Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Body shell
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-10
2001-09-04
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Body shell
C280S795000, C280S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283538
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to flatbed trailers and box-type truck structures (e.g., vans, container chassis, etc.). In particular, the invention pertains to an improved flatbed trailer design, as well as an improved van design.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The main bearing members for loads placed on flatbed trailers are the pair of I beams, generally known as the “main beams” which run longitudinally the length of the bed. Properly fabricated, the beams are flexed or curved vertically upward and designed to compress or straighten longitudinally under load. Floor supports in the form of a multiplicity of “C” channel, or “I-beam”, cross members are bolted or welded perpendicularly to the webs of the main beams and directed outboard to define the width of the bed. Disposed on top of the cross members are floor sections, typically welded to each other longitudinally or butted against each other snugly and held in position by guide structures and floor screws.
Two basic problems occur in these constructions. Welding of the cross members and floor sections to the main beam reduces its load bearing strength most particularly if it is heat-treated aluminum and therefore requires a sacrifice in load capacity by as much as 20%. In the butted floor section construction, since the floor sections are essentially loose, they serve very little load bearing function and do not compress with the main beam. What they do is transmit the load to the underlying cross member which, in turn, transmits the load to the main beam. Furthermore, the typically preferred use of aluminum in flatbed trailer construction to increase load capacity is particularly defeated by extensive welding and loose floor sections tend to minimize payload.
The following U.S. patents are related to the field of truck construction.
Various types of truck body construction are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,962,497 (Francis); U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,272 (DeLay); U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,810 (Kloote et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,996 (Cole); U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,434 (Krueger); U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,920 (Ehrlich); U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,349 (Ehrlich); U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,156 (Alfriend, Jr. et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,427 (Sentle, Jr. et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,884 (DeWitt); U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,562 (Broadbent); U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,669 (Wante); U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,021 (Rowe et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,025 (Gaddis); U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,418 (Walworth, Jr. et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,587 (Orr); U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,050 (Baker); U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,453 (VanDenberg); U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,331 (Booher); U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,369 (Cornea et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,792 (Booher).
Various floor constructions for truck are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,047 (Greig); U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,718 (Bohlen); U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,809 (Wilson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,992 (Hockney); U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,843 (Gray).
Conventional prior art truck bed designs are depicted in
FIGS. 1-3
. In particular,
FIG. 3
shows the typical two main rail “I-beam ”
10
design whereby the main rails
10
run the length of the truck bed and are designed for supporting the payload. Each I-beam
10
comprises an upper flange
11
, a lower flange
13
and a web
15
. Cross members
12
are transversely coupled between the main rails
10
through the webs
15
. It should be understood that U-shaped cross members
12
are depicted for example only; other conventional types of cross members could have been depicted such a I-beam, c-channel or circular cross-members. Flooring members
14
are then disposed in between the main rails
10
on top of the cross members
12
; these flooring members
14
may have feet
16
(
FIGS. 1 and 3
) or even a bottom surface
18
(FIG
2
) that rest on top of the cross members
12
. These feet
16
or bottom surface
18
can then be fastened to the cross members
12
by bolting or welding (not shown). In these instances, the top surface
20
of the flooring member
14
, where the payload is eventually positioned, is thus set off from the top surface
22
of the cross member
12
.
However, in such a design the there main components, i.e., the main rails
10
, the cross members
12
and the flooring member
14
, all work independently of each other. Such a design does not efficiently transfer the load from the payload into the main rails
10
. When the payload is positioned on the flooring members
14
for transport, the weight is transferred through the top surface
20
of the flooring member
14
, through the feet
16
and bottom surface
18
(if present), through the cross members
12
and eventually to the main rails
10
. In contradistinction, the optimum design would have the payload resting directly on the main rails
10
, i.e., unitizing of the top surface of the flooring member
14
with the top surface of the cross members
12
and the main rails
10
.
Thus, there remains a need for a lightweight, integrated flatbed design that effectively makes the top surface of the floor the top surface of the main rails and the top surface of the cross members, thereby allowing the direct transfer of load from the payload to the main rails.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flatbed trailer design having main rails, cross members and flooring members that act dependently on each other.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a flatbed trailer design having flooring members that operate as the top flange of the main rails, thereby increasing the strength of the main rails.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a flatbed trailer design having flooring members that operate as the top flange of the cross members.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flatbed trailer design that unitizes the upper surface of the floor with the top surface of the main rails, thereby optimizing the strength of the main rail.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the number of main rail support points for the cross members.
It is another object of the present invention to reduce the unsupported length of the cross members, thereby reducing the size of the cross members.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flatbed trailer design that unitizes the upper surface of the floor with the top surface of the cross member, thereby optimizing the strength of the cross members.
It is even yet another object of the present invention to reduce the number of lower cross members in a flatbed trailer, thereby further reducing the weight of the trailer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a van or box trailer or container design that presents more storage room by lowering the floor height while maintaining the necessary payload support.
It is still another object of the present invention to reduce the number of cross members required in a van, box trailer or container design but still retain the same unsupported length of the flooring member between the cross members.
It is even yet a further object of the present invention to reduce the weight and assembly time of the van, box trailer or container design by reducing the number of cross members.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a van or box trailer or container design that presents more storage room by lowering the floor height while maintaining the same size cross member.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a van or box trailer or container design that presents more storage room by lowering the floor height while reducing the size of the cross member.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a van or box trailer or container design that is strengthened while lowering the floor height.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the payload carrying capacity while reducing the weight of the truck or van, box trailer or container design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thes
Caesar Rivise Bernstein Cohen & Pokotilow Ltd.
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
Flatbed trailer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flatbed trailer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flatbed trailer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2488659