Abstract: A cargo trailer wall structure of panels includes adjacent outer sheets, posts spaced along one side of the outer sheets and fasteners therebetween. The posts are formed into central webs and attachment ribs to either side of the central webs. The attachment ribs have concave surfaces abutting against the outer sheets and rows of holes matching rows of holes in the outer sheets. The elongate concave surfaces are aligned with the rows of holes of the attachment ribs. The fasteners draw the sheets and posts together and distort the outer sheets into contact against the concave surfaces.

Abstract: Vertical brackets extend downwardly from a trailer or semi-trailer frame to a transverse tubular bar to form an underride guard. The transverse tubular bar includes a top, a bottom, a rear impact side and a forward side and extends beyond the vertical brackets to define two end portions. The top and bottom have slits therethrough on the outer half of the end portions extending from inwardly of the rear impact side toward the forward side at an angle toward the vertical brackets. The slits extend toward the vertical brackets at an angle at least 45° through a portion of their length and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle through a second portion. The forward side includes two converging surfaces from the top and bottom. The slits extend from the top and bottom no more than half way to the convergence of the two surfaces.

Abstract: A structural assembly for load carrying chassis of vehicles includes beams extending fore and aft on the chassis with passages laterally through the beam webs. I-beams extend through the passages through the beams. Brackets are fixed to the principal beams at the passages. The brackets each include a bracket web, a bracket flange extending from the bracket web and two bosses on the bracket web extending past the bracket flange. The bosses of each of the brackets extend to either side of lower I-beam flanges. The bracket flanges extend through the passages in contact with the beams in the passages. The brackets are shown as integrally formed or as composite assemblies of a plate and an extrusion.

Abstract: A rear fairing system for a vehicle includes a roof foil on top of the vehicle roof and sidewall foils pivotally mounted to the vehicle sidewalls. The roof foil includes downwardly facing concavity and a roof foil curved convex upper surface extending laterally across the vehicle roof. A spring extends laterally across the vehicle roof in the downwardly facing concavity. A door foil extends aft of the roof foil with a curved convex upper surface continuing the roof foil curved convex upper surface. Cables extend from the vehicle rear doors to the sidewall foils adjacent the sidewall foil free edges. The cables are taut and strain the sidewall foils toward the vehicle rear doors with the vehicle rear doors closed.

Abstract: A structural assembly for load carrying chassis of vehicles includes beams extending fore and aft on the chassis with passages laterally through the beam webs. I-beams extend through the passages through the beams. Brackets are fixed to the principal beams at the passages. The brackets each include a bracket web, a bracket flange extending from the bracket web and two bosses on the bracket web extending past the bracket flange. The bosses of each of the brackets extend to either side of lower I-beam flanges. The bracket flanges extend through the passages in contact with the beams in the passages. The brackets are shown as integrally formed or as composite assemblies of a plate and an extrusion.

Abstract: A rear fairing system for a vehicle includes a roof foil on top of the vehicle roof and sidewall foils pivotally mounted to the vehicle sidewalls. The roof foil includes downwardly facing concavity and a roof foil curved convex upper surface extending laterally across the vehicle roof. A spring extends laterally across the vehicle roof in the downwardly facing concavity. A door foil extends aft of the roof foil with a curved convex upper surface continuing the roof foil curved convex upper surface. Cables extend from the vehicle rear doors to the sidewall foils adjacent the sidewall foil free edges. The cables are taut and strain the sidewall foils toward the vehicle rear doors with the vehicle rear doors closed.

Abstract: A semi-trailer has an elongate bed with skirts depending there from adjacent to either side of the bed. The skirts are laterally flexible and can also flex vertically to overcome obstacles and objects. Elongate plates are mounted at one end to the underside of the bed adjacent one or the other of the depending skirts. The elongate plates extend inwardly beneath the bed and then diagonally downwardly to the adjacent skirt displaced below the attachment to the bed. Leaf springs are superimposed on the underside of the inward extensions of the elongate plates to preload the plates toward the bed of the semi-trailer. The skirts extend from landing leg assemblies on the semi-trailer to longitudinally adjacent the forward outboard tires of the wheel assemblies.

Abstract: A cargo trailer having thin side walls mounted to top and bottom side rails wherein the thin walls consist of a plurality of adjacent overlapping outer plates, a plurality of regularly spaced thin posts and a plurality of thin liner panels between and overlapping the posts. The thin posts are reduced in thickness and inwardly offset opposite the top and bottom side rails and are positioned inside those rails. The offset portion of the posts moves the major portions of the posts outwardly to be coplanar with the exteriors of the top and bottom side rails and increases the interior width of the trailer. A stress plate may be provided along lower portions of the posts. The outer plates, posts and liner panels are fastened together and to the top and bottom rails.

Abstract: A cargo trailer having thin walls wherein the thin walls consist of a plurality of adjacent overlapping outer plates, a plurality of regularly spaced thin posts and a plurality of thin liner panels between and overlapping the posts. The liner panels are u-shaped plates with flanges on each edge containing holes of equal or alternating diameters. When the liner panels have holes of alternating diameters, the liner panels are fastened to the thin posts and outer plates only by the fasteners in the smaller of the alternating diameter holes, such that the liner can be removed without disassembling the outer plate and post components of the wall. The horizontal distance between the holes in the liner panels is less than the horizontal distance between the holes in the outer plates resulting in the liner panel being stretched when assembled.

Abstract: A cargo floor construction and method of constructing same that includes a multiplicity of mounting clips that are secured to the cargo vehicle support members in laterally spaced and longitudinally aligned rows. The mounting clips are provided with a shape for mating and interlocking with the lateral edges of longitudinally extending floor planks that preferably are extruded with the mating edge shapes. Fasteners are used to secure the mounting clips to the vehicle support members but those fasteners do not pierce the floor planks. In some embodiments of the interlocking mounting clips and floor plank edges, the floor plank is elastically deformed to engage or snap onto the mounting clip to prevent lateral movement of the floor plank in either direction.

Abstract: An insulated and logistics track construction for the side and end walls of a refrigerated vehicle includes an exterior metal sheet attached to a plurality of vertical posts that are horizontally spaced. An interior sheet of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) is spaced from the exterior sheet and attached to the vertical posts by a logistics track attached to each post with the FRP interior sheet captured between the logistics track and post. The logistics track is shorter than the posts, thereby leaving portions of the FRP interior sheet above and below the logistics tracks unattached and unrestrained by the posts.

Abstract: A retracting system for flexible side walls utilized for cargo vehicles wherein the flexible side wall is attached at one end to a slidable door used to extend and retract the flexible side wall. This system provides a narrow slidable door connected to a system of pulleys and cables that maintain the slidable door perpendicular to the floor and roof of the vehicle during horizontal movement of the slidable door for closing or opening the open side of a cargo carrying vehicle. The system can incorporate a reversible motor to propel the system and move the slidable door without a pushing or pulling force rom a human operator. The slidable door is suspended from a track at the top edge of the door keeping the slidable door in alignment and decreasing rolling resistance.

Abstract: A support system for a flexible side wall for cargo carrying vehicles that allows greater access to the cargo area of the vehicle. A slidable door is attached to the flexible side wall which is supported by vertical support poles and the door and wall can be slid along the vehicle for access to the open side of the cargo vehicle. The slidable door is narrow to maximize the access and is supported by a separate track and roller assembly. The door may be supported by the roller assembly being positioned either at the roof or floor area of the cargo vehicle. The roller assembly has wheels at a predetermined spacing larger than the door width to accommodate any pushing force couple produced by the operator pushing or pulling on the door for opening and closing same. The vertical support poles are aligned by pilot blocks that have an interlocking feature which interconnect with the adjacent pilot blocks and align the flexible sidewall when it is being compacted.

Abstract: A flexible side wall construction for cargo vehicles that can be slidably opened by a sliding cargo door providing access to the cargo area of the vehicle. The flexible side wall may be compactly folded increasing the user's access to the cargo area of the vehicle. A plurality of connected panels of the flexible side wall include a series of primary poles, horizontally spaced along the flexible side wall. These panels further include upper and lower spring loaded intermediate poles affixed within intermediate pockets which are biased to cause the flexible side wall to fold in an orderly, pleated fashion. The pleated arrangement allows a weather sealing pelmet to properly function when the flexible side wall is fully lengthened or in a compacted position.

Abstract: A quick release device for tensioning a vehicle curtain and providing easy access to the load in a curtain-sided vehicle. A main tensioning device, usually installed at a front corner of a curtain-sided vehicle is normally used for applying horizontal tension to the curtain. Vertical tensioning straps along the length of the curtain normally provide vertical tension to the curtain as well as load security. At the rear of the curtain-sided vehicle there is a quick-release device so that the rear of the curtain may be held securely in a locked position and then released without first releasing the main tensioning device at the front of the vehicle and all the vertical tensioning straps.

Abstract: A road vehicle for hauling cargo has a substantially rectangular flatbed member with front and rear upright walls. The front wall is attached to the flatbed by a semi-rigid joint and the rear wall is attached to the flatbed by a free swinging hinged joint. One or more longitudinal members extend between the top of the front and rear walls. Posts spaced longitudinally of the cargo vehicle extend from the elevated longitudinal member or members to the flatbed member. One or more of the posts are collapsible or swingable to be selectively movable to a position for unobstructed access for side loading and unloading of the vehicle.

Abstract: A door holdback device holds a door or panel in open position. It may be mounted upon the wall of a conventional boxlike highway trailer and is automatically retractable to an inoperative position. The holdback device has a primary wire loop extending from the wall, said primary loop being integrally attached to two secondary wire loops, which are then secured to the interior of the wall. The secondary wire loops are internally stressed to retract the primary loop when not in use. A second embodiment employs an internally stressed primary loop which moves about its supporting mount to assume an operative position.

Abstract: An insulated door for a refrigeration vehicle includes spaced walls between which there is an insulation material. Hardware such as hinges and latches are mounted to the door by fastening the hardware to a rigid support mounted on the outside wall of the door, and providing openings in the support for accommodating fastening elements whereby the hardware is affixed to the support and the fastening elements do not thereby penetrate through the door walls.

Abstract: A semi-trailer is provided with a pair of laterally spaced drop-leg assemblies operated by a tubular cross shaft mounted on the trailer frame. These drop-leg assemblies are widely spaced and are positioned near the side boundaries of the frame. A jaw member is mounted to turn on the frame at a location forward of the drop-leg assemblies and has an open-ended channel to accept the king pin on the truck. A pair of cables each having one end attached to the jaw member each contact the drum surface and extend partially around the cross shaft in opposite directions. Adjustable means are provided for securing one end of each cable to the cross shaft so that turning movement of the jaw member causes corresponding turning movement of the cross shaft. One end of one of the cables is pivotally attached to the jaw member to compensate for limited arcuate length of the drum occasioned by presence of the open-ended channel to receive the king pin.