LEVEL LIFT TRAILER WITH DETACHABLE CARGO BED
An open center trailer with spring suspended axels which straddle a detached cargo bed, which was loaded on the ground, said trailer level lifts the cargo bed by pulling said cargo bed up its channel ramps to an elevated transport height, and consequently level lowers and detaches from this load bed at another location. This load may be a cargo utility platform, or an enclosed cargo box, or a horse traveling compartment, or a dump bed, or a highway light, or a traffic speed sign.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/001,673, filed Dec. 11, 2007, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/817,368 filed Apr. 5, 2004 (now abandoned). This application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/001,673, filed Dec. 11, 2007 and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/817,368 filed Apr. 5, 2004, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains generally to the field of hauling cargo on highways with motor vehicles and more specifically to cargo carried with trailers.
2. Description of Related Art
A loaded cargo is usually carried over a hauling cargo bed which is mounted on a truck chassis frame. In order to achieve this, it is required to lift up the cargo onto the hauling bed. Many designs have sought to ease this task. U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,300 issued to Lisota uses a tilting and moving bed to load or unload a truck. Many refinements of this method are used to lift up large cargo containers on truck chassis. LaMora in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,473 shows a system using a trailer to haul two containers in line. Alternately, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,232 to Dixon shows a smaller cargo bed loaded into a pick up truck. Although these methods are widely used today, they are not practical for unpacked cargoes, nor can they be used to load or unload live animals.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,230,014 issued to Haven describes a lifting/lowering trailer using a system of cams and links. Verschage in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,572 uses cams, links and hydraulic cylinders to lift heavy loads, such as fork lifts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,693 issued to Sobina shows a design of a level lift trailer bed which is kept in alignment by inner sliding telescoping guides as it is lifted by hydraulic cylinders at each corner of the chassis. In each of these devices, the cargo or load carrying member is a permanent integral part of the trailer.
Adding versatility to his tilting frame trailer, Pihlstrom in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,799 is able to interchange the cargo carrier. But, this system can not lift a loaded cargo carrier.
Therefore, there is a strong desire for a simple, reliable and heavy capacity level lifting trailer system capable of detaching from its cargo bed, or from an interchangeable bed, in some other configurations.
SUMMARYThe present invention is directed to a heavy level lift trailer system in which its cargo is always level with the ground, weather it is being raised into transport position or being lowered to the ground. The same design is applicable to light systems as well.
A further novel feature of the invention is the ability to release a cargo bed from the trailer. Therefore the cargo bed can be loaded and unload while sitting on the ground and detaching from the trailer. In other words, a single trailer that can move a variety of cargo beds weather loaded or unloaded. This system feature uniquely suites the delivery process of the manufacturing and the construction industries. The cargo beds are not necessarily to be the same, one delivery might be a load of wood, and the next could be a lockable multi door tool crib attached to saw table and stock rack.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a safe and easy transportation of live cargoes such as horses. A ground level loading and unloading of horses removes the danger and risk of injury to these animals.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an alternate design which may be incorporated into specialized systems for use in areas where very high theft potential prevails. The novel feature of raising up and lowering down a trailer bed allows for an inexpensive single axle custom cargo bed to be used in areas where the equipment must be left unattended for an extended period of time. Thus, the tires and wheels of the trailer are is never exposed.
To these ends, the level lifting trailer with the option of multiple detachable cargo beds in the present invention, compromises a safe and economical cargo-transfer and delivery system.
These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.
Description will be hereinafter made of one embodiment of a level lift trailer with detachable cargo bed according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. Additionally, in the following descriptions of the drawings, the same or similar portions are assigned with the same or similar reference symbols. It should be noted that each drawing is a schematic diagram, and may represent different dimensional ratios and the like from those of the actual vehicle. Hence, specific dimensions and the like should be determined in consideration of the following descriptions. Furthermore, as a matter of course, different drawings include elements which have different dimensional relations and ratios.
Referring to the drawings,
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Alternate designs for cargo bed assembly 3 are shown in
While various embodiments of a level lift trailer with detachable cargo bed and its respective components have been presented in the foregoing disclosure, numerous modifications, alterations, alternate embodiments, and alternate materials may be contemplated by those skilled in the art and may be utilized in accomplishing the various aspects of the present invention. Thus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention as claimed below.
Claims
1. A detachable level lifting trailer system comprising:
- a frame designed to receive a detachable cargo bed;
- a detachable cargo bed designed to mate with the frame; and
- an interface between the fame and the detachable cargo bed including a channel comprising at least two horizontal sections at different heights and a roller wherein the channel has an open end to allow the roller to escape the channel.
2. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, further comprising a second roller.
3. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 2, wherein the roller is at a different height than the second roller.
4. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, wherein the roller is located at the rear end of the frame.
5. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, wherein the roller is located at the front end of the cargo bed.
6. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, wherein the channel is located on the frame.
7. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, wherein the channel is located on the cargo bed.
8. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 6, wherein the open end of the channel is located on a rear end of the frame.
9. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 7, wherein the open end of the channel is located on a front end of the cargo bed.
10. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, further comprising a second interface.
11. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 8, wherein the second interface is located proximate to an opposite side of the trailer system.
12. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 1, wherein a first roller is sized to fit into a first channel, and the second roller is sized to fit into a second channel.
13. A detachable level lifting trailer system comprising:
- a trailer, wherein said trailer comprises a framed structure with an open end and an open space in the center;
- a cargo bed sized to fit into said open space;
- a roller rotatably disposed on the trailer; and
- a channel disposed on the cargo bed wherein the channel includes two horizontal sections at different heights and an open end designed to receive the roller.
14. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 13, further comprising a second roller.
15. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 13, wherein a first roller is at a different height than the second roller.
16. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 13, wherein the roller is located at the rear end of the trailer.
17. The detachable level lifting trailer system of claim 13, wherein the open end of the channel is located at the front end of the cargo bed.
18. An interface between a cargo bed and a frame, wherein the interface comprises:
- a roller disposed on one opposing side of the interface; and
- a horizontal channel disposed on a receiving side of the interface opposite from the roller, where the channel has an open end to allow the roller to leave the channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 30, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 7, 2013
Inventor: David L. DOSKOCIL (San Bernardino, CA)
Application Number: 13/664,356
International Classification: B60P 1/64 (20060101);