Trailer assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A trailer assembly comprising:
- a lead trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the front end comprising a connection means for connection to a prime mover having steerable wheels forming steering wheels and the rear end comprising at least one lead trailer wheel assembly having a self-steering axle;
a rear trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the rear end comprising at least one rear trailer wheel assembly;
a coupling means between the lead trailer and the rear trailer, wherein the coupling means comprises two laterally spaced connections between following connected trailers to substantially prevent pivoting of one trailer to another around a vertical axis;
a steering control means for controlling the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison and at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison wherein the operation between the lead trailer wheel assembly and the rear trailer wheel assembly is coordinated with the connection to the prime mover;
wherein the coupling means allows the rear trailer to pivot relative to the lead trailer substantially about a generally horizontal coupling axis extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lead trailer;
wherein the steering control means controls automatically, the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel and the at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel;
wherein the steering control means controls steering automatically such that when a turn in a first direction is effected by the steering wheels of the prime mover;
a. initially supporting wheels of the lead trailer are turning in the first direction until reaching a predetermined maximum turning angle and while supporting wheels of the rear trailer are in a straight-ahead position; and
b. the halting of the turning of the supporting wheels of the lead trailer and the turning in a second direction being to the opposite side of first direction of the supporting wheels of the rear trailer so that rear wheels of the wheels supporting the rear trailer can steer in a continuous C-curve or reverse C-curve by the motion effected by the steering and pulling motion of the prime mover and the lead trailer;
c. the straightening and or turning of the steering wheels of the prime mover further switching to effect, by the motion effected by the steering and pulling motion of the prime mover back to a substantially straight position of the supporting wheels of the lead trailer and the supporting wheels of the rear trailer returning to a straight-ahead position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trailer assembly with improved lateral support structure and steering system control of the axial wheels on a front elongated trailer and a rear elongated trailer to remain in a collinear following configuration to carry elongated loads extending over the extended lengths of the combination of the front elongated trailer and the rear elongated trailer and allow ready turning control.
8 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A trailer assembly comprising:
-
a lead trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the front end comprising a connection means for connection to a prime mover having steerable wheels forming steering wheels and the rear end comprising at least one lead trailer wheel assembly having a self-steering axle; a rear trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the rear end comprising at least one rear trailer wheel assembly; a coupling means between the lead trailer and the rear trailer, wherein the coupling means comprises two laterally spaced connections between following connected trailers to substantially prevent pivoting of one trailer to another around a vertical axis; a steering control means for controlling the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison and at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison wherein the operation between the lead trailer wheel assembly and the rear trailer wheel assembly is coordinated with the connection to the prime mover; wherein the coupling means allows the rear trailer to pivot relative to the lead trailer substantially about a generally horizontal coupling axis extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lead trailer; wherein the steering control means controls automatically, the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel and the at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel; wherein the steering control means controls steering automatically such that when a turn in a first direction is effected by the steering wheels of the prime mover; a. initially supporting wheels of the lead trailer are turning in the first direction until reaching a predetermined maximum turning angle and while supporting wheels of the rear trailer are in a straight-ahead position; and b. the halting of the turning of the supporting wheels of the lead trailer and the turning in a second direction being to the opposite side of first direction of the supporting wheels of the rear trailer so that rear wheels of the wheels supporting the rear trailer can steer in a continuous C-curve or reverse C-curve by the motion effected by the steering and pulling motion of the prime mover and the lead trailer; c. the straightening and or turning of the steering wheels of the prime mover further switching to effect, by the motion effected by the steering and pulling motion of the prime mover back to a substantially straight position of the supporting wheels of the lead trailer and the supporting wheels of the rear trailer returning to a straight-ahead position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A trailer assembly comprising:
-
a lead trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the front end comprising a connection means for connection to a prime mover having steerable wheels forming steering wheels and the rear end comprising at least one lead trailer wheel assembly having a self-steering axle; a rear trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the rear end comprising at least one rear trailer wheel assembly; a coupling means between the lead trailer and the rear trailer, wherein the coupling means comprises two laterally spaced connections between following connected trailers to substantially prevent pivoting of one trailer to another around a vertical axis; a steering control means for controlling the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison and at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison wherein the operation between the lead trailer wheel assembly and the rear trailer wheel assembly is coordinated with the connection to the prime mover; wherein the coupling means allows the rear trailer to pivot relative to the lead trailer substantially about a generally horizontal coupling axis extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lead trailer; wherein the steering control means controls automatically, the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel and the at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel; wherein the coupling means provides a high torsion connection and wherein the coupling means includes; a. an elongated shaped engaging means mounted pivotably between two supports so as to extend in a transverse direction to the elongated length a first of the trailers; b. a raised shape receiving means that is hollow and overlies a cut-out in a second of the trailers for receiving and engaging the elongated shaped engaging means; c. a locking means for locking laterally and limiting vertically in relative fixed positions the elongated shaped engaging means and the raised shape receiving means; wherein the connected trailers are substantially prevented from relatively pivoting around a vertical axis but have limited pivoting around a transverse horizontal axis to allow limited different dipping relative to each other. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A trailer assembly comprising:
-
a lead trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the front end comprising a connection means for connection to a prime mover having steerable wheels forming steering wheels and the rear end comprising at least one lead trailer wheel assembly having a self-steering axle; a rear trailer comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, the rear end comprising at least one rear trailer wheel assembly; a coupling means between the lead trailer and the rear trailer, wherein the coupling means comprises two laterally spaced connections between following connected trailers to substantially prevent pivoting of one trailer to another around a vertical axis; a steering control means for controlling the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison and at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel assembly acting separately or in unison wherein the operation between the lead trailer wheel assembly and the rear trailer wheel assembly is coordinated with the connection to the prime mover; wherein the coupling means allows the rear trailer to pivot relative to the lead trailer substantially about a generally horizontal coupling axis extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lead trailer; wherein the steering control means controls automatically, the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel and the at least one rear trailer wheel assembly of a multiple axle wheel; wherein the lead trailer comprises at least one lead trailer wheel assembly having at least one self-steering axle or a multiple axle wheel assembly acting in unison and the rear trailer comprises a rear trailer wheel assembly having at least one self-steering axle or a multiple axle wheel assembly acting in unison wherein the rear trailer wheel assembly self-steering axles are operative in accordance with the determined operation of the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly self-steering axle when in a slow turning operation; wherein the rear trailer wheel assembly self-steering axles is locked until the determined operation of the at least one lead trailer wheel assembly self-steering axle reaches a limiting turn angle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of transporting and steering extensive elongated loads using a prime mover and multiple elongated trailers including at least a front trailer and a rear trailer each having a set of rear wheels forming rear sets of supporting wheels of the front trailer and the rear trailer, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a. providing a pivotal connection at a front of the front trailer around a vertical axis for connection to and pulling by the prime mover; b. providing a connection between an overlapping rear of the front trailer and a front of the rear trailer over the rear set of supporting wheels of the front trailer; c. providing lateral stability coupling systems on the sides of the overlapping rear of the front trailer and the front of the rear trailer substantially preventing pivoting rotation of one trailer to the connected other trailer around a vertical axis; d. providing a locking mechanism for a part of or the rear set of supporting wheels of the front trailer; e. controlling the locking mechanism of the part of or the rear set of supporting wheels of the front trailer such that generally, if the supporting wheels of the front trailer are locked, the supporting wheels of the rear trailer are unlocked and able to self-steer by the motion effected by the steering and pulling motion of the prime mover. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification