Patent ID: 11952036
Assignee: ASPEN CUSTOM TRAILERS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 4:
5. A method of steering a heavy haul trailer dolly,
dolly comprising a main frame, a turntable mounted on the main frame, a wheel group pivotally connected to the main frame, a pivot frame pivotally connected to the main frame located between the turntable and the wheel group, a stinger bar mounted centrally across the turntable and an end of said stinger bar pivotally connected to a compensator bar mounted centrally on the pivot frame such that when said dolly is not being turned, the stinger bar and the compensator bar are aligned with a longitudinal center line of said dolly, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders connecting the pivot frame and the wheel group, a first of said hydraulic cylinders having a first end connected to a first side of said pivot frame and having a second end connected to said wheel group on a first side of said wheel group, a second of said hydraulic cylinders having a first end connected to a second side of said pivot frame, said second side of said pivot frame being opposite said first side of said pivot frame, and a having a second end connected to said wheel group on a second side of said wheel group, said second side of said wheel group being opposite too said first side of said wheel group;
the method comprising:
selectively operating the dolly in an automatic steering mode or a direct steering mode,
the automatic steering mode comprising locking each of the hydraulic cylinders at a fixed length; and
the direct steering mode comprising unlocking the hydraulic cylinders from being in a fixed length and operating the cylinders in variable length mode by varying in extension length pistons associated with said cylinders.