Patents Assigned to Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
  • Patent number: 8876164
    Abstract: A mud flap bracket assembly comprises a functional frame bracket assembly and one or more interchangeable bracket covers. The frame bracket assembly has unitary frame bracket that is formed from a sheet metal blank that is configured to form and integral spring mount and integral slots to mount a frame seat. The frame bracket has integral slots that mount mud flap clips that are adjustable within the slots for mounting mud flaps of different hole configurations. The frame bracket assembly is assembled with integral fasteners and without welds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Wesley K. Eklund, Tom Gerst, Gary Roberts
  • Publication number: 20130193300
    Abstract: A mud flap bracket assembly comprises a functional frame bracket assembly and one or more interchangeable bracket covers. The frame bracket assembly has unitary frame bracket that is formed from a sheet metal blank that is configured to form and integral spring mount and integral slots to mount a frame seat. The frame bracket has integral slots that mount mud flap clips that are adjustable within the slots for mounting mud flaps of different hole configurations. The frame bracket assembly is assembled with integral fasteners and without welds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
  • Patent number: 8066305
    Abstract: An adjustable fender vehicle has an upper wall with inner and outer side walls. The inner side wall includes an elongated longitudinal clamping edge and an interior wall depends from the underside of upper wall between the inner and outer walls. The interior wall has an elongated longitudinal opening in registry with the elongated longitudinal clamping edge in the inner side wall for receiving a fastener for adjustable mounting of the fender to a vehicle. The inner side wall includes an elongated longitudinal opening in registry with the elongated longitudinal opening in the interior wall and the elongated longitudinal clamping edge is formed in the elongated longitudinal opening in the inner side wall. The elongated longitudinal opening is configured to receive a mounting arm that is adapted to extend through the elongated longitudinal opening to the interior wall. Fasteners on the mounting arm clamp the fender to the mounting arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Wesley K. Eklund, Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst, Andrew Hartmann, Guido Redaelli
  • Publication number: 20110057410
    Abstract: An adjustable fender vehicle has an upper wall with inner and outer side walls. The inner side wall includes an elongated longitudinal clamping edge and an interior wall depends from the underside of upper wall between the inner and outer walls. The interior wall has an elongated longitudinal opening in registry with the elongated longitudinal clamping edge in the inner side wall for receiving a fastener for adjustable mounting of the fender to a vehicle. The inner side wall includes an elongated longitudinal opening in registry with the elongated longitudinal opening in the interior wall and the elongated longitudinal clamping edge is formed in the elongated longitudinal opening in the inner side wall. The elongated longitudinal opening is configured to receive a mounting arm that is adapted to extend through the elongated longitudinal opening to the interior wall. Fasteners on the mounting arm clamp the fender to the mounting arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Wesley K. Eklund, Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst, Andrew Hartmann, Guido Redaelli
  • Patent number: 7874592
    Abstract: A vehicle fender is mounted to a mounting arm through at least one clamp that is mounted on the mounting arm. The clamp and an edge of the fender have complementary teeth and grooves to adjustably mount the fender to the mounting arm. The fender teeth and grooves are formed in a pocket and the pocket extends beneath the fender panel and receives the mounting arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Wesley K. Eklund, Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst, Andrew Hartmann, Guido Redaelli
  • Patent number: 7810829
    Abstract: A fender assembly comprising a fender and an adjustable bracket assembly that is adapted to adjustably mount the fender to the vehicle. The bracket assembly includes an arm with a longitudinal axis offset from and a fastener for rotationally mounting the bracket to a vehicle frame through and adjustable link. A vibration decoupler is mounted between the arm and the fender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy R. Hawes
  • Publication number: 20090255184
    Abstract: A roll-up door has a plurality of panels and a plurality of roller assemblies mounted to ends of the panels for mounting the panels in channels. At least some of the panels are formed of blow-molded thermoplastic material and have a relatively flat outside face and an inside face including ribs that extend longitudinally and transversely on the panel. A reinforced panel of thermoplastic material is made by blow molding a panel with a thermoplastic material to form a relatively flat outside face and a ribbed inside face, and with elongated channels along upper and lower walls thereof. The panel is trimmed while it is still warm to open the channels at one end. While the panel is still warm, reinforcing members are inserted into the elongated channels. The panels are cooled to shrink the channels onto the reinforcing members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst
  • Patent number: 7384071
    Abstract: A fender assembly for a heavy-duty vehicle comprises a fender and clamping members having reciprocal mating elements for adjustably and removably coupling the clamping members and the fender. The clamping members are clamped to inner and outer edges of the fender and are adapted to receive and removably secure a mounting arm that extends from the vehicle. The position of the fender relative to the vehicle can be adjusted by repositioning the clamping members along the inner and outer edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers Incorporated
    Inventors: Andrew Hartmann, Wesley K. Eklund
  • Patent number: 7073804
    Abstract: A fender assembly comprising a fender and an adjustable bracket assembly that is adapted to adjustably mount the fender to the vehicle. The bracket assembly includes an arm with a longitudinal axis offset from and a fastener for rotationally mounting the bracket to a vehicle frame through and adjustable link. A vibration decoupler is mounted between the arm and the fender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy R. Hawes
  • Publication number: 20050179245
    Abstract: A fender assembly for a heavy-duty vehicle comprises a fender and mounting clamps having reciprocal mating elements for adjustably and removably coupling the mounting clamps and the fender. The mounting clamps are clamped to inner and outer edges of the fender and are adapted to receive and removably secure a mounting arm that extends from the vehicle. The position of the fender relative to the vehicle can be adjusted by repositioning the mounting clamps along the inner and outer edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Andrew Hartmann, Wesley Eklund
  • Publication number: 20050167972
    Abstract: A fender assembly comprising a fender and an adjustable bracket assembly that is adapted to adjustably mount the fender to the vehicle. The bracket assembly includes an arm with a longitudinal axis offset from and a fastener for rotationally mounting the bracket to a vehicle frame through and adjustable link. A vibration decoupler is mounted between the arm and the fender.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Timothy Hawes
  • Patent number: 6796603
    Abstract: A cam-type door latch assembly comprises a handle and an arm assembly terminating in a finger-like cam and pivotal to bring the cam into engagement with a conventional locking pin assembly. The arm assembly is selectively adjustable for lengthening or shortening the arm assembly, thereby adjusting the contact force between the cam and the locking pin and, consequently, the door closing force. The arm assembly comprises a sleeve enclosing a wedge nut and a cam arm having offsetting inclined faces which are tightened against each other with a threaded connector to lock the wedge nut and cam arm in position in the sleeve when the cam has been properly adjusted relative to the locking pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers Incorporated
    Inventor: Todd A. Pringnitz
  • Publication number: 20040140676
    Abstract: A latch assembly for a trailer roll up door has a base plate, a handle and hook assembly with a locking flange rotatably mounted to the base plate, a closed keeper to selectively retain the handle in the closed position. The closed keeper is moveably mounted to the base plate for movement between a latched position and an unlatched position. The movement of the closed keeper is limited by stops on the base plate and further has a rotation stop that is adapted to contact a portion of the handle when the closed keeper is in the unlatched position and the handle is moved to the closed position to move the closed keeper into the latched position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Wesley K. Eklund, Andrew Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20040108742
    Abstract: A cam-type door latch assembly comprises a handle and an arm assembly terminating in a finger-like cam and pivotal to bring the cam into engagement with a conventional locking pin assembly. The arm assembly is selectively adjustable for lengthening or shortening the arm assembly, thereby adjusting the contact force between the cam and the locking pin and, consequently, the door closing force. The arm assembly comprises a sleeve enclosing a wedge nut and a cam arm having offsetting inclined faces which are tightened against each other with a threaded connector to lock the wedge nut and cam arm in position in the sleeve when the cam has been properly adjusted relative to the locking pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: FLEET ENGINEERS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Todd A. Pringnitz
  • Patent number: 6648373
    Abstract: A vibration-decoupling connector for mounting a fender to a support arm, the vibration-decoupling connector comprising an isolator having a first surface for directly contacting either the upper or lower surface of the fender; whereby the isolator dampens vibrations between the support arm and the fender to reduce the transfer of vibration forces between the frame and the fender when the support arm is mounted to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy R. Hawes
  • Patent number: 6604724
    Abstract: A spring-biased mudflap bracket assembly includes a hollow tube with a mounting plate at a proximate end and a frame seat mating to the mounting plate and yieldably biased into contact with the mounting plate by a spring mounted at one end within the hollow tube and to the frame seat at another end. A vibration-absorbing gasket can be mounted on an outer surface of the frame seat to abut the vehicle frame. A double-headed bolt mounts the spring to the hollow tube. The frame seat has three apertures in alignment, a central one of the apertures having a spacing to an upper aperture different than a spacing to a lower aperture, and a pair of mounting fasteners are received in two of the three apertures for mounting the frame seat to a vehicle frame. A concave perimetrical channel in the frame seat mates with a complementary convex annular projection on the mounting plate to form a pivot socket for the mounting plate with respect to the frame seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy R. Hawes, Wesley K. Eklund
  • Patent number: 6484984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bracket-mounting assembly for mounting a bar bracket to a vehicle frame, the bar bracket being adapted to carry vehicle accessories such as a mudflap. The bracket-mounting assembly attaches to a vehicle frame via a single bolt passed through a penetration in the vehicle frame and threadably connected to the bracket-mounting assembly by a central threaded hole in the bracket-mounting assembly. The bracket-mounting assembly further includes a generally vertically-oriented shaft opening for receiving a portion of the bar bracket and supporting the bar bracket with respect to the vehicle frame. The bracket-mounting assembly includes a rotation-resisting connector for inhibiting rotation of the bracket-mounting assembly relative to the vehicle frame about the axis of the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy R. Hawes
  • Patent number: 6471228
    Abstract: A bracket assembly for mounting an accessory on a vehicle. The bracket assembly comprises a frame-mounting block, an accessory-mounting plate, and a rotation-resisting fastener. The frame-mounting block has an inner face adapted to abut a vehicle frame, an outer face spaced from the inner face, and a frame-mounting opening passing through the frame-mounting block transverse to the inner face for receiving a frame-mounting fastener. The accessory-mounting plate has an inner face oriented toward a vehicle frame when the bracket is mounted to the vehicle frame, spaced outwardly from the inner face of the frame-mounting block to accommodate a bolt head, and an accessory-mounting opening in the accessory-mounting plate for receiving a fastener for an accessory. The rotation-resisting fastener is mounted to the bracket and is adapted to resist rotation of the bracket about an axis passing through the frame-mounting opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy R. Hawes
  • Patent number: D595427
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst
  • Patent number: D595428
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Fleet Engineers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary Roberts, Tom Gerst