Integrated rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly

• US 7,527,309 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Inventors: Smidler, Francis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chenevert; Paul A
• Application Number:
  US11/625,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 280/500, 280/501, 280/504, 280/505, 296/117, 296/123, 296/155, 293/117, 293/123, 293/155
• US Class Current: 293/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/56 Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers; Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder

Abstract

An integrated rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly is provided which can be releasably secured to the rear underside of a trailer by a plurality of fastening members. The assembly is secured to roadside and curbside slide rails and rear bumper brackets of the trailer under the rear door frame sill. No welding is required for securement of the assembly to the trailer. The assembly includes a rear impact guard which is formed of the rear bumper brackets and a bumper which is attached to the rear bumper brackets at their lower ends. The assembly further includes a main channel which is connected at its opposite ends to the rear bumper brackets, a mount which is connected to the main channel at a center thereof, and a mount plate which is releasably secured to the main channel. A pintle hook may be secured to the mount and mount plate.

Claims

1. A rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly configured to be releasably secured to a rear underside of a trailer, said rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly comprising:

a rear impact guard having a roadside bumper bracket and a curbside bumper bracket which are spaced apart from one another, and a bumper which is mounted to lower ends of each said bumper bracket;

a main channel having first and second opposite ends and defining a groove which extends from said first end to said second end, said groove being open to a rear end of the trailer, said first end of said main channel being connected to said roadside bumper bracket, said second end of said main channel being connected to said curbside bumper bracket;

a mount secured to said main channel between said first and second ends of said main channel; and

a plurality of fasteners which are configured to releasably secure said roadside and curbside bumper brackets to the rear underside of the trailer.

2. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said mount is secured to said main channel approximately equidistantly between said first and second ends of said main channel.

3. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said mount is configured to have a pintle hook secured thereto.

4. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said main channel has an upper vertical wall, an upper horizontal wall extending from a lower end of said upper vertical wall, a lower vertical wall extending from a front edge of said upper horizontal wall, and a lower horizontal wall extending from a lower end of the lower vertical wall, said groove being defined between said upper and lower horizontal walls and said lower vertical wall, said main channel further defining a pair of recesses through said upper vertical wall and said upper horizontal wall.

5. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said recesses defined through said upper vertical wall and said upper horizontal wall of said main channel are equidistantly spaced from a center of said main channel.

6. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said mount has a rear wall and a pair of sidewalls, each said sidewall having a front portion and a rear portion, said front portions abutting against said lower vertical wall of said main channel, said rear portions extending through said recesses formed through said main channel, said rear wall of said mount being configured to have the pintle hook releasably secured thereto.

7. The rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly as defined in claim 6, further comprising a mount plate which is secured at an upper end thereof to said upper vertical wall such that said mount plate faces said rear wall of said mount, said mount plate being configured to have the pintle hook releasably secured thereto.

8. A trailer comprising:

roadside and curbside slide rails, each said slide rail generally extending from a front end of said trailer to a rear end of said trailer;

a rear frame having an elongated horizontal sill;

roadside and curbside bumper support members extending downwardly from said horizontal sill;

a rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly including,

a rear impact guard having a roadside bumper bracket and a curbside bumper bracket which are spaced apart from one another, each said bumper bracket being releasably attached to said roadside and curbside bumper support members, each said bumper bracket having upper ends,

a main channel having first and second opposite ends and defining a groove which extends from said first end to said second end, said groove being open to said rear end of said trailer, said first end of said main channel being connected to said roadside bumper bracket, said second end of said main channel being connected to said curbside bumper bracket;

a mount secured to said main channel between said first and second ends of said main channel;

a first plurality of fasteners which are configured to releasably secure said respective upper ends of said roadside and curbside bumper brackets to said roadside and curbside slide rails; and

a second plurality of fasteners which are configured to releasably secure said respective upper ends of said roadside and curbside bumper brackets to said roadside and curbside bumper support members.

9. The trailer as defined in claim 8, further comprising roadside and curbside spacer members, each said spacer member being positioned between said respective bumper bracket and said respective slide rail and allowing said first plurality of fasteners to releasably secure said upper ends of said roadside and curbside bumper brackets to said roadside and curbside spacers and to said roadside and curbside slide rails.

10. The trailer as defined in claim 8, wherein said rear impact guard further includes a bumper which is mounted to lower ends of each said bumper bracket.

11. The trailer as defined in claim 8, wherein said mount is secured to said main channel approximately equidistantly between said first and second ends of said main channel.

12. The trailer as defined in claim 8, further comprising a pintle hook which is secured to said mount.

13. The trailer as defined in claim 8, wherein said elongated horizontal sill has a cutaway portion, said bumper support members extending downwardly from said horizontal sill proximate to each side of said cutaway portion, said cutaway portion forming a clearance to allow said main channel to be mounted therein.

14. The trailer as defined in claim 13, wherein said cutaway portion is provided at a center of said elongated horizontal sill.

15. The trailer as defined in claim 8, further comprising a floor structure having a plurality of spaced-apart cross-members which extend across a width of said trailer and a plurality of roadside and curbside gussets which are attached to sides of said spaced-apart cross-members, said roadside bumper support member being aligned with said roadside gussets, said curbside bumper support member being aligned with said curbside gussets.

16. The trailer as defined in claim 15, wherein each said gusset is formed from a vertical wall and an angled wall which extends downwardly and outwardly from said vertical wall, said vertical wall configured to be secured to said side of said spaced-apart cross-member.

17. The trailer as defined in claim 16, further comprising a plurality of roadside and curbside intercostals, each said intercostal being formed from a plate and having an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, front and rear upper vertical edges and front and rear angled edges, each said intercostal being provided between adjacent spaced-apart cross-members and adjacent gussets, said front and rear upper vertical edges sitting against said vertical walls of said gussets, said front and rear angled walls sitting against said angled walls of said gussets, said upper horizontal wall sitting under said spaced-apart cross-members, said lower horizontal wall sitting on said slide rails.

18. The trailer as defined in claim 8, wherein said main channel has an upper vertical wall, an upper horizontal wall extending from a lower end of said upper vertical wall, a lower vertical wall extending from a front edge of said upper horizontal wall, a lower horizontal wall extending from a lower end of said lower vertical wall, and a lower vertical wall extending from a rear edge of said lower horizontal wall, said groove being defined between said upper and lower horizontal walls and said lower vertical wall, said main channel further defining a pair of recesses through said upper vertical wall and said upper horizontal wall.

19. The trailer as defined in claim 18, wherein said recesses are equidistantly spaced from a center of said main channel.

20. The trailer as defined in claim 18, wherein said mount has a rear wall and a pair of sidewalls, each said sidewall having a front portion and a rear portion, said front portions abutting against said lower vertical wall of said main channel, said rear portions extending through said recesses formed through said main channel.

21. The trailer as defined in claim 20, further comprising a mount plate which is secured at an upper end thereof to said upper vertical wall such that said mount plate faces said rear wall of said mount.

22. A trailer comprising:

roadside and curbside slide rails, each said slide rail generally extending from a front end of said trailer to a rear end of said trailer;

a rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly; and

a plurality of fasteners which are configured to releasably secure said rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly to said roadside and curbside slide rails; and

roadside and curbside bumper support members provided proximate to or at said rear end of the trailer and a second plurality of fasteners which are configured to releasably secure said rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly to said roadside and curbside bumper support members.

23. The trailer as defined in claim 22, further comprising a pintle hook which is secured to said rear impact guard and pintle hook assembly.

24. The trailer as defined in claim 22, further comprising a bumper which is mounted to lower ends of each said bumper support members.