly from the front mounting member,
a bolster assembly dimensioned to receive and hold a said container securely thereon, said bolster assembly being slideably mounted for motion back and forth on a rearward portion of said frame members,
an axle assembly movably mounted beneath and supporting said frame members, said axle assembly being adapted for slideable movement along the frame members to permit placement at a desired axle spacing for a particular load, and
first and second power assisted means engaging said axle assembly and said bolster assembly, respectively, for temporarily transferring the load between the frame members and each said assembly to a respective friction-reducing load bearing mechanism so that each said assembly may be conveniently moved and repositioned along said frame member to achieve desired load location and axle spacings before securing said bolster assembly and said axle assembly to said frame members.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.