Trailer tilt system
OwnerRoss A. Weldyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspension system for wheeled vehicles which allows the body or frame of a vehicle, such as a trailer, to be lowered or tilted. The suspension system includes an off-set axle which, when rotated, adjusts the clearance beneath the wheeled vehicle so that the body or frame thereof can be lowered or tilted. The off-set axle includes a central portion which can be rotated by applying tension to a tensioning member attached thereto. In one embodiment the tensioning member is coupled to a shuttle which in turn is detachably coupled to another tensioning member that can be detached from the shuttle and used to pull a load onto the vehicle. The shuttle can be used to transfer tension between the tensioning members and lock the axle into a desired position.
Claims23
A suspension system for a wheeled vehicle which comprises:
- an axle having wheels coupled to opposite ends thereof and a central portion, the wheels having central axes which are aligned with one another and the central portion having a central axis which is off-set from the aligned central axes of the wheels;
- and
- means for rotating the central portion of the axle along an arc relative to a frame so as to cause the wheels to move along an arc,
- wherein the means to rotate the central portion of the axle comprises a tensioning member having first and second ends with the first end thereof coupled to the central portion of the axle.
A wheeled vehicle which comprises:
- a frame;
- an axle having wheels coupled to opposite ends thereof and a central portion, the wheels having central axes which are aligned with one another and the central portion having a central axis which is off-set from the aligned central axes of the wheels;
- means for pivotally coupling the axle to the frame;
- and
- means for rotating the central portion of the axle along an arc relative to said frame, so as to cause the wheels to move along an arc, wherein the means to rotate the central portion of the axle comprises a tensioning member having first and second ends with the first end thereof coupled to the central portion of the axle and the second end of the tensioning means coupled to a means for applying tension to the tensioning member.
A method of loading a trailer having a frame and an axle which method comprises:
- lowering at least a portion of the trailer by applying a tensional force to a central portion of the axle and thereby rotating the central portion of the axle of the trailer along an arc relative to the frame thereof;
- and
- loading the trailer while the portion thereof is lowered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.