Pallet carrier
First Claim
1. An open frame carrier adapted to be suspended from the bottom of a semi-trailer forward of the rear wheels for transporting pallets or the like, the carrier comprising a support frame having a width approximating the width of the trailer and a plurality of support bars secured to and extending upwardly from the support frame, the bars being arranged in transverse rows across the width of the support frame and each including connection means on the upper end for attaching the bar to the bottom of the trailer, the rows of bars being spaced along the front-to-back length of the support frame to define a plurality of bays opening on both sides of the carrier, the support frame including longitudinally extended outer rails, a center rail located below the outer rails and a plurality of transversely extending support bars joining the outer rails and center rail so that the support bars angle downwardly from the outer rails to the center rail to aid in retaining pallets or the like in the bays, each bay including at least two spaced support bars for supporting a plurality of pallets or the like loaded in the bay, means for selectively opening or closing the bays on the lateral sides of the carrier to permit either loading, unloading or retention of pallets or the like into or from the bays, and a first stiffening member secured at a lower end to the support frame and angling upwardly to an upper end adapted to be secured to the bottom of the trailer to stiffen the carrier against front and back movement and a second stiffening member secured at a lower end to the support frame and angling upwardly therefrom across the width of the carrier to an upper end permanently secured to stiffen the carrier against lateral movement.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pallet carrier supported from the bottom of a tractor trailer forward of the rear tires includes a frame defining a number of pallet bays on each side of the carrier and an aerodynamic wing on the forward end of the carrier. The pallet carrier is used to carry wooden pallets when the trailer is loaded with a slip-sheet or floor loaded shipment.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. An open frame carrier adapted to be suspended from the bottom of a semi-trailer forward of the rear wheels for transporting pallets or the like, the carrier comprising a support frame having a width approximating the width of the trailer and a plurality of support bars secured to and extending upwardly from the support frame, the bars being arranged in transverse rows across the width of the support frame and each including connection means on the upper end for attaching the bar to the bottom of the trailer, the rows of bars being spaced along the front-to-back length of the support frame to define a plurality of bays opening on both sides of the carrier, the support frame including longitudinally extended outer rails, a center rail located below the outer rails and a plurality of transversely extending support bars joining the outer rails and center rail so that the support bars angle downwardly from the outer rails to the center rail to aid in retaining pallets or the like in the bays, each bay including at least two spaced support bars for supporting a plurality of pallets or the like loaded in the bay, means for selectively opening or closing the bays on the lateral sides of the carrier to permit either loading, unloading or retention of pallets or the like into or from the bays, and a first stiffening member secured at a lower end to the support frame and angling upwardly to an upper end adapted to be secured to the bottom of the trailer to stiffen the carrier against front and back movement and a second stiffening member secured at a lower end to the support frame and angling upwardly therefrom across the width of the carrier to an upper end permanently secured to stiffen the carrier against lateral movement.
- 7. An open frame carrier adapted to be suspended from the bottom of a semi-trailer forward of the rear wheels for transporting pallets or the like, the trailer including at least one exposed I-beam extending across the width of the bottom thereof, the carrier comprising a support frame having a width approximating the width of the trailer and a plurality of support bars secured to and extending upwardly from the support frame, the bars being arranged in transverse rows across the width of the support frame and each including connection means on the upper end for attaching the bar to the bottom of the trailer, the rows of bars being spaced along the front-to-back length of the support frame to define a plurality of bays opening on the sides of the carrier, longitudinally extending outer rails, a center rail located below the outer rails and a plurality of transversely extending support bars joining the outer rails and center rails so that the support bars angle downwardly from the outer rail to the center rail to aid in retaining the pallets or the like in the bays, each bay including at least two spaced apart support bars for supporting a plurality of pallets or the like loaded in the bay, means for selectively opening or closing the bays on the sides of the carrier to permit loading, unloading or retention of the pallets or the like into or from the bays, the connection means on the upper ends of at least one row of bars including a bore extending through the upper end of each support bar, a spacer for each bar having a thickness equal to or greater than the depth of the channel on one side of the I-beam and fitted within such channel so that an outer support surface thereon is flush with or outwardly of the lower I-beam flange, the bore extending through the spacer and the web of the I-beam, and a nut and bolt with the bolt extending through the bore threaded to the nut thereby securing the bars to the beam.
Specification