Pallet trailer and method for loading and unloading cargo aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258146-B2
Application number	US-202217739760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2022
Priority date	Jun 25, 2021
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A trailer for moving pallets on and off cargo aircraft is disclosed. The trailer includes a deck having a top surface that defines a top plane. The top of the deck has at least one pair of spaced apart forklift clearance channels therein that are disposed below the top plane of the deck and extend inward from at least one of the sides of the deck. Methods for loading and unloading pallets on and off cargo aircraft are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pallet trailer comprising:
a deck having a top, a bottom, and sides, wherein the top of the deck comprises an uppermost portion that lies in a top plane wherein the top of the deck has at least one pair of spaced apart forklift clearance channels therein that are disposed below the top plane of the deck and extend inward from at least one of the sides of the deck;
a plurality of wheels located underneath the bottom of the deck, wherein said wheels are rotatable on axles that are joined at least indirectly to the bottom of the deck; and
a fold-up rail system joined to at least one of the sides of the deck, said fold-up rail system comprising at least one rail that comprises an elongated plate which has an upper edge portion that is movable between a pallet loading position to a pallet securing position, wherein the rail is positioned below a level of the forklift clearance channels in the pallet loading position, and the upper edge portion of the elongated plate is disposed above the top plane of the deck in the pallet securing position.

2. The pallet trailer of claim 1 wherein the deck has a rectangular plan view configuration with four sides, said sides comprising a first pair of opposing sides and a second pair of opposing sides, wherein the forklift clearance channels extend between one pair of opposing sides.

3. The pallet trailer of claim 2 having a front end, a rear end, and a longitudinal centerline running between the front end and the rear end, wherein the channels are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline.

4. The pallet trailer of claim 1 having a front end, a rear end, and the deck has a length between the front and rear ends, and the plurality of wheels comprise two front wheels closest to the front end of the pallet trailer and two rear wheels closest to the rear end of the pallet trailer, wherein the elongated plate extends along the length of the pallet trailer at least from the front wheels to the rear wheels.

5. The pallet trailer of claim 4 for use with a pallet that has edges and horizontal tongues extending outward from the edges of the pallet, wherein the elongated plate has a plurality of spaced apart elongated, horizontally-oriented slots therein sized and configured for receiving the horizontal tongues extending outward from the edges of a pallet.

6. The pallet trailer of claim 4 wherein the elongated plate extends along the entire length of the deck of the pallet trailer.

7. The pallet trailer of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail is joined to a side of the deck by a hinge, wherein a portion of said hinge has an opening therethrough, and a quick release pin is insertable into said opening.

8. The pallet trailer of claim 1 wherein said fold up rail system comprises four rails wherein each of said rails comprises an elongated plate that is joined to a side of the deck.

9. The pallet trailer of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the top plane of the deck has a plurality of rollers rotatably joined thereto.

10. The pallet trailer of claim 9 wherein said rollers comprise omni-directional rollers.

11. The pallet trailer of claim 1 having a front end and a rear end, wherein a detachable drawbar is joined to the front end of said pallet trailer, and the front end of the pallet trailer has a recess therein for storing said detachable drawbar.

12. The pallet trailer of claim 1 having a front end and a rear end, said pallet trailer further comprising a detachable towing hitch joined to the rear end of said pallet trailer, and the rear end of the pallet trailer has a recess therein for storing said detachable towing hitch.

13. The pallet trailer of claim 12 wherein said detachable towing hitch comprises a pintle hitch.

14. The pallet trailer of claim 1 wherein the sides of the deck comprise a pair of opposed longitudinal sides and front and back sides, and the pallet trailer further comprises a plurality of pallet tie down components joined to the front and back sides of said deck, wherein said tie down components comprise rings having an open center, which are pivotable and can be turned downward and flush against the front and back sides of the deck when not in use.

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Kurtz Logan
• Kurtz Nichole

Classifications

• B64F1/322 Primary

  Cargo loaders specially adapted for loading air freight containers or palletized cargo into or out of the aircraft · CPC title