US 5,013,056 AGranted

Low load angle step deck trailer having shiftable undercarriage

AssigneeLandoll Corporation

InventorsDonald R. Landoll, Kelly Williams, Ted Peck

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Abstract

A trailer having a tiltable main deck and a shiftable undercarriage includes an undercarriage assembly having a deck support structure mounted thereon for supporting the deck. The deck support structure includes lifting arms for lifting the elongated deck assembly relative to the undercarriage independently of the undercarriage shifting mechanism so that the deck may be lifted relative to the undercarriage without simultaneouly shifting the undercarriage along the deck. The trailer may include a hitch assembly that permits the trailer to be pivotally connected to a towing vehicle to permit the forward deck to be tilted away from the main deck to increase the angle between the main deck and the forward deck when the trailer is in the unloading position. Further, a deck angle adjustment assembly is disclosed for adjusting the relative positions of the decks.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A shiftable undercarriage for use in supporting the deck of a trailer movable between a horizontal position and an angled position, the undercarriage comprising

an elongated undercarriage frame having forward and rear ends;
a first axle supported on the frame adjacent the forward end and extending transverse to the frame;
a second axle supported on the frame adjacent the rear end and extending in a direction parallel to the first axle;
a plurality of wheels rotatably supported on each of the axles;
and
load distribution means mounted on the undercarriage frame for evenly distributing the weight of the deck between the first and second axles, the load distribution means including a floating link assembly having opposing first and second support arms and an intermediate link, each having first and second ends, the second ends of the support arms including bearing means adapted to engage the main deck for transmitting weight of the deck to the support arms,
the undercarriage frame including a pair of horizontal pivot axes on which the support arms are supported, the pivot axes each extending in a direction parallel to the direction in which the first axle extends and defining with the other axis a midpoint halfway therebetween which is vertically aligned with a midpoint defined halfway between the axles, the intermediate link being connected between the first ends of the support arms in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal pivot axes and being vertically offset from the pivot axes, the intermediate link further being movable relative to the undercarriage frame for transmitting the weight of the deck equally between the support arms regardless of the angle of the deck and for evenly distributing the weight of the deck between the axles of the undercarriage.

4 more elements

A trailer comprising:

an elongated deck having a forward end and a rear end;
an undercarriage including an undercarriage frame and a plurality of ground-engaging wheels rotatably mounted on the undercarriage frame;
undercarriage shifting means for selectively shifting the undercarriage along the elongated deck;
and
deck support means mounted on and being movable with the undercarriage for supporting the deck on the undercarriage, the deck support means including a pair of lift arms connected between the elongated deck and the undercarriage frame, each of the lift arms including a first end connected to the undercarriage frame for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and a second end provided with bearing means for supporting the main deck, and lifting means for lifting the elongated deck assembly relative to the undercarriage by pivoting the lift arms relative to the undercarriage, the lifting means including retaining means extending between the first ends of the lift arms at a position vertically spaced from the pivotal connections of the link arms to the undercarriage frame for retaining the lift arms in any given position relative to the undercarriage regardless of the position of the undercarriage relative to the elongated deck, and being operable independently of the undercarriage shifting means for lifting the deck relative to the undercarriage without simultaneously shifting the undercarriage along the deck.

2 more elements

A trailer for use in connection with the towing vehicle having a fifth wheel, the trailer comprising:

a forward deck;
a swing deck having a front end and a rear end, the front end being pivotally connected to the forward deck;
an elongated main deck having an anterior end pivotally connected to the rear end of the swing deck;
deck angle adjustment means for adjusting the relative positions of the decks between a roading position in which the elongated main deck is disposed in a horizontal plane and an unloading position in which the main deck is angled relative to the forward deck, the deck angle adjustment means including
a timing link having a first end pivotally mounted on the elongated main deck and a second end remote from the first end, the timing link being pivotally connected to the forward deck at a point intermediate the first and second ends, and
a fluid actuated cylinder assembly including a cylinder and a piston, one of the cylinder and piston being pivotally connected to the swing deck and the other of the cylinder and piston being pivotally connected to the second end of the timing link so that actuation of the cylinder assembly results in movement of the swing deck and main deck relative to the forward deck;
an undercarriage supporting the elongated main deck and being shiftable longitudinally along the main deck, the undercarriage including a plurality of ground engaging wheels;
and
hitch means for permitting the trailer to be pivotally connected to the towing vehicle, the hitch means including a lower plate having a hitch pin adapted to engage the fifth wheel and an upper plate connected to the lower plate for pivotal movement relative to the lower plate about a horizontal axis to permit the forward deck to be tilted away from the main deck to increase the angle between the main deck and the forward deck when the trailer is in the unloading position.

6 more elements

A trailer comprising:

a forward deck;
a swing deck having a front end pivotally connected to the forward deck and a rear end;
an elongated main deck having a forward end pivotally connected to the rear end of the swing deck;
an undercarriage supporting the elongated main deck and being shiftable longitudinally along the main deck, the undercarriage including a plurality of wheels;
and
deck angle adjustment means for adjusting the relative positions of the decks, the deck angle adjustment means including
a timing link having a first end pivotally mounted on the elongated main deck and a second end remote from the first end, the timing link being pivotally connected to the forward deck at a point intermediate the first and second ends, and
a fluid actuated cylinder assembly including a cylinder and a piston, one of the cylinder and piston being pivotally connected to the swing deck and the other of the cylinder and piston being pivotally connected to the second end of the timing link so that actuation of the cylinder assembly results in movement of the swing deck and main deck relative to the forward deck.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.