WO2012079131A1

WO2012079131A1 - Support device

Info

Publication number: WO2012079131A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001635
Authority: WO
Inventors: Josef Robert Otway
Original assignee: Otway, Hayley Anne
Priority date: 2010-12-16
Filing date: 2011-12-16
Publication date: 2012-06-21
Also published as: AU2011342381A1

Abstract

A support device comprising an upper portion adapted for connection to a wheeled vehicle and a base portion adapted for contact with the ground and movement therealong, whereby the support device is capable of contacting the ground to provide support for the vehicle when in motion upon loss of wheel support.

Description

Support Device

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to support devices for vehicles such as trailers.

The invention has been devised particularly, although not necessarily solely, in relation to support device for vehicles after wheel detachment or a tyre blow out has occurred.

Background Art

The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere as at the priority date of the application.

Wheel detachments or tyre blowouts in vehicles are of great concern to road safety. A significant number of damage as well fatalities can occur if a wheel detaches or a tyre blowout occurs while a vehicle is travelling on the road. This is true for motor vehicles as well as trailers adapted to be towed by the motor vehicles.

After wheel detachment or a tyre blowout, a vehicle loses wheel support. Under these circumstances, the vehicle tilts sidewardly until the axle and suspension of the vehicle contacts the ground. At this stage, the driver of the vehicle, typically, loses control of the vehicle. This means that the vehicle may depart from its path and collide with other vehicles. Also, the vehicle may roll over. This may result in damage to the vehicle or fatalities may occur.

It is against this background that the present invention has been developed. Summary of the Invention

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a support device adapted to provide support to a vehicle after losing wheel support, the support device comprising a body having means for attachment to the vehicle and means adapted to slide over a surface of a roadway.

Preferably, the means for attachment to the vehicle comprises a fastening plate adapted to be attached to the suspension of the vehicle. Preferably, the means adapted to slide over the roadway comprises a skid.

Preferably, the fastening plate is adapted to be fastened to a bottom portion of the . vehicle. Preferably, the bottom portion of the vehicle comprises an axel adapted to receive a plurality of wheels.

Preferably, the fastening plate is attached to the axel. Preferably, the fastening plate is attached to the axel via a U-Bolt, the fastening plate comprising openings adapted to receive screwed ends of U-bolts.

Preferably, the axel is fastened to the vehicle through a suspension. Preferably, the suspension comprises at least one spring leaf.

Preferably, the skid comprises a base plate having at least one upwardly inclined end to facilitate the passage of the base plate over the surface of the roadway. Preferably, the fastening plate and the base plate are attached at spaced relationship with respect to each other through a connecting plate. Preferably, the connecting plate is of selectively variable length to allow adjustment of the spacing between the fastening plate and the base plate.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle comprising at least one support device according to the first aspect of the invention.

Preferably, the vehicle is a trailer adapted to be towed. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a support device comprising an upper portion adapted for connection to a wheeled vehicle and a base portion adapted for contact with the ground and movement therealong, whereby the support device is capable of contacting the ground to provide support for the vehicle when in motion upon loss of wheel support. Preferably, the dimensions of the support device are such that a clearance is formed between the base portion and the ground during the vehicle having wheel support. This ensures that the support device does not contact the ground while the wheeled vehicle is travelling on the ground prior loosing wheel support

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer incorporating a support device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the suspension of the trailer incorporating the support device shown in figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a detail of an end view of the trailer shown in figure 1 ; Figure 4 is a side view of the support device;

Figure 5 is a top view of the support device; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the support device;

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiment(s) Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer 10 including a support device 12 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The trailer 10 comprises a chassis 14 supported on a pair of wheels 16. A support surface 18 extends along the chassis 14 defining an area adapted to receive loads. The trailer 10 shown in figure 1 is of the type having a single rear axle 20. However, the support device 12 may be incorporated into any type of trailer 10.

The trailer 10 is adapted to be towed behind, for example, a conventional motor vehicle. For this, the chassis 14 comprises a draw bar 22 having a coupling 24 for coupling to the tow hitch of the towing vehicle.

The support device 12 is adapted to be attached to the bottom portion of the chassis 14 of a trailer 0. The support device 12 provides support to the trailer 10 after the occurrence of wheel detachment or a tyre blowout.

The wheels 16 of the trailer 10 are attached to an axle 20 which is connected to the chassis 14 of the trailer 10. The axle 20 is connected to the chassis 14 trough a suspension 30. The suspension 30 is of conventional form, comprising leaf springs 32. The springs leafs 32 are attached to the chassis 4 in such a manner so as to form an arc. The axle 20 is located at the centre of the arc and fastened to the leaf springs 32 through a pair of U-bolts 34 and the support device 12.

Figures 4 to 6 show a support device 12 in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention. The support device 12 comprises a body 45 having an upper portion 47 and bottom portion 48.

The upper portion 47 comprises means 36 for attaching the support device 12 to the trailer 10. The means 36 comprises a fastening plate 40 adapted to be attached to the suspension 30 of the trailer 10. This allows attaching the support device to the suspension 30.

The bottom portion 48 comprises means 38 adapted to slide over the roadway. The means 38 comprises a skid 41 configured as a base plate 42. The base plate 42 is adapted to slide on the surface of a roadway. Further, one of the ends 46 of the base plate 42 is inclined upward to facilitate the passage of base plate 42 over the surface of a roadway.

The fastening plate 40 and the base plate 42 are attached in spaced relationship with respect to each other through a connecting plate 44.

The fastening plate 40 is adapted to attach the support device 12 to the axle 20 of the trailer 10. As shown in figure 4, the fastening plate 40 incorporates mounting holes 50 adapted to receive threaded ends 52 of the U-bolts 34 for attachment of the axle 20 to the leaf springs 32 of the trailer 10.

The U-bolts 34 hang over the axle 20 at spaced relationship with respect to each other. This allows placement of the leaf springs 32 between the U-bolts 34 (see figure 3). The threaded ends 52 of the U-bolts 34 extend downward from the axle 20 for fastening of the axle 20 to the leaf springs 32 through the fastening plate 40.

The axle 20 is fastened to the leaf springs 32 through the fastening plate 40 of the support device 12. For this, the fastening plate 40 of the support device 12 is located beneath the leaf springs 32 such the threaded ends 52 of the U-bolts 34 extend through the holes 50 in the fastening plate 40. Nuts are screwed onto the threaded ends 52 of the U-bolts 34. In this way, the leaf springs 32 are secured between the axle 20 and the fastening plate 40 of the support device 12. Referring to figure 3, the support device 12 extends 52 downward from the suspension of the trailer 10. The dimensions of the support device 12 are such that it terminates above the roadway surface on which the trailer 10 travels; that is a clearance is formed between the base plate 42 and the surface of the roadway on which the trailer 10 travels. This ensures that the support device 12 does not contact the surface of the roadway while the trailer 10 is travelling on the roadway in normal circumstances.

The support device 12 is preferably made out of metal. However, the base plate 42 may comprise rubber or other suitable materials. As mentioned before, the support device 12 provides auxiliary support to the trailer 10 in the event that a wheel 16 of the trailer 10 detaches from the axle 20 of the trailer 10 or a tyre blowout occurs. The auxiliary support is provided by the fact that the base plate 42 of the support device 12 drops and engages the road surface after the support provided by the missing or damaged wheel 16 is lost. This avoids, for example, rolling over of the trailer 10 after having lost wheel support.

From the foregoing descriptions it is evident that the invention provides a useful support device 12 that provides support to vehicles such as trailers upon loss of wheel support. As mentioned before, this is particularly advantageous because the auxiliary support provided by support device 12 allows the vehicle to keep travelling on the road path until it can be stopped for repair or at least until it can be stopped in a controlled manner.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

A plurality of support devices 12 may be attached to the bottom of a vehicle. In an arrangement, for each axel of the vehicle a pair of support devices 12 may be attached to the axel of the vehicle. For example, at each end of the axel a support device 12 may be attached. Further, it should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments disclosed. By way of example, the connecting plate 44 can be configured to be of variable length. This is particularly advantageous because it allows fastening the support device 12 to different types of vehicles.

Throughout the specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims

The Claims Defining the Invention are as Follows:

1. A support device adapted to provide support to a vehicle after losing wheel support, the support device comprising a body having means for attachment to the vehicle and means adapted to slide over a surface of a roadway.

2. A support device according to claim 1 wherein the means for attachment to the vehicle comprises a fastening plate adapted to be attached to the suspension of the vehicle.

3. A support device according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the means adapted to slide over the roadway comprises a skid.

4. A support device according to claims 2 or 3 wherein the fastening plate is adapted to be fastened to a bottom portion of the vehicle.

5. A support device according to claim 4 wherein the bottom portion of the vehicle comprises an axel adapted to receive at least one wheel.

6. A support device according to claim 5 wherein the fastening plate is attached to the axel.

7. A support device according to claim 6 wherein the fastening plate is attached to the axel via a U-Bolt, the fastening plate comprising openings adapted to receive screwed ends of U-bolts.

8. A support device according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the axel is fastened to the vehicle through a suspension.

9. A support device according to claim 8 wherein the suspension comprises at least one spring leaf.

10. A support device according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the skid comprises a base plate having at least one upwardly inclined end to facilitate the passage of the base plate over the surface of the roadway.

11. A support device according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the fastening plate and the base plate are attached at spaced relationship with respect to each other through a connecting plate.

12. A support device according to claim 11 wherein the connecting plate is of selectively variable length to allow adjustment of the spacing between the fastening plate and the base plate.

13. A vehicle comprising at least one support device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A support device according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle is a trailer adapted to be towed.

15. A support device comprising an upper portion adapted for connection to a wheeled vehicle and a base portion adapted for contact with the ground and movement therealong, whereby the support device is capable of contacting the ground to provide support for the vehicle when in motion upon loss of wheel support.

16. A support device according to claim 15 wherein the dimensions of the support device are such that a clearance is formed between the base portion and the ground during the vehicle having wheel support.

17. A support device substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.