GB2529666A - Improvements To A Trailer For The Transportation Of Horses, other animals, mechanical plant and other cargo - Google Patents

Abstract

A horse trailer or horse box has supports 6,7 on either side of the trailer forming triangular A-frames. The trailer includes suspension (10, fig. 1.1), and the supports 7 are connected to the suspension so as to allow flexing or pivoting of the supports to absorb or mitigate impact forces. Breast or chest bars 13 span the supports, and transmit forces 14 to the supports caused by forward movement of a horse 24 during deceleration or impact. The breast bars 13 are preferably made out of high grade aluminium. The surface of the breast bars 13 is padded with thick foam to provide protection to the horse. The breast bars 13 transfer the impact load across the trailer via the divider 25 to the corresponding supports 7 on both sides of the trailer. The trailer may include triangular drawbars 33. The trailer may include corrugated side panels (see figure 6). A door (32, figure 7) allows access and egress for the horse.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO A TRAILER FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HORSES, OTHER ANIMALS, MECHANICAL PLANT AND OTHER CARGO.

Description

This invention relates to improvements to the safety of the carriage of horses and to the improvements to the method of loading and securing of these horses within a trailer.

There are a number of different types of trailers used for the carriage of horses (commonly referred to as horse box trailers) being produced worldwide. They vary in quality greatly with the lightest types offering very little protection to the horses in the event of a road accident due to the construction being pared down mainly to save cost. The heavier types are generally stronger in construction but still fail to protect their horses adequately. The heavier trailer is inevitably more expensive and has a cost penalty for the towing vehicle by it having to use more fuel to tow such a trailer.

This trailer has a lightweight, but strong, structure which provides protection for the horses, carried within, from front, side and rear collisions from vehicles or other obstructions. It achieves this by having a unique structure which combines the use of space frames and skin stressed (or monocoque) construction.

The running gear comprises a single axle fitted with large diameter tyres and high deflection suspension to afford a high degree of ride comfort and to traverse the same terrain as that of four-wheel drive vehicles without impeding the tow vehicle by sinking in soft ground or fouling protrusions (rocks etc.).

The internal parts of the trailer which divide and constrain the two horses have been improved in strength bytheir type of construction and their method of attachment to each other and to the trailer.

The trailer has a conventional mechanically assisted ramp, attached to the rear end of the trailer, used to load the horses. This ramp folds up into the vertical to form a tailgate.

Many conventional trailers have a front ramp positioned at 90 degrees to and hinged to the drawbar.

It is fitted either on the left side or the right side dependent upon customer preference (usually Left Hand rule of the road for Right Hand use) with a small groom's door typically fitted on the opposite side to this front ramp.

This trailer does not have a front ramp but instead has light weight door(s) located at either (or both) side(s) of the trailer positioned forward of the main load area, parallel to the drawbar and hinged at their rearmost near vertical edge at the junction of the side panel frame. The trailer platform local to these exit doors is set down in a well below the drawbar height which enables the horse to step down easily, obviating the need for a heavy and expensive ramp.

The central divider, breast and breach bars may be removed by a special wheeled trolley which then provides a free area in the trailer for the transportation of livestock or mechanical plant including wheeled or track driven vehicles.

The breast and breach bars on other conventional trailers are adjustable to cater for different sizes of horse. On this trailer they have one fixed position. Smaller horses are naturally lower and shorter than larger horses which are of course higher and longer. Measurements were taken from a range of different sizes of horses and the range of required positions for breast and breach bars was plotted.

Larger bars were designed to cater for this range of positions. This universal bar (which is identical in construction for both breast and breach bars) is inclined and set at a position which suits the containment of all horses within the range of the carrying capacity of the trailer and is of stronger construction than that of conventional tubular bars.

The present invention will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. land Fig 1.1 illustrate the transmission of suspension forces.

Fig. 2 illustrates the containment of over-run forces.

Fig. 3 illustrates the containment of yawing forces.

Fig. 4 illustrates the containment of side impact forces.

Fig. 5 illustrates the construction of the breast and breach bars.

Fig. 6 illustrates the construction of the upper side panels.

Fig. 7 illustrates the operation of the divider and breast bars.

Fig. 8 illustrates the operation of the divider and breach bars.

Referring now to Fig. land the (close-up view) insert Fig. 1.1, the trailer payload [1] (animals or other cargo) impose a load on the trailer deck [2] which transmits it, via the cross members [3] [4] [5], to the side frame upright members [6] and the side braces [7].

Situated directly below the side braces [7] are brackets [8] [9] to which the springs [10] are attached.

In turn) the suspension has a single axle beam [11] to which all of these forces are transmitted. The side braces [7] will be seen to be in compression, whilst the side frame front and rear uprights [6] will be in tension. The compression forces in the side braces [7] have their horizontal component force reacted by a tensile force in the side frame top member [12].

This space frame becomes very similar to that of a suspension bridge with the side braces [7] forming the support columns, the front and rear side frame uprights [6] performing the function of the vertical cables and the deck [2] becoming the roadway. The side frame lower panel [35] has its lower edge pressed to form a return and is attached to the deck [2] (which stiffens them) and forms a structure which reacts in both tension and compression to complete the space frame described above. The trailer has no chassis in the convention sense since all of the trailer loads are transmitted into the space frame.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the drawbar A frame [33] is attached to the cross members [3] [4] at the lower ends of the side panels' front upright members [6] and the panel side braces [7]. This forms a triangle when viewed from above. The panel side braces [7] are inclined in a forward direction to meet the side panel front upright frame member [6] at its highest point forming a triangle when viewed from the side.

The breast bars [13], which react the forward force [14] from the horses [24] when the trailer brakes, are fixed to the upper most part of the near vertical triangle previously described. It will be seen that any forward force exerted by the horses [24] will be transmitted to this triangle via the breast bars [13] which translates into compression loads in the side panel front upright member [6] and tension in the side brace [7]. These forces exert a bending moment into the two drawbar members [33] which is reacted by the trailer tow coupling [15]. The coupling [15] exerts a vertical [16] and horizontal [17] force to balance the system. Thus the over-run forces, which cause the horse(s) [24] to impart a force [14] in a forward direction on the breast bar(s) [13] are fully constrained by the space frame described above.

In the event of a collision causing a forward impact on the towing vehicle, the drawbar [33] and the frame to which it is attached, are subjected to much greater forces than those experienced under normal braking conditions. The drawbar [33] and frame will withstand in excess of 1.25g loads without permanent deformation and much greater ultimate load. Beyond these limits, the drawbar [33] will bend but the breast bars [13] will continue to restrain the horses [24].

Referring now to Fig. 3, the drawbar members [33] transmit the yawing forces [18] directly into the side panels [35] via the attachments with the cross members [3] [4] linking them directly with the space frame. The drawbar members [33] further act as protectors for the mudguard [36] in the event of the trailer width being misjudged by the driver and the side of the trailer making contact on a gatepost or similar obstruction.

Referring now to Fig. 4, low height impacts [19] are absorbed by a combination of the large diameter wheel assembly [21], front and rear quarter fenders [22] [23] and the extended cross members positioned immediately forward [4] and rearward [5] of the wheels.

Medium height impacts [20] are absorbed by the side braces [7] and the monocoque construction of the upper side panel [37]. This part of the panel has a deep corrugated construction to which a flat backing panel is attached (see Fig. 6). The panel [37] and side braces [7] transfer the impact load [20] through the breast bars [13] and breach bars [30] across the trailer, via the divider [25], to the corresponding side braces [7] on the opposite side of the trailer. Thus the side braces [7] on both sides of the trailer are brought into action for severe impacts further increasing the resistance to the impact and minimising subsequent damage to the horse(s) [24]. The side braces [7] are attached to common cross members [4] [5] in pairs. Therefore the forces from the side braces [7] are contained in a linked rectangular system which substantially increases the strength of structure.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the breast and breach bars are manufactured using high grade aluminium (or other suitable material) which is formed to produce one or more multi-faceted tubular compartments [26] running in the transverse direction of the trailer. The ends of the compartments are fitted with capping plates [27] which are attached to the formed structure. The bars incorporate internal strengthening (in this case rigid foam) to give support to the thin walls of the compartments which together form an extremely strong monocoque structure capable of resisting forces exceeding 2.3g without permanent deformation and in excess of 3.4g ultimate load. Each unit has padding [28] and is covered affording cushioning for the animal.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the upper side panels are manufactured using high grade aluminium (or other suitable material) which is formed to produce one or more multi-faceted tubular compartments [34] running in the longitudinal direction of the trailer. The panels incorporate internal strengthening (in this case rigid foam) to give support to the thin walls of the compartments which together form an extremely strong monocoque structure. Further protection for the horses is afforded by thick foam padding on the internal surface [29].

Referring now to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the breast bars [13] are each permanently attached to the central divider [25] by means of a pivot [31]. To provide the maximum possible width for unloading of the horses [24] through the front door(s) [32], the design of the pivots [31] allows both bars [13] to rotate to a position parallel to the side panel [37], as shown in the drawing. It will be seen that the procedure for unloading the horses [24] may be carried out, in the same manner as described above, but on the opposite side of the trailer via the opposing front doors [32]. For loading animals into the trailer the breach bars [30] operate in an identical manner to the breast bars [13] described above.

Claims (6)

1. Claims 1. Axle load is transmitted via the suspension into a space frame formed by the connection of the suspension carrying cross members to the side braces which are connected to the side panel front and rear upright frame members and the side panel upper and lower frame structure.
2. 2. Forward impact forces from sudden deceleration are reacted by the breast bars attached to the space frame which is formed by the connection of the drawbar members with cross members attached to the side panel front uprights and side braces which are then connected to each other at their upper ends to form extremely strong A' frame constructions that resist deceleration values well in excess of normal construction for trailers of this type.
3. 3. Severe external side impact forces at a height local to the body regions of a horse carried in this trailer will be resisted by a combination of the structural strength of the side braces and the monocoque construction of the upper part of the side panels which have a corrugated sheet metal construction with a second sheet attached forming a series of longitudinal box sections which transmit any such forces to the side braces, cross members, breast bars and finally the side braces on the opposite side of the trailer thereby affording enhanced protection for the horse(s) with their interlinked structure.
4. 4. The breast and breach bars are padded and of a monocoque structure formed from multi-faceted tubular compartments running in the transverse direction of the trailer capped at each end and incorporating internal strengthening which allows them to resist severe forces.
5. S. The breast and breach bars are non-adjustable in height yet suitably contain a variety of horses due to a combination of their larger than conventional size, padding and inclined angle from the vertical.
6. 6. Forward unloading of animals is facilitated without the need of a front ramp due to the trailer platform being set below drawbar height and is via a light weight door, or doors, hinged at the side panel front upright member on either, or both sides of the trailer.