GB2378682A

GB2378682A - A trailer having a hinged tail

Info

Publication number: GB2378682A
Application number: GB0207435A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Barton Francis
Original assignee: Talbert Manufacturing Inc
Current assignee: Talbert Manufacturing Inc
Priority date: 2002-03-28
Filing date: 2002-03-28
Publication date: 2003-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-28
Also published as: GB2378682B; GB0207435D0

Abstract

A trailer comprises a hinged tail 22 forming part of a load bearing platform 10 having a length which can be shortened or extended by raising or lowering the hinged tail 22 respectively. Preferably a plurality of wheels mounted on sliding bogies 32 are positionable at a plurality of points below the load bearing platform 10 and allow the position of the wheels to be adjusted. Two underhanging rails 34 may be attached to the load bearing platform 10 to support the bogie 32 and a locking mechanism, preferably a tog 42 engaged in an aperture in the rail 34, prevents movement of the bogie 32. Preferably the extension of a prong 36 attached to an arm 38 when rotated about a pivot 40 causes unlocking and free movement of the bogie position in accordance with an undercarriage extension cylinder 44. Advantageously variability in both the length of the load bearing platform 10 and positionability of the bogie 32 provides flexible transport characteristics.

Description

A Trailer with Variable Characteristics The invention relates to a trailer with variable characteristics.

Trailers are used throughout the world in order to transport cargo. For example heavy haul trailers are used to transport a range of large, heavy and bulky material, for instance disabled vehicles such as bulldozers, or seagoing containers.

Trailers consist of a carrying surface supported on one or more wheel-supporting bogies. Cargo is generally loaded onto the trailer at the rearward end. However, the clearance of the load bearing platform from the ground means that such loading can be problematic, both in raising the cargo sufficiently to place it on to the platform, and also in excessively burdening the rear suspension and wheels whilst the cargo is being loaded. To counter this problem, certain trailers have been designed with sliding rear axles, so that when loading cargo the rear wheels can act as a pivot about which the platform tilts, thereby slanting the platform downwards towards the rear, creating a slope which facilitates the loading and unloading of cargo, lessening the need to raise the cargo. This also places less burden on the rearward suspension as the platform

instead bears most of the burden during loading. Some sliding axle trailers incorporate 9 1. 1. a hinged tail which tucks underneath the platform to form and act as a bumper during travel. Other sliding axle trailers utilise folding ramps (i. e. not a part of the platform) that are stored vertically during transport. During loading this tail pivots about the hinge so as to facilitate contact with the ground by the platform, thereby maximising the ramp effect of the platform during loading, and ensuring the burden is borne primarily by the platform.

Whilst the presence of hinged tails on such previously known trailers may increase the platform length during loading and unloading, during transport such tails must be locked in a single set position. This results in a platform where the length is unable to

be varied. This lack of variability in the length of the platform gives rise to problems when cargo must be transported across multiple jurisdictions. Most jurisdictions have enacted legislative provisions governing the length of the platform. In addition, the wheelbase of the trailer is similarly regulated through provisions governing the position of the wheels relative to the platform. The positioning of the wheels relative to the platform is important for the stability of the loaded trailer, particularly when the trailer is turning. Consequently, currently available trailers especially those used in the heavy haul industry are limited to working in a single jurisdiction by their inflexible transport characteristics, or are restricted by how much weight they can transport. This has obvious disadvantages, for instance with hauliers travelling between different European countries.

In addition, within a single jurisdiction there may well be regulations governing the wheelbase of a trailer, and these requirements may differ depending upon the length of the trailer. Consequently, any trailer which did alter its length via the use of a hinged tail would similarly need to be able to appropriately adjust its wheelbase. In particular, reference is made to the UK Freight Transport Association 2002 yearbook of Road Transport Law. Further, use of such a hinged tail may create problems with respect to regulations governing the position of the anti-under ride of the trailer, which must be located fully rearward of the trailer. A hinged tail extending horizontally rearward might therefore present compliance problems due to the tail overhanging the bumper.

The above problems which are common to currently available trailers are solved by the trailer of the present invention which comprises a hinged tail and one or more sliding rear axles capable of being locked in a variety of positions for transportation. The trailer of the present invention enables the tilting of the platform to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo. Moreover, the trailer of the present invention would be adaptable for both heavy haulage requirements as well as for small trailers that may be suitable for standard domestic uses.

One aspect of the present invention is that the trailer comprises a hinged tail which may be locked in an upwards vertical position to prevent cargo sliding off of the rear of the platform.

In a further aspect of the invention, the trailer is locked in a horizontally rearward extended position so as to increase the length of the platform. The rear axles fully slide into the tail and thus the length of the trailer can be adjusted or altered in combination with a corresponding adjustment of the wheelbase of the trailer. The adjustment of the wheelbase prevents the problem of inadequate weight distribution, and allows the trailer to conform to different length requirements, while simultaneously adjusting that the wheelbase for a desired platform length (as may be dictated by legislation on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis). In addition, the inclusion of a sliding bumper that is in'a position independent of the rear axles ensures that any jurisdictional requirements or regulations relating to the position of the bumper are also adhered to, independent of the position of the tail or the dimensions of the wheelbase.

Various apparatus and methods in which the invention is embodied will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the diagrams: Figure I illustrates a trailer in the normal or"traditional"loading and unloading position.

Figure 2 illustrates a trailer of the present invention, comprising a hinged tail in an upward vertical position.

Figure 3 illustrates a section view of the trailer of the present invention, with the sliding bogie in both the locked and unlocked positions.

Figure 4 illustrates a sliding bogie with the undercarriage extension cylinder retracted.

Figure 5 further illustrates a sliding bogie whereby the undercarriage extension cylinder is extended.

Figure 6 illustrates a trailer of the present invention with the tail down and the wheels extending into the tail, and thus conforming to an alternative regulatory position.

Figure 7 illustrates a trailer of the present invention with the tail raised, with the sliding bogie at the rearmost point of the load-bearing platform.

Figure 8 illustrates a trailer with the tail lowered, with the sliding bogie at the rearmost point of the load-bearing platform.

Figure 9 illustrates the tail of the trailer locked in the horizontal and vertical positions.

Figure 10 illustrates the tail of the trailer locked in the vertical position, showing the hydraulic raising cylinder.

Figure 11 illustrates a trailer in the unloading position, showing the presence of a dock leveller.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a trailer in the unloading position, demonstrating the advantage of tilting the load-bearing platform 10 so as to facilitate ease of loading.

The rear axles 12 have been moved towards the front of the platform by the undercarriage extension cylinder 9 whilst the extendable bumper, 14, has been retracted. The decklifting hydraulic cylinders 16 extend, forcing the frontward-most end of the loading platform 10 upwards. This causes the loading platform 10 to slope

downwards at the rear of the platform, the rearmost wheel 12 acting as a pivot about which the loading platform 10 tilts. Such inclination of the loading platform is facilitated by the flexibility provided by the gooseneck 18. Loading of cargo can be further assisted by the use of a hydraulic winch 20 which can be wound out, attached to the cargo and then wound in so as to drag the cargo up the inclined loading platform 10.

Figure 2 depicts the trailer in a transportation position. The decklifting hydraulic cylinders 16 are retracted, so that the load-bearing platform 10 is flat. The tail 22 is locked in an upright position, so that the load-bearing platform 10 is shortened, and thus conforms to a specific legal or jurisdictional requirement governing the length of the load bearing platform. The sliding axles 12 can be locked in a variety of positions beneath the load-bearing platform 10 so as to be able to conform with various regulations governing wheelbase dimensions. The extendable bumper 14 is extended so that it is at the rearmost point of the trailer, thus also complying with any jurisdictional or territorial requirements related to the trailer.

A possible configuration for a locking mechanism that may be used to secure the sliding axles in position is shown in Figure 3. This is a section view through the trailer, the right half of the diagram showing the unlocked configuration, whilst the left half shows the sliding axles in the locked position. The bogie 32 is supported on two underhanging rails 34 attached to platform 10. In the locked position, tog 42 engages an aperture (not shown) in the rail 34 preventing the movement of the bogie 32. In the

unlocked position, a prong 36 is extended. The prong 36 is attached to arm 38 so that the extension of prong 36 causes arm 38 to rotate about a pivot, 40. Tog 42 is attached on a pivot to the opposing end of arm 36, so that this rotation causes tog 42 to withdraw from the aperture in rail 34. Consequently, the bogie is free to move, in accordance with the undercarriage extension cylinder 44. Other configurations facilitating sliding bogies will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate one method in which the bogie can be moved through the length of the platform. In Figure 4, the undercarriage extension cylinder 44 is retracted. However, as seen in Figure 5, with the bogie in the unlocked position, the undercarriage extension cylinder, 44, can be extended so as to cause the bogie 32 to slide towards the rear of platform 10, over undercarriage frame rollers 46. Note that Figures 4 and 5 depict merely one embodiment of the present invention, namely a bogie with 3 axles. It should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the number of wheels can be varied, with the possibility of a proportional variance in the number of rollers.

It is possible for the wheels to be mounted on to the bogie in a variety of ways. One possible embodiment is for the wheels to be mounted on an axle, air suspension houses clamping around said axle, the resultant air bag being bolted into the sliding bogie, with one or more suspension-beam hangers being welded to the front of said axle.

Figure 6 depicts the trailer in an alternative transportation position, to illustrate the ability of the trailer to be adjusted in order to comply with alternative jurisdictional requirements. As in Figure 2, the decklifting hydraulic cylinders 16 are retracted, so that the load-bearing platform 10 is flat. However, here the tail 22 is locked in the downward position, extending horizontally rearward so as to form part of the loadbearing surface 10. This increases the load-bearing surface relative to that in Figure 2, and thus enables the trailer to comply with, and take full advantage of, alternative regulations governing the load-bearing surface of such trailers. The sliding axles 12 are fixed in the rearmost position, so that they are actually slid into the tail portion 22. This enables a wider range of wheelbase dimensions than would otherwise be available, thereby increasing the range of regulations which can be complied with, and consequently increasing the number of jurisdictions within which a single trailer can operate. Although the extendable bumper 14 is retracted, it is still located in the rearmost position, and thus is capable of complying with any jurisdictional requirements.

This is highlighted in Figures 7 and 8. In Figure 7, tail 22 is in the raised position, whilst the bogie 32 is positioned at the most rearward point of the load bearing platform 10. However, in Figure 8, the tail 22 is lowered, so as to form part of, and increase the length of the load bearing platfonn 10. Additionally, the bogie 32 has been positioned rearward, into the now horizontal tail section 22 so that the bogie is still at the most rearward point of the load bearing platform 10. This enables the trailer to conform with legally imposed wheelbase requirements for the increased length of the load bearing platform.

Figure 9 depicts a mechanism for locking the tail 22 in place. A locking bar 48 is put in place manually, in this embodiment via screws. Although the point to which the bar is attached on the trailer body 50 remains constant, the bar can be attached to the tail at a plurality of points 52 and 54 dependent upon the desired position of the tail. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognise alternative configurations for locking the tail 22.

In addition, figure 10, depicts the use of a hydraulic cylinder 56 to raise the tail 22. This contains a safety valve 58 which prevents the tail 22 lowering in the event of the hydraulic cylinder 56 losing hydraulic pressure.

Note that for the sake of clarity, the bumper 14 has been omitted from Figures 7,8 and 9.

All of the preceding figures depict a trailer with a single hinge at the tail. Whilst this is the preferred embodiment, it should be noted that alternative embodiments allow for the tail to contain a plurality of hinges. This further increases the range of possible lengths of the load-bearing platform. The range of wheel base dimension is also thus increased, as in such an embodiment the sliding bogie is capable of being positioned underneath some or all of the horizontal tail sections.

Figure 11 depicts the trailer including a dock leveler 60 which can be lowered so as to

contact the ground, providing additional stability to the trailer, and where required, I altering the height of the trailer so as to facilitate ease of loading from a loading 1 0 platform.

Claims

Claims 1. A trailer comprising a hinged tail, said hinged tail forming part of a load bearing platform, such that the length of said load bearing platform may be shortened or

extended by raising or lowering said hinged tail respectively. zn
2. A trailer comprising a plurality of wheels mounted on sliding bogies in such a manner that said wheels are positionable at a plurality of points below the load bearing platform, so as to adjust the position of the wheelbase of said platform.
3. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the features as claimed in claim 2.
4. A trailer as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 3, whereby said sliding bogies are moved underneath the tail portion of the load-bearing platform.
5. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 1,2 or 3 whereby the length of the load- bearing platform and the wheelbase of the trailer may be adjusted so as to conform with differing regulatory requirements.
6. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 wherein said load-bearing platform tilts downwards at the rear of said load bearing platform forming a ramp for loading and/or unloading.
7. A trailer as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rear wheel acts as a pivot around which the platform tilts.
8. A trailer as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the tilting of said load bearing platform is achieved by hydraulic deck lifting cylinders.

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9. A trailer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the hydraulic deck-lifting cylinder increases the disembarkation angle of said load bearing platform.
10. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 6-9 wherein the tilting of the load- bearing platform is facilitated by the flexibility provided by a gooseneck.
11. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-10 wherein the loading and/or unloading is assisted by the use of a hydraulic winch.
12. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-11 wherein the movement of the sliding bogies is facilitated by an undercarriage extension cylinder.
13. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 in which the sliding bogies are mounted on rails, said bogies being locked into position by inserting a tog through an aperture in the rail.
14. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-13, in which the tail is locked in place by the use of a locking bar.
15. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-14, in which the tail is raised via the use of a hydraulic cylinder.
16. A trailer as claimed in claim 15, in which said hydraulic cylinder includes a safety valve, so as to prevent the tail lowering in the event of said hydraulic cylinder losing hydraulic pressure
17. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-16, further comprising an extendable bumper, said bumper being positioned at the rearmost point of the trailer, regardless of the position of the rearmost wheels.

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18. A trailer as claimed in claim 17, wherein said extendable bumper is positioned so as to conform with differing regulatory requirements.

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19. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-18, wherein said hinged tail contains a plurality of hinges.
20. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-19, further comprising a dock leveller

20. A trailer as claimed in claim 19, wherein said sliding bogies are positioned underneath said load-bearing platform.

21. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-20, further comprising a dock leveller

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Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A trailer comprising a hinged tail, said hinged tail forming part of a load bearing platform, such that the length of said load bearing platform may be shortened or extended by raising or lowering said hinged tail respectively.

2. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of wheels mounted on sliding bogies in such a manner that said wheels are positionable at a plurality of points below the load bearing platform, so as to adjust the position of the wheelbase of said platform.

3. A trailer as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, whereby said sliding bogies are moved underneath the tail portion of the load-bearing platform.

4. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 or 3 whereby the length of the load-bearing platform and the wheelbase of the trailer may be adjusted so as to conform with differing regulatory requirements.

5. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein said load-bearing platform tilts downwards at the rear of said load bearing platform forming a ramp for loading and/or unloading.

6. A trailer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said rear wheel acts as a pivot around which the platform tilts.

7. A trailer as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the tilting of said load bearing platform is achieved by hydraulic deck lifting cylinders.

8. A trailer as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hydraulic deck-lifting cylinder increases the disembarkation angle of said load bearing platform.

9. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 5-8 wherein the tilting of the load-bearing platform is facilitated by the flexibility provided by a gooseneck.

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10. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 wherein the loading and/or unloading is assisted by the use of a hydraulic winch.

11. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-10 wherein the movement of the sliding bogies is facilitated by an undercarriage extension cylinder.

12. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-11 in which the sliding bogies are mounted on rails, said bogies being locked into position by inserting a tog through an aperture in the rail.

13. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-12, in which the tail is locked in place by the use of a locking bar.

14. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-13, in which the tail is raised via the use of a hydraulic cylinder.

15. A trailer as claimed in claim 14, in which said hydraulic cylinder includes a safety valve, so as to prevent the tail lowering in the event of said hydraulic cylinder losing hydraulic pressure

16. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-15, further comprising an extendable bumper, said bumper being positioned at the rearmost point of the trailer, regardless of the position of the rearmost wheels.

17. A trailer as claimed in claim 16, wherein said extendable bumper is positioned so as to conform with differing regulatory requirements.

18. A trailer as claimed in any one of claims 1-17, wherein said hinged tail contains a plurality of hinges.

19. A trailer as claimed in claim 18, wherein said sliding bogies are positioned underneath said load-bearing platform.