Trailer assembly for transport of containers of proppant material

• US 10,059,246 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SandBox Enterprises LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oren Technologies LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oren, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arce, Marlon A
• Application Number:
  US15/672,334
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/488 mounted directly to the chassis of the towing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/00 Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects ambulances or other vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00; hearses A61G21/00; fire-fighting land vehicles A62C27/00; refuse-collecting vehicles B65F3/00, B65F7/00; snow-removing vehicles E01H; armoured or armed vehicles F41H7/00; self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles F41H11/16
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/20 trailer type, i.e. a frame specifically constructed for use in a non-powered vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/02 Platforms; Open load compartments flat wagons including posts or standards B61D3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/06 Semi-trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/061 of flat bed or low loader type or fitted with swan necks detachable swan necks B62D53/065; swan neck-fifth wheel couplings B62D53/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/065 inclining platforms by detachable or folding swan necks

Abstract

A trailer assembly suitable for carrying a container of proppant has a frame with a first side rail and a second side rail extending in generally parallel relation to each other and a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted below the frame. The frame has a plurality of cross members extending between the side rails. First and second outriggers extend across the side rails so as to each have one end extending outwardly of one of the side rails and an opposite end extending outwardly of the other side rail. The first and second outriggers are suitable for receiving the container of proppant thereon. The frame has a first section positioned above the wheels and a second section positioned at a level lower than a level of the first section. The proppant container is placed on the first section.

Claims

1. A trailer for transporting fracking proppant containers, the trailer comprising:

a skeletal frame structure with a front end and a rear end, the front end including a connector portion for attachment of the trailer to a towing vehicle, and the rear end having wheels attached thereto to allow the trailer to roll relative to a support surface, the frame comprising;

one or more lower portions having a platform of latticed support members that form a support platform having selectively positioned cross members to provide structural support to the frame for an empty or a full fracking proppant container, at least one of the one or more lower portions having an elevation above the support surface less than that of the connector portion, the one or more lower portions having a plurality of outrigger members that span a width of the one or more lower portions and extend outwardly therefrom substantially flush with the support platform, the cross members being arranged between the plurality of outrigger members, the outrigger members having connector mechanisms for use in securing the fracking proppant container to the one or more lower portions and one or more open spaces underlying the fracking proppant containers when positioned on the trailer, and the one or more lower portions further having an elevation of less than four feet above the support surface, so that when an empty fracking proppant container having a height of about 9.5 feet is placed on the one or more lower portions, an overall height of the fracking proppant container above the support surface reduces a risk of exceeding about 13.5 feet.

2. The trailer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more lower portions at least partially overlaps at least a second portion of the trailer.

3. The trailer of claim 1, wherein a length of each of the one or more lower portions is at least about 10 feet, so that each of the one or more lower portions can support a fracking proppant container having a 10 foot length.

4. The trailer of claim 1, wherein an empty fracking proppant container is positioned to overlie the wheels, and respective ends of the respective plurality of outrigger members extend outwardly from the one or more lower portions such that the respective ends form the widest portion of the trailer, and the cross members being selectively arranged to reduce a weight of the trailer to enable larger quantities of fracking proppant to be positioned within the fracking proppant container when positioned on the trailer.

5. The trailer of claim 2, wherein one or more full fracking proppant container is positioned on the one or more lower portions, and wherein an empty fracking proppant container is positioned on the second portion.

6. The trailer of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the trailer comprises the rear end of the skeletal frame structure.

7. The trailer of claim 6, the second portion having a platform of latticed support members that form a support platform having selectively positioned cross members to provide structural support to the frame for an empty or a full fracking proppant container.

8. The trailer of claim 7, the platform of latticed support members of the second portion comprising a first side rail extending in a parallel planar position to a second side rail, wherein the selectively positioned cross members extend between the first side rail and the second side rail of the second portion.

9. The trailer of claim 8, the second portion having a plurality of outrigger members that span a width of the second portion and extend outwardly therefrom substantially flush with the support platform of the second portion, the selectively positioned cross members being arranged between the plurality of outrigger members, the outrigger members having connector mechanisms for use in securing the fracking proppant container to the second portion, the wheels being mounted to the frame in a position between the plurality of outrigger members of the second portion.

10. The trailer of claim 9, wherein the plurality of outrigger members extend outwardly of the first side rail of the second portion, and extend outwardly of the second side rail of the second portion so as to receive the fracking proppant container thereon.

11. The trailer of claim 7, wherein a length of the second portion is at least about 10 feet, so that the second portion can support the fracking proppant container having a 10 foot length.

12. The trailer of claim 7, the support platform of the second portion having an elevation less than that of the connector portion.

13. The trailer of claim 7, the support platform of the second portion having an elevation greater than that of the one or more lower portions.

14. The trailer of claim 7, the support platform of the second portion being positioned parallel to the support platform of the one or more lower portions.

15. The trailer of claim 1, the platform of latticed support members of the one or more lower portions comprising a first side rail extending in a parallel planar position to a second side rail, wherein the selectively positioned cross members extend between the first side rail and the second side rail of the one or more lower portions.

16. The trailer of claim 15, wherein the plurality of outrigger members extend outwardly of the first side rail of the one or more lower portions, and extend outwardly of the second side rail of the one or more lower portions, so as to receive the fracking proppant container thereon.

17. The trailer of claim 1, the connector portion comprising a first side rail extending in a parallel planar position to a second side rail, wherein selectively positioned cross members extend between the first side rail and the second side rail of the connector portion.

18. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the one or more lower portion, the second portion, and the connector portion each comprise a first side rail extending in a parallel planar position to a second side rail, and wherein the first side rail and the second side rail for each of the one or more lower portion, the second portion, and the connector portion extend in a parallel planar position with respect to each other.