US 9,387,789 B2Granted

Apparatus, system and method for dovetail locking mechanisms

AssigneeGrand Rock, LLC

InventorTodd Ray Patterson

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Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for dovetail locking mechanisms are described herein. A system for locking the dovetail of a trailer in the travel position includes a sled for locking the dovetail of a trailer in the travel position, a railing on the underside of the trailer to accommodate the sled, wherein the sled is moveably attached to the railing such that the sled can slide into a loading position clear of the dovetail or a travel position at least partially beneath the dovetail, and means for actuating the sled to the loading position and travel position. A method for locking the dovetail of a trailer includes moving the dovetail of a trailer into the travel position and sliding a sled from a loading position underneath the trailer to a travel position at least partially underneath the dovetail of the trailer.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A system for locking a dovetail of a trailer with respect to a flatbed of the trailer, the system comprising:

a flatbed, the flatbed comprising a first railing formed on a periphery of an underside of the flatbed and extending to about an end of the flatbed;
a dovetail pivotally connected to the end of the flatbed at a pivot point, the dovetail comprising a second railing formed on a periphery of an underside of the dovetail, wherein the dovetail is pivotable between:
a travel position, wherein the first railing and second railing are substantially aligned, and a gap is formed between the first railing and the second railing below the pivot point;
and
a loading position, wherein the dovetail is pivoted downward about the pivot point, such that the gap is at least partially closed;
and
a sled, the sled being slideably connected to the flatbed, and moveable via an actuating means attached to the flatbed, the sled comprising an elongate sliding member slidably engaged within the first railing, wherein the actuating means moves the sled between:
a locked position, wherein when the dovetail is in the travel position, the sliding member is moved toward the dovetail so as to fill the gap and engage both the first and second railings, thereby preventing the dovetail from pivoting relative to the flatbed;
and
an unlocked position, wherein the sliding member is moved away from the dovetail so as to clear the gap, thereby allowing the dovetail to pivot relative to the flatbed into the loading position.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/305,875Filed 16 Jun 2014 · continuation
Priority: 6 Sep 2011
Published: US 2014/0294549 A12 Oct 2014
Granted: 12 Jul 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B60P 1/433
Using a loading ramp mounted on the vehicle: the loading floor or a part thereof being movable to form the ramp
B29C 49/78
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: measuring, controlling or regulating
B29C 51/445
Removing or ejecting moulded articles: from a support after moulding, e.g. by cutting
B29C 51/46
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: measuring, controlling or regulating

Family

Application61/531,262Us provisional application · filed 6 Sep 2011
Application13/604,284Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Sep 2012
US 2014/0294549 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Oct 2014
US 8,794,859 B1Parent of this continuation
US 9,387,789 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.