AU657414B2 - Semi-trailer - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPT ,ETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

COMPLETE

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: PYMCOR PTY LTD Anthony Leon Stephens TREVOR DREDGE ASSOCIATES Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 13th Floor, 379 Queen Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) "Semi-Trailer" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: THIS INVENTION relates to an improved trailer assembly.

The applicant's Patent No. 517,676 describes a trailer assembly known in the industry as a "Karry-All" because it is used to carry heavy earth moving equipment one way and after unloading, can be reconfigured to carry a different load rather than returning to base empty.

While the Karry-All described in the above patent is suitable for many applications, the present patent application is directed to improvements which enable more diversified application of the Karry-All.

While devising improvements to the Karry-All, the applicant devised a number of improvements, each of which can be utilised independently but are more particularly useful in combination.

The applicant does however reserve its rights to claim the improvements either independently or in combination and to file divisional patent applications as the applicant deems necessary.

15 There is provided a trailer assembly of the type including a stepped chassis providing a rear deck portion, stepped downwardly from a leading goose-neck portion adapted to be supported by and connected to a prime mover or a dolly drawn by a prime mover; characterised in that:the trailing end portion of said trailer assembly is supported by a sprung axle assembly; the rear deck portion is terminated at its trailing end by a ramp assembly extending downwardly from the rear deck level to a point intermediate the rear deck level and the road surface; said ramp assembly is provided with supporting means to co-operate 99 .99 9 99..

*.99 9* 9 *999t d c with loading ramps adapted when in their operative position to extend from said ramp assembly to the road surface to enable a heavy vehicle to be driven onto said deck; there being provided connector means spaced around the perimeter of said rear deck and said goose-neck portion to enable upstanding panels to be supported therearound to form an enclosure for transporting general goods and the like; there being provided a pivoting sub-frame pivotally coupled to the rear deck portion and a lift means coupled at one end to the sub-frame and at an opposite end to a point adjacent the goose-neck portion so that the goose neck portion and rear deck portion can be tipped; said rear deck being supported by a pair of spaced chassis rails, each chassis rail comprising a welded section having a web and chord structure, i the web having a plurality of spaced generally elliptical apertures at spaced 15 intervals along the length of said chassis rails; and there being provided a plurality of extendible deck sections adapted t" to operatively enable the width of the rear deck portions to be selectively extended or retracted.

S: In order that the present improvements can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying a drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments and wherein:- *a Figure 1 is a side view illustrating a trailer assembly embodying the improvements described above; Figure 2 is a section through 2-2 illustrating one application of the present r/ invention carrying grain on a return trip; Figure 3 is a side view showing the trailer assembly of Figure 1 tipped to a discharge position; Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating part of the deck of the trailer assembly of Figure 1 showing the use of extendible deck sections; Figures 5 and 6 are drawings illustrating the extendible deck sections in more detail; Figure 7 is a cut-away end view illustrating the use of the extendible deck sections; and Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a preferred deck supporting frame and Thassis rail assembly suitable for the embodiment of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1, there is shown a trailer assembly 1 C of the type including a stepped chassis 11 providing a rear deck portion 12, stepped downwardly from a leading goose-neck portion 13 shown supported by A.4.

and connected to a prime mover 14. The trailer assembly includes a trailing end portion 15 supported by a sprung triaxle assembly 16. The rear deck portion is 4404 terminated at its trailing end 17 by a ramp assembly 18 extending downwardly from the rear deck to a point intermediate the rear deck and the road surface 19. The sees •4 .oramp assembly 18 is provided with supporting means adapted to co-operate with 4 20 loading ramps (see Figure 9 at 20) adapted when in their operative position to extend from ramp assembly 18 to the road surface 19 to enable a heavy vehicle to 4 Sbe driven onto the deck 12.

The trailer assembly 10 is provided with connector means spaced around the perimeter of the rear deck and the goose-neck to enable upstanding panels 21 to be 1~ fitted in place as shown. Seven can be seen in Figure 1 and these are interconnected with opposite side panels 21 on the other side by a tarpaulin supporting connector 22, seven of which are also shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 illustrates a section through the embodiment of Figure 1 showing grain at 23 with three tarpaulins including a lower tarpaulin 24 of general U-shape and two side tarpaulins 25 and 26 where marginal edge portions of the tarpaulins 24, 25 and 26 overlap as shown.

In the illustrated embodiment, the trailer assembly includes a sub-frame in the form of a pair of spaced rails 27 and 28 which are stepped in similar fashion to the deck portion and goose-neck portion, the sub-frames 27, 28 being pivotally coupled to the rear deck at 29 and there being provided a lift means in the formn of a hydraulic cylinder assembly 30 so that the trailer assembly can be tipped to the position illustrated at Figure 3 and the grain 23 discharged from the rear.

i Should it be desirable to transport wider, heavy earth moving equipment or Odle ~15 for other purposes require a wider ramp and deck, extendible deck portions 31 can °be employed. These are seen in reference to Figures 4 to 7 and as can be seen, each *elk: extendible deck section is in the form of a bracket having a deck section 32, a brace 33, an upright 34 and a flange 35. The flange 35 includes three locating plugs 36, 37 and 38 which locate in locating holes 39 so that as shown in Figure 5 the deck 20 extension sections can extend the deck so that wider earth moving equipment such 6as illustrated in Figure 7 at 40 can be carried.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, there is illustrated in Figure 8 a typical supporting frame assembly 41 which makes up the rear deck portion and goose-neck portion and to this end, two chassis rails 42 and 43 form the main fabricated beams J 4% 6 upon which the frame assembly is built. As can be seen, the goose-neck frame assembly portion 44 and the rear frame assembly portion 45 adjacent the wheel assembly includes a relatively concentrated network of cross members 46 and slats 47 whereas the forward portion of the rear deck at 48 only includes the cross members 46. The two beams 42 and 43 are fabricated as a section having a pair of spaced chords 49 and 50 and a web 51 and as can be seen to reduce the weight in the beams 42 and 43, the web has strategically placed elliptical cut-outs with a typical one illustrated at 52. The beams are preferably made from high tensile T1A steel. Thus, the overall weight of the assembly is reduced.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention, many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

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Claims (3)

1. A trailer assembly of the type including a stepped chassis providing a rear deck portion, stepped downwardly from a leading goose-neck portion adapted to be supported by and connected to a prime mover or a dolly drawn by a prire mover; characterised in that:- the trailing end portion of said trailer assembly is supported by a sprung axle assembly; the rear deck portion is terminated at its trailing end by a ramp assembly extending downwardly from the rear deck level to a point intermediate the rear deck level and the road surface; said ramp assembly is provided with supporting means to co-operate with loading ramps adapted when in their operative position to extend from said ramp assembly to the road surface to enable a heavy vehicle to be driven onto said deck; there being provided connector means spaced around the perimeter of said rear deck and said goose-neck portion to enable upstanding panels to be supported therearound to form an enclosure for transporting general goods and the like; there being provided a pivoting sub-frame pivotally coupled to the rear deck portion and a lift means coupled at one end to the sub-frame and at an opposite end to a point adjacent the goose-neck portion so that the S* goose neck portion and rear deck portion can be tipped; said rear deck being supported by a pair of spaced chassis rails, each chassis rail comprising a welded section having a web and chord structure, *U T 8 the web having a plurality of spaced generally elliptical apertures at spaced intervals along the length of said chassis rails; and there being provided a plurality of extendible deck sections adapted to operatively enable the width of the rear deck portion to be selectively extended or retracted.

2. A trailer assembly according to claim 1 wherein the chassis rails are made from high tensile steel. cassenc^.^

3. The4iipo~swet according to claim 1 substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this llth day of June, 1993. PYMCOR PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys TREVOR DREDGE ASSOCIATES a a S. S ABSTRACT A trailer assembly 10 in the form of a low loader is configured to carry heavy equipment and can be reconfigured with detachable side panels 21 to carry other items including grain. The trailer assembly employs a lightweight high tensile steel frame assembly having reinforced forward and rear ends and chassis rails with cut out portions to reduce weight. The assembly includes a sub-frame so that it can be tipped using a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The assembly has a deck including retractable extensions for wider loads. .0 0. o* 0 ge a 0 ft