A-FRAME MOUNTED ON A FLAT BED TRAILER
A pair of opposed A-frames are positioned uprightly on a flat bed chassis. A downwardly descending side leg on each side of each A-frame rests on an axially mounted beam. The beam is attached to the underside of the flat bed chassis and extends outwardly from a side surface of the flat bed trailer and is angled upwardly to support a bottom edge of a building material slab or sheet.
This invention relates to shipping support apparatus mounted on a flat bed trailer. More particularly, it refers to pairs of A-frames mounted on a flat bed trailer for supporting heavy upright loads.
Currently, most heavy loads such as concrete slabs are transported on flat bed trailers by laying them down on the trailer top surface. Glass sheets have been transported in an upright position, secured to shipping racks as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,676. Sheet supporting racks have been used inside trailers as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,485 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,826. Flat bed trailers of differing configuration for supporting loads have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,626,017; 4,688,976; and 5,209,540. Although these references describe useful methods of carrying upright loads they do not provide a device for easily loading and unloading building materials constituting heavy loads. Such a device is needed to not only provide easy loading and unloading, but also in employing lighter trailers for carrying such heavy loads within current roadway regulations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention solves the prior art need by providing an apparatus for transporting large building structures such as concrete slabs on lighter weight flat bed trailers. The device permits heavy slabs to be leaned against a pair of A-frames mounted on the flat bed trailer instead of being loaded on a top surface of the flat bed trailer. The A-frames are positioned facing oppositely and uprightly with a downwardly descending side leg on each side of the A-frame. The side legs rest at their ends on an axially mounted beam. The beam is attached to the undercarriage of the trailer chassis and has a portion extending outwardly from the right and left side of the trailer. The portion of each beam extending outwardly is angled upwardly to support a bottom edge of a concrete slab with the upper side surface of the slab resting against a side of the A-frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which;
Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. Referring to
Referring to
Each A-frame, as shown in
Beam component 44 is welded or bolted to an intermediate beam 66 which in turn is welded or bolted to the undercarriage 26 of trailer 10. In addition, struts 68 and 70 are welded to the trailer undercarriage 26 and beam component 44.
As seen in
As seen in
The A-frames or channels can be made from aluminum, steel, or other high strength material. The beams are steel as is the chassis of the trailer. The trailer 10 or 10a is attached by a wheel pin 82 to a cab for towing of the flat bed trailer. As shown in
Other equivalent elements can be substituted for the elements described above to provide substantially the same function in substantially the same way to provide substantially the same result.
Claims
1. An apparatus mounted on a flat bed trailer chassis for supporting upright building structures during shipment on a public highway, the apparatus comprising:
- a pair of opposed A-frames positioned uprightly on the flat bed trailer chassis;
- a pair of downwardly descending side legs on each side of the A-frame, the side legs descending partially below a top surface of the flat bed chassis and outboard of a right and left side surface of the flat bed chassis;
- the side legs of each A-frame supported by an axially mounted beam attached to an undercarriage of the flat bed chassis, a portion of the beam extending outwardly from the undercarriage of the flat bed chassis and from the right and left side of the flat bed chassis, the beam portion extending outwardly being angled upwardly to support a bottom edge of the building structure with a top portion of the building structure juxtaposed to the side legs on one side of the A-frames.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a second pair of A-frames is positioned uprightly on the flat bed chassis.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the flat bed chassis on which the A-frames are mounted is expandable.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the axially mounted beam has a base component welded to a bottom surface of an intermediate component which in turn is welded to an undercarriage of the chassis along a top surface.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the A-frames each have a top horizontal connecting member and a lower horizontal connecting member connecting the pair of downwardly descending side legs.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein a strut connects the lower horizontal connecting member to the top surface of the flat bed chassis.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a strut connects the axially mounted beam to an undercarriage of the flat bed chassis.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the building structure is a concrete slab.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the building structure is a steel slab.
10. An improved apparatus for transporting building structures on a public highway on a pair of opposed A-frames positioned uprightly on a flat bed trailer chassis, the improvement comprising:
- a pair of downwardly descending side legs on each side of the A-frame, descending partially below a top surface of the trailer chassis and outboard of a right and left side surface of the trailer chassis;
- the side legs of each A-frame supported by an axially mounted beam attached to an undercarriage of the flat bed chassis, a portion of the beam extending outwardly from the undercarriage of the flat bed chassis and from the right and left side of the flat bed chassis; and
- the portion of the beam extending outwardly being angled upwardly to support a bottom edge of the building structure, with a top portion of the building structure juxtaposed to the side legs on one side of the A-frames.
11. The improved apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the beam portion extending outwardly is angled upwardly at an angle of about ten degrees.
12. The improved apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the beam portion extending outwardly has a top surface covered with a rubber pad.
13. The improved apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the axially mounted beam has a base component welded at a top surface to a bottom surface of an intermediate component, a top surface of the intermediate component welded to the undercarriage of the flat bed chassis.
14. The improved apparatus according to claim 10 wherein a strut connects the axially mounted beam to an undercarriage of the flat bed chassis.
15. The improved apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the building structure is a concrete slab.
16. An apparatus mounted on a flat bed trailer chassis for supporting upright building structures during shipment on a public highway, the apparatus comprising:
- a pair of opposed A-frames positioned uprightly on the flat bed trailer chassis;
- a pair of downwardly descending side legs on each side of the A-frame the side legs descending partially below a top surface of the flat bed chassis and outboard of a right and left side surface of the flat bed trailer chassis;
- a top horizontal member and a lower intermediate horizontal member connecting each pair of side legs above the top surface of the flat bed trailer chassis;
- a strut connecting the intermediate horizontal member to the top surface of the flat bed trailer chassis;
- the side legs of each A-frame supported by an axially mounted beam attached to an undercarriage of the flat bed trailer chassis, a portion of the beam extending outwardly from the undercarriage of the flat bed trailer chassis and from the right and left side of the flat bed trailer chassis, the beam portion extending outwardly being angled upwardly to support a bottom edge of the building structure with a top portion of the building structure juxtaposed to the side legs on one side of the A-frames; and
- the beam further connected to the undercarriage of the flat bed trailer chassis by a strut.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the beam portion extending outwardly is angled upwardly at an angle of about ten degrees.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the beam portion extending outwardly is covered with a rubber mat.
19. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the building structure is a cement slab.
20. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein there are two pair of opposed A-frames positioned uprightly on the flat bed trailer chassis.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 12, 2004
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2005
Inventor: Robert Summers (Holiday, FL)
Application Number: 10/799,484