Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Body shell
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-07-10
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Body shell
C410S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257655
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trucks and trailers for transporting vehicles, and more specifically to vehicle transport trailers. More particularly, the present invention relates to protective skirts or curtains for protecting vehicles carried on such transport trailers against damage from rocks and road debris.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a used herein, the term vehicle transport trailer refers to a trailer attachable to a tractor or truck and utilized for shipping a number of vehicles such as cars or trucks at one time. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,457, issued Apr. 29, 1975, to Paul Jones, Jr., for Trailer for Transporting Vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is embodied in a protective skirt or curtain for an open frame trailer adapted to transport vehicles such as cars and trucks. The trailer has a wheeled chassis supporting a superstructure including a frame and track assembly with vertically extending frame posts. The front-end of the trailer is adapted to be mounted in towing engagement on a tractor truck, while the rear end is adapted for receiving vehicles to be carried. The protective curtain of the invention includes a pair of first skirt sections mounted on the front end of the chassis one on each side thereof in screening position to protect the front end of carried vehicles. A second pair of skirt sections is mounted on the chassis one on each side thereof in screening position on the trailer middle section. A third pair of skirt sections is mounted in screening position one on each side of said chassis above the wheels. A fourth pair of skirt sections is mounted on the chassis one on each side thereof in screening position at the rear of the trailer. With the protective skirt construction of this invention, vehicles carried on said trailer are effectively protected against damage from flying rocks and road debris.
More specifically, the protective skirt is a rectangular curtain panel defining upper and lower edges and lateral end edges joining said upper and lower edges. Each lateral edge has a hem defining a sleeve. A plurality of spaced apart D-rings are secured to the upper and lower edges of the skirt panel and receive supporting cables secured to and extending between chassis frame uprights. Support tubes extend vertically through the hem tubes and releasably engage the chassis frame uprights to stretch and hold the skirt panel tightly on the trailer. At pone end of the panel, the support tubes engage the frame uprights by a pin and hook mechanism, and at the other end the support post is secured to the frame by a ratchet mechanism.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 153931 (1949-05-01), Francis
patent: 3709552 (1973-01-01), Broadbent
patent: 4545611 (1985-10-01), Broadbent
patent: 4826236 (1989-05-01), Bennett
patent: 4952009 (1990-08-01), Mountz et al.
patent: 5282663 (1994-02-01), Horton
patent: 5911467 (1999-06-01), Evans et al.
Hepner Darrell D.
Selby Glen L
Carpenter Scott
Crandell Ralph F.
Dayoan D. Glenn
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