Sting trailer

• US 7,946,644 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US12/169,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 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:

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

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, wherein the false end-wall includes vertical joints spaced by the standard distance of the sidewalls and observable from the interior of the trailer;

one or more braces interposed between the front end-wall and the false end-wall; 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, wherein the first standard trailer length is 53 feet and the second standard trailer length is 48 feet.

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 the 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 standard distance and observable from an interior of the trailer;

a hidden compartment containing surveillance equipment;

a cargo-carrying compartment;

a false end-wall interposed between the hidden compartment and the cargo-carrying compartment, the hidden compartment being disposed between the false end-wall and a front end-wall, wherein the false end-wall includes vertical joints spaced by the standard distance of the sidewalls and observable from the interior of the trailer; and

one or more braces interposed between the front end-wall and the false end-wall,

wherein an exterior length of the sting trailer is an overall length of a first standard semi-trailer and a length of the cargo carrying compartment is an overall length of a second standard semi-trailer, the overall length of the first standard semi-trailer being different than the overall length of the second standard semi-trailer.

10. The sting trailer of claim 9, wherein the overall length of the first standard semitrailer is 53 feet and the overall length of the second standard semi-trailer is 48 feet.

11. The sting trailer of claim 9, wherein the false end-wall coincides with an even-numbered one of the vertical joints in each of the sidewalls of the sting trailer.

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 located at a first standard semi-trailer length from a rear end of the semi-trailer and sidewalls including vertical joints spaced a standard distance and observable from an interior of the semi-trailer;

forming a false end-wall in the interior of the provided semi-trailer between the front end-wall and the rear end at a second standard semi-trailer length from the rear end to form a hidden compartment between the front end-wall and the false end-wall, wherein forming the false end-wall further comprises providing vertical joints spaced by the standard distance of the sidewalls and interposing one or more braces between the false end-wall and the front end-wall of the provided semi-trailer, the spaced vertical joints of the false end-wall being observable from the interior of the semi-trailer; and

disposing surveillance equipment in the hidden compartment.

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

16. The method of claim 14,

wherein forming the false end-wall further comprises disposing panels on a frame and securing the frame to the interior of the provided semi-trailer.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the false end-wall further comprises aligning the false end-wall with an existing one of the vertical joints in each of the sidewalls of the provided semi-trailer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the existing joint is an even-numbered joint.