Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2002-11-26
English, Peter C. (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
C280S799000, C280S149200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485054
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention relates to trailers used for overland transport of goods. More particularly, the present invention relates to adjustable wheelbase trailers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commercial tractors and other types of trucks transport freight or goods using trailers such as flatbeds, platform trailers, enclosed vans, container transport chassis or other suitable types of trailers. Many of these transport vehicles have adjustable wheel assemblies that allow the operator to change the trailer or vehicle wheelbase. The wheelbase must be adjusted for a variety of reasons including decreasing the turning radius and improving weight distribution to meet Federal axle-weight requirements.
As illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a tractor trailer used
10
includes a front support strut assembly
20
and an adjustable wheel assembly or “bogie”
25
joined by at least two frame rails
15
. The front support
20
and rails
15
form a main trailer or chassis structure to which the bogie
25
, is slidably attached. The bogie
25
comprises at least one, and usually two axles with four wheels rotatably mounted to each axle. When the operator wants to change the trailer
10
wheelbase, the operator changes the location of the bogie
25
relative to the main trailer structure.
The bogie
25
has bogie lock pins
35
receivable into bogie lock pin holes
30
, which extend through the rails
15
. Accordingly, when the bogie lock pins
35
are inserted and locked into the boogie lock pin holes
30
, the bogie
25
is securely positioned and held.
The bogie
25
location is usually moved by locking the wheels, retracting the bogie lock pins
35
from the bogie lock pin holes
30
and using the tractor to slide the trailer frame rails
15
on the bogie rails
60
. Once the bogie
25
has been positioned in the desired location, the bogie lock pins
35
are re-inserted into the bogie lock pin holes
30
. Typically, at least two bogie lock pins
35
are used, one for each rail
15
.
Referring to
FIGS. 2-4
, a bolster strip
45
is welded around the bogie lock pin holes
30
to reinforce the frame rail
15
and bogie lock pin holes
30
against the loads imparted through the bogie lock pins
35
and into the frame rail
15
by the bogie
25
. When inserted into the bogie lock pin holes
30
, the bogie lock pins
35
only engage a thin ring of frame rail
15
material that comprises the perimeter of the bogie lock pin hole
30
. Substantially all of the loads encountered by the bogie
25
are transferred to the trailer
10
through this thin ring of frame rail
15
material.
The bolster strip
45
is generally welded to the outside of the frame rail
15
with the frame rail aperture
31
having a larger diameter than the bogie lock pin hole
30
. This creates a bolster lip
50
, illustrated in
FIGS. 3-4
. As a result, when the bogie
25
is repositioned to change the trailer wheelbase, the bogie lock pin
35
oftentimes contacts the bolster lip
50
and fails to properly engage the bogie lock pin hole
30
. When the bogie lock pin
35
fails to properly engage the bogie lock pin hole
30
, an extremely unsafe situation is created because the bogie
25
is no longer positively attached to the frame rails
15
.
In addition, moisture accumulates between the bolster strip
45
and the frame rail
15
, causing corrosion around the bogie lock pin holes
30
and decreasing the structural strength and integrity of the frame rails
15
and the bolster strip
45
. Also, because substantially all the bogie
25
loads are carried by the thin ring of bolster strip
45
material, the bogie lock pin hole
30
perimeters become oval, which introduces play or slack in the bogie
25
, increasing the possibility of disengagement of the bogie
25
from the trailer
10
. Also, corroded frame rails
15
can fail when the trailer
10
is loaded with cargo, and this failure can occur while the trailer
10
is operating in highway traffic, possibly resulting in a serious accident.
Therefore, there exists a need for an adjustable wheelbase trailer that can withstand the loads imparted by a bogie, without deformation of the bogie lock pin holes, and can also consistently ensure positive engagement of the bogie to the trailer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the deficiencies with known, conventional bogie location systems, an adjustable wheelbase trailer is provided. Briefly, the present invention solves the problem of a bogie lock pin failing to properly engage a bogie lock pin hole. In addition, the present invention solves the problem of bolster strip corrosion and the subsequent structural deformation of the bolster strip, bogie lock pin holes and the underlying frame rail.
An adjustable wheelbase trailer constructed according to the present invention provides a way to consistently engage the bogie lock pins into the bogie lock pin holes. Moreover, the present invention removes the bolster strip thereby eliminating corrosion of the trailer frame rails and bogie lock pin hole perimeters, and in such manner trailer life is increased and manufacturing costs are reduced.
Broadly, the present invention provides a method to remove the bolster strip while maintaining sufficient bogie lock pin hole strength to prevent deformation. In addition, the invention improves engagement of the bogie lock pins in the bogie lock pin holes.
More specifically, one embodiment of the invention forms a flanged bogie lock pin hole in a trailer frame member by punching an hole in the trailer frame member, deforming a perimeter area of the hole, and extruding the deformed perimeter area so that the perimeter of the extruded hole is larger than the punched hole. The extruded material thus forms a flange which the bogie lock pin engages.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a trailer having an adjustable wheel assembly, the trailer comprising at least two laterally spaced frame members. A plurality of openings are located in the frame members, with each opening having a flange section structured to receive an adjustable wheel assembly bogie lock pin.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2835504 (1958-05-01), Acker
patent: 3080191 (1963-03-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 3618969 (1971-11-01), Glassmeyer
patent: 3778079 (1973-12-01), Vornberger et al.
patent: 3878950 (1975-04-01), Quinn et al.
patent: 3963259 (1976-06-01), Massey
patent: 4119328 (1978-10-01), Rhodes
patent: 5230237 (1993-07-01), Johansson
patent: 5758890 (1998-06-01), Wessels
English Peter C.
Hyundai Precision America, Inc.
Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP
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