Pneumatic tank trailer
AssigneeRacehorse Investments, L.L.C.
InventorsFrank J. Beelman, III, David Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic tank trailer includes a carriage and a tank supported on the trailer that can selectively discharge fluidizable material through hoppers of the tank. A nose portion of the trailer has a generally conical shape. The nose portion has a top that slopes downward and sides that taper inward as it extends forward. A cross-sectional center point of a front end of the nose portion is lower than a cross-sectional center point of a rear end of the nose portion along the height of the trailer. The length of the nose portion is at least 15% of the length of the trailer. Adjacent hoppers intersect at hopper crotches. The hopper crotches have short heights and the hoppers are arranged relatively close together.
Claims18
A pneumatic tank trailer having a front end, a rear end, and a length extending between the front end and the rear end along a longitudinal axis of the trailer, the trailer comprising:
- a carriage for movement over a road;
- a tank defining a tank interior and including at least one hopper in fluid communication with the tank interior, the tank being configured to receive a fluidizable material in the interior and to selectively discharge the fluidizable material through the at least one hopper below the tank;
- and
- a nose portion having a rear end, a front end, a length extending between the rear and front ends along the longitudinal axis of the trailer, a top, and a width, the top of the nose portion having a continuous, arcuate surface,
- the width of the nose portion tapering inward as the nose portion extends from the rear end to the front end,
- the top of the nose portion sloping downward from the rear end at a skew angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer,
- the rear end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point and the front end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point, the cross-sectional center point of the front end being located below the cross-sectional center point of the rear end, and
- the length of the nose portion being at least about 15% of the length of the trailer;
- wherein the nose portion includes at least a front end segment having a maximum width along a length of the front end segment that generally lies in a maximum width plane oriented at a skew angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trailer;
- and
- wherein the nose portion is free of external reinforcement.
A pneumatic tank trailer having a front end, a rear end, and a length extending between the front end and the rear end along a longitudinal axis of the trailer, the trailer comprising:
- a carriage for movement over a road;
- a tank defining a tank interior and including at least one hopper in fluid communication with the tank interior, the tank being configured to receive a fluidizable material in the interior and to selectively discharge the fluidizable material through the at least one hopper below the tank;
- and
- a nose portion having a generally arcuate cross-sectional shape, a rear end, a front end, a length extending between the rear and front ends along the longitudinal axis of the trailer, a top, and a width,
- the width of the nose portion tapering inward as the nose portion extends from the rear end to the front end,
- the top of the nose portion sloping downward from the rear end at a skew angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer,
- the rear end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point and the front end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point, the cross-sectional center point of the front end being located below the cross-sectional center point of the rear end, and
- the length of the nose portion being at least about 15% of the length of the trailer;
- wherein the nose portion includes at least a front end segment having a maximum width along a length of the front end segment that generally lies in a maximum width plane oriented at a skew angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trailer and oriented at a skew angle with respect to the top of the nose portion;
- and
- wherein the skew angle between the maximum width plane and the top of the nose portion is from about 10° to about 18°.
A pneumatic tank trailer having a front end, a rear end, and a length extending between the front end and the rear end along a longitudinal axis of the trailer, the trailer comprising:
- a carriage for movement over a road;
- a tank defining a tank interior and including at least one hopper in fluid communication with the tank interior, the tank being configured to receive a fluidizable material in the interior and to selectively discharge the fluidizable material through the at least one hopper below the tank;
- and
- a nose portion having a generally arcuate cross-sectional shape, a rear end, a front end, a length extending between the rear and front ends along the longitudinal axis of the trailer, a top, and a width,
- the width of the nose portion tapering inward as the nose portion extends from the rear end to the front end,
- the top of the nose portion sloping downward from the rear end at a skew angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer,
- the rear end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point and the front end of the nose portion having a cross-sectional center point, the cross-sectional center point of the front end being located below the cross-sectional center point of the rear end, and
- the length of the nose portion being at least about 15% of the length of the trailer;
- wherein the tank includes a front end portion which forms a rear segment of the nose portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.