Patent Application
20220153239
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The disclosure relates to support devices and more particularly pertains to a new support device for supporting a belly dump trailer when the belly dump trailer is not coupled to a tractor. The support device has a magnetized support for magnetically engaging the belly dump trailer to inhibit the support device from shifting on the belly dump trailer. Additionally, the support device has an adjustable height.
The prior art relates to support devices including a variety of support brackets for supporting a dump box on a dump track in an elevated position. The prior art discloses a variety of telescopic trailer supports for supporting an uncoupled trailer. In no instance does the prior art disclose a trailer support that has a magnetized support to magnetically engage a trailer for supporting the trailer when the trailer is uncoupled to a tractor.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box for positioning on a support surface beneath a belly dump trailer. A shaft is slidably integrated into the box such that the shaft can be slid upwardly or downwardly in the box. A support is coupled to the shaft for supporting a bottom of the belly dump trailer when the belly dump trailer is not attached to a tractor. Additionally, the support is comprised of a magnetized material to magnetically engage the bottom of the belly dump trailer and inhibit the belly dump trailer from sliding on the support.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The outer wall 20 has a plurality of flaps 26 each being coupled thereto and each of the flaps 26 is coupled to the distal edge 22 of the outer wall 20. Each of the flaps 26 extends along a full length of a respective one of four sides of the outer wall 20. Moreover, each of the flaps 26 has a bottom edge 28 that is spaced from the distal edge 22 of the outer wall 20 such that the bottom edge 28 of each of the flaps 26 can abut the support surface 14. Each of the flaps 26 angles outwardly from the outer wall 20 to inhibit the box 12 from tipping.
A collar 30 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the box 12 and the collar 30 is positioned on the top wall 18. The collar 30 surrounds the opening 24 extending through the top wall 18 and the collar 30 has an outer wall 32. Additionally, the outer wall 20 has an aperture 34 extending therethrough. A shaft 36 is slidably positioned in the collar 30 such that the shaft 36 can be slid upwardly or downwardly in the collar 30 and the shaft 36 has a plurality of holes 38 therein.
The shaft 36 has an upper end 40, a lower end 42 and an exterior wall 44 extending therebetween. The lower end 42 extends through the collar 30 and the opening 24 in the top wall 18 of the box 12 having the upper end 40 being exposed. In this way the shaft 36 is vertically oriented with respect to the box 12. Each of the plurality of holes 38 extends through the exterior wall 44, and the holes 38 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the upper end 40 and the lower end 42.
A support 46 is coupled to the shaft 36 thereby facilitating the support 46 to support a bottom 48 of the belly dump trailer 16 when the belly dump trailer 16 is not attached to a tractor 50. The support 46 is comprised of a magnetized material thereby facilitating the support 46 to magnetically engage the bottom 48 of the belly dump trailer 16. In this way the belly dump trailer 16 is inhibited from sliding on the support 46.
The support 46 comprises a first portion 52 that is oriented at a right angle with respect to a second portion 54. The first portion 52 has a lower surface 56 and a top surface 58, and the second portion 54 has a rear surface 60. The top surface 58 lies on a plane that is oriented perpendicular to the rear surface 60. In this way the top surface 58 can engage the bottom side 62 of a dumping mechanism 64 of the belly dump trailer 16 and the rear surface 60 can abut a vertical surface 66 of the dumping mechanism 64 of belly dump trailer 16. Thus, the belly dump trailer 16 is inhibited from moving on the support 46. The upper end 40 of the shaft 36 is coupled to the lower surface 56 of the first portion 52 and the upper end 40 is centrally located on the lower surface 56.
A bolt 68 is provided that is extendable through the collar 30 and a respective one of the holes 38 in the shaft 36 for spacing the support 46 a selected distance from the box 12. In this way the support 46 can accommodate a variety of heights of belly dump trailers. A nut 70 is provided and the nut 70 can be threaded on the bolt 68 when the bolt 68 is extended through the collar 30 and the shaft 36. In this way the bolt 68 is inhibited from being removed from the collar 30 and the shaft 36.
In an alternative embodiment 72 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the box 12 is positioned beneath the dumping mechanism 64 of the belly dump trailer 16 and the shaft 36 is adjusted to the necessary height to abut the support 46 against the dumping mechanism 64 of the belly dump trailer 16. In this way the belly dump trailer 16 is supported when the tractor 50, to which the belly dump trailer 16 is coupled, is un-coupled and driven away from the belly dump trailer 16. Additionally, the support 46 magnetically engages the belly dump trailer 16 to inhibit the belly dump trailer 16 from sliding off of the support 46 when the tractor 50 is driven away from the belly dump trailer 16. Moreover, the support 46, shaft 36 and box 12 facilitate the belly dump trailer 16 to be retained at the appropriate height to facilitate the tractor 50 to re-couple to the belly dump trailer 16 with limited effort.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
