Hydraulic trailer

• US 4,569,531 A
• Filed: 08/08/1983
• Issued: 02/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George D. Beadle
• Original Assignee: George D. Beadle
• Inventors: Beadle, George D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/521,298
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 280/30, 280/415 B, 280/80 B, 280/766.1, 180/24.02, 180/41, 296/182, 414/474, 414/475, 414/476, 175/207
• US Class Current: 280/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/02 with parallel up-and-down movement of load supporting or containing element in combination with tipping B60P1/34; devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes, movable on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/06 ; suspensions with electronic levelling control during loading or unloading B60G17/0157
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02

Abstract

A hydraulically operated trailer for transporting heavy equipment to a remote operational site, and for lowering the trailer platform and equipment to ground level for operation. A plurality of hydraulic jack assemblies raise or lower the trailer platform. The trailer has a hydraulically operated rear truck dolly which is moved within a track-lined guideway by a push-pull hydraulic ram, so as to be readily moved from under the trailer platform for lowering of the platform. The truck dolly remains pivotally attached to the trailer platform when the same is lowered to ground level.

Claims

1. Hydraulic trailer for transport of heavy equipment to operational sites, and for lowering said equipment to an operational configuration at or near ground level, comprising:

(a) a trailer platform, having a guideway which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said trailer platform and which is open to the bottom of said trailer platform and open to the rear edge of said trailer platform;

(b) hydraulic lift means, attached to said trailer platform, for raising and lowering said trailer platform, having a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid;

(c) truck dolly, slidably engaging said guideway of said trailer platform;

(d) push-pull hydraulic ram, attached to said trailer platform and to said truck dolly, oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said guideway of said trailer platform;

(e) tubing and valve means, communicating with said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid of said hydraulic lift means, and with said push-pull hydraulic ram, for conveying pressurized hydraulic fluid from said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to said push-pull hydraulic ram

(f) pivoting means, connected to said truck dolly and to said trailer platform, operative when said truck dolly engages the essentially rearmost portion of said guideway with said push-pull hydraulic ram being essentially fully extended, for allowing said truck dolly to pivot upward in an arc while remaining connected to said trailer platform, as the rear end of said trailer platform is lowered to ground level by said hydraulic lift means.

2. The hydraulic trailer of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic lift means further comprises a plurality of hydraulic jack assemblies attached to said trailer platform;

and tubing and valve means, connecting said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid and with each of said hydraulic jack assemblies, for conveying pressurized hydraulic fluid from said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to each of said hydraulic jack assemblies.

3. The hydraulic trailer of claim 2, wherein each of said hydraulic jack assemblies is attached to the upper surface of said trailer platform, and wherein each of said hydraulic jack assemblies further comprises:

(a) a hydraulic cylinder connected to said tubing and valve means of said hydraulic lift means;

(b) a hydraulic jack connected to, coaxial with, and driven by said hydraulic cylinder;

(c) two coaxial telescoping square tubes of slightly different diameters, parallel to said hydraulic cylinder, the square tube of larger diameter being attached near the top of said square tube to the top of said hydraulic cylinder, and the square tube of smaller diameter being attached near the bottom of said square tube to the bottom end of said hydraulic jack;

(d) a plurality of triangular fins attached to each of the outer telescoping square tubes at the bottom thereof and attached to the upper surface of said trailer platform, with the two short sides of the triangle being so attached.

4. The hydraulic trailer of claim 2, wherein said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid comprises a hydraulic pump connected by tubing to a reservoir of hydraulic fluid.

5. The hydraulic trailer of claim 1, wherein said truck dolly futher comprises:

(a) a hollow box;

(b) a plurality of wheel axles, attached to said box;

(c) a plurality of truck tires mounted upon each of said wheel axles;

(d) suspension hangers attached to said box and to said wheel axles;

(e) two supports, attached to the forward end of said box, each having a horizontal transverse hole;

(f) a horizontal cylindrical shaft passing through said holes in said supports and securely attached to said supports;

(g) two track wheels, rotatably attached to the ends of said horizontal cylindrical shaft;

(h) a tongue, attached to the middle portion of said cylindrical shaft, having a hole in said tongue.

6. The hydraulic trailer of claim 5, further comprising a clevis attached to one end of said push-pull hydraulic ram, and a bolt securing said clevis to said hole in said tongue of said cylindrical shaft.

7. The hydraulic trailer of claim 5, wherein each of said supports has a cant on the forward upper surface thereof, with an angle A to the horizontal, said angle being A=A₁ +A₂, where