Direct Draft Patents (Class 280/410)
  • Patent number: 11396326
    Abstract: A terminal tractor includes four independently steerable wheels, each with their own dedicated drive motor and each with their own dedicated steering device. The terminal tractor includes a controller operable to provide input commands to the drive motors and to the steering devices to operate the terminal tractor. The terminal tractor also includes a fifth wheel coupling which includes a lifting mechanism capable of raising and lowering the fifth wheel coupling a in single vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Cargotec Patenter AB
    Inventors: Dean Newton, Chris Booth, Per-Erik Johansson, Hans Philip Zachau, Robert Bourghardt
  • Patent number: 8469384
    Abstract: The articulated connection which is disconnectable and formed of a hitching device (6) with a drawbar component (7) for rapid coupling and uncoupling (5). The articulated connection is carried at the front of the following road module (2) and fixed in terms of orientation with respect to a central longitudinal axis (12) of the leading road module (1), independent of the steering axle of the following road module or of its steering assembly, and it has a rear end (9) of the piece pivot-mounted (14) on the chassis of the following road module (2) and a front end has a complementary coupling and uncoupling mechanism, together with roll and pitch travel mechanism and angular end stop mechanism. This device is applicable to the urban transport of passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Lohr Industrie
    Inventor: Jean-Luc Andre
  • Publication number: 20120223501
    Abstract: A self-tracking cart is provided and includes a body defining an enclosure into and from which a secondary cart is receivable and removable, selectively rotatable first and second hitch assemblies, first and second motive elements, first and second steering assemblies to turn the first and second motive elements in opposite directions responsive to rotations of the first and second hitch assemblies and a linkage, which is coupled to the first and second hitch assemblies to cause the first and second hitch assemblies to rotate jointly in opposing directions, the linkage being disposed for non-interference with the secondary cart during reception and removal thereof into and from the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Serge Benoit
  • Patent number: 7914030
    Abstract: A braking and steering assembly in a vehicle having a pushing section and a riding section. The assembly includes an upper connection post containing braking and steering components for the riding section. The upper connection post has an upper end and a lower threaded end. The assembly further includes a lower connection post containing braking and steering components for the pushing section. The lower connection post has an aperture for threadedly receiving the lower threaded end of the upper connection post. The assembly also includes a rotatable front knob fixed to the upper end of the upper connection post. Rotatably tightening the front knob connects the lower end of the upper connection post with the upper end of the lower connection post. Braking and steering in the riding section controls braking and steering in the pushing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Soma Cycle, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ehrenreich, Joel Hoag, Brian Rhee
  • Patent number: 6312003
    Abstract: The complex trailer can be coupled to a vehicle having a drawing rack and mainly comprises a first trailer and a second trailer, in which the first trailer includes a deck, a bogie wheel, and a landing; the second trailer includes a wagon bed, and a trailing wheel. The complex trailer also has three coupling devices for respectively coupling the drawing rack and the first trailer, and the first trailer and the second trailer. Moreover, the trailing wheels can take the place of the landing wheels and the wagon bed can be combined with and thereby carried by the first trailer in case the first trailer and the second trailer are combined together so as to save space and to provide stable travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Inventor: Yun-Chun Liu
  • Patent number: 5873592
    Abstract: A trailer assembly to be drawn by a towing vehicle is provided. The trailer assembly includes a frame having a front end, a rear end, and a central axis. A tongue has one end attached to the frame front end, the other end of the tongue is adapted for removable attachment to a towing vehicle for drawing the trailer. A pair of steerable front wheels cooperate with the frame front end on opposite sides of the central axis. The front wheels are retained by front wheel supports which are pivotally attached to the frame about a steering axis. Each front wheel has an axis of rotation offset from its steering axis to allow self-steering of the front wheels. A pair of steerable rear wheels cooperate with the frame and are mounted by rear wheel supports. A steering mechanism connects the front wheels to the rear wheels so as to mutually steer the rear wheels when the front wheels self-steer in response to the trailer being drawn by the towing vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Inventor: Vern A. Daenens
  • Patent number: 5860659
    Abstract: A carrier or cart for holding and transporting two or more containers, in particular, garbage/trash cans or bins. The cart is designed for easy maneuverability to facilitate storage and simultaneous transport of multiple containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Inventor: Michael Edward Hart
  • Patent number: 5857692
    Abstract: A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. A towing bar gripper is attached to the car adjacent the rear end for releasably gripping the towing bar in the storage position. The gripper is formed by a resilient, generally U-shaped frame having a pair of opposed, spaced apart arms that form a slot into which a gripper bar is frictionally inserted and retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Club Car, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Hayes, Donald G. Samuelson, James R. Kerlin, Charles A. Fain
  • Patent number: 5842708
    Abstract: A device for preventing cart oscillation, wherein the rotation in a horizontal plane of the rear wheel side is controlled by an oscillation controlling member. The rotation in the horizontal place of the rear wheel side is also controlled by a detachable oscillation controlling member having a coupler section for permitting the cart to follow a predetermined course, when a train of a plurality of coupled carts is drawn. As shown in FIG. 5, a device for preventing oscillation for controlling the rotation in a horizontal plane of rear wheels of a cart is detachably fixed to a cart 2 having wheels connected to a wheel support which is rotative in a horizontal plane, in a way to fix the rear wheels by an engagement groove of a slant section 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco, Inc.
    Inventor: Norikuni Miyaoka
  • Patent number: 5788255
    Abstract: A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar having a notch adjacent its outer end is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. The forward end of the car includes a towing bar receiver in the form of a channel member that is pivotable about a vertical axis and that includes a longitudinal slot for receiving a towing bar. The towing bar receiver includes a pivotable hook retainer member adapted to engage with the hook portion of the towing bar to securely retain the towing bar in position within the towing bar receiver for towing a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventors: Paul E. Hayes, Donald G. Samuelson, James R. Kerlin, John D. Smith
  • Patent number: 5572005
    Abstract: A telecommunications booth providing business travelers a variety of services including telephone, facsimile, and various information options which result in automatic telephone dialing to desired destinations. The various telephonic devices function through a restrictor to access a single public communications channel. The restrictor prevents calls to certain classes of numbers, like 900 numbers. Billing data on the computer may be accessed through a modem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: TPI Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Hamilton, Thomas J. Doyle, Phillip R. Brooks
  • Patent number: 4986596
    Abstract: A baggage cart intended to be selectively coupled to other carts to form a train of carts comprises a body and an undercarriage supporting the body. The body includes a double-walled plastic floor, a double-walled plastic roof, and a pair of double-walled plastic end members. Each of the end members has integral lower and upper extension portions extending toward and being fastened with the longitudinal ends of the floor and roof, respectively. The undercarriage includes a plurality of metal stringer members extending substantially the length of the body and attached thereto. A tower assembly is secured to the stringer members, and a steerable front axle assembly is disposed beneath the tower assembly, with a bearing member interconnecting the tower assembly and front axle assembly such that the front axle assembly is rotatable relative to the tower assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Wedge Products Inc.
    Inventor: Pierre R. Gohier
  • Patent number: 4969656
    Abstract: This stroller has a series of seats at cut-out areas in a tray supported on columns secured to a wheeled floor panel. A tongue is also secured to the floor panel, the entire assembly being marketable as a kit of a easily assembled components. The seats are slings of fabric, the ends of which traverse slots in the tray. These are secured with dowels engaging loops in the fabric above the tray. The slots are enlarged on the top surface of the tray to retain the dowels against endwise slippage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Clausen
  • Patent number: 4949986
    Abstract: A baggage cart intended to be selectively coupled to other carts to form a train of carts comprises a body and an undercarriage supporting the body. The body includes a double-walled plastic floor, a double-walled plastic roof, and a pair of double-walled plastic end members. Each of the end members has integral lower and upper extension portions extending toward and being fastened with the longitudinal ends of the floor and roof, respectively. The undercarriage includes a plurality of metal stringer members extending substantially the length of the body and attached thereto. A tower assembly is secured to the stringer members, and a steerable front axle assembly is disposed beneath the tower assembly, with a bearing member interconnecting the tower assembly and front axle assembly such that the front axle assembly is rotatable relative to the tower assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: United Tractor Company
    Inventor: Pierre R. Gohier
  • Patent number: 4523771
    Abstract: A drawbar apparatus for use in a wheeled fertilizer tank which is normally coupled between a tractor and a planter. The drawbar apparatus includes a housing integral with the chasis of the wheeled fertilizer tank and a drawbar pivotally attached at the front end of the housing adjacent the coupling to the tractor. The drawbar extends between the front and rear ends of the wheeled fertilizer tank and includes a coupling means at the rear end for coupling to the planter. The housing includes a guide means for limiting the verticle and lateral movement of the drawbar. The drawbar pivots relative to the wheeled fertilizer tank in response to relative tilting between the tractor and the wheeled fertilizer tank, thus permitting the planter to dig a furrow having a constant depth as variations in terrain are negotiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1985
    Inventor: Harold C. Bender
  • Patent number: 4074639
    Abstract: A wheeled trailer, such as a liquid manure spreader, has a draft tongue which is adapted for attachment to a draft connection of a farm tractor so as to trail behind a soil working implement, such as a liquid manure injector, which is mounted upon the tractor three point hitch; and a driven member, such as a fertilizer pump, is driven from the tractor power take-off which is in a horizontal plane above that of the draft connection. The length of the draft tongue is sufficient to avoid interference between the implement and the vehicle on turns. The power train for the driven member consists of a drive shaft connected to the driven member which is in a horizontal plane below that of the p.t.o., an input shaft on the forward part of the tongue which is in the plane of the p.t.o. and is detachably connected to the p.t.o. by a drive link, and a driving connection between the input shaft and the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1978
    Assignee: Chromalloy American Corporation
    Inventor: James H. Hodgson