Patent Publication Number: US-2006017258-A1

Title: Method and assembly for moving a trailer assembly between elevated and lowered positions

Description:
BACKGROUND ART  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to trailer assemblies. More specifically, the invention relates to an assembly and method for moving a trailer assembly between an elevated position and a lowered position as well as raising the roof section to increase the passenger compartment height.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Typically, trailers are used to transport items to a desired location. Many times, trailers are also used as structures designed to be inhabited for a particular purpose. The environments found within these trailers can be full of equipment to facilitate a particular operation. By way of example, an environment for a trailer may be used as a classroom, an office, a conference center, a health system/counseling center, a mobile command center, and the like. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any type of function that is performed within an enclosed space may be performed within a trailer environment.  
      To make a trailer more versatile, a trailer may be designed to expand to a greater volume once the trailer has been moved into the desired location for the operation. The same trailer is also collapsible into a smaller volume allowing it to be transported using the road system. Typically, a secondary volume that is smaller than a primary volume of space extends between a collapsed position and an expanded position. This allows a trailer of normal dimensions to be transported to a remote location and then expanded thereat to enhance the functionality of the trailer.  
      Another enhancement to the functionality of a trailer is the ability to retract the front and rear axle/suspension carriages. U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,527 discloses a mobile unit having this functionality. The mobile unit has a chassis member that includes a central longitudinally extending rectangular torque tube that extends the length of the mobile unit. Hydraulic jacks move the torque tube with respect to the mobile unit to raise and lower the front and rear axle/suspension carriages. A disadvantage of this type of mobile unit is the front axle/suspension carriage interferes with a truck to which the mobile unit may need to be hitched for movement.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A trailer assembly includes a base extending between a front end and a back end. The trailer assembly also includes a primary enclosure extending upwardly from the base to define a primary interior space. An axle/suspension carriage is secured to the back end of the base. The trailer assembly also includes a forward stand assembly fixedly secured to the front end of the base. The forward stand assembly is movable between a stowed position and a support position. In the stowed position, the forward stand assembly is disposed adjacent the primary enclosure with the base positioned away from the ground. In the support position, the base disposed adjacent to the ground and the forward stand assembly is extended out and away from the primary enclosure perpendicular to sidewalls of the primary enclosure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of the invention with a forward stand assembly in an extended position and the roof in a lowered position;  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the invention with the forward stand assembly in a retracted position along with the roof extended upwardly;  
       FIG. 3  is a top view of one embodiment of the invention with a secondary enclosure in an expanded position;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the invention with the forward stand assembly in the retracted position and the roof in a raised position;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the invention with the forward stand assembly in the retracted position, the roof in the raised position, and expanded walls roof section raised crating the primary interior;  
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the invention with the forward stand assembly in the extended position;  
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the invention with the axle/suspension carriage in the extended position prior to be loaded in an airplane cargo hold;  
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the invention with the axle/suspension carriage in the retracted position and the trailer assembly coupled to the mode of transportation;  
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the invention in an intermediate load position and the axle/suspension carriage in the retracted position;  
       FIG. 10  is a side view of the invention in the intermediate load position and the tractor removed from the trailer; and  
       FIG. 11  is a side view of the invention with the final load position inside the airplane cargo hold. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a trailer assembly is generally indicated at  10 . While the trailer assembly  10  may be any general size, the trailer assembly  10  shown in the Figures is typically referred to as a “semi trailer.” The trailer assembly  10  includes a king pin  12  that allows the trailer assembly  10  to be coupled to a mode of transport, such as a truck  13  or a tractor, for travel along a road system or other transport surface  14 .  
      The trailer assembly  10  defines a base  16 . A primary enclosure, generally indicated at  18 , extends upwardly from the base  16 . The primary enclosure  18  includes a roof  20 , a front wall  22 , a rear wall  24 , and a pair of sidewalls  26 ,  28  each extending between the front  22  and rear  24  walls. A plurality of D-rings or tie downs  30  are fixedly secured along the base  16  and the roof  20  for securing a load thereto. The trailer assembly  10  also includes anchors  31  capable of securing a lifting harness  33  thereto so a crane could lift the trailer assembly  10  into a freighter or ship.  
      The primary enclosure  18  defines a primary interior space  32 . It is within the primary interior space  32  that a majority of the space and the equipment stored by the trailer assembly  10  are located. The primary enclosure  18  is expandable in two dimensions, the expandability of which is discussed in greater detail subsequently.  
      The primary enclosure  18  also includes a front interior partition  34 , which along with the front wall  22  and the pair of sidewalls  26 ,  28  defines a forward compartment  36 . The forward compartment  36  houses a forward stand assembly, generally indicated at  38  and described in greater detail below.  
      A computer workstation  37  is disposed adjacent the front interior partition  34  opposite the forward compartment  36 . It will be appreciated that although a computer workstation  37  is shown, any of a number of items could be placed adjacent the front interior partition  34  to fulfill the particular needs of each trailer assembly owner.  
      In addition, the primary enclosure  18  includes a rear interior partition  40  that cooperates with the rear wall  24  and the pair of sidewalls  26 ,  28  to define a rearward compartment  42 . The rearward compartment  42  houses an axle/suspension carriage, generally indicated at  44 , a generator (not shown), and a cable power reel  48 . The generator is housed behind a generator housing grill  47 . A nose box  46  is secured to the front wall  22  of the trailer assembly  10 . The nose box  46  may house a generator or any other equipment that may be required to accomplish the mission for which the trailer assembly  10  is deployed.  
      The trailer assembly  10  also includes a secondary enclosure, generally shown at  50 . The secondary enclosure  50  defines a secondary interior space  52 , which is smaller than the primary interior space  32 . The secondary enclosure  50  telescopes in and out of the primary interior space  32 , as is known to those skilled in the art. Thus, the secondary enclosure  50  is movable between a collapsed position, as is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and an expanded position, as is shown in  FIG. 3 . It will be appreciated that although the trailer assembly  10  is shown having two secondary enclosures  50  (one telescoping out from each of the pair of sidewalls  26 ,  28 ), the trailer assembly  10  may have only one secondary enclosure telescoping out from one of the pair of sidewalls  26 ,  28 .  
      In addition, the roof  20  of the primary enclosure  18  includes a raisable roof portion  53 . The raisable roof portion  53  is shown in the raised position in  FIG. 4 . Pivotal secondary roof portions  55  on either side of the raisable roof portion  53  pivot upwardly to seal the raisable roof portion  53  with the rest of the roof  20 . Therefore, the secondary roof portions  55  have a pitch to them when they engage the raisable roof portion  53  in the raised position. The raisable roof portions  55  have a sealing flange  57  at a distal edge  59  thereof. In the embodiment shown, the distal edge extends through a curved path. Referring to  FIG. 5 , triangular expansion walls  59  complete the sidewalls of the secondary enclosures  50  when the raisable roof portion  53  is in the raised position.  
      When the secondary enclosure  50  is in the collapsed position, the trailer assembly  10  is capable of being stored efficiently. The trailer assembly  10  is also more transportable via the road system  14  when the secondary enclosure  50  is in the collapsed position. When the secondary enclosure  50  is in the expanded position, the total amount of space within the trailer assembly  10  is increased to accommodate various mobile work environments.  
      The axle/suspension carriage  44  includes a carriage platform  54  having a plurality of wheels  56  rotatably secured thereto for transporting the trailer assembly  10  via the road system  14 . The axle/suspension carriage  44  is shown to have a single axle  58 . It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although only a single axle is shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the axle/suspension carriage  44  may have any number of sub-axles.  
      The axle/suspension carriage  44  is movable between an extended position ( FIGS. 1 and 6 ) and a retracted position ( FIGS. 2 and 8  through  11 ). A plurality of locking mechanisms  65  selectively retains the axle/suspension carriage  44  in the extended position or any of the plurality of supported positions.  
      When needed, the axle/suspension carriage  44  is moved along the plurality of vertically extending track members  62  between the extended and retracted positions. A hydraulic mechanism  86  may be used to raise and lower the trailer assembly  10  with respect to the axle/suspension carriage  44 . It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that mechanical and/or electrical systems might be incorporated as required by the capabilities of the trailer assembly  10  and the environments in which the trailer assembly  10  is going to be deployed.  
      Stands  68  provide a stable base when the axle/suspension carriage  44  is extended and the trailer assembly  10  is in a position of use. This lessens the load on the wheels in any given position over extended periods of time. The stands  68  are retracted when the trailer assembly  10  is moving or when the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in the retracted position.  
      When the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in the extended position, the trailer assembly  10  is in an elevated position due to the positioning of the plurality of wheels  56  substantially lower than the rearward compartment  42 . The trailer assembly  10  can be coupled with a mode of transport via the king pin  12  to allow travel of the trailer assembly  10 .  
      When the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in the retracted position, the trailer assembly  10  is in a lowered position due to the fact that a portion of the axle/suspension carriage  44  is located within the rearward compartment  42 . This reduces the height of the trailer assembly  10 , which in turn reduces the overall volume consumed thereby. Thus, when the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in the retracted position, the trailer assembly  10  is able to fit inside or on top of various modes of transport, one example being inside of a military transport aircraft  71 . As a result, the trailer assembly  10  may be efficiently stowed and transported via rail, sea and/or air.  
      By way of example,  FIGS. 8 through 11  show the trailer assembly  10  being stowed in the military transport aircraft  71 . The back end of the trailer assembly  10  is lowered onto the floor  73  of military transport aircraft  71 . The axle/suspension carriage  44  is lifted to its retracted position. Rollers (not shown) on the floor  73  allow the truck  13  the ability to move the trailer assembly  10  into the military transport aircraft  71 . When the truck  13  can move no further back, the truck  13  disconnects the trailer assembly  10  therefrom. A wench (not shown), which is standard equipment on the military transport aircraft  71 , is connected to a portion of the trailer assembly  10  near the rear wall  24 . The wench pulls the trailer assembly  10  back into its storage position, as shown in  FIG. 11 , which shows the military transport airplane in its take-off condition.  
      The movement of the axle/suspension carriage  44  between its extended and retracted positions allows the trailer assembly  10  to be airlifted to a remote location and subsequently be moved away from the airport (or landing location) using the plurality of wheels  56  after they are moved to the extended position.  
      A rear bumper  72  is fixedly secured to the axle/suspension carriage  44 . When the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in its extended position, the rear bumper  72  is in an operative position extending below the base  16  of the trailer assembly  10 . When the axle/suspension carriage  44  is in its retracted position, the rear bumper  72  is located within the rearward compartment  42  so as not to interfere with stowage and transport of the trailer assembly  10  via rail and/or air.  
      Referring to  FIG. 6 , the forward stand assembly  38  holds the trailer assembly  10  level when the axle/suspension carriage  44  is deployed to its extended position. The forward stand assembly  38  can be moved in concert with the axle/suspension carriage  44  to prevent the base  16  from moving in a non-parallel manner with respect to the road system  14  below it. The forward stand assembly  38  telescopes between a stowed position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , and a support position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . The forward stand assembly  38  also moves between an inward orientation and an outward orientation.  
      The forward stand assembly  38  is fixedly secured to the base  16  and includes a pair of support legs  76 ,  78 , each terminating at a distal end  80  having a pad  70 , preferably made of aluminum, secured thereto. When the forward stand assembly  38  is in the support position, each of the support legs  76 ,  78  is moved out and away from the forward compartment  36  using telescoping extensions  81 ,  83 . The outward orientation of the support legs  76 ,  78  allows the support legs  76 ,  78  to extend to the support position to support the base  16  while simultaneously allowing the truck  13  access to the centrally located king pin  12 . More specifically, the truck  13  is able to back up underneath the trailer assembly  10  and access the king pin  12  without interference from the forward stand assembly  38  when the forward stand assembly  38  is in the support position with an outward orientation.  
      In use, the trailer assembly  10  can be moved to a desired location by the mode of transportation, while the axle/suspension carriage  44  remains in the extended position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . While moving the trailer assembly  10  to the desired position, the axle/suspension carriage  44  can be adjusted to and maintained in any of the plurality of supported positions between the extended and retracted positions to avoid obstacles.  
      When the trailer assembly  10  is in the desired location, the forward stand assembly  38  is extended outwardly to its outward orientation and downwardly to the support position, as best shown in  FIG. 1 . The support legs  76 ,  78  are moved outwardly relative to the forward compartment by the telescoping extensions  81 ,  83  to facilitate disconnection of the trailer assembly  10  from the mode of transport. After the mode of transport has been disconnected and removed from under the base  16 , the trailer assembly  10  can be lowered to the storage position, as shown in  FIG. 8 , to minimize the profile of the trailer assembly  10  at the desired location. While the support legs  76 ,  78  retract, they maintain their outward orientation. The forward assembly  38  acts in unison with the axle/suspension carriage  44  to lower the trailer assembly  10  to its reduced profile position. Depending on what is stored in the trailer assembly  10 , it may be important to be able to lower the trailer assembly  10  while maintaining it parallel to the ground. The above described operation is reversed to return the trailer assembly  10  from the storage position to the transport position, such that the king pin  12  is presented for re-attachment to the mode of transportation.  
      The forward stand assembly  38  and the axle/suspension carrier  44  can be operated cooperatively to move the trailer assembly  10  between the transport position and storage position or any position therebetween, while maintaining the trailer assembly  10  in any longitudinal orientation, such as parallel to the ground or horizontal. Control of the movements of the forward stand assembly  38  and the axle/suspension carrier  44  may be done manually or electronically using a control circuit designed to coordinate this reciprocating motion.  
      Because several powered components are secured to the carriage platform  54 , a robotic track  88  is used to maintain an electrical connection between the primary enclosure  18 , any computer workstations, the rearward compartment  42  and the nose box  46 . The robotic track  88  includes a plurality of hinged components that allow each component to roll over the other to ensure the electrical connection is maintained. The robotic track  88  obviates the need for a soft wire harness.  
      The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
      Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.