Roll off trailer, movable bumper for use therewith and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475419-B2
Application number	US-201514844112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 4, 2014
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A roll off trailer is provided with a bumper assembly which may move between a deployed position and a collapsed position. The roll off trailer may include a trailer frame with a table top pivotally connected to the trailer such that the deployed position may be associated with a home position of the table top and the collapsed position may be associated with a tilted roll off position of the table top.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roll off trailer comprising:
a trailer frame having a rear end;
a table top pivotally connected to the trailer frame adjacent the rear end so that the table top is pivotable between a generally horizontal home position and a tilted roll off position;
a bumper assembly which extends below the table top adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame and is movable between a deployed position and a collapsed position; and
a linkage assembly which is mounted on the bumper assembly and controls orientation of the bumper assembly as the table top moves from the home position to the roll off position and the bumper assembly moves from the deployed position to the collapsed position; wherein the linkage assembly extends between and is mounted on the trailer frame and bumper assembly.

2. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the trailer frame and pivotally connected to the bumper assembly.

3. The trailer of claim 2 wherein the bumper assembly comprises a bumper and a support arm extending forward from the bumper; and the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the bumper assembly via a pivot shaft which extends between the support arm and the linkage assembly.

4. The trailer of claim 3 further comprising
a first collar adjacent the support arm;
a link of the linkage assembly extending from adjacent the trailer frame to adjacent the pivot shaft; and
a second collar adjacent the link;
wherein the pivot shaft is received in the first and second collars.

5. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the linkage assembly extends forward of a front end of the bumper assembly; and the bumper assembly is pivotally connected to the table top by a first pivot and pivotally connected to the linkage assembly by a second pivot.

6. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the bumper assembly comprises a bumper, a left support arm extending forward from the bumper and a right support arm extending forward from the bumper; and further comprising
a first pivot shaft by which the bumper assembly is pivotally connected to the table top, the first pivot shaft extending from adjacent a front end of the left support arm to adjacent a front end of the right support arm; and
a second pivot shaft adjacent and essentially parallel to the first pivot shaft, the second pivot shaft extending from adjacent the front end of the left support arm to adjacent the front end of the right support arm.

7. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the bumper assembly has a first orientation in the deployed position and a second orientation in the collapsed position which is within an angle of 10 degrees of the first orientation as viewed from a left side of the bumper assembly.

8. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the trailer frame about a first linkage assembly pivot axis and pivotally connected to the bumper assembly about a second linkage assembly pivot axis.

9. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the bumper assembly is pivotally connected to the table top about a bumper assembly pivot axis; and the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the bumper assembly about a first linkage assembly pivot axis.

10. The trailer of claim 9 wherein the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the trailer frame about a second linkage assembly pivot axis.

11. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the table top is pivotally connected to the trailer frame about a first axis adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame; the bumper assembly is pivotally connected to the table top about a second axis; and the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the trailer frame about a third axis and pivotally connected to the bumper assembly about a fourth axis.

12. The trailer of claim 11 wherein the first axis is adjacent the third axis; and the second axis is adjacent the fourth axis.

13. The trailer of claim 11 wherein the first axis and fourth axis define therebetween a first normal distance when the bumper assembly is in the deployed position and the table top is in the home position and a second normal distance when the bumper assembly is in the collapsed position and the table top is in the roll off position;
the second normal distance is different than the first normal distance;
the second axis and third axis define therebetween a third normal distance when the bumper assembly is in the deployed position and the table top is in the home position and a fourth normal distance when the bumper assembly is in the collapsed position and the table top is in the roll off position; and
the third normal distance is different than the fourth normal distance.

14. A roll off trailer comprising:
a trailer frame having a rear end;
a table top pivotally connected to the trailer frame adjacent the rear end so that the table top is pivotable between a generally horizontal home position and a tilted roll off position;
a bumper assembly which extends below the table top adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame and is movable between a deployed position and a collapsed position; and
a linkage assembly which is mounted on the bumper assembly and controls orientation of the bumper assembly as the table top moves from the home position to the roll off position and the bumper assembly moves from the deployed position to the collapsed position;
wherein the bumper assembly is pivotally connected to the table top about a bumper assembly pivot axis; and the linkage assembly is pivotally connected to the bumper assembly about a first linkage assembly pivot axis; and further comprising
an elongated slot formed in the table top and spaced from the bumper assembly pivot axis; and
a pivot which defines the first linkage assembly pivot axis and which has first and second positions within the slot.

15. A roll off trailer comprising:
a trailer frame having a rear end;
a table top pivotally connected to the trailer frame adjacent the rear end so that the table top is pivotable between a generally horizontal home position and a tilted roll off position;
a bumper assembly which extends below the table top adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame and is movable between a deployed position and a collapsed position; and
a linkage assembly which is mounted on the bumper assembly and controls orientation of the bumper assembly as the table top moves from the home position to the roll off position and the bumper assembly moves from the deployed position to the collapsed position;
wherein the table top comprises a bumper assembly mounting bracket having a rear edge which defines a cutout; and a portion of the bumper assembly is outside the cutout in the deployed position and within the cutout in the collapsed positioned.

16. A roll off trailer comprising:
a trailer frame having a rear end;
a table top pivotally connected to the trailer frame adjacent the rear end so that the table top is pivotable between a generally horizontal home position and a tilted roll off position;
a bumper assembly which extends below the table top adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame and is movable between a deployed position and a collapsed position; and
a linkage assembly which is mounted on the bumper assembly and controls orientation of the bumper assembly as the table top moves from the home position to the roll off position and the bumper assembly moves from the deployed position to the collapsed position;
wherein the bumper assembly comprises a bumper, a left support arm extending forward from the bumper and a right support arm extending forward from the bumper;
a pivot shaft extends from adjacent

Assignees

• Mac Trailer Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Kibler Scott A

Classifications

• B60P1/6454 Primary

  the load transporting element being shifted by means of an inclined ramp connected to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R19/56

  {Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers;} Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder · CPC title

• B60P1/28 Primary

  Tipping body constructions · CPC title

• B60R19/38

  adjustably or movably mounted, e.g. horizontally displaceable for securing a space between parked vehicles {(adjustably mounted for compensating manufacturing tolerances B60R19/24, B60R19/26)} · CPC title