Patents by Inventor Rickey A. Pipe

Rickey A. Pipe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Vehicle power unit and body unit system
    Patent number: 8262118
    Abstract: A truck tractor and removable body unit system selectively configurable as a tractor and freight box or an articulated truck-trailer combination includes a truck tractor having a frame supporting a drive axle and a steer axle with a fifth wheel mounted on the frame, and a body unit having a body mounted on a frame, the frame supported by a wheeled axle and having a king pin for releasably engaging the fifth wheel on the truck tractor. The body unit includes a coupling mechanism for releasably coupling the truck tractor frame to constrain lateral movement between the truck tractor and the body unit while allowing relative vertical pivoting movement between the truck tractor and body unit about the king pin and fifth wheel. An adjustable spring mounted to one of the truck tractor and body unit to act between the truck tractor frame and the body unit frame to adjust a loading between the truck tractor frame and body unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Volvo Group North America, LLC
    Inventors: Rickey A. Pipe, Willard S. Yeakel
  • VEHICLE POWER UNIT AND BODY UNIT SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20100301584
    Abstract: A truck tractor and removable body unit system selectively configurable as a tractor and freight box or an articulated truck-trailer combination includes a truck tractor having a frame supporting a drive axle and a steer axle with a fifth wheel mounted on the frame, and a body unit having a body mounted on a frame, the frame supported by a wheeled axle and having a king pin for releasably engaging the fifth wheel on the truck tractor. The body unit includes a coupling mechanism for releasably coupling the truck tractor frame to constrain lateral movement between the truck tractor and the body unit while allowing relative vertical pivoting movement between the truck tractor and body unit about the king pin and fifth wheel. An adjustable spring mounted to one of the truck tractor and body unit to act between the truck tractor frame and the body unit frame to adjust a loading between the truck tractor frame and body unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: VOLVO GROUP NORTH AMERICA, LLC
    Inventors: Rickey A. Pipe, Willard S. Yeakel