Hoist suspension frame for flatbed trailers

• US 8,277,164 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Mitsui E&S Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Mitsui E&S Company Limited)
• Inventors: Huang, Sun, Tam, Philip, Vosskamp, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): SNELTING, JONATHAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/471,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 296/43, 212/180, 414/542, 52/64, 526/531, 14/735
• US Class Current: 414/542
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/5442 attached to the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A removable frame for detachable mounting onto a trailer flatbed chassis for suspending a carrier beam extending transversely to and beyond the lateral edges of the chassis, the carrier beam having a pair of movable trolley hoists suspended therefrom whereby cargo can be loaded onto and off from both sides of the bed of the trailer chassis.

Claims

1. A hoist suspension frame for a flatbed trailer, the flatbed trailer having a flatbed trailer chassis having corners, the hoist suspension frame comprising:

four vertically oriented corner posts for detachable securement to the corners of the flatbed trailer chassis, each said corner post including a corner post base having a footing, a primary gusset projecting from said footing, a horizontal bottom plate fixed to and underlaying said footing and said primary gusset, at least a pair of studs depending from said bottom plate, each stud for insertion into a corner stake pocket located on the flatbed trailer chassis, and means for fastening each of said studs to said corner stake pocket,

a pair of tie beams each interconnecting two of said corner posts,

a pair of hoist rails, each hoist rail having first and second ends, said first end fixedly secured to a first one of said tie beams, and said second end movably secured to a second one of said tie beams with a floating connection allowing said hoist rail to reciprocate longitudinally at said floating connection,

at least one carrier beam disposed transversely to and suspended from said hoist rails with hoist rail trolleys allowing said carrier beam to travel along said hoist rails, and

at least one cargo hoist suspended from said carrier beam by a carrier beam trolley allowing said hoist to move along said carrier beam.

2. The hoist suspension frame of claim 1 further comprising:

said corner post base having a gusset top plate secured in perpendicular relation to the top of said primary gusset.

3. The hoist suspension frame of claim 1 further comprising:

a post cap secured to the top of said footing, and

a gusset top plate secured to the top of said primary gusset, said gusset top plate inclined away from said post cap.

4. The hoist suspension frame of claim 3 further comprising:

a secondary gusset projecting from said footing opposite said primary gusset.

5. The hoist suspension frame of claim 1 wherein:

said means for fastening each of said studs to said corner stake pocket includes a threaded shaft depending from said stud, a retaining plate having an aperture for receiving said shaft, and a nut for threadedly engaging said shaft,

wherein, when said stud is received in said corner stake pocket said shaft projects below said corner stake pocket, such that said stud is fastened in said corner stake pocket by fitting said retaining plate on said shaft below said corner stake pocket, and tightened said nut on said shaft.

6. The hoist suspension frame of claim 1 wherein:

said studs have a beveled lower part for facilitating centering of said studs when being received in said corner stake pockets.

7. A hoist suspension frame for flatbed trailers, the flatbed trailers of the type having a trailer chassis having a width and one or more corner stake pockets on each corner, the hoist suspension frame comprising:

four vertically oriented corner posts, each of said corner posts having a corner post base, said corner post base having

a horizontal bottom plate,

a footing supported by said bottom plate,

a primary gusset projecting from said footing and supported by said bottom plate,

at least a pair of studs depending from said bottom plate, said stud studs for insertion into at least two of the trailer chassis pockets, and

means for detachably fastening each of said studs to one of the one or more corner stake pockets,

first and second tie beams, each of said tie beams interconnecting two of said corner posts,

a pair of hoist rails disposed in generally parallel alignment with said primary gussets of said corner post bases, each of said hoist rails having first and second ends, said first end fixedly secured to said first tie beam,

a pair of casings mounted on said second tie beam, each said casing encircling said second end of one of said hoist rails, said casing having at least one roller underlying and providing sliding support for said hoist rail and enabling said second end to reciprocate longitudinally in said casing,

a pair of hoist rail trolleys movably engaged with said hoist rails,

at least one carrier beam suspended from said pair of hoist rail trolleys transversely to said hoist rails allowing said carrier beam to move along said hoist rails, said carrier beam having a length greater than the width of the trailer chassis,

a carrier beam trolley movably engaged with said carrier beam, and

at least one cargo hoist suspended from said carrier beam trolley allowing said cargo hoist to move along said carrier beam.