AU2011224095A1

AU2011224095A1 - Tilt bed trailer

Info

Publication number: AU2011224095A1
Application number: AU2011224095A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Vincent King
Original assignee: CAPE DIVINE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CAPE DIVINE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-09-16
Filing date: 2011-09-16
Publication date: 2012-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2031-09-16
Also published as: AU2011224095B2

Abstract

A tilt bed trailer that has a tilting deck section, in which the goose-neck connecting member, which couples to a truck or prime mover, is pivotally connected to the tilting deck section. The goose neck can then be tilted by a hydraulic ram or similar actuating means to tilt the deck section of the deck between a horizontal position and a tilted position. The wheels of the trailer can then also be moved towards the front end of the trailer to allow the rear end of the trailer to rest on the ground surface to provide a shallow angle for vehicles to drive onto the rear of the trailer.

Description

TILT BED TRAILER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention relates to trailers in general and in particular to trailers that have a tilting bed with a hydraulic tilt control. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Trailers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes so as to accommodate a wide variety of cargo shapes. Flat-bed trailers are particularly useful for transporting equipment such as vehicles and containers, which can be unloaded and loaded by simply driving, pulling or pushing such equipment on and off the trailer bed. It is well known to use mounting loading ramps at the rear of the trailer in order to facilitate the loading and unloading procedure and it is also known to pivotally mount the trailer bed on the trailer frame, by way of hydraulics, these typically involve the bed or platform of the trailer tilting relative to the trailer frame resulting in the need for additional ramps to be positioned at the rear end of the trailer so that equipment can be loaded/unloaded. Tilt bed trailers having removable containers are also known and these types of trailers are typically used for transporting refuse containers to and from job sites. These trailers employ a chain drive or winch mechanism to control the movement of the container onto the trailer and as such the location of the winch at the front of the trailer can hinder the ability to carry goods of certain lengths on the trailer. This-then limits the usefulness of the trailer to very specific handling situations and in order to cater for larger items or additional items, then longer trailers need to be utilised which can be expensive. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tilt bed trailer having increased carrying capacity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tilt bed trailer having a reduced angle of contact with the ground. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a tilt bed trailer having adjustable width and length. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein, by way of illustration and examples, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, although this should not be seen as limiting the invention in any way, there is provided a tilt bed trailer including a main support frame, a tilting deck section including an upper deck section and a lower deck section, the tilting deck section connected to the main support frame, at least one set of opposing ground engaging wheels connected to the main support frame, a goose-neck connecting member pivotally connected to the lower deck section, an actuator means having a top and bottom end, the bottom end of the actuator means being connected to a front end of the goose-neck, and the top end of the actuator being connected to the upper deck section the actuator adapted to move the tilting deck section between a generally horizontal position and a tilted position. In preference, the top end of the actuator means is pivotally connected to an underside of the upper deck section. In preference, the goose-neck is pivotally connected to a top surface of the lower deck section. In preference, the bottom end of the actuator means is pivotally connected to the front end of the goose-neck and the top end of the actuator means is pivotally connected to the upper deck section. 2 In preference, the at least one set of opposing ground engaging wheels is slidably moveable along a longitudinal length of the trailer. This can be by hydraulic activation or similar means. In preference, the main support frame includes at least one set of jack-legs for horizontal raising and lowering of the tilt bed trailer. In preference, the tilting deck section includes at least one side extendible section. In preference, the at least one side extendible section is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. In preference, the side extendible sections are shaped to nest within a side extendible receiving section. In preference, the tilting deck section comprises a plurality of interlocking deck segments. The interlocking deck segments can be removed or added as needed to increase or decrease the overall length of the trailer. The interlocking deck segments are structurally sound and can form part of the main support frame section. In preference, the tilt bed trailer includes a pivotable ramp section to facilitate loading and unloading of equipment or containers from the upper deck section to the lower deck section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example, an embodiment of the invention is described more fully herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention in a horizontal position; Figure 2 shows the trailer of Figure 1 in a tilted position; Figure 3 shows a tracked vehicle being loaded onto the tilted trailer; 3 Figure 4 shows the trailer returned to the horizontal position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The tilt bed trailer (1) has a tilting deck section (2) that includes an upper deck section (5) at a front end of the trailer (1) and a lower deck section (7). The main support frame (8) is made from a suitably shaped material such as steel. -beams that can be connected to cross-members so as to provide adequate strength along the width and length of the tilt bed trailer. As shown in Figure 1 the goose-neck (15) is positioned in its normal transporting position beneath the surface of the upper deck (5), the goose-neck (15) being pivotally connected to the tilting deck section (2) at pivot point (16). Note that pivot point (16) is located on a upper surface of the tilt deck section (2), close to the front (18) of the lower deck (7). The goose-neck (15) further includes a king-pin (20) for coupling with a turntable that is part of a truck or prime mover connection system, which is readily known in the field. The lower deck (7) has a set of ground engaging wheels (22a-c). In this particular embodiment there are three sets of ground engaging wheels however it is envisaged that the invention may also employ less or more sets of wheels, the need for such which are dictated by the overall length and carrying capacity of the tilt bed trailer. The ground engaging wheels (22a-c) are moveably connected to the main support frame so that they may slide either forward or backward, such set ups are known and used. The hydraulic actuator (25) has a top end (26) and a bottom end (27). In practice there may be one or more actuators (25) such as a hydraulic rams or similar such device that is able to extend and contract in an operable manner. The top end (26) of the actuator (25) is attached by a pivot point (28) that is located on the underside (30) of the upper deck (5). The bottom end of the actuator (27) is attached by pivot (31) to a front end (33) of the goose-neck (15). 4 As shown in Figure 2, when the actuator (25) is extended, the goose-neck (15) is tilted upwards, which necessitates the need for a tiltable turntable (not shown) on the truck or prime mover (not shown), one that has the capacity to tilt to approximately 250. These are commercially available. At this point, the ground engaging wheels (22a-c) are brought towards the goose neck or the front section (34) of the lower deck (7) so as to bring the pivot point, being the set of wheels (22a), towards the middle of the tilt bed trailer (1), that is the wheels (22) can slide or move under power (for example by hydraulics) along the longitudinal length of the tilt bed trailer (1). As the actuator (25) extends this then brings the rear section (35) of the lower deck (7) closer towards the ground. The rear section (35) has a chamfered or angled section (40) so that when the deck section is tilted it sits approximately coplanar with the ground so that the angle between the lower deck section and the ground surface is approximately 11*, which is considered optimal for the loading and unloading of heavy equipment. As shown in Figure 3, a tracked vehicle (42) can then approach the rear of the tilt bed trailer (1) and readily drive onto the lower deck section (7) as this is at the favorable 11' angle. In order to facilitate the movement of equipment from the lower deck (7) to the upper deck (5), a pivoting ramp (36) is positioned on the inclined surface (37) of the upper deck (5). Figure 1 and 2 shows the moveable ramp (36) in a closed position, so that vehicles on the lower deck (7) can drive up to the upper deck (5) if required. The tilting deck section can further includes a plurality of nested extendible deck sections so as to allow the trailer to carry extra wide loads. This is of great advantage as it allows the operator of the trailer to be more versatile and adaptable to suit the needs of any particular cargo that may need to be carries without necessarily having to change trailers. The extendible sections can either be present as complete side sections or individual segments allowing for further customization of the overall width of the tilting deck section. 5 A jacking-leg (41) can be positioned between the ground engaging wheels (22a) and (22b) the jack-legs (41) are positioned in pairs and are preferably connected to the sliding ground engaging wheels. Figure 7b shows the front end view of the jacks (40) in an extended arrangement. This then allows for the tilt bed trailer to be raised or lowered along its length so as to further customize the angle of the trailer deck relative to the cargo to be loaded or unloaded. The term "jacking legs" is used to describe any means that can provide support to the trailer body by engagement of the jacking leg with the ground. Jacking legs are normally hydraulically activated. As shown in Figure 2, the jacking leg (41) provides substantial additional support to the trailer (1).so that the wheels (23a) are not supporting the weight of the tracked vehicle (42) by themselves. In the absence of the jacking leg (41), there is a set of these placed in line on both sides of the tiled bed trailer (1), all the load of the tractor (42) would be on the wheel set (22a) and may cause damage to their the axle connecting the wheels (22a) to the tilt bed trailer (1) or the tires thereof. Once the tractor (42) has reached an appropriate distance up the lover deck (7) of the tile bed trailer (1), the actuator (25) contracts to allow the trailer to return to the horizontal position (Figure 4), the jack-leg (41 retracts to disengage the ground surface and the wheels (22a-c) then also move back to the original position to allow the title bed trailer (1) to be connected to a truck or prime mover. Unloading of the tracked vehicle (420 can then be carried out using the reverse procedure outlined above. The invention as described and shown herein shows several clear and distinct advantages and improvements over hydraulic tilt trailers currently known in the art. The hydraulic tilt trailer of the present invention is relatively simple in design and economical to manufacture. The combination of the unique elements associated with the tilting mechanism and the positioning of upper and lower decks provide for not only increased carrying capacity but for a greater angle of positioning than is previously available. Moreover, the added combination of both trailer lengthening, widening and raising and lowering via the jack-feet allows for a single trailer to 6 replace a range of trailers and gives the operator much more freedom and versatility than otherwise previously known. Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but it is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. 7

Claims

1. A tilt bed trailer including a main support frame, a tilting deck section, the tilting deck section being connected to the main support frame, at least one set of opposing ground engaging wheels connected to the main support 5 frame, a goose-neck connecting member pivotally connected to the tilting deck section, an actuator means having a top and bottom end, the bottom end of the actuator means being connected to a front end of the goose-neck, and the top end of the actuator being connected to the tilting deck section the actuator adapted to move the tilting deck section between a generally horizontal 10 position and a tilted position.

2. The tilt bed trailer of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of ground engaging wheels are moveable along a longitudinal length of the trailer.

3. The tilt bed trailer of claim 2, wherein the tilting deck section includes an upper deck section and a lower deck section. 15

4. The tilt bed trailer of claim 3, wherein the top end of the actuator means is pivotally connected to an underside of the upper deck section.

5. The tilt bed trailer of claim 3, wherein the goose-neck is pivotally connected to a top surface of the lower deck section.

6. The tilt bed trailer of claim 5, wherein the bottom end of the actuator 20 means is pivotally connected to the front end of the goose-neck and the top end of the actuator means is pivotally connected to the upper deck section.

7. The tilt bed trailer of claim 6, wherein the main support frame includes at least one set of jack-legs located in front of the at least one set of ground engaging wheels for horizontal raising and lowering of the tilt bed trailer. 25

8. The tilt bed trailer of claim 6, wherein the tilting deck section includes at least one side extendible section. 8

9. The tilt bed trailer of claim 6, wherein the at least one side extendible section is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position.

10. The tilt bed trailer of claim 3, wherein the tilt bed trailer includes a pivotable ramp section to facilitate loading and unloading of equipment or 5 containers from the upper deck section to the lower deck section. 9