Sting trailer

• US 8,196,997 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Foster, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENEVERT, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US13/087,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.4, 296/24.43, 296/146.8, 296/181.1, 296/181.7, 296/182.1, 296/186.1, 296/186.3, 410/118, 410/129
• US Class Current: 296/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/042 divided into compartments movable bulk heads B60P7/14; cattle transport B60P3/04; bottled liquids B60P3/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making

Abstract

A sting trailer has a front end-wall located at a first standard trailer length from a rear end of the sting trailer, a false end-wall located at a second standard trailer length from the rear end of the sting trailer, and a hidden compartment located between the front end-wall and the false end-wall.

Claims

1. A sting trailer comprising:

a front end-wall located 53 feet from a rear end of the sting trailer;

a false end-wall located 48 feet from the rear end of the sting trailer; and

a hidden compartment located between the front end-wall and the false end-wall.

2. The sting trailer of claim 1, further comprising solar panels disposed on a roof of the sting trailer so that the solar panels overlie the hidden compartment and are located between the front end-wall and the false end-wall.

3. The sting trailer of claim 1, further comprising one or more braces interposed between the front end-wall and the false end-wall.

4. The sting trailer of claim 1, wherein the false end-wall comprises panels overlying a frame that is fixed to the trailer.

5. The sting trailer of claim 4, wherein the frame comprises:

a header fixed to a roof of the sting trailer;

a base fixed to a floor of the sting trailer; and

sides connected to the header and the base and fixed to sidewalls of the sting trailer.

6. The sting trailer of claim 5, wherein the frame further comprises a central support column connected between the header and the base.

7. The sting trailer of claim 6, wherein the frame further comprises one or more studs located on either side of the central support column and connected between the header and base.

8. The sting trailer of claim 7, wherein the frame further comprises one or more braces located on either side of the central support column and connected between the sides and the central support column.

9. A sting trailer, comprising:

sidewalls including vertical joints spaced a preset distance from one another and observable from an interior of the trailer;

a hidden compartment containing surveillance equipment;

a cargo-carrying compartment; and

a false end-wall interposed between the hidden compartment and the cargo-carrying compartment and coinciding with opposing ones of the vertical joints in the sidewalls that are spaced from a front end wall of the trailer, wherein the false end-wall includes vertical joints spaced the preset distance from one another and observable from the interior of the trailer, and wherein a difference between an exterior length of the sting trailer and a length of the cargo-carrying compartment is set such that the false end-wall appears as a true end wall.

10. The sting trailer of claim 9, wherein an exterior length of the sting trailer is a first length and a length of the cargo carrying compartment is a second length, the first length being different than the second length.

11. The sting trailer of claim 10, wherein the first length is 53 feet and the second length is 48 feet.

12. The sting trailer of claim 9, further comprising solar panels disposed on a roof of the sting trailer and directly overlying the hidden compartment.

13. The sting trailer of claim 12, wherein the solar panels are configured to supply power to the surveillance equipment.

14. A method of constructing a sting trailer, comprising:

providing a semi-trailer having a front end-wall and a pair of sidewalls including vertical joints;

positioning a false end-wall in an interior of the semi-trailer between the front end-wall and a rear end of the semi-trailer to form a hidden compartment between the front end-wall and the false end-wall, the false end-wall having an appearance of and being positioned to define a length of the semi-trailer to appear as a true end wall such that the hidden compartment is less detectable; and

disposing surveillance equipment in the hidden compartment,

wherein positioning the false end-wall further comprises aligning the false end-wall with opposing ones of the vertical joints in each of the pair of sidewalls.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing solar panels on a roof of the semi-trailer directly overlying the hidden compartment for supplying power to the surveillance equipment.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the front end-wall is located at a first length from the rear end of the semi-trailer, wherein positioning the false end-wall comprises positioning the false end-wall between the front end-wall and the rear end at a second length from the rear end, and wherein the first length is different from the second length.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the false end-wall further comprises interposing one or more braces between the false end-wall and the front end-wall of the semi-trailer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the false end-wall further comprises disposing panels on a frame and securing the frame to the interior of the semi-trailer.