Patent Application
20230182836
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The disclosure relates to trailer assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new trailer assembly for spreading loose material. The present invention discloses a trailer assembly comprising a trailer having a fixed bottom and a false bottom. The false bottom is selectively slidable relative to the fixed bottom to at least partially open at least one aperture of a plurality apertures positioned in the fixed bottom, allowing flowable material in the trailer to be spread as the trailer is towed.
The prior art relates to trailer assemblies. Prior art trailer assemblies for dispensing flowable materials may comprise rear dispensing trailers, bottom dumping trailers, and trailers with perforated drying racks. What is lacking in the prior art is a trailer assembly comprising a trailer having a fixed bottom and a false bottom. The false bottom is selectively slidable relative to the fixed bottom to at least partially open at least one aperture of a plurality apertures positioned in the fixed bottom, allowing flowable material in the trailer to be spread as the trailer is towed.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a trailer, which has a tongue that is configured to engage a hitch of a tow vehicle so that the trailer is towable by the tow vehicle. The trailer comprises a fixed bottom in which a plurality of apertures is positioned. A plurality of sidewalls extends substantially perpendicularly from the fixed bottom to define an open top of the trailer. A false bottom is slidably engaged to the trailer so that the false bottom is selectively positionable in a first position and a second position. In the first position, at least one of the apertures is at least partially open. In the second position, the apertures are closed. The trailer is configured for positioning of a load of flowable material, which is retained in the trailer with the false bottom in the second position. The false bottom is configured to be selectively slid to the first position to dispense the flowable material through the at least one aperture, thereby allowing the flowable material to be spread at the trailer is towed.
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 trailer 12 comprises a fixed bottom 22 in which a plurality of apertures 24 is positioned. A plurality of sidewalls 26 extends substantially perpendicularly from the fixed bottom 22 to define an open top 28 of the trailer 12. The apertures 24 may be circular and the plurality of apertures 24 may be positioned in a set of rows 30, which extends from proximate to a front 32 to proximate to a rear 34 of the trailer 12. The present invention also anticipates alternatively shaped apertures 24, such as, but not limited to, square, oval, elongated slots, and the like.
A false bottom 36 is slidably engaged to the trailer 12 so that the false bottom 36 is selectively positionable in a first position and a second position. In the first position, as shown in
The false bottom 36 may comprise a solid panel 42. The solid panel 42 can be completely removed, as shown in
Each of a pair of rails 44 is engaged to the fixed bottom 22 and extends along a respective opposed side 46 of the trailer 12. The false bottom 36 is slidably engaged to the pair of rails 44 so that the false bottom 36 is selectively slidable from the rear 34 of the trailer 12, as shown in
In use, the tongue 14 of the trailer 12 is engaged to the hitch 16 of the tow vehicle 18. With the false bottom 36 in the second position, a load 38 of flowable material 40 can be positioned in the trailer 12 and transported to a location where the flowable material 40 is to be spread. The false bottom 36 then is slid to the first position and the trailer 12 is towed to dispense the flowable material 40 through the apertures 24.
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.
