Patent Application
20230382473
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to stopping devices and more particularly pertains to a new stopping device for facilitating positioning of a trailer tandem. The present invention discloses a stopping device for a trailer tandem that reduces requirements upon an operator by allowing for successful positioning of a trailer tandem without repeated trips by the operator between a cab of a semitruck and a trailer tandem attached to a trailer that is hitched to the semitruck.
The prior art does not teach stopping devices for trailer tandems.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a guide pin, which is shaped complementarily to the holes of a plurality of holes positioned in an outer rail attached to a trailer. The first hole is positioned either between a rearward end of an inner rail of the tandem trailer and a rear of the trailer or between a forward end of the inner rail and a front of the trailer. The guide pin is insertable by a first end into the guide hole. A plate is attached to a second end of the guide pin and is configured to abut the outer rail upon insertion of the guide pin into the guide hole. The guide pin is configured to abut the rearward end or the forward end of the inner rail upon driving a semitruck hitched to the trailer in forward or reverse, respectively, to move the trailer tandem toward the rear or front of the trailer, respectively. A locking pin that is attached to the trailer tandem is aligned with and positioned for insertion into a target hole of the plurality of holes. The target hole corresponds to a desired position of the trailer tandem relative to the trailer.
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 guide pin 12 is configured to abut the rearward end 22 or the forward end 28 of the inner rail 24 upon driving a semitruck (not shown) hitched to the trailer 20 in forward or reverse, respectively, to move the trailer tandem 18 toward the rear 26 or front of the trailer 20, respectively. A locking pin 36 that is attached to the trailer tandem 18 thus is aligned with and positioned for insertion into a target hole 50 of the plurality of holes 14. The target hole 50 corresponds to a desired position of the trailer tandem 18 relative to the trailer 20.
The trailer tandem slide stopping device 10 enables an operator to change the weight distribution between the semitruck's drive axles and the trailer tandem 18. The operator previously was required to walk back and forth from the trailer tandem 18 and a cab of the semitruck. The present invention may prevent the trailer 20 from moving further than desired when the operator is in the cab and removes uncertainty in achieving a proper legal weight distribution.
A handle 38 is attached to the plate 32 and is opposing to the guide pin 12. The handle 38 is configured to be grasped in digits or a hand of the user, positioning the user to pull on the handle 38 to extract the guide pin 12 from the guide hole 14. The handle 38 may comprise a ring 40, as shown in
The trailer tandem slide stopping device 10 enables a method to selectively position a trailer tandem relative to a trailer to which it is attached 42. The method 42 comprises a first step 44 of providing a trailer tandem slide stopping device 10 according to the specification above. A second step 46 of the method 42 is determining a desired position of the trailer tandem 18 relative to the trailer 20. A third step 48 of the method 42 is identifying a target hole 50 amongst the plurality of holes 14 in the outer rail 16. The target hole 50 most closely corresponds to the desired position of the trailer tandem 18. A locking pin 36 attached to the trailer tandem 18 is to be inserted into the target hole 50.
A fourth step 52 of the method 42 is determining a hole number differential between the target hole 50 and the hole 14 currently occupied by the locking pin 36. For example, in
A sixth step 58 of the method 42 is actuating a tandem release 60 to extract the locking pin 36 from the hole 14 into which it was previously inserted. A seventh step 62 of the method 42 is locking the brakes (not shown) of the trailer tandem 18. An eighth step 64 of the method 42 is driving a semitruck (not shown) that is hitched to the trailer 20 in forward or reverse to move the trailer tandem 18 toward the rear 26 or the front of the trailer 20, respectively, until the rearward end 22 or the forward end 28 of the inner rail 24 abuts the guide pin 12, at which point the target hole 50 is aligned with the locking pin 36. A ninth step 66 of the method 42 is deactuating the tandem release 60 to insert the locking pin 36 into the target hole 50. A tenth step 68 of the method 42 is unlocking the brakes of the trailer tandem 18. An eleventh step of the method is removing the guide pin 12 from the guide hole 56. It will be understood by those skilled in the art of positioning trailer tandems 18 that the ordering of the steps of the method 42 can be altered.
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.
