Dolly Stabilizer

• US 20160375736A1
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharmel Wilson
• Original Assignee: Sharmel Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Sharmel
• Granted Patent: US 9,987,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/02 Bolt or shackle-type couplings
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/30 for sway control , e.g. stabilising or anti-fishtail devices; Sway alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing

Abstract

A dolly stabilizer is mounted onto a rear end of a trailer and has a stabilizer plate, a stabilizer pin, and a control box. The stabilizer plate is mounted to a chassis having at least one pair wheels. The stabilizer plate may comprise a plurality of mounting holes. It includes a dolly tongue stabilizer pin hole that receives the stabilizer pin. The stabilizer plate includes an internal piston that is selectively driven into a recess or opening in the stabilizer pin to straighten a position of a subsequent trailer or dolly relative to a preceding one. The control box includes a pneumatic input for receiving pressurized air and a pneumatic output to brakes on the dolly. A speed sensor may be coupled to the control box for allowing speed control of the dolly wheels. Electrical connections accept power for operating lights and other electrical devices on the dolly.

Claims

1. A device 1 that prevents a train from fishtailing said device comprising:

a stabilizer plate 10 mounted onto a rear end of a trailer frame comprising a vertical dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 for accepting a dolly tongue stabilizer pin 31, said dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 being formed on a first face of the stabilizer plate 10, said stabilizer plate 10 further including a second face that includes a chamber 20 that houses a spring-biased piston 70B which includes a piston rod end 80 which extends when actuated to force alignment of a dolly with the trailer frame;

a tongue stabilizer pin 30 arranged within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 and having a shank 31, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having a flared cavity 36 into which piston rod end 80 is driven when device 1 is activated, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper bearing 34A and a lower bearing 34B arranged on the shank 31 to allow the tongue stabilizer pin 30 to twist within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 when the piston rod end 80 is retracted, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper end that comprises a yoke and a pair of aligned openings 32 which receive a trailer tongue coupler, a lower end of said shank 31 having threads which receive a locknut 42 to secure the tongue stabilizer pin 30 within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14; and

,

a source of pressurized air which provides air into piston 70B when fishtailing occurs between the dolly and trailer frame.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein an upper region of said tongue stabilizer pin 30 includes a rounded back end and a square front end.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said dolly stabilizer pin opening comprises a cylindrical piece of metal that is welded onto the stabilizer plate.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the stabilizer plate is 9.5″

wide by 11″

high.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 includes a circular opening having a diameter of substantially 2.5″

with a vertical rise of 6″ and

is arranged approximately 2.5″

from opposite sides of the stabilizer plate 10.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pneumatic control box 50 that comprises an air inlet 52 receiving pressurized air from a pressurized air source, an air outlet 54 that directs pressurized air to the piston 70B, pins 58 which accept voltage for operating the pneumatic control box 50, and a conductor 59 extending to a speed sensor 56 which detects the speed of the dolly wheels.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a dolly tongue coupler arranged between the yoke of the tongue stabilizer pin and a dolly tongue.

8. A device that prevents a train from fishtailing said device comprising:

a stabilizer plate 10 mounted onto a rear end of a trailer frame comprising a vertical dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 for accepting a dolly tongue stabilizer pin 31, said dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 being formed on a first face of the stabilizer plate 10, said stabilizer plate 10 further including a second face that includes a chamber 20 that houses a piston 70B which includes a piston rod end 80 which extends when actuated to force alignment of a dolly with the trailer frame;

a tongue stabilizer pin 30 arranged within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 and having a shank 31, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having a flared cavity 36 into which piston rod end 80 is driven when device 1 is activated, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper bearing 34A and a lower bearing 34B arranged on the shank 31 to allow the tongue stabilizer pin 30 to twist within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 when the piston rod end 80 is retracted, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper end that comprises a yoke and a pair of aligned openings 32 which receive a trailer tongue coupler, a lower end of said shank 31 having threads which receive a locknut 42 to secure the tongue stabilizer pin 30 within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14;

a source of pressurized air which provides air into piston 70B when fishtailing occurs between the dolly and trailer frame;

a pneumatic control box 50 that comprises an air inlet 52 receiving pressurized air from a pressurized air source, an air outlet 54 that directs pressurized air to the piston 70B, pins 58 which accept voltage for operating the pneumatic control box 50, and a conductor 59 extending to a speed sensor 56 which detects the speed of the dolly wheels; and

,

a dolly tongue coupler arranged between the yoke of the tongue stabilizer pin and a dolly tongue;

wherein an upper region of said tongue stabilizer pin 30 includes a rounded back end and a square front end;

wherein said dolly stabilizer pin opening comprises a cylindrical piece of metal that is welded onto the stabilizer plate;

wherein the stabilizer plate is 9.5″

wide by 11″

high;

wherein the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 includes a circular opening having a diameter of substantially 2.5″

with a vertical rise of 6″ and

is arranged approximately 2.5″

from opposite sides of the stabilizer plate 10.

9. A device that prevents a train from fishtailing said device comprising:

a stabilizer plate 10 mounted onto a rear end of a trailer frame comprising a vertical dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 for accepting a dolly tongue stabilizer pin 31, said dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 being formed on a first face of the stabilizer plate 10;

a tongue stabilizer pin 30 arranged within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14 and having a shank 31, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having a flared cavity 36, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper bearing 34A and a lower bearing 34B arranged on the shank 31 to allow the tongue stabilizer pin 30 to twist within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14, said tongue stabilizer pin 30 having an upper end that comprises a yoke and a pair of aligned openings 32 which receive a trailer tongue coupler, a lower end of said shank 31 having threads which receive a locknut 42 to secure the tongue stabilizer pin 30 within the dolly tongue stabilizer pin opening 14;

a piston that comprises a piston rod end that extends into said flared cavity 36 when the device is activated and retracted when the device is inactive;

a source of pressurized air which provides air into piston when fishtailing occurs between the dolly and trailer frame;

a pneumatic control box 50 that comprises an air inlet 52 receiving pressurized air from a pressurized air source, an air outlet 54 that directs pressurized air to the piston, pins 58 which accept voltage for operating the pneumatic control box 50, and a conductor 59 extending to a speed sensor 56 which detects the speed of the dolly wheels; and

,

a dolly tongue coupler arranged between the yoke of the tongue stabilizer pin and a dolly tongue.