Patent ID: 6527078
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A steering system for steering the rear wheels of a semi-truck trailer, the semi-truck including a cab and a trailer, the trailer having bed portion, the wheels each being mounted on a rim, the rims of the wheels being coupled together by an axle, said system comprising:a steering assembly mountable on the trailer for pivotally moving the rear wheels of the trailer between a first position, a second position and a third position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the trailer; a joining member for joining said steering assembly to the cab of the semi-truck, a first end of said joining member being operationally coupled to said steering assembly; an actuator assembly for actuating the joining member, a second end of said joining member being operationally coupled to said actuator assembly; said steering assembly including a dual-acting pump assembly for pivotally moving the rear wheels between each of said position, said dual acting pump assembly being operationally couplable to at least one of the wheels; said dual-acting pump assembly including: a reservoir being mountable on the trailer for holding a fluid; a pump being fluidly coupled to said reservoir for pumping fluid from said reservoir; a cylinder for receiving fluid flowing from said pump, said cylinder being fluidly coupled to said pump and to said reservoir; a piston being slidably mounted in said cylinder and being mountable to at least one of the wheels; and a three-position valve for directing fluid flowing from said pump to said cylinder, said three-position valve being fluidly coupled to said pump, said reservoir, and said cylinder; an elongated coupling member for coupling each of the wheels together, said coupling member having a pair of end portions each being pivotally coupled to one of the wheels, wherein said coupling member transfers a directional movement of the rear wheel coupled to the piston to the rear wheel not coupled to the piston; a clamp member for clamping on to said coupling member and preventing said coupling member from moving from said third position toward said first or second positions; and a lever for removably securing said clamp member to a portion of said coupling member, an end of said lever being pivotally mounted on the bed of the trailer.