TRAILER STABILIZER AND CLAMP

Abstract

A trailer restraint device comprising a portable frame having mounted thereon a tail hook and a hitch pivot receiver including at least one hydraulic receiver cylinder, one pneumatic receiver cylinder, one electric receiver actuator, and one receiver winch.

Description

TRAILER STABILIZER AND CLAMP DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This description addresses stabilization and restraint devices that attach to semi-trailers parked at a loading dock or similar location and, more specifically, stabilization devices and associated methods for stabilizing and / or leveling a parked semi-trailer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is an elevated perspective view of a first exemplary modality of a towing fastener and a first exemplary ground mounting according to the present description. FIGURE 2 is a profile view of the first exemplary fastener and ground mount of FIGURE 1, shown placed under a semi-trailer parked in a holding position. FIGURE 3 is a bottom perspective view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1, shown without a wheel and tire, without a helical spring, and without an associated hydraulic circuit. FIGURE 4 is an elevated perspective view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1, shown without a wheel and tire, without a helical spring, and without an associated hydraulic nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi circuit. FIGURE 5 is an elevated perspective view of the exemplary frame of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 6 is an elevated perspective view of the exemplary frame, ground hook, and ground mount of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 7 is an elevated perspective view of the components mounted on the main frame tube of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 8 is an elevated perspective view of the components mounted on the coupling collar of the latch pivot receiver of the first exemplary fastener in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 9 is an elevated perspective view of the exemplary latch pivot receiver of the first exemplary fastener in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 10 is an exploded view of the exemplary hook pivot receiver of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 11 is an open top perspective view of the exemplary hook pivot receiver of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 12 is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary hitch pivot receiver without the hydraulic cylinder and top plate. FIGURE 13 is a first example schematic diagram of the example hydraulic system comprising part of the first example fastener of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 14 is a profile view showing the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 mounted on a semi-trailer, where the semi-trailer is positioned on a loading dock for loading / unloading. FIGURE 15 is a profile view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 that is initially placed under the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14. FIGURE 16 is a profile view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 positioned below the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14 so that the hitch pivot receiver receives the hitch pivot of the semi-trailer. FIGURE 17 is a profile view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 positioned below the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14 so that the hitch pivot receiver receives the hitch pivot of the semi-trailer and the ground hook engages a first exemplary ground assembly, where the fastener can be found in a tension position. FIGURE 18 is an aerial view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 positioned below the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14 so that the hitch pivot receiver receives the hitch pivot of the semi-trailer and the ground hook engages a first exemplary ground assembly, where nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi the fastener is in a tension position. FIGURE 19 is an aerial view of the first exemplary fastener of FIGURE 1 positioned below the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14 so that the hitch pivot receiver receives the hitch pivot of the semi-trailer and the ground anchor engages a ground mount, where the fastener is no longer in a tension position. FIGURE 20 is an aerial view of a segment of a second exemplary fastener positioned below the semi-trailer of FIGURE 14 and coupling a first exemplary ground mount, wherein the ground hook incorporates elongated recesses and hydraulic cylinders mounted on the repositionable cylinder in order to provide a tension position as well as activating the hydraulic cylinders to release a tension position. FIGURE 21 is a profile view of a segment of the second exemplary fastener of FIGURE 20, shown coupling the first exemplary ground mount, wherein the ground hook incorporates elongated recesses and hydraulic cylinders mounted on the repositionable cylinder in order to provide a tension position as well as to activate the hydraulic cylinders to release a tension position. FIGURE 22 is a second schematic diagram of the exemplary hydraulic system comprising part of the second exemplary fastener of FIGURE 20. nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi FIGURE 23 is a profile view of a segment of a third exemplary fastener shown coupling to the first exemplary ground mount, wherein the ground hook and coupling collar incorporate hydraulic cylinders in order to provide a tension position as well as to activate the hydraulic cylinders to release a tension position. FIGURE 24 is an aerial view of the third exemplary fastener segment coupling to the first exemplary ground mount, where the ground hook and coupling collar incorporate hydraulic cylinders in order to provide a tension position as well as to activate the hydraulic cylinders to release a tension position. FIGURE 25 is a third schematic diagram of the exemplary hydraulic system comprising part of the third exemplary fastener of FIGURE 23. FIGURE 26 is a profile view of a first alternative exemplary form of a ground mount, with the relocatable carriage shown in the fully extended rearward position. FIGURE 27 is a profile view of the first alternative ground mount exemplary of FIGURE 26, shown with the relocatable carriage in the fully retracted front position. FIGURE 28 is a profile view of a second alternative exemplary modality of a ground mount, shown nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi with the relocatable carriage in the rearmost position. FIGURE 29 is a profile view of the second alternative ground mount example of FIGURE 28, shown with the relocatable carriage in the forwardmost position. FIGURE 30 is an elevated perspective view of a first modality of the exemplary stabilizer according to the present description. FIGURE 31 is an elevated perspective view of the torsion shaft assembly, wheel assembly, and brake assembly of the first modality of the exemplary stabilizer in FIGURE 30. FIGURE 32 is an elevated perspective view of the repositioning assembly, the damping assembly, and a portion of the brake assembly of the first modality of the exemplary stabilizer in FIGURE 30. FIGURE 33 is an exploded view of the assembled components of FIGURE 32. FIGURE 34 is an enlarged view of an exemplary jack assembly in the context of the brake assembly and axle assembly. FIGURE 35 is an exploded view of certain components shown in FIGURE 34. FIGURE 36 is an exploded view of certain components shown in FIGURE 30. FIGURE 37 is a profile view showing the exemplary stabilizer of FIGURE 30 positioned under a parked semi-trailer, while the semi-trailer splices a loading dock, before repositioning the jack assemblies in either a standby position, a shared weight support position, or an exclusive weight support position. FIGURE 38 is an aerial view of the structures in FIGURE 37, with the semi-trailer shown in transparent view so that the structures placed below the parked semi-trailer are visible. FIGURE 39 is a top view of a contact plate for use with an alternative exemplary first trailer stabilizer. FIGURE 40 is a rear view of the contact plate in FIGURE 39. FIGURE 41 is a side profile view of the contact plate in FIGURE 39. FIGURE 42 is an elevated perspective view of a first alternative exemplary trailer fastener according to the present description. FIGURE 43 is a top view of another contact plate for use with a second alternative exemplary trailer stabilizer. FIGURE 44 is a rear view of the contact plate of FIGURE 43. FIGURE 45 is an elevated perspective view of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi, a second alternative exemplary trailer fastener according to the present description. The exemplary embodiments of the present description are described and illustrated below to encompass exemplary semi-trailer tie-downs and stabilizers. It will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments discussed below are exemplary in nature and may be reconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. However, for clarity and precision, the exemplary embodiments, as discussed below, may include optional steps, methods, and features that someone of ordinary experience should recognize are not a requirement for falling within the scope of the present invention. With reference to FIGURES 1-19, a first exemplary trailer tie-down 100, according to the present description, is configured to engage a hitch pivot 110 of a stationary semi-trailer 112 and simultaneously engage a ground mount 120 to limit the movement of the semi-trailer. For example, the first exemplary trailer tie-down 100 can be used to secure a stationary semi-trailer 112 at a loading dock 114 while the trailer is being loaded or unloaded. The first exemplary trailer hitch 100 is portable by means of a pair of wheels 130 mounted on an axle and wheel hubs 132, the axle being mounted on a frame 136. In the exemplary form, the wheels 130 may be 45.72 centimeters (18 inches) in standard diameter and may have a five-lug pattern. Those skilled in the art will understand that larger or smaller wheels may be used instead of those described in the exemplary form, and that they may have different lug patterns or fastening mechanisms from the exemplary wheels 130 described. Each wheel 130 includes a corresponding tire 140, which may be solid or inflatable with a fluid (e.g., air, nitrogen, etc.). In addition to the axle and wheel hubs 132, the first exemplary trailer hitch 100 also includes a swivel caster 144 mounted on the frame 136. In this exemplary configuration, the frame 136 includes a longitudinal main frame tube 150 made of rectangular steel and having a wall thickness of 0.635 centimeters (one-quarter of an inch). The swivel wheel 144 is mounted on the underside of the longitudinal main frame tube 150 near the tube's longitudinal midpoint (from near to far). A near end of the main frame tube 150 is mounted to a rail handle 154, which is fabricated from a C-shaped steel block having a wall thickness of 0.635 cm (1 / 4 inch). In this exemplary embodiment, the near end of the main frame tube 150 is welded to the far end of the rail handle 154 so that the rail handle is at an angle of approximately 120 degrees to the main frame tube. Near the near end of the handle arm 154 is a corresponding hole that receives a metal handle bar 160, which can be rigidly or pivotally connected to the rail handle 154. For example, the metal handle bar 160 is fabricated from steel tubing formed into an oval shape.As will be discussed in more detail below, the handle bar 160 is gripped by a user in order to reposition the first trailer fastener 100 by exerting a pulling or pushing action. However, a hydraulic circuit 200 is provided for repositioning other aspects of the first trailer fastener 100. An exemplary hydraulic circuit 200, as described herein, is used to reposition a ground hook 210, a coupling collar 220, and a hitch pivot stop 230 associated with the coupling collar. A fluid reservoir 240 is mounted on the longitudinal rectangular tube 150 near its end. This fluid reservoir 240 is in selective fluid communication with the hydraulic cylinders operatively coupled to the ground hook 210, the coupling collar 220, and the hitch pivot stop 230 by means of a series of valves 242 and hydraulic fluid lines 244. A more detailed explanation of the hydraulic circuit 200 follows a description of the other components of the first exemplary trailer fastener 100. With reference to FIGURES 1 and 5, the frame 136 of the first prototype trailer fastener provides a chassis to which the ground hook 210, coupling collar 220, and axle and wheel hubs 132 are mounted. In the case of the ground hook 210 and coupling collar 220, each is repositionably mounted on the frame 136. In order to provide this repositionability feature, the frame 136 includes a horizontal plate 250 that extends laterally to cover a larger portion of the axle 132 (but not the wheel hubs). The horizontal plate 250 is mounted on a pair of vertical supports 260 that are separated from each other laterally. Specifically, the vertical supports 260 are identical and oriented perpendicular to the horizontal plate 250. Furthermore, the vertical supports 260 are oriented parallel to each other, extending vertically from near to far. A near vertical support 270 is simultaneously mounted on the horizontal plate 250 and the pair of vertical supports 260. More specifically, the vertical support 270 extends perpendicularly to the horizontal plate 250 and perpendicularly to the pair of vertical supports 260. For example, the plate 250 and the supports 260 and 270 are made of sheet metal material that is welded together.Each vertical support 260 includes a hole extending through it that aligns vertically and laterally with the equivalent hole extending through the opposite vertical support, where both holes are sized to receive a shaft 280, wherein the shaft is rigidly mounted on the coupling collar 220 and rotationally repositionable with respect to the grounding hook 210. The grounding hook 210 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 280, allowing the grounding hook to pivot about a central axis of the shaft. In this exemplary embodiment, the grounding hook 210 is rigidly mounted on a pair of bearings 286, which are also mounted on the shaft 280. Returning to FIGURES 3, 5, and 6, the ground hook 210 comprises two identically shaped side rails 290 separated from each other laterally by two cross members 292 welded to the side rails, although fewer or additional cross members may be used. The first of the cross members 292 includes a bracket 294 and a corresponding pin 296 configured to pivotally engage a first hydraulic cylinder 298 of the exemplary hydraulic circuit 200 in the first cross member. An opposite end of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 is pivotally mounted on a pin 306 extending through another bracket 308 mounted to the horizontal plate 250 and the vertical support 270.In this way, the extension of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 is operational to raise the hook 210 to the ground, while the retraction of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 is operational to lower the hook 210 to the ground towards the ground assembly 120 (i.e., cleat to ground). In an exemplary embodiment, the grounding assembly 120 is secured to the ground (e.g., pavement, concrete, or other surface) using screws, bolts, or any other fastening mechanism or method (not shown). The exemplary grounding assembly 120 includes a plurality of raised ribs 322 interposed by corresponding recesses 324. In this exemplary embodiment, the raised ribs 322 have a vertically raised portion that is angled to a base portion, which is mounted to the frame of the grounding assembly 120. Thus, the raised ribs 322 are angled from the far portion to the near portion (there is a slope in the raised ribs 322 from the near portion to the far portion), as are the corresponding recesses 324, in order to receive and retain a floating retainer 330 of the grounding hook 210. nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi For example, the 330 floating retainer of the hookThe grounding system 210 comprises a cylindrical rod 332 with stops 334 mounted at opposite ends thereof. The cylindrical rod 332 is sized to be received within a corresponding opening 340 extending through each of the two side rails 290. For example, the openings 340 are rounded triangular openings substantially larger than the dimension of the larger cross-section of the rod 332 to allow the rod to move within the openings 340 within a predetermined clearance range. In addition, the stops 334 prevent the rod 332 from being pulled completely out of one or both of the openings 340 so that the rod continues to extend between the side rails 290 regardless of its position within the openings.In other words, the oversized nature of the openings 340 allows for near-to-far vertical and horizontal angular adjustments of the rod 332 with respect to the two side rails 290, while still allowing the rod to extend through the side rails. Consequently, the ground hook 210 and its cylindrical rod 332 do not need to be precisely aligned on the ground mount 120 from either an angular or near-to-far perspective in order for the cylindrical rod to be captured between the corresponding raised ribs 322 of the ground mount, given the clearance between the cylindrical rod and the two side rails 290 when the ground hook is lowered into the ground mount by retracting the hydraulic cylinder 298 and pivoting the side rails with respect to the shaft 280 using the bearings 286. In addition, to guide the pivoting movement of the hook 210 to the ground, the shaft 280 also uses a set of bearings 350 that are mounted respectively on the opposite outer sides of the pair of vertical supports 260 in order to rotate with respect to the vertical supports. As discussed previously, the coupling collar 220 is mounted on the shaft 280 so that when the shaft rotates with respect to the vertical supports 260, the coupling collar also rotates. In an exemplary embodiment, the coupling neck 220 includes a hollow tube 351 sized to receive and enclose the shaft 280. More specifically, the hollow tube 351 and the shaft 280 are each fabricated of metal and welded together so that rotation of the shaft causes the hollow tube to rotate with the shaft. In this exemplary embodiment, the hollow tube 351 and the shaft 280 extend through corresponding circular openings through opposite walls of a longitudinal rectangular tube 360 ​​fabricated of steel and having a wall thickness of 0.317 centimeters (one-eighth of an inch). A hollow tube 351 extends through a distant end of the longitudinal rectangular tube 360 ​​and is welded thereto in a transverse orientation with respect to the longitudinal dominant dimension of the longitudinal rectangular tube.In other words, the rotation of the 280 shaft is accompanied by the corresponding rotation of the hollow tube 351 and the longitudinal rectangular tube 360. In order to provide additional support between the hollow tube 351 and the longitudinal rectangular tube 360, two pairs of corner brackets 368 are mounted on opposite sides of the longitudinal rectangular tube and on the corresponding sections of the hollow tube. Opposite the far end, a near end of the longitudinal rectangular tube 360 ​​is mounted in-line with a second rectangular longitudinal hollow tube 370 made of steel and having a wall thickness of 0.317 centimeters (one-eighth of an inch). The interlocking surfaces of the rectangular longitudinal tubes 360 and 370 are formed so that the longitudinal rectangular tube 360 ​​is at an angle of approximately 135 degrees to the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370. Two side plates 372 are mounted on opposite sides of the longitudinal rectangular tubes 360 and 370 to maintain the joint.As an example, the joining between the longitudinal rectangular tubes 360, 370 can be by welding or otherwise fixing together; in addition, the side plates are welded or otherwise fixed to the longitudinal rectangular tubes 360, 370 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi so that the rotational movement of the longitudinal rectangular tube 360 ​​is translated into a similar movement of the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370. The rotational movement of the coupling neck 220 with respect to the frame 136 can be floating. In particular, a spring retainer 374 is mounted on the lower side of the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370. A complementary spring retainer 376 is also mounted on the upper side of the longitudinal rectangular tube 150 near the swivel wheel 144. In an exemplary manner, each spring retainer 374, 376 comprises a hollow cylinder with a peripheral flange extending axially and circumferentially from the base of the cylinder. The hollow cylinder is sized to act as a guide and retainer for a helical spring 378, which is interposed to the spring retainers 374 and 376. Consequently, the peripheral flange of each spring retainer 374 and 376 acts as a stop to prevent movement of the helical spring when it is around the hollow cylinder. When not actively repositioned, the coupling neck 220 floats on the longitudinal rectangular tube 150 so that if a load is applied to the top of the coupling neck, the helical spring 378 is compressed until its compressive force equals the applied load or the spring is fully compressed, whichever occurs first. In contrast, under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to actively reposition the coupling neck 220 and hold the coupling neck in a fixed position relative to the frame 136 by overcoming the deflection of the helical spring 378. The first trailer tie-down 100 also includes an operating hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380 coupled to the coupling collar 220 to reposition (by rotation) the coupling collar to overcome the deflection exerted by the helical spring 378. As will be discussed in more detail later, the floating feature of the coupling collar of the first trailer tie-down 100 can be advantageous when coupling the coupling collar to a hitch pivot of a parked semi-trailer 112. And, when a user wishes to reposition the first trailer tie-down 100 from underneath the parked semi-trailer, lowering and pivoting the coupling collar 220 can be more advantageous for easily removing the trailer tie-down from underneath the parked semi-trailer 112 after deployment. For example, a first end of a hydraulic cylinder housing 380 is mounted on an attachment 384 that extends laterally from the longitudinal rectangular tube 150. More specifically, the first end of the hydraulic cylinder 380 includes a pair of bearings nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi that circumscribe a cylindrical projection 382 associated with the attachment 384, thereby permitting rotation of the hydraulic cylinder with respect to the attachment. The second end of the hydraulic cylinder 380 is mounted on a shackle 390, which includes a pair of parallel plates. Each of the parallel plates includes two holes that extend through them to accommodate two bolts 394, 396.The first bolt 394 is mounted on the underside of the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 just forward of the plates 372 and extends laterally outward from them, generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the second longitudinal rectangular tube. The first bolt 394 extends simultaneously through the corresponding holes in the shackle 390 and a hollow cylindrical bushing 398 in order to maintain the gap between the shackle plates as the shackle rotates about the first bolt. The second bolt 396 extends simultaneously through a second set of corresponding holes in the shackle 390 and the second end of the hydraulic cylinder 380 and allows rotation of the second end of the hydraulic cylinder about the second bolt and the shackle.Consequently, the retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 380 is operative to actively overcome, by means of fluid pressure, the deflection of the helical spring 378 in order to pivot and lower the height of the coupling neck 220. Conversely, the hydraulic cylinder 380 can be depressurized to reposition the coupling neck 220 using the deflection of the helical spring 374 to pivot and level the coupling neck with respect to the frame 136. In such a circumstance, the coupling neck 220 floats and pivots with respect to the frame 136 so that external forces acting on the coupling neck (e.g., when the coupling neck 220 makes contact with a stationary semi-trailer 112 when pushed from underneath it) can be operative to overcome the deflection of the helical spring 378 to lower the height of the coupling neck. A proximal portion of the coupling neck 220 includes a hitch pivot receiver 400 configured to receive a hitch pivot from a parked semi-trailer 112 as part of the parked semi-trailer restraint. In this exemplary embodiment, the hitch pivot receiver 400 pivotally engages the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 near its proximal end using a pivot pin 402 that simultaneously extends through corresponding holes in both the second longitudinal rectangular tube and the hitch pivot receiver. In this exemplary embodiment, a regulator 408 restricts the amount of pivot travel possible between the hitch pivot receiver 400 and the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370.More specifically, the regulator 408 comprises a series of chain links with one end of the chain links mounted on the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 and the other end of the chain links mounted on the hitch pivot receiver 400. Thus, when tightened, the chain links prevent further pivoting of the hitch pivot receiver 400 with respect to the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 in the direction that caused the chain links to be tightened. Conversely, when loosened, the chain links permit limited pivoting of the hitch pivot receiver 400 with respect to the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 until the limit of pivoting is reached when the chain links are re-tensioned or when the hitch pivot receiver makes contact with the top of the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370.As an example, it is intended that the regulator 408 restrict the pivoting movement of the hitch pivot receiver 400 with respect to the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 so that at a maximum height of the second longitudinal rectangular tube, the hitch pivot receiver does not rotate more than twenty degrees above the horizontal level (as measured from the surface of the top plate of the hitch pivot receiver) and not less than negative forty-five degrees above the horizontal level.Conversely, by way of example, the regulator 408 is intended to allow pivoting of the hitch pivot receiver 400 with respect to the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 such that, at a minimum height of the second longitudinal rectangular tube, the hitch pivot receiver does not rotate more than fifty degrees above the horizontal level (as measured from the surface of the top plate of the hitch pivot receiver) and not less than five degrees below the horizontal level. Those experienced in the art will understand that by changing the size of the link in the regulator 408 chain and / or the number of chain links used, the degree of pivoting motion available between the hitch pivot receiver 400 and the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370 can be easily changed. Returning specifically to FIGURES 8-12, the hitch pivot receiver 400 structure includes a flat top plate 412 having an elongated opening 414 configured to accommodate a trailer hitch pivot. A proximal end of plate 412 is mounted on a pair of attachments 416 that generally extend perpendicularly to the plate and away from the plate toward the ground. In an exemplary form, the attachments 416 may comprise extensions of plate 412 that have been flexed or bent relative to the plate to assume a perpendicular orientation. In such a circumstance, prior to the flexing of the attachments 416, an opening is formed between the attachments to accommodate the lateral clearance of a longitudinal box 420 mounted on plate 412 and the attachments 416.The longitudinal box 420 includes a set of identically shaped parallel rail plates 424, spaced equidistantly to create a through trough 426 that aligns with the elongated opening 414 extending through the top plate 412, the lower portion of which limits part of the trough. A near end of the longitudinal box 420 is partially enclosed by an end wall 430, mounted on and extending between the parallel rail plates 424, which acts as an end wall delineating a portion of the trough 426. Adjacent to the end wall 430, each of the parallel rail plates 424 includes an opening 432 configured to receive a pin 436, the pin being mounted to the parallel rail plates by welding, for example.In an exemplary manner, the pin 436 takes a cylindrical shape and includes a diameter sized to be received within a corresponding end 438 of a hydraulic cylinder 440 of the hitch pivot stop 230. An opposite end 442 of the hydraulic cylinder 440 is mounted on a sled 450, which is also part of the pivot stop 230, which passes along the corresponding sliding guide 454 projecting outward from the opposite inner faces of the parallel rail plates 424 along the trough 426. In an exemplary form, the sliding guide 454 includes two similar sliding guide segments 454A, 454B extending through a corresponding opening 456 in each of the parallel rail plates 424. Each sliding guide segment 454A, 454B comprises an elongated linear bar having a rectangular cross section, with the distant end of the bar incorporating a taper 458.Each slide guide segment 454A, 454B includes a flat upper surface 460 and an opposing lower surface projecting outward from the inner surface of the parallel rail plates 424 a uniform distance along the longitudinal length of each slide guide segment, except for the far end, which is tapered. Each slide guide segment 454A, 454B is oriented to extend longitudinally parallel to the other slide guide segment at approximately the same vertical height, so that the two slide guide segments are directly opposite each other and extend longitudinally parallel to partially delineate the trough 426. In this manner, the sled 450 is mounted on the flat upper surface 460 when repositioned by extension or retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 440. For example, the 450 sled includes a plate464 a rounded block C-shaped plate comprising a top surface 466, a bottom surface, and a front surface 468 extending between the top and bottom surfaces. In an exemplary form, the top and bottom surfaces 466 have a side width that is slightly less than the distance between the parallel rail plates 424, which is substantially constant along their longitudinal length. The length of the top and bottom surfaces 466 of the block C-shaped plate 464 may be arbitrary, but is generally uniform and long enough to form a cover over the end 442 of the hydraulic cylinder 440 mounted on the sled 450.The front surface 468 of the C-shaped plate 464, extending between the upper and lower surfaces 466, also includes a side width that is slightly less than the distance between the parallel rail plates 424, except for two rectangular openings 469 formed through it that are large enough to accommodate the rectangular cross-section of each of the sliding guide segments 454A and 454B. The shape of the C-shaped plate 464 outlines a nearby cavity that includes a pair of vertical clamps 470 that extend vertically and are parallel to each other and are also inserted with respect to the sliding guide segments 454A and 454B when assembled. A corresponding hole nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi extending through each of the clamps 470 is sized to accommodate a pin 472, which is circumscribed by one end 442 of the hydraulic cylinder 440.Thus, as the hydraulic cylinder 440 is repositioned from a retracted to an extended position, and vice versa, the sled 450 is correspondingly repositioned longitudinally along the upper flat surface 460 of the sliding guide 454 in order to vary the dimensions of the elongated opening 414 that can accept a hitch pivot from a stationary trailer. For example, the sliding guide 454 extends longitudinally and close below the upper flat plate 412 (i.e., above the stopping point or limit of the elongated opening 414) so ​​that the sled 450 can be repositioned when the hydraulic cylinder 440 is fully retracted below the upper flat plate 412 and out of the limits of the elongated opening 414 toward a near end of the hitch pivot receiver 400. Opposite the near end, the hitch pivot receiver 400 includes a far portion that tapers and flares outward to facilitate easier steering of a trailer hitch pivot into the elongated opening 414 and directs the hitch pivot receiver 400 beneath the forward portion of the parked trailer. Specifically, a first trapezoidal extension 480 is mounted on each far end of each parallel rail plate 424 to act as a side funnel that tapers toward the trough 426 to guide a hitch pivot into the channel. Additionally, a second trapezoidal extension 484 is mounted on the far ends of the upper flat plate 412 (and is mounted on the first trapezoidal extensions 480 after assembly is complete). In this way, each second trapezoidal extension 484 acts as a ramp to reduce the vertical height leading to the upper flat plate 412.Therefore, the front or forward portion of a trailer may initially contact one or both of the second trapezoidal extensions 484, thereby causing the nose of the stationary trailer to slide over one or both of the second trapezoidal extension 484 and causing the hitch pivot receiver 400 to reposition itself vertically under the front nose of the stationary trailer 112. Each parallel rail plate 424 also includes a flange 486 having an opening 488 extending therein, sized to receive one end of the pivot pin 402. By way of example, the pivot pin 402 is welded to both parallel rail plates 424 and extends through a nearby opening in the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370, which is sized to receive a pivot bushing 490. The pivot bushing 490 comprises a hollow cylinder sized to receive the pivot pin 402 and permits rotation between the pivot pin and the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370. Accordingly, the pivot receiver 400 pivotally engages the second longitudinal rectangular tube 370. In order to provide additional structural integrity to the hitch pivot receiver 400, a box plate 492 is mounted and extends between the tabs 486 of the parallel rail plates 424. With reference to FIGURE 13, the exemplary hydraulic circuit 200 will be described in further detail. As discussed previously, the exemplary hydraulic circuit 200 directs pressurized fluid to cause the ground hook 210, coupling collar 220, and hitch pivot stop 230 to be repositioned by means of a pump handle 580 associated with the pump and reservoir 240. The main part of the hydraulic circuit 200 is the fluid pump and reservoir 240, which are fluidly coupled to a two-way valve 500 by means of one or more hydraulic lines. The two-way valve 500 is repositionable between a first and a second position. The first position establishes fluid communication between the pump discharge side and reservoir 240 and the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder 380 via hydraulic lines. Therefore, the movement of the pump handle 508 to pump fluid from reservoir 240 and send this hydraulic fluid through the two-way valve 500 and to the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder 380 retracts (i.e., decreases the length of) the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder, thereby overcoming the deflection of the helical spring 378 and lowering the engagement pivot receiver 400. Also, the first position establishes fluid communication between the inlet side of a pair of gate valves 502, 504 and the inlet side (reservoir vent side) of the pump and reservoir 240.When gate valves 502 and 504 open, this first position allows the higher-pressure fluid associated with hydraulic cylinders 298 and 440 to be vented back into the reservoir through two-way valve 500. However, when gate valves 502 and 504 close, this first position does not provide fluid communication between reservoir 240 and hydraulic cylinders 298 and 440. Conversely, the second position of the two-way valve 500 establishes fluid communication between the pump discharge side and reservoir 240 and an upstream side of the gate valve pair 502, 504 via the hydraulic lines. When the gate valves 502, 504 are open and in communication with the pump discharge side and reservoir 240, the movement of the pump handle 580 pumps fluid from the reservoir, through the two-way valve 500, and onto the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440, which extends (i.e., increases the length of) the hydraulic cylinders and levels the hook 210 to the ground and pushes it against the hitch pivot of the stationary semi-trailer 112.Also, the second position of the two-way valve 500 establishes fluid communication between the inlet side of the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder 380 and the inlet side (reservoir vent side) of the pump and reservoir 240 to allow the higher-pressure fluid associated with the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder to be vented back into the reservoir. As a result, venting the hydraulic fluid back into reservoir 240 from the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder 380 is operative to extend (i.e., increase the length of) the hydraulic neck repositioning cylinder, thereby controlling the deflection of the helical spring 378 and raising the height of the hitch pivot receiver 400. With reference to FIGURES 1-19, an exemplary description for using the exemplary trailer tie-down 100 will be provided below. As a preliminary matter, it will be assumed that before using the exemplary trailer tie-down 100, several events may occur to place the semi-trailer 112 in a position ready for stabilization. By way of example, these events may include a haul truck or hustler truck in the position of the loaded / unloaded semi-trailer 112 where it will be loaded / unloaded (e.g., leaning against a mezzanine of a loading dock 114). It is also assumed that the haul truck or hustler truck has been removed from the coupling with the parked semi-trailer 112 and that the landing gear 118 of the parked semi-trailer has been deployed.Additionally, it is assumed that a front portion below the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 is accessible and that a ground mount 120 was previously installed. As a starting point, a terminal worker or other individual (i.e., a user) may receive a message, signal, or other communication indicating that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured. Alternatively, the user may visually perceive that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured in a circumstance where no trailer tie-down 100 is positioned under a front portion of the parked trailer. In either case, the user deploys the exemplary trailer tie-down 100 under the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 so that the trailer tie-down engages the ground mounting 120 and connects the trailer hitch pivot 110 (see FIGURE 14).By doing this, the trailer exemplary fastener 100 is operative to nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi retard the forward movement of the semi-trailer 112 parked away from the loading dock 114 by means of the hitch pivot stop 230 pushing it against the hitch pivot 110, thereby causing a pulling force to be exerted by the ground hook 210 against the ground mounting 120. Initially, after determining that the parked semi-trailer 112 is ready to be secured, the user locates an available trailer tie-down 100 and determines if the ground hook 210 is raised and ready for transport. If not, the user repositions the valve handle 510 to open valves 502 and 504 and also repositions the two-way valve 500 to the second position to establish fluid communication between the pump's discharge side and reservoir 240 and the inlet side of valves 502 and 504. After that, the user operates the pump handle 580 associated with the fluid pump and reservoir 240 to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir into the first hydraulic cylinder 298, thereby causing the cylinder to extend (i.e., increase in overall length).More specifically, one end of cylinder 298 engages pin 306 that extends through the second bracket 308 of the parallel frame plate, while the other end of cylinder 298 is mounted on pin 296 of the first bracket nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 294 of the parallel plate of one of the transverse members 292 of the ground hook 210. In this way, the pumping of fluid from the fluid pump and reservoir 240 extends the first hydraulic cylinder 298, which operates to raise the ground hook 210 above the floor (i.e., raises the floating retainer 330 above the floor). Finally, sufficient pumping and the extension of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 raise the ground hook 210 high enough from the floor for transport. It should be noted that while valves 502 and 504 open and receive hydraulic fluid from the discharge of reservoir 240, the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 extends to its maximum length before raising the ground hook 210, since the weight of the tail hook provides greater resistance for travel.In other words, in order to raise the hook 210 off the ground, it may first be necessary to extend the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 to its maximum length. Assuming that the ground hook 210 is sufficiently raised off the ground for transport, the user repositions the valve handle 510 to the first condition in order to close the valves 502, 504 to lock the ground hook position and repositions the two-way valve 500 to the first position in order to reposition the coupling collar 220 downwards to clear the height of the front flange below the semi-trailer 112.After resetting the two-way valve 500 to the first position, the user can manipulate the pump handle 580 to pump fluid from the pump and reservoir 240, through the two-way valve 500, and over the collar repositioning cylinder 380, thereby causing the collar repositioning cylinder to contract (i.e., shorten its length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 374 in order to decrease the height of the coupling collar before repositioning the trailer fastener 100 under a front portion of the parked semi-trailer 112. With reference to FIGURES 1 and 15, after the ground hook 210 and coupling collar 220 are properly positioned, the user can grasp the handle bar 160 to reposition the trailer clamp 100 in the vicinity of the parked semi-trailer 112. It should be noted that raising the ground hook 210 results in the entire weight of the trailer clamp 100 being supported by the two wheel 130 and tire 140 combinations, as well as the swivel caster 144. After reaching the parked semi-trailer 112 to be supported, the user manipulates the handle bar 160 to push the trailer clamp 100 under the front nose of the semi-trailer.More specifically, the user first inserts the rear portion of the 100 example of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi trailer fastener under the nose of the semi-trailer, typified by the 210 ground hook (which continues in an elevated position) that first extends under the nose of the semi-trailer and usually in line with the position of a 120 ground mount (see, FIGURE 16). By supporting the trailer clamp 100 below the front of the parked semi-trailer 112, the coupling collar 220 is assumed to be in a floating, elevated position. In other words, the coupling collar 220 is assumed to be floating while the trailer clamp 100 is pushed below the front of the parked trailer 112. Specifically, the floating coupling collar 220 causes the trapezoidal extension 484 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 to make contact with the front of the parked trailer 112, increasing the load applied to the hitch pivot receiver and coupling collar to overcome the helical spring deflection 374 and lower the hitch pivot receiver vertically below the front of the parked trailer.As shown in FIGURE 16, the helical spring deflection 374 maintains contact between the upper plate 412 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 and the lower side of the trailer hitch pivot plate. However, it should be noted that the coupling collar 220 cannot be floating as a result of the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380 being at least partially retracted so that the coupling collar 220 is in a lowered position to overcome the helical spring deflection 374. In any case, as shown in FIGURES 9, 15, 16, and 18, the trailer specimen 100 fastener is repositioned under the front of the parked trailer 112 so that the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 is longitudinally aligned with the hitch pivot 110. In a situation where the coupling neck 220 is lowered by a hydraulic cylinder 380 to clear the front of the parked trailer 112 and is then repositioned so that the coupling neck is below the front nose of the parked semi-trailer, the coupling neck can be raised by the user by manipulating the two-way valve 500. Specifically, the two-way valve 500 can be moved from the first position to the second position to vent the hydraulic pressure associated with the coupling neck repositioning hydraulic cylinder 380 circuit to the pump and reservoir 240.By venting the hydraulic cylinder 380 neck repositioning circuit, the hydraulic cylinder 380 extends (i.e., increases in length), and the deflection of the helical spring 374 is dominant with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 380 in order to raise the vertical position of the coupling neck 220 until it makes contact with the underside of the stationary semi-trailer 112 or reaches a maximum vertical height. Thus, the rearward repositioning of the trailer exemplary fastener 100 continues; first, the ground hook 210 causes the coupling pivot 110 of the stationary semi-trailer to reseat within the elongated opening 414 (see FIGURE 18). Just before, at the same time as, or after adjusting the latch pivot 110 within the elongated opening 414, the user repositions the ground hook 210 to engage the ground assembly 120. Specifically, the user repositions the gate valves 502 and 504 so that they open by activating the valve handle 510 and repositions the two-way valve 500 to its first position. When the gate valves 502, 504 open and vent the tank 240, by means of the two-way valve 500 which is in the first position, the weight of the ground hook 210 becomes the dominant force and causes the pressurized fluid from the first hydraulic cylinder 298 to flow to the vent side of the tank 240, which corresponds to the first hydraulic cylinder retracting (i.e., decreasing in overall length) and the ground hook pivoting towards the floor. nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi As shown in FIGURE 6, the pivoting action of the ground hook 210 ceases when the floating retainer 330 comes to rest on top of the ground assembly 120. When at rest, the cylindrical rod 332 of the floating retainer 330 can rest within one of the recesses 324 or on top of one of the raised ribs 326. If the cylindrical rod 332 comes to rest within one of the recesses 324, the fastener 100 does not need to be repositioned further forward or backward. In contrast, if the cylindrical rod 332 comes to rest on top of one of the raised ribs 326, the fastener 100 is repositioned slightly forward or backward to seat within a corresponding recess 324.It should be noted that while valves 502, 504 are open and the two-way valve 500 is in the first position, the hydraulic cylinder 440 can be retracted slightly (i.e., decreased in overall length) to accommodate the engagement pivot 110 moving deeper into the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 (compare FIGURES 18 and 19) so that the ground width 210 can be repositioned slightly backward into the next corresponding recess 324 in cases where the floating retainer 330 rests on top of one of the raised ribs. Although the above explanation inherently assumes that the cylindrical rod 332 of the ground hook 210 is parallel with at least one of the recesses 324 when the Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi fastener 100 is initially positioned below the front portion of the stationary trailer 112, it may be that the cylindrical rod is at an angle to at least one of the recesses if the ground hook 210 is moved angularly from the midline of the stationary trailer (i.e., the line that runs longitudinally along the length of the stationary trailer and through the hitch pivot 110). In order to accommodate this angular variation, and seat the cylindrical rod 332 within one of the recesses, the cylindrical rod has a built-in clearance with respect to the rest of the hook 210 to the ground by means of the enlarged openings 340 through the side rails 290.In particular, the enlarged openings 340 may be one or more multiples in width of the diameter of the cylindrical rod 332 to provide near-to-distant vertical movement between the cylindrical rod and the rest of the ground hook 210. Thus, even if the side rails 290 of the ground hook 210 are not parallel to the side sides of the ground assembly 120, the clearance between the side rails and the cylindrical rod 332 accommodates a predetermined angular displacement that allows the cylindrical rod 332 to be at an angle that is not perpendicular to the side rails 290 and to be received within one of the corresponding recesses 324. Returning to FIGURES 9 and 14-18, after the ground hook 210 is received within one of the recesses of the ground mount 120, and the hitch pivot 110 is received at least partially within the elongated opening 414, the user can reposition the valve handle 510 to maintain the respective positions of the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440. At this time, the clamp 100 occupies the restraint position shown in FIGURES 17 and 18, and the parked trailer can be loaded or unloaded. In particular, the ground hook 210 is positioned in front of the landing gear 118 of the parked trailer and is held in a relative position by the ground assembly 120, and the hydraulic cylinder 298 is locked in an extended position, while the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 is also locked in an extended position. For example, the corresponding openings 324 of the ground assembly 120 are angled vertically so that the slightest forward movement of the parked trailer 112 (i.e., away from the loading dock 114) causes the cylindrical rod 332 to move deeper (i.e., closer to the ground) in its corresponding opening 324.Finally, the cylindrical rod 332 occupies the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324 so that if the parked trailer attempts to move forward, the fastener 100 prevents any further forward movement of the parked trailer 112. In particular, as the parked trailer 112 attempts to move forward, the hitch pivot 110 pushes it against the sled 450, but, based on the hydraulic cylinder 440 locking in its extended position, the hitch pivot is unable to move any further into the elongated opening 414. Consequently, the force applied to the sled 450 by the hitch pivot 110 attempts to move the entire fastener 100 forward. But this forward movement of the fastener 100 is inhibited once the cylindrical rod 332 occupies the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324.In other words, any attempt by the parked trailer 112 to move forward is restricted by the tie-down 100, since the tie-down is placed under tension by a forward portion of the hitch pivot 110 pushing the sled 450, which is transferred into a pulling force by the ground hook 210 attached to the ground assembly 120. As will be discussed in more detail later, if the tie-down 100 occupies a position of tension (e.g., the hitch pivot 110 against the sled 450 and the cylindrical rod 332 in the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324) after the unloading / loading of the parked trailer 112, an accommodation must be made to interrupt this position of tension before the tie-down can be removed from the underside of the parked trailer. After the parked trailer 112 is loaded / unloaded, the clamp 100 must be removed to allow a terminal truck or other truck to couple or remove the parked trailer from loading dock 114. Assuming the clamp is in a tensioned position, removal of the clamp may not be possible without interrupting this tensioned position. Specifically, the pivoting movement of the ground hook 210 upward and out of a corresponding recess 324 may be impeded by the vertical angle of the recess. In particular, the arcing movement of the pivoting ground hook 210 may result in contact with one of the raised ribs 322, so that the ground hook cannot be disengaged from the grounding assembly 120 without first interrupting the tensioned position. In order to interrupt this tension position, a first exemplary sequence involves the user of the exemplary fastener 100 repositioning the valve handle 510 to open the gate valves 502, 504 and ensuring that the two-way valve 500 is in the first position so that both hydraulic cylinders 298, 440 are vented into the reservoir 240. After that, the user repositions the fastener 100 backward, toward the rear of the parked trailer 112, and causes the hitch pivot 110 to move deeper into the elongated opening 414 (see, FIGURE 19). More specifically, the backward movement of the fastener 100 results in the engagement pivot 110 applying a force on the sled 450 that pressurizes the fluid associated with the hydraulic cylinder 440, consequently causing the cylinder to retract as the pressurized fluid is vented into the reservoir 240.This retraction of cylinder 440 results in the sled 450 reconfiguring and increasing the depth of the opening 414 to accommodate a deeper insertion of the hitch pivot 110, thereby allowing the fastener 100 to reposition itself slightly rearward relative to the stationary trailer 112. The slight rearward movement of the fastener 110 relative to the trailer 112 coincides with the rearward movement of the ground hook 210 relative to the ground assembly 120 (see FIGURE 19). This slight rearward movement of the ground hook 210 relative to the ground assembly 120 allows the pivoting arc of the ground hook to clear the raised ribs 322 interposed by the cylindrical rod 332. After the ground hook 210 moves back relative to the ground mount 120, the user of the clamp 100 repositions the two-way valve 500 to the second position and verifies that the valve handle 510 is positioned so that the gate valves 502 and 504 open. After that, the user can grasp the pump handle 580 to cause the pump 240 to discharge the pressurized hydraulic fluid into the hydraulic cylinders 440. Since the weight of the ground hook 210 is less than the entire fastener 100, the pressurized fluid acts to extend the hydraulic cylinder against the least resistance, which in this case is the hydraulic cylinder 298 mounted on the ground hook 210 so that it first extends and operates to lift the ground hook out of a corresponding recess 324 and interrupt the coupling between the ground hook and the ground assembly 120.After the hydraulic cylinder 298 fully extends, corresponding to the fully raised ground hook 210, the resistance associated with the hydraulic cylinder 298 exceeds that of the hydraulic cylinder 440 of the hitch pivot receiver 400. Consequently, further pumping of the hydraulic fluid extends the hitch pivot receiver hydraulic cylinder 440 to the fully extended position, as shown in Figure 18. At this point, the fastener user can reposition the valve handle 510 to close the gate valves 502 and 504, thereby locking the extended positions of the hydraulic cylinders 298 and 440 for transport. After the gate valves 502 and 504 have closed, the user can reposition the two-way valve 500 to the first position and then lower the coupling collar 220. Specifically, after the two-way valve 500 is repositioned to the first position, so that the discharge side of pump 240 is in communication with the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, the user can grasp the pump handle 580 and cause pump 240 to direct the higher-pressure hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder.As the highest pressure is reached in the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, this fluid causes the hydraulic cylinder to make contact (i.e., shorten in overall length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 378 to pivot the coupling collar 220 around a longitudinal axis extending through the shaft 280 to the floor and out of coupling with the underside of the parked trailer 112. After reaching the desired position of the coupling collar 220, the user can grasp the handle 160 of the clamp 100 and pull the structure off the underside of the parked trailer. After the clamp 100 is removed, the parked trailer 112 can be coupled to a haul truck or hustler truck for removal from loading dock 114. While the above fastener 100 incorporates a hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the engagement pivot receiver 400 to release a tension condition between the fastener and the grounding assembly 120 before uncoupling the fastener from the grounding assembly, it is also within the scope of the description to include additional or alternative structures or methods for releasing a tension condition. For example, as shown in FIGURES 20-22, an alternative first exemplary fastener 600 includes the same components as the first exemplary fastener 100 unless otherwise noted. However, the difference in this alternative first exemplary fastener is that the side rails 290 include an elongated, oversized opening 602 within which the cylindrical rod 332 is able to travel further in the near-to-far direction. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 are simultaneously mounted on the second of the cross members 292 and on the cylindrical rod 332, wherein the corresponding hydraulic lines (not shown) mounted on the cylinders 604 are in communication with the third gate valve 606 downstream from the first gate valve 502.In this way, sending positive pressure to the cylinders 604 is operative to reposition the cylinders so that they take an extended position and, in turn, reposition the cylindrical rod 332 remotely (see, FIGURE 21) within the opening 602 so that the ground hook 210 can be raised out of the coupling with the ground assembly 120 since the hydraulic cylinder 298 is operative to raise the ground hook when it is simultaneously pressurized.As a result, the vertical travel associated with the sled 450 of the first exemplary fastener 100 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi, which is operative to change the size of the opening 414 available to be occupied by the engagement pivot 110 (see, FIGURE 15) in order to interrupt a tension position between the fastener 100, the engagement pivot 110, and the ground mounting 120, can be relocated in the near-to-distant direction of the hydraulic cylinders 602 and the cylindrical rod 332 within the elongated opening 602. In this way, repositioning the cylindrical rod 332 in the near-to-distant direction (by repositioning the hydraulic cylinders 604) can be operative to interrupt the tension position between the fastener 600, the trailer hitch pivot 110, and the ground mount 120.A more detailed process for using the first alternative 600 fastener and a first alternative 610 hydraulic circuit is as follows. With reference now to FIGURES 1-21, an exemplary description for using the first alternative exemplary trailer tie-down 600 will be provided below. As a preliminary matter, it will be assumed that before using the exemplary trailer tie-down 600, a number of events may occur to place the semi-trailer 112 in a position ready for stabilization. By way of example, these events may include a haul truck or hustler truck in the position of the loaded / unloaded semi-trailer 112 where it will be loaded / unloaded (e.g., nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi supported against a mezzanine of a loading dock 114). In addition, it is assumed that the haul truck or hustler truck has been removed from coupling with the parked semi-trailer 112 and that the landing gear 118 of the parked semi-trailer has been deployed.Additionally, it is assumed that a front portion below the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 is accessible and that a ground mount 120 was previously installed. As a starting point, a terminal worker or other individual (i.e., a user) may receive a message, signal, or other communication indicating that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured. Alternatively, the user may visually perceive that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured in a circumstance where no trailer tie-down 600 is positioned under a front portion of the parked trailer. In either case, the user deploys the exemplary trailer tie-down 600 under the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 so that the trailer tie-down engages the ground assembly 120 and connects the trailer hitch pivot 110 (see FIGURE 14).By doing this, the exemplary trailer clamp 600 is operative to retard the forward movement of the semi-trailer 112 parked away from the loading dock 114 by means of the hitch pivot stop 230 pushing it against the hitch pivot 110, thereby causing a pulling force to be exerted by the ground hook 210 against the ground assembly 120. Initially, after determining that the parked semi-trailer 112 is ready to be secured, the user locates an available trailer hitch 600 and determines if the ground hook 210 is raised and ready for transport. If not, the user repositions the valve handle 510 to open valves 502 and 504 (while the third gate valve 612 remains closed) and also repositions the two-way valve 500 to the second position to establish fluid communication between the pump's discharge side and reservoir 240 and the inlet side of valves 502 and 504. Following this, the user operates the pump handle 580 associated with the fluid pump and reservoir 240 to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the first hydraulic cylinder 298, thereby causing the cylinder to extend (i.e., increase in overall length).More specifically, one end of cylinder 298 engages with pin 306 extending through the second bracket 308 of the frame's parallel plate, while the other end of cylinder 298 is mounted on pin 296 of the first bracket 294 of the parallel plate of one of the cross members 292 of the ground hook 210. In this way, the pumping of fluid from the fluid pump and reservoir 240 extends the first hydraulic cylinder 298, which operates to raise the ground hook 210 above the floor (i.e., primarily raises the floating retainer 330 above the floor). Finally, sufficient pumping and extension of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 raise the ground hook 210 high enough from the floor for transport.It should be noted that while valves 502 and 504 open and receive hydraulic fluid from the discharge of reservoir 240, the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 extends to its maximum length before the hook 210 is raised to the ground, since the weight of the tail hook provides greater resistance to travel. In other words, in order to raise the hook 210 from the ground, it is first necessary to extend the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 to its maximum length. Assuming that the ground hook 210 is sufficiently raised off the floor for transport, the user repositions the valve handle 510 to the first condition in order to close the valves 502, 504 to lock the ground hook position and repositions the two-way valve 500 to the first position in order to reposition the coupling collar 220 downwards to clear the height of the front flange below the semi-trailer 112.After repositioning the two-way valve 500 in the first position, the user can manipulate the pump handle 580 to pump fluid from the pump and reservoir 240, through the two-way valve 500, and over the collar repositioning cylinder 380, thereby causing the collar repositioning cylinder to contract (i.e., shorten its length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 374 in order to decrease the height of the coupling collar before repositioning the trailer fastener 600 under a front portion of the parked semi-trailer 112. With reference to FIGURES 1 and 15, after the ground hook 210 and coupling collar 220 are properly positioned, the user can grasp the handle bar 160 to reposition the trailer clamp 600 in close proximity to the parked semi-trailer 112. It should be noted that raising the ground hook 210 results in the entire weight of the trailer clamp 600 being supported by the two wheel 130 and tire 140 combinations, as well as the swivel caster 144. After reaching the parked semi-trailer 112 to be supported, the user manipulates the handle bar 160 to push the trailer clamp 600 under the front nose of the semi-trailer.More specifically, the user first inserts the rear of the 600 trailer specimen fastener under the nose of the semi-trailer, typified nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi by the hook 210 to ground (which continues in an elevated position) which first extends under the nose of the semi-trailer and usually in line with the position of a 120 ground mount (see, FIGURE 16). By supporting the exemplary trailer clamp 600 beneath the front of the parked semi-trailer 112, the coupling neck 220 is assumed to be in a floating, elevated position. In other words, the coupling neck 220 is assumed to be floating while the exemplary trailer clamp 600 is pushed beneath the front of the parked trailer 112. Specifically, the floating coupling neck 220 causes the trapezoidal extension 484 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 to make contact with the front of the parked trailer 112, increasing the load applied to the hitch pivot receiver and coupling neck to overcome the helical spring deflection 374 and lower the hitch pivot receiver vertically beneath the front portion of the parked trailer.As shown in FIGURE 16, the helical spring deflection 374 maintains contact between the upper plate 412 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 and the lower side of the trailer hitch pivot plate. However, it should be noted that the coupling collar 220 cannot be floating as a result of the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380 being at least partially retracted so that the coupling collar 220 is in a lowered position to overcome the helical spring deflection 374. In any case, the trailer clamp 600 is repositioned below the front of the parked trailer 112 so that the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 is longitudinally aligned with the hitch pivot 110. In a situation where the coupling neck 220 is lowered by a hydraulic cylinder 380 to clear the front of the parked trailer 112 and then repositioned so that the coupling neck is below the front nose of the parked semi-trailer, the coupling neck can be raised by the user by manipulating the two-way valve 500. Specifically, the two-way valve 500 can be moved from the first position to the second position to vent the hydraulic pressure associated with the coupling neck repositioning hydraulic cylinder 380 circuit to the pump and reservoir 240.By venting the hydraulic cylinder 380 neck repositioning circuit, the hydraulic cylinder 380 extends (i.e., increases in length), and the helical spring 374 deflection becomes dominant with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 380 in order to raise the vertical position of the coupling neck 220 until it makes contact with the underside of the stationary semi-trailer 112 or reaches its maximum vertical height. This continues the rearward repositioning of the trailer 600. First, the ground hook 210 causes the pivot 110 of the stationary semi-trailer to seat within the elongated opening 414. Just before, at the same time as, or after adjusting the latch pivot 110 within the elongated opening 414, the user repositions the ground hook 210 to engage the ground assembly 120. Specifically, the user repositions the gate valves 502 and 504 to open (while the third gate valve 612 remains closed and the pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 retracts) by activating the valve handle 510 and repositions the two-way valve 500 to the first position.When the gate valves 502, 504 open and vent the tank 240, by means of the two-way valve 500 which is in the first position, the weight of the ground hook 210 becomes the dominant force and causes the pressurized fluid from the first hydraulic cylinder 298 to flow to the vent side of the tank 240, which corresponds to the first hydraulic cylinder retracting (i.e., decreasing in overall length) and the ground hook pivoting towards the floor. As shown in FIGURE 6, the pivoting action of the ground hook 210 ceases when the floating retainer 330 comes to rest on top of the ground assembly 120. When at rest, the cylindrical rod 332 of the floating retainer 330 may rest within one of the recesses 324 or on top of one of the raised ribs 326. If the cylindrical rod 332 comes to rest within one of the recesses 324, the fastener 600 does not need to be moved forward or backward. In contrast, if the cylindrical rod 332 rests on top of one of the raised ribs 326, the fastener 600 is repositioned slightly forward or backward to seat within a corresponding recess 324.It should be noted that while valves 502, 504 are open and the two-way valve 500 is in the first position, the hydraulic cylinder 440 can be retracted slightly (i.e., decreased in overall length) to accommodate the latching pivot 110 moving deeper into the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 (compare FIGURES 18 and 19) so that the ground hook 210 can be repositioned slightly backward into the next corresponding recess 324 in cases where the floating retainer 330 rests on top of one of the raised ribs. Although the preceding explanation inherently assumes that the cylindrical rod 332 of the ground hook 210 is parallel with at least one of the recesses 324 when the fastener 600 is initially positioned below the front portion of the stationary trailer 112, the cylindrical rod may be angled with respect to at least one of the recesses if the ground hook 210 is displaced at an angle from the centerline of the stationary trailer (i.e., the line running longitudinally along the stationary trailer and through the hitch pivot 110). In order to accommodate this angular variation, and to seat the cylindrical rod 332 within one of the recesses, the cylindrical rod has built-in clearance with respect to the rest of the ground hook 210 by means of the enlarged openings 602 through the side rails 290.In particular, the enlarged openings 602 may be one or more multiples in width of the diameter of the cylindrical rod 332 to provide near-to-distant vertical movement between the cylindrical rod and the rest of the ground hook 210. Thus, even if the side rails 290 of the ground hook 210 are not parallel to the side sides of the ground assembly 120, the clearance between the side rails and the cylindrical rod 332 accommodates a predetermined angular displacement that allows the cylindrical rod 332 to be at an angle that is not perpendicular to the side rails 290 and to be received within one of the corresponding recesses 324. Returning to FIGURES 9 and 14-18, after the ground hook 210 is received within one of the recesses of the ground mounting 120, and the hitch pivot 110 is received at least partially within the elongated opening 414, the user can reposition the valve handle 510 to maintain the respective positions of the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440. At the same time, the clamp 600 occupies a clamping position (see, for example, FIGURES 17 and 18) and the parked trailer can be loaded or unloaded. In particular, the ground hook 210 is positioned in front of the landing gear 118 of the stationary trailer and is held in relative position by the ground assembly 120 and the hydraulic cylinder 298, which is locked in an extended position. The hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 is also locked in an extended position, and the pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 are locked in a retracted position by the third gate valve 612, which is closed. For example, the corresponding openings 324 of the ground assembly 120 are angled vertically so that the slightest forward movement of the stationary trailer 112 (i.e., away from the loading dock 114) causes the cylindrical rod 332 to move deeper (i.e., closer to the ground) in its corresponding opening 324.Finally, the cylindrical rod 332 occupies the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324 so that if the parked trailer attempts to move forward, the clamp 600 prevents any further forward movement of the parked trailer 112. In particular, as the parked trailer 112 attempts to move forward, the hitch pivot 110 pushes it against the sled 450, but, based on the hydraulic cylinder 440 locking in its extended position, the hitch pivot is unable to move any further into the extended opening 414. Consequently, the force applied to the sled 450 by the hitch pivot 110 attempts to move the entire clamp 600 forward. However, this forward movement of the clamp 600 is inhibited once the cylindrical rod 332 occupies the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324.In other words, any attempt by the parked trailer 112 to move forward is restricted by the clamp 600, since the clamp is placed under tension by a forward portion of the hitch pivot 110 pushing the sled 450, which is transferred into a pulling force by the ground hook 210 attached to the ground assembly 120. As will be discussed in more detail later, if the clamp 600 occupies a position of tension (e.g., the hitch pivot 110 against the sled 450 and the cylindrical rod 332 in the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324) after the unloading / loading of the parked trailer 112, an accommodation must be made to interrupt this position of tension before the clamp can be removed from the underside of the parked trailer. After the parked trailer 112 is loaded / unloaded, the clamp 600 must be removed to allow a terminal truck or other truck to couple to or remove the parked trailer from loading dock 114. Assuming the clamp is in a tensioned position, removal of the clamp may not be possible without interrupting this tensioned position. Specifically, the pivoting movement of the ground hook 210 upward and out of a corresponding recess 324 may be impeded by the vertical angle of the recess. In particular, the arcing movement of the pivoting ground hook 210 may result in contact with one of the raised ribs 322, such that the ground hook cannot be disengaged from the grounding assembly 120 without first interrupting the tensioned position. In order to interrupt this tension position, an exemplary sequence involves the user of the exemplary fastener 600 repositioning the valve handle 510 to open valves 502, 504 (as well as opening the third gate valve 612) and ensuring that the two-way valve 500 is in the second position so that the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440 are in fluid communication with one discharge side of the pump 240. After that, the user can grasp the pump handle 580 to cause the pump 240 to discharge pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440, 604.Since the weight of the cylindrical rod 332 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi is less than the weight of the ground hook 210, which is less than the weight of the entire fastener 600, the pressurized fluid acts to extend the hydraulic cylinders first against the least resistance, which in this case is the pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 mounted on the cylindrical rod 332. Consequently, the pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 extend so that the cylindrical rod 332 is mounted against the rearward-raised rib 322 (partially defining the corresponding opening 324 that the cylindrical rod 332 previously occupied in a state of tension) and partially up to the slope of the raised rib until the cylinders 604 reach their maximum extension.After that, pressurized hydraulic fluid is directed to hydraulic cylinder 298, which extends and causes ground hook 210 to rise above ground mount 120 and break the engagement between the ground hook and ground mount 120. After hydraulic cylinder 298 fully extends, corresponding to ground hook 210 fully rising, the resistance associated with hydraulic cylinder 298 exceeds that of hydraulic cylinder 440 of the hitch pivot receiver 400. Consequently, further pumping of hydraulic fluid extends hydraulic cylinder 440 of the hitch pivot receiver to the fully extended position as shown in FIGURE 18.Although it is not necessary to extend the hydraulic cylinder, nevertheless, the user can reposition the valve handle 510 in order to close the gate valves 502, 504 in order to secure the extended positions of the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440, 604 for transport. After gate valves 502 and 504 have closed, the user can reposition two-way valve 500 to the first position and then lower coupling collar 220. Specifically, after two-way valve 500 is repositioned to the first position, so that the discharge side of pump 240 is connected to the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, the user can grasp pump handle 580 and cause pump 240 to direct higher-pressure hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder.As the highest pressure is reached in the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, this fluid causes the hydraulic cylinder to make contact (i.e., shorten in overall length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 378 to pivot the coupling collar 220 around a longitudinal axis extending through the shaft 280 to the floor and out of coupling with the underside of the parked trailer 112. After reaching the desired position of the coupling collar 220, the user can grasp the handle 160 of the clamp 600 and pull the structure out of the underside of the parked trailer. After the clamp 600 is removed, the parked trailer 112 can be coupled to a haul truck or hustler truck for removal from loading dock 114. While the above fastener 600 incorporates a hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 and a pair of hydraulic cylinders 604 associated with the ground hook 210 in order to release a tension condition between the fastener and the ground assembly 120 before uncoupling the fastener from the ground assembly, it is also within the scope of the description to include additional or alternative structures or methods for releasing a tension condition. For example, as shown in FIGURES 23-25, a second alternate exemplary fastener 700 includes the same components as the first exemplary fastener 100 unless otherwise noted. But the difference in this second alternate exemplary fastener is that the side rails 290 are telescoping, as is the coupling collar 220, in order to provide longitudinal adjustment between the engagement pivot receiver 400 and the ground mount 120.A first pair of hydraulic cylinders 704 is mounted simultaneously on opposite ends of the coupling neck 220A, 220B, while a second pair of hydraulic cylinders 706 are mounted simultaneously on opposite sections of the side rails 290A, 290B, with each cylinder including corresponding hydraulic lines (not shown) in communication with the third gate valve 708 downstream of the first gate valve 502 or the two-way valve 500.In this way, sending positive pressure to cylinders 704, 706 is operative to reposition the cylinders to take an extended position and, in turn, reposition either or both of the hitch pivot receivers 400 away from the hitch pivot 100 and the cylindrical rod 332 at a distance so that the ground hook 210 can be raised out of the coupling with the ground assembly 120 since the hydraulic cylinder 298 is operative to raise the ground hook when pressurized simultaneously.As a result, even if the vertical travel associated with the sled 450 fails or is not provided to change the size of the available opening 414 occupied by the hitch pivot 110 (see FIGURE 15) in order to interrupt a tension position between the clamp 100, the hitch pivot 110, and the ground mounting 120, the second, alternative clamp 700 can nevertheless interrupt the tension position by repositioning the hydraulic cylinders 704 and 706. In this way, repositioning the cylinders 704 and 706 is effective in increasing the separation between the sled 450 and the ground mounting 120 in the direction near nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi, thus interrupting the tension position between the clamp 700, the trailer hitch pivot 110, and the ground mounting 120. A more detailed process for using the second alternative example 700 fastener and a second alternative example 710 hydraulic circuit is as follows. Now, with reference to FIGURES 1-19 and 23-25, an exemplary description for using the second alternative exemplary trailer tie-down 700 will be given. As a preliminary matter, it will be assumed that before using the exemplary trailer tie-down 700, a number of events may occur to place the semi-trailer 112 in a position ready for stabilization. By way of example, these may include a haul truck or hustler truck in the position of the loaded / unloaded semi-trailer 112 where it will be loaded / unloaded (e.g., leaning against a mezzanine of a loading dock 114). In addition, it is assumed that the haul truck or hustler truck has been removed from coupling with the parked semi-trailer 112 and that the landing gear 118 of the parked semi-trailer has been deployed.Additionally, it is assumed that a front portion below the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 is accessible and that a ground mount 120 was previously installed. As a starting point, a terminal worker or other individual (i.e., a user) may receive a message, signal, or other communication indicating that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured. Alternatively, the user may visually perceive that a parked trailer 112 is ready to be secured in a situation where no trailer tie-down 700 is positioned under a front portion of the parked trailer. In either case, the user deploys the exemplary trailer tie-down 700 under the nose of the parked semi-trailer 112 so that the trailer tie-down engages the ground assembly 120 and connects the trailer hitch pivot 110 (see FIGURE 14).By doing this, the exemplary trailer catch 700 is operative to retard the forward movement of the semi-trailer 112 parked away from the loading dock 114 by means of the hitch pivot stop 230 pushing it against the hitch pivot 110, thereby causing a pulling force to be exerted by the ground hook 210 against the ground mounting 120. Initially, after determining that the parked semi-trailer 112 is ready to be secured, the user locates an available trailer tie-down 700 and determines if the ground hook 210 is raised and in a condition to be transported. If this is not the case, the user repositions valve handle 510 to open valves 502 and 504 (while the third gate valve 708 is closed) and likewise repositions two-way valve 500 to the second position to establish fluid communication between the pump discharge side and reservoir 240 and the inlet side of valves 502 and 504. After that, the user operates pump handle 580 associated with the fluid pump and reservoir 240 in order to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir into the first hydraulic cylinder 298, thereby causing the cylinder to extend (e.g., increase in overall length).More specifically, one end of cylinder 298 engages with pin 306, which extends through the second bracket 308 of the frame's parallel plate, while the other end of cylinder 298 is mounted on pin 296 of the first bracket 294 of the parallel plate of one of the cross members 292 of the ground hook 210. In this way, pumping fluid from the fluid pump and reservoir 240 extends the first hydraulic cylinder 298, which then raises the ground hook 210 above the floor (i.e., primarily raises the floating retainer 330 above the floor). Finally, sufficient pumping and extension of the first hydraulic cylinder 298 raise the ground hook 210 high enough above the floor for transport.It should be noted that while valves 502 and 504 open and receive hydraulic fluid from the discharge of reservoir 240, the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 extends to its maximum length before raising the hook 210 to the ground, since the weight of the tail hook provides greater resistance to travel. In other words, in order to raise the hook 210 from the ground, it may first be necessary to extend the hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 to its maximum length. Assuming the ground hook 210 is sufficiently raised off the floor for transport, the user repositions the valve handle 510 to the first condition in order to close the valves 502, 504 to lock the ground hook position and repositions the two-way valve 500 to the first position in order to reposition the coupling collar 220 downwards to clear the front flange height below the semi-trailer 112.After resetting the two-way valve 500 to the first position, the user can manipulate the pump handle 580 to pump fluid from the pump and reservoir 240, through the two-way valve 500, and over the collar repositioning cylinder 380, thereby causing the collar repositioning cylinder to contract (i.e., shorten its length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 374 in order to decrease the height of the coupling collar before repositioning the trailer fastener 700 under a front portion of the parked semi-trailer 112. nocz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi With reference to FIGURES 1, 15 and 23-25, after the ground hook 210 and coupling collar 220 are properly positioned, the user can grasp the handle bar 160 to reposition the trailer hitch 700 in the vicinity of the parked semi-trailer 112. It should be noted that raising the ground hook 210 results in the entire weight of the trailer hitch 700 being supported by the two wheel 130 and tire 140 combinations, as well as the swivel caster 144. After reaching the parked semi-trailer 112 to be supported, the user manipulates the handle bar 160 to push the trailer hitch 700 under the front nose of the semi-trailer.More specifically, the user first inserts the rear portion of the trailer specimen 700 fastener under the nose of the semi-trailer 112, typified by the ground hook 210 (which continues in an elevated position) that first extends under the nose of the semi-trailer and usually in line with the position of a ground mount 120 (see, FIGURE 16). When repositioning the trailer clamp 700 beneath the front of the parked semi-trailer 112, the coupling collar 220 is assumed to be in a floating, elevated position. In other words, the coupling collar 220 is assumed to be floating while the trailer clamp 700 is pushed beneath the front of the parked trailer 112. Specifically, the floating coupling collar 220 causes the trapezoidal extension 484 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 to make contact with the front of the parked trailer 112, increasing the load applied to the hitch pivot receiver and coupling collar to overcome the helical spring deflection 374 and lower the hitch pivot receiver vertically beneath the front portion of the parked trailer.As shown in FIGURE 16, the helical spring deflection 374 maintains contact between the upper plate 412 of the hitch pivot receiver 400 and the lower side of the trailer hitch pivot plate. However, it should be noted that the coupling collar 220 cannot be floating as a result of the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380 being at least partially retracted so that the coupling collar 220 is in a lowered position to overcome the helical spring deflection 374. In any case, the trailer clamp 700 is repositioned below the front of the parked trailer 112 so that the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 is longitudinally aligned with the coupling pivot 10. In a situation where the coupling neck 220 is lowered by a hydraulic cylinder 380 to clear the front of the parked trailer 112 and then repositioned so that the coupling neck is below the front nose of the parked semi-trailer, the coupling neck can be raised by the user by manipulating the two-way valve 500. Specifically, the two-way valve 500 can be moved from the first position to the second position to vent the hydraulic pressure associated with the coupling neck repositioning hydraulic cylinder 380 circuit to the pump and reservoir 240.By venting the hydraulic cylinder 380 neck repositioning circuit, the hydraulic cylinder 380 extends (i.e., increases in length), and the deflection of the helical spring 374 becomes dominant with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 380 in order to raise the vertical position of the coupling neck 220 until it makes contact with the underside of the stationary semi-trailer 112 or reaches a maximum vertical height. Thus, the rearward repositioning of the trailer exemplary fastener 700 continues; first, the ground hook 210 causes the coupling pivot 110 of the stationary semi-trailer to seat within the elongated opening 414. Just before, at the same time as, or after adjusting the latch pivot 110 within the elongated opening 414, the user repositions the ground hook 210 to engage the ground assembly 120. Specifically, the user repositions the gate valves 502 and 504 so that they are open (while the third gate valve 708 remains closed) by activating the valve handle 510 and repositions the two-way valve 500 to the first position.When the gate valves 502, 504 open and vent the tank 240, by means of the two-way valve 500 which is in the first position, the weight of the ground hook 210 becomes the dominant force and causes the pressurized fluid from the first hydraulic cylinder 298 to flow to the vent side of the tank 240, which corresponds to the first hydraulic cylinder retracting (i.e., decreasing in overall length) and the ground hook pivoting towards the floor. As shown in FIGURE 6, the pivoting action of the ground hook 210 ceases when the floating retainer 330 comes to rest on top of the ground assembly 120. When at rest, the cylindrical rod 332 of the floating retainer 330 can rest within one of the recesses 324 or on top of one of the raised ribs 326. If the cylindrical rod 332 comes to rest within one of the recesses 324, the fastener 700 does not need to be moved forward or backward. In contrast, if the cylindrical rod 332 comes to rest on top of one of the raised ribs 326, the fastener 700 is repositioned slightly forward or backward with the Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi in order to fit within a corresponding recess 324.It should be noted that while valves 502, 504 are open and the two-way valve 500 is in the first position, the hydraulic cylinder 440 can be retracted slightly (i.e., decreased in overall length) to accommodate the latching pivot 110 moving deeper into the elongated opening 414 of the coupling neck 220 (compare FIGURES 18 and 19) so that the ground hook 210 can be repositioned slightly backward into the next corresponding recess 324 in cases where the floating retainer 330 rests on top of one of the raised ribs. Although the preceding explanation inherently assumes that the cylindrical rod 332 of the ground hook 210 is parallel with at least one of the recesses 324 when the fastener 700 is initially positioned below the front portion of the stationary trailer 112, the cylindrical rod may be angled with respect to at least one of the recesses if the ground hook 210 is displaced at an angle from the centerline of the stationary trailer (i.e., the line running longitudinally along the stationary trailer and through the hitch pivot 110). In order to accommodate this angular variation, and to seat the cylindrical rod 332 within one of the recesses, the cylindrical rod has built-in clearance with respect to the rest of the ground hook 210 by means of the corresponding openings 340 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi through the side rails 290.Thus, even if the side rails 290 of the ground hook 210 are not parallel to the side sides of the ground mount 120, the clearance between the side rails and the cylindrical rod 332 accommodates a predetermined angular displacement that allows the cylindrical rod 332 to be at an angle that is not perpendicular to the side rails 290 and to be received within one of the corresponding recesses 324. Returning to FIGURES 9, 14-18, and 23-25, after the ground hook 210 is received within one of the recesses of the ground mount 120, and the hitch pivot 110 is received at least partially within the elongated opening 414, the user can reposition the valve handle 510 to close the gate valves 502 and 504 and maintain the respective positions of the hydraulic cylinders 298 and 440. Likewise, the third gate valve 708, being in a closed position, maintains the respective lengths of the hydraulic cylinder pairs 704 and 706 and correspondingly maintains the overall length of the coupling neck 220 and the side rails 290. At the same time, the 700 fastener occupies a restraint position (see, for example, FIGURES 17 and 18) and the parked trailer 112 can be loaded or unloaded. In particular, the ground hook 210 is positioned in front of the landing gear 118 of the parked trailer and is held in relative position by the ground assembly 120 and the hydraulic cylinder 298, which locks in an extended position. The hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the hitch pivot receiver 400 is also locked in an extended position, and the two pairs of hydraulic cylinders 704 and 706 are locked in position by the third gate valve 708, which is closed. For example, the corresponding openings 324 of the ground assembly 120 are angled vertically so that the slightest forward movement of the parked trailer 112 (i.e., away from the loading dock 114) causes the cylindrical rod 332 to move deeper (i.e., closer to the ground) in its corresponding opening 324.Finally, based on the minimal forward movement of the parked trailer 112, the cylindrical rod 332 can occupy the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324 so that if the parked trailer attempts to move forward, the fastener 700 prevents any further forward movement of the parked trailer 112. In particular, as the parked trailer 112 attempts to move forward, the hitch pivot 110 pushes it against the sled 450, but, based on the hydraulic cylinder 440 locking in its position (i.e., its extended position), the hitch pivot is unable to move any deeper into the elongated opening 414. Consequently, the force applied to the sled 450 by the hitch pivot 110 attempts to move the entire fastener 700 forward.However, this forward movement of the clamp 700 is inhibited once the cylindrical rod 332 occupies the deepest portion of a corresponding opening 324. In other words, any attempt by the stationary trailer 112 to move forward is restricted by the clamp 700, since the clamp is placed under tension by a forward portion of the hitch pivot 110, which pushes the sled 450. This tension is transferred into a pulling force by the ground hook 210, which is attached to the ground mount 120. At this point, the stationary trailer 112 can be loaded or unloaded.As will be discussed in more detail below, if the fastener 700 occupies a tension position (e.g., the hitch pivot 110 against the sled 450 and the cylindrical rod 332 in the deepest position of a corresponding opening 324) after the unloading / loading of the parked trailer 112, an accommodation must be made to interrupt this tension position before the fastener can be removed from the underside of the parked trailer. After the parked trailer 112 is loaded / unloaded, the tie-down 700 must be removed to allow a terminal truck or other truck to couple or remove the parked trailer from loading dock 114. Assuming that the tie-down 700 is in a tensioned position (i.e., forward movement of the tie-down 700 is not possible due to the grounded position of hook 210, while rearward repositioning of the tie-down is not possible due to the position of sled 450 against the coupling pivot 110), removal of the tie-down cannot be possible without interrupting this tensioned position. Specifically, the pivoting movement of grounded hook 210 upward and out of a corresponding rebate 324 may be impeded by the vertical angle of the rebate.In particular, the movement of the pivoting ground hook 210 may result in contact with one or more of the raised ribs 322 so that the ground hook cannot be disengaged from the ground assembly 120 without first interrupting the tension position in order to reposition the fastener 700 forward (away from the rear of the parked trailer) and remove the fastener from the underside of the parked trailer 112. In order to interrupt this tension position, an exemplary sequence involves the user of the exemplary fastener 700 repositioning the gate valves 502 and 708 and ensuring that the two-way valve 500 is in the second position so that the hydraulic cylinders 298, 704, and 706 are in fluid communication with one discharge side of the pump 240. After that, the user can grasp the pump handle 508 to cause the pump 240 to discharge the pressurized hydraulic fluid into the Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi cylinders. 298, 704, 706 hydraulic. Since the weight of the cylindrical rod 332 is less than the weight of the ground hook 210, which is less than the weight of the entire fastener 700, the pressurized fluid acts first to extend the hydraulic cylinders against the least resistance, which in this case is the pair of hydraulic cylinders 706 mounted on rail segments 290A, 290B. Consequently, the pair of hydraulic cylinders 706 extend so that the cylindrical rod 332 is mounted against the rearward-raised rib 322 (partially defining the corresponding opening 324 that the cylindrical rod 332 previously occupied in a state of tension) and partially up to the slope of the raised rib until the cylinders 706 reach maximum extension.Following this, or simultaneously with the repositioning of the 706 cylinders, pressurized hydraulic fluid is directed to the second pair of 704 hydraulic cylinders, where it extends the hydraulic cylinders mounted on the coupling neck sections 220A and 220B. The extension of the second pair of 704 hydraulic cylinders pushes the hitch pivot receiver 400 away from the hitch pivot 110, thereby providing clearance between the sled 450 and the hitch pivot.This separation is sufficient to allow rearward movement (towards the rear of the parked trailer) of the fastener 700 so that if the maximum travel of the first pair of cylinders 706 is reached, but without the ground hook 210 being able to disengage from the ground assembly 120 (for example, the arcing motion of the pivoting ground hook 210 may result in contact with one of the raised ribs 322 opposing the arcing, upward movement of the ground hook with respect to the ground assembly), the fastener can nevertheless be repositioned rearward to reposition the cylindrical rod 332 so that the ground hook 210 can disengage from the ground assembly 120.After repositioning the cylindrical rod 332 to clear the ground assembly 120 and allow the ground hook 210 to rise, further movement of the pump handle 580 causes pump 240 to discharge pressurized hydraulic fluid into hydraulic cylinder 298. This hydraulic fluid extends the hydraulic cylinder and pivots the ground hook 210 upward and out of engagement with the ground assembly 120. After the ground hook 210 pivots upward, the user can reposition valve handle 510 to close gate valves 502 and 504 and the third gate valve 708, thus locking the hydraulic cylinders 298, 440, 704, and 706 in their transport positions. After gate valves 502, 504, and 708 have closed, the user can reposition two-way valve 500 to the first position and then lower coupling collar 220. Specifically, after two-way valve 500 is repositioned to the first position, so that the discharge side of pump 240 is in communication with the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, the user can grasp pump handle 580 and cause pump 240 to direct higher-pressure hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder.As the highest pressure is reached in the hydraulic collar repositioning cylinder 380, this fluid causes the hydraulic cylinder to make contact (i.e., shorten in overall length) and overcome the helical spring deflection 378 to pivot the coupling collar 220 around a longitudinal axis extending through the shaft 280 to the floor and out of coupling with the underside of the parked trailer 112. After reaching the desired position of the coupling collar 220, the user can grasp the handle 160 of the clamp 700 and pull the structure off the underside of the parked trailer. After the clamp 700 is removed, the parked trailer 112 can be coupled to a haul truck or hustler truck for removal from loading dock 114. Whereas the above 700 fastener incorporates a hydraulic cylinder 440 associated with the latch pivot receiver 400 that can be used in order to release a tension condition between the fastener and the grounding assembly 120 before uncoupling the fastener from the grounding assembly, it is not necessary to reposition the hydraulic cylinder 440 to release a tension position if either or both pairs of cylinders 704, 706 are repositioned. With reference to FIGURES 26-29, it is also within the scope of the description to provide a modified grounding mount 720, 730 that can be used in place of or in addition to grounding mount 120. More specifically, each modified grounding mount 720, 730 includes a repositionable carriage 732 that slides along a sliding guide relative to a chassis 734 mounted firmly to the floor. The first modified 720 assembly, an alternative ground-based prototype, includes a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 736 mounted simultaneously on the chassis 734 and the repositionable carriage 732. More specifically, the hydraulic cylinder 736 includes a hollow barrel 738 fixedly mounted on the chassis 734, as well as a piston and rod assembly 740 that is repositionably mounted on the hollow barrel. The piston and rod assembly 740 is mounted on the relocatable carriage 732 so that movement of the piston and rod assembly with respect to the barrel 738 results in a corresponding movement of the carriage with respect to the chassis 734. In this alternative exemplary embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder 736 is in fluid communication with a pump (not shown) that can be activated by a user by relocating a fastener 100, 600, 700 in order to change the position of a relocatable rib 744 with respect to a ground hook 210.A detailed analysis for using the first modified alternative ground mount 720 will be discussed below. For discussion, when a user relocates a 100, 600, or 700 fastener beneath a front portion of a parked 112 trailer, the alternative modified 720 ground mount may be used in place of or in addition to the previously discussed 120 ground mount to secure the 210 ground hook to the ground. For illustrative purposes, the following explanation incorporates by reference the discussions for installing and removing the 100, 600, and 700 fasteners from the underside of a parked 112 trailer and replacing the 120 ground mount with the alternative modified 720 ground mount. With reference to FIGURES 1, 6, 26 and 27, initially, before lowering the qancho 210 to ground to couple the 720 ground assembly, the user verifies that the carriage is in its most forward position (see, FIGURE 27). After that, the ground hook 210 is lowered so that the cylindrical rod 332 rests on the chassis 734 between the repositionable rib 744 and a rear fixed-position rib 746. After the ground hook 210 is lowered, the user can direct hydraulic fluid to the double-acting hydraulic cylinder 736 in order to increase the overall length of the cylinder and push the repositionable rib 744 against the cylindrical rod 322, thereby creating a tension position between the hitch pivot receiver 400, the trailer hitch pivot 110, the ground hook 210, and the ground assembly 720. In this way, the forward movement of the parked trailer 112 with respect to the fastener 100, 600, 700 and the ground mounting 720 is inhibited.After that, assuming the hitch pivot receiver 400 is properly positioned, the parked trailer 112 can be loaded or unloaded. After loading or unloading, the user may need to interrupt the tension position to remove the fastener 100, 600, 700 from the underside of the parked trailer 112. To release the tension position, the user can simply direct hydraulic fluid into the double-acting hydraulic cylinder 736 to decrease the overall length of the cylinder and push the repositionable rib 744 away from the cylindrical rod 322, thereby creating a gap between the repositionable rib and the cylindrical rod that causes the tension position to be interrupted between the hitch pivot receiver 400, the trailer hitch pivot 110, the ground hook 210, and the ground assembly 720. Returning specifically to FIGURES 28 and 29, the second modified alternate ground mount 730 includes a repositionable ratchet bar 750 mounted on the carriage 732. More specifically, the ratchet bar 750 is pivotally mounted on the carriage 732 and operatively engages a spring-loaded claw (not shown) to selectively disengage the claw (which is mounted on the carriage 732) from a series of ratchet teeth (not shown) associated with the chassis 734. By disengaging the claw from the ratchet teeth, the carriage 732 is able to freely reposition itself relative to the chassis 734 along the length of the chassis slide guide.Conversely, when the pawl engages with respect to the ratchet teeth, carriage 732 is able to freely reposition itself with respect to chassis 734 in a first direction, but is not permitted to reposition itself with respect to the chassis in a second direction (opposite to the first direction). A detailed analysis for using the second modified ground mount 730 as an alternative example will be discussed later. With reference to FIGURES 1, 6, 28 and 29, initially, before lowering the ground hook 210 to engage the ground assembly 730, the user verifies that the carriage 732 is in its forwardmost position (see FIGURE 29). After that, the ground hook 210 is lowered so that the cylindrical rod 332 rests on the chassis 734 between the repositionable rib 744 and a rear fixed-position rib 746.After the ground hook 210 is lowered, the user can reposition the carriage 732 rearward, toward the fixed-position rib 746, by pushing the ratchet bar 750 rearward so that the pawl makes contact, but rides on a series of ratchet teeth, in order to adjust the cylindrical rod 332 against the repositionable rib 744, thereby creating a tension position between the hitch pivot receiver 400, the trailer hitch pivot 110, the ground hook 210, and the ground assembly 730. In this way, forward movement of the stationary trailer 112 relative to the fastener 100, 600, 700, and the ground assembly 720 is inhibited. After that, assuming the hitch pivot receiver 400 is properly positioned, the parked trailer 112 can be loaded or unloaded. After loading or unloading, the user may again interrupt the tension position in order to remove the fastener 100, 600, 700 from the underside of the parked trailer 112. In order to release the tension position, the user may reposition the ratchet bar 750 in order to interrupt the engagement between the pawl and the ratchet teeth to allow the carriage 732 to move forward, away from the fixed-position rib 746, by pushing the ratchet bar 750 forward so that the pawl no longer makes contact with any of the ratchet teeth, until it reaches the last intended forward position of the carriage where the ratchet bar no longer moves forward, thereby allowing the pawl to engage one of the ratchet teeth (see FIGURE 29).Moving the carriage 732 forward creates the distant separation between the relocatable rib 744 and the cylindrical rod 322, thereby interrupting the tension position between the hitch pivot receiver 400, the trailer coupling pivot 110, the ground hook 210, and the ground assembly 730. With reference to FIGURES 30-38, an exemplary stabilizing device 800 can be used to stabilize and level a parked semi-trailer. In an exemplary manner, the stabilizing device 800 is intended to be repositioned beneath a parked semi-trailer to provide stabilization and possible ground retention on the front portion of the semi-trailer in the absence of a tractor, hustler truck, or other removable vehicle, whether or not the semi-trailer's landing gear is deployed. More specifically, as will be discussed in more detail later, the stabilizing device 800 can be deployed without repositioning the semi-trailer's landing gear.However, the nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi stabilization device 800 can be used specifically in circumstances where the semi-trailer landing gear needs to be repositioned but is unable to be repositioned until the forward weight of the semi-trailer is at least partially removed from the landing gear. The exemplary stabilization device 800 includes a frame 802 mounted on a torsion shaft assembly 804, which has a respective wheel assembly 806 mounted on it at opposite ends. By way of example, the torsion shaft assembly 804 may be a Torflex shaft 808, a pair of torsion arms 810, and corresponding pairs of spindles 812 commercially available from Dexter Axle Company (2900 Industrial Parkway East, Elkhart, IN 86516). The spindles 812 may or may not be removable from a respective torsion arm 810. In one example, the 806 wheel assembly includes an 814 wheel hub, an 816 wheel, and an 818 tire. It should be noted that various numbered hub bolt patterns, without limitation, four, six, eight, and a greater number of bolts, may be used to mount a corresponding 816 wheel to the 814 wheel hub.The torsion axle assembly 804, by means of the wheel assemblies 806, supports most of the weight of the stabilizing device 800 when it is repositioned. However, a portion of the weight of the stabilizing device is supported by a repositioning assembly 824 mounted on the axle assembly 804 and the frame 802 when the stabilizing device is independent, as shown in Figure 1. In one instance, the relocation assembly 824 includes a T-shaped handle 826 mounted on a steering shaft 828 that operatively engages a pair of metal hub wheels 830. More specifically, an axle 834 is mounted transversely on the steering shaft 828 by extending through the hollow cylindrical steering shaft 828 by means of a pair of longitudinally aligned holes. The outer tube of the axle 834 is, in one instance, welded to the steering shaft 828, while an inner pin is rotationally repositionable with respect to the outer tube and is mounted to the metal hub wheels 830 to allow free rotation of the wheels.Those experienced in the art will understand that whenever exemplary fasteners or clamping techniques are described as part of the exemplary stabilization device 800, any and all variants of the fasteners and clamping techniques described must comprise a part of this description. For example, welding may be interchanged with adhesives and vice versa. Rotation of the T-shaped handle 826 is operative to cause the metal hub wheels 830 to pivot on the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft 828. In an exemplary form, the T-shaped handle 826 includes a hollow cylindrical tube 838 that is mounted transversely on a rectangular diagonal tube 840 by extending through the hollow rectangular diagonal tube 840 by means of a pair of longitudinally aligned holes. The cylindrical tube 838 is welded to the diagonal tube 840 such that approximately equal lengths of the cylindrical tube 838 extend on opposite sides of the diagonal tube 840. Although not shown, the terminal ends of the cylindrical tube 838 may include handles (rubber, plastic, etc.) to facilitate gripping of the cylindrical tube and repositioning of the T-shaped handle 826 by a dockworker or other user.In order to convert the motion of the cylindrical tube 838 and the diagonal tube 840 into pivoting motion of the metal hub wheels 830, a distant end of the diagonal tube is welded to a cylindrical collar 844, which is mounted on the steering shaft 828. The steering shaft includes a top cap 848 to prevent objects from becoming lodged inside the steering shaft. For example, the cylindrical collar 844 includes two pairs of through holes 842 configured to receive a respective bolt that simultaneously extends through the corresponding through holes 846 of the steering shaft 828. In this way, if any damage occurs to the T-handle 826, the damaged T-handle can be easily removed from the steering shaft 828 and repaired or replaced. Alternatively, the cylindrical collar 844 can be welded to the steering shaft 828.In either case, rotation of the T-shaped handle 826 results in rotation of the steering shaft 828. However, there are limits to the amount of rotation possible between the T-shaped handle 826 and the steering shaft 828. In this exemplary embodiment, the steering shaft 828 is partially housed within a cylindrical housing 850. A steering stop 854 is mounted on the base of the cylindrical housing 850 and interconnects with the steering shaft 828 to limit the rotational displacement of the steering shaft. A distant end of the steering shaft 828 includes a pair of through-holes 856 sized to receive an axle shaft 858, which is mounted on the pair of metal hub wheels 830. In this way, the pair of metal hub wheels 830 are rotationally repositioned with respect to the axle shaft 858, and the repositioning of the T-shaped handle 826 (within its rotational constraints) is transformed into rotational repositioning of the pair of metal hub wheels 830 by means of the steering shaft 828 and the axle shaft 858.A pair of parallel plates 860 is mounted on the cylindrical housing 850 and an extendable tube 864 to prevent rotational repositioning of the cylindrical housing 850 as the steering shaft 828 rotates within it. In this exemplary embodiment, the parallel plates 860 are mirror images of each other and are welded to opposite outer edges of the housing. 850 cylindrical along a longitudinal edge of each plate. Each plate 860 includes three through-holes so that the plates cooperate to form pairs of openings that are aligned with each other. The first of the three openings 868 is configured to receive a bolt (not shown) that extends simultaneously through a cylindrical sleeve 870 of a brake lever 872. In this exemplary embodiment, the brake lever 872 comprises three hollow metal pipe sections 874 that are angled at approximately 135 degrees to the nearest section, with one of the pipe sections having a segment 878 of pipe mounted transversely thereon, which operates as a handle. Thus, the back-and-forth movement of the handle 878 is operative to cause the sleeve 870 to rotate about the bolt and correspondingly pivot a tension arm 880 mounted radially on the outside of the sleeve.The tension arm is coupled to a wire or cable 884 which is simultaneously coupled to a brake assembly 890 (see FIGURE 30) in order to selectively apply a retarding or stopping force to the wheel assemblies 806. A brake lock 892, comprising an L-shaped bracket, is mounted on an inner side of the plate 860 to which the sleeve 870 is adjacent, and includes a semicircular cutout 893 in which the brake lever 872 can be received. nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi When received within this semi-circular cut, brake lever 872 is operative to tension cable 884 and cause brake assembly 890 to apply a retarding or stopping force to wheel assemblies 806. Conversely, repositioning brake lever 872 forward, so that its range of motion is not compromised by brake lock 892 (towards jacks 960), is operative to decrease or completely release the retarding or stopping force on wheel assemblies 806. The extendable tube 864 is simultaneously mounted on the repositioning assembly 824 and a damping assembly 900. In an exemplary embodiment, corresponding openings 894, extending through each of the plates 860, are configured to align with corresponding openings 896 in the extendable tube 864 in order to receive nut and bolt fasteners (not shown) for removably mounting the repositioning assembly 824 to a near end of the sliding tube. In this exemplary embodiment, the extendable tube 864 comprises a hollow rectangular tube to which the damping assembly 900 is mounted near a distant end. The damping assembly 900 is repositionably mounted on the torsion shaft assembly 804 to allow the repositioning assembly 824 to pivot relative to the torsion shaft assembly. A pair of vertical mounting plates 902, identical in shape and each including a rectangular cutout configured to receive the torsion shaft 808, are mounted on the torsion shaft and the extendable tube 864. Specifically, a pair of flat plates 906, identical in size and shape, are mounted on opposite side surfaces of the extendable tube 864 and pivotally mounted on the mounting plates 902. Each plate 906 includes a through hole 908 sized to receive a nut and bolt fastener (not shown) that is received simultaneously through holes 910 in each upright plate 902.In this exemplary embodiment, the nut and bolt retainer is not tightened to the extent that it might prevent the plates 906 from rotating around the bolt retainer. Consequently, the plates 906, which are coupled to the extendable tube 864, are rotationally repositionable on the bolt with respect to the vertically positioned plates 902 (and the torsion axis 808). In order to regulate the pivoting movement between the extendable tube 864 and the vertically positioned plates 902, the damping assembly includes a pair of spring-mounted dampers 910, deflected to an extended position (see FIGURE 30). In this exemplary embodiment, each shock absorber 910 includes upper and lower bump stops 912 that are separated by a coil spring 914. In this exemplary embodiment, the coil spring in its fully extended position has a spring compression of 45.3 kilograms (100 pounds). Each upper and lower bump stop 912 is integrally formed with a knuckle connector that includes a through-hole 913 configured to receive a nut and bolt fastener. A distant knuckle associated with each shock absorber 910 is mounted to a respective vertical plate 902 using nut and bolt fasteners that extend simultaneously through a corresponding hole 918.A proximate knuckle associated with each damper 910 is mounted on a respective tab 920 extending perpendicularly from a mounting plate 922 using nut and bolt fasteners that extend simultaneously through a respective hole 924 in each tab. More specifically, the tabs 920 are mounted on the adjacent end segments of the mounting plate 92 and generally extend parallel to, but at the beginning of, the respective side walls of the extendable tube 864. The mounting plate 922 is positioned at the level of the top of the extendable tube 864 and is mounted on it so that the dominant longitudinal edges of the plate are perpendicular to a dominant longitudinal axis of the sliding tube. An angle iron piece 930 is mounted to a side surface of one of the vertical plates 902 to complete a perimeter that captures the torsion axis 808. A near end of the angle iron 930 includes a pair of holes 932 configured to receive nut and bolt fasteners for mounting the angle iron to a first brake shaft guide 396. The first brake shaft guide 396 includes corresponding slots 938 configured to receive nut and bolt fasteners, as well as an enlarged opening extending therefrom sized to receive the brake shaft 940 of the brake assembly 890. The second and third brake shaft guides 936', 936, which are copies of the first brake shaft guide 396, correspondingly receive the brake shaft 940. However, the second and third brake axle guides 936', 936 are mounted on frame assembly 802.In this exemplary embodiment, the brake shaft 940 extends outward beyond the second and third brake shaft guides 936', 936 and is mounted at the respective ends of brake shoes 942, 944, similar to the brake shaft, each including a cup 946 formed on a surface facing the tread portion of a respective tire 818. A replaceable brake pad is mounted in the cup 946, configured to make contact with the tread portion of a respective tire 818 when the brake shaft 940 is sufficiently rotated. In order to cause the rotation of the brake shaft 940 to selectively engage the brake pads 948 and the tire treads 818, the brake assembly 890 includes a lever arm 952 rigidly mounted on the brake shaft. The lever arm 952 is operatively coupled to the tension arm 880 by means of a wire or cable 884. Consequently, movement of the handle 878 of the brake lever 872 causes the rotation of the cylindrical sleeve 870 and the corresponding movement of the tension arm 880. The movement of the tension arm 880 can be transferred to the lever arm 952, provided that the wire or cable 884 is not slack. FIGURE 30 reflects the default position of the brake assembly 890 when no brake is applied to any tire 818. In this position, movement of the handle 878 toward the torsion shaft 808 can cause the wire or cable 884 to loosen so that movement of the tension arm 880 (from counterclockwise rotation of the cylindrical sleeve 870) cannot cause any resultant movement of the lever arm 952.Conversely, movement of handle 878 away from the torsion axis 808 results in the wire or cable 884 being tensioned so that movement of the tension arm 880 (from clockwise rotation of the cylindrical sleeve 870) causes the resultant movement of the lever arm 952, consequently rotating the brake shaft 940 clockwise to rotate the brake shoes 942, 944 and force the brake pads 948 against the tire treads 818. At the point where the brake pads 948 are forced against the tire treads 818, further movement of handle 878 away from the torsion axis 808 results in an increased force applied by the brake pads 948 against the tire treads 818.In other words, the stopping power applied by the brake pads 948 against the tire treads 818 can be changed depending on the input force applied by an operator of the brake lever 872. With reference to FIGURE 34, the exemplary frame 802 is operative for connecting the torsion axle 808 to a pair of repositionable jacks 960, as well as connecting the repositionable jacks to each other, so that the axle assembly 804 and the wheel assemblies 806 cooperate to support a greater portion of the weight of the stabilizing device 800 during transport. In this exemplary form, each repositionable jack 960 comprises a screw jack and includes a rectangular ground base 962 mounted on a distant end of a first telescopic tube (not shown) that is inserted relative to a second telescopic tube 966. Rotation of a crank handle 970, which is rotatably coupled to a jack drive shaft 972, is operative for causing the repositioning of the first telescopic tube relative to the second telescopic tube 966.More specifically, the jack drive shaft 972 includes a pair of gears (not shown), with each gear housed within a respective extension pad 976, which engages with a screw (not shown) mounted simultaneously on the first and second telescopic tubes 966. In this way, the rotation of the jack drive shaft 972 is transformed into rotational movement of the screw, which in turn is transformed into longitudinal movement of the second telescopic tube 966 relative to the first telescopic tube. In an exemplary manner, each ground base 962 is mounted on an axle chassis 980, which comprises part of the frame 802. By way of example, each axle chassis 980 includes a main structure 982 of angle iron having an upper flange with a pair of elongated through holes 984 configured to align with the corresponding through holes 986 of an axle support 988. A pair of diagonal tubes 990, 992, comprising rectangular tubular steel, are simultaneously mounted on the underside of the upper flange and on an upper surface of the rectangular ground base 962 near the two outermost corners.Specifically, a first tube of the diagonal tubes 990 is generally oriented perpendicular to the underside of the upper flange 982 and the upper surface of the ground base 962, while a second tube of the diagonal tubes 992 is angled approximately sixty-five degrees to the underside of the upper flange and the upper surface of the ground base. The diagonal tubes 990 and 992 can be secured directly to the upper flange 982 and the upper surface of the ground base 962, such as by welding, and / or can be secured to the upper flange and the ground base using round reinforcing brackets 996.When using the round bracket supports 996, the diagonal tubes 990, 992 can be welded to the reinforcing brackets or can be fixed to them using nut and bolt fasteners, assuming the presence of complementary holes through the diagonal tube and the applicable reinforcing bracket. The main structure 982 of the angle iron also includes a vertical flange 998 to which the diagonal tubes 990, 992 can be secured. Specifically, the diagonal tubes 990, 992 are welded to the vertical flange 998. The vertical flange 998 includes a rectangular cutout 1000 sized to accommodate the insertion of the torsion shaft 808. Furthermore, an elongated portion of the flange 998 includes a pair of holes 1002 configured to align with the corresponding grooves 938 of the respective brake shaft guides 936', 936. Conventional nut and bolt fasteners are thus received through the holes 1002 and the grooves 938 in order to mount a respective brake shaft guide 396', 936 to a respective vertical flange 998. By interposing the diagonal tubes 990, 992, the axle support 988 is mounted to the main angle iron structure 982 in an exemplary manner by welding the axle support to the upper and vertical flanges 982, 998. More specifically, the axle support 988 comprises a C-shaped bracket with a vertical flange 1004, an upper flange 1006, and a hanging flange 1008 oriented parallel to the vertical flange 1004, but having a shorter vertical length than the vertical flange. As discussed previously, the axle support 988 includes holes 986 extending through the upper flange 1004, configured to align with the corresponding through holes 984 in the main angle iron structure 982, in order to secure the axle support to the main structure using conventional nut and bolt fasteners.The vertical flange 1004 includes a round rectangular cutout 1010 sized to accommodate through the torsion shaft 808. It should be noted that an upper edge of the rectangular cutout 1010 separates vertically from the upper flange 1004, the approximate vertical length of the hanging flange 1008, so that the shaft support 988 has two flange edges that seat on the torsion shaft 808. Secondarily, the elongated openings 1012 are located at nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 100 on both sides of the rectangular cut 1010 and extend through the vertical tab 1004. These vertical openings can be used to receive welding material or can be used to receive conventional nut and bolt fasteners in order to mount the shaft support 988 to the main structure 982 of the angle iron. With reference to FIGURE 36, the exemplary frame 802 includes a transverse clamp 1020 that extends between and connects to the repositionable jacks 960 and extension pads 976. More specifically, the transverse clamp 1020 comprises a longitudinal C-shaped panel 1022 having a flat wall 1024 and perpendicular side walls 1026 that extend parallel to each other to delineate a lower cavity 1028. The end ends of the panel 1022 are oriented perpendicular to a pair of flat mounting plates 1030 and are mounted thereto, exemplarily, by welding. Each mounting plate 1030 includes a plurality of through holes 1032 that align with corresponding holes 1036, 1038 extending through the corresponding jack mounting plates 1042 and extension pad tabs 1044.After aligning holes 1032, 1036, 1038, conventional nut and bolt fasteners are received inside the holes in order to removably attach the transverse clamp 1020, the 960 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi jacks. 101 repositionable, and the 976 extension pads between each other. In addition to the 1032 nut and bolt fixing holes, each 1030 mounting plate includes a central opening 1040 sized to accommodate through the 972 jack drive shaft. The jack drive shaft 972, as discussed previously, is repositionably mounted on the crank handle 970 so that the rotation of the crank handle is transformed into the rotation of the jack drive shaft. More specifically, the jack drive shaft 972 extends through corresponding openings 1048 in a jack housing 1050. Each jack housing 1050 is mounted on a corresponding stop plate 1054, which is configured to make contact with the underside of a stationary semi-trailer when the alternative exemplary stabilizing device 800 is pressed between the ground and the stationary semi-trailer. More specifically, a respective jack housing 1050 and stop plate 1054 comprise each extension pad 976.In an exemplary embodiment, each jack housing 1050 and stop plate 1054 is fabricated from a metal or metal alloy (for example, steel) and welded together so that an upper flange 1056 of each jack housing 1050 is approximately centered with, and supports, a lower side 1058 of the stop plate 1054. In this exemplary embodiment, the stop plate 1054 is made of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. The 102 arrest includes a flat horizontal wall 1060 from which ramps 1064 extend on opposite sides of the horizontal wall. Each ramp is inclined and angled at approximately 45 degrees, although angles greater or less than 45 degrees may be used. These ramps 1064 are designed to direct any object contacted during lateral movement up and over the horizontal wall 1060, given the fixed position of each extension pad 976 relative to its associated second telescopic tube 966. In particular, each jack housing 1050 is sized (with a block C-shape matching the rectangular shape of the tube 966) to partially enclose the second telescopic tube 966 and to be mounted thereon using nut and bolt fasteners.To accomplish this, each jack housing 1050 includes a pair of side tabs 1044 and corresponding holes 1038 that extend through the corresponding holes 1036 of a respective jack mounting plate 1042. Although not shown in FIGURE 36, the jack drive shaft 972 includes a gear that meshes with a corresponding gear of the first telescopic tube, so that rotation of the jack drive shaft will cause the first telescopic tube to reposition itself longitudinally with respect to the second telescopic tube 966. Each jack mounting plate 1042 includes a V-shaped cutout 1066 that fits through the drive shaft 972. 103 of the cat when the 1050 cat housings and 1030 mounting plates splic to the cat mounting plates. In addition to the 960 cat assemblies that are mounted to the 1020 cross brace by means of nut and bolt fasteners that engage the 1042 cat mounting plate, the 1050 cat housings, and the 1030 mounting plates, the cat assemblies are also mounted to other aspects of the 802 frame assembly. A pair of angled rectangular pipe clamps 1070 are simultaneously mounted to a lower side of the C-shaped panel 1022 and to an inner vertical wall of the second telescopic tube 966. More specifically, complementary round reinforcing brackets 1074 are welded to a lower side of the C-shaped panel 1022 at approximately 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the panel's longitudinal span. Corresponding holes extending through the reinforcing brackets 1074 are configured to align with a corresponding hole extending through one end of each clamp 1070. The opposite end of each clamp 1070 is mounted to another set of reinforcing brackets 1076 using nut and bolt fasteners. Specifically, the reinforcing brackets 1076 are mounted to one side of the second telescopic tube 966 near the ground base 962.Thus, the 802 frame assembly forms a pair of right-angled triangles that couple the 960 jack assemblies together. In view of the previous discussion regarding the structural components of the nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 104 Exemplary Stabilization Device 800, the following includes a more detailed discussion of methods for using the stabilization device to stabilize a parked semi-trailer. With reference again to FIGURES 30-38, the exemplary stabilization device 800 is configured for manual repositioning via a loading dock station. More specifically, the stabilization device 800 is repositionable by means of the two wheel assemblies 806 and the repositioning assembly 824. For illustrative purposes, as an initial starting point, it is assumed that the stabilization device is placed in a remote location from a semi-trailer 1080 parked at a loading dock 1082. It is assumed that the parked semi-trailer 1080 is parked adjacent to the loading dock, so that its rear doors 1084 are open and the interior of the semi-trailer is accessible via a bay 1086 in the loading dock 1082. In certain cases, the loading dock bay 1086 may include a dock leveler (not shown), which those skilled in the art will understand is used to create a bridge between an interior floor of the trailer 1080 and a floor of the loading dock 1082. It should be noted that when the trailer 1080 is parked adjacent to the loading dock 1082, a profile of the trailer usually covers the opening of the bay 1086 so that the nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 105 workers inside the loading dock cannot see the exterior of the parked trailer by direct line of sight. Accordingly, the exemplary stabilization device 800 may be accompanied by a signaling device 1090 which, in an exemplary form, includes a video camera outside the loading dock 1082 that has a direct line of sight below a front portion of the parked trailer 1080, where the camera is communicatively coupled to a display 1092 inside the loading dock to visually indicate whether the exemplary stabilization device is positioned below the parked trailer or not as a requirement for loading / unloading the trailer. After parking the semi-trailer adjacent to loading bay 1086, an off-dock worker retrieves the stabilizing device 800 and places it under a front portion of the trailer 1080. Specifically, the off-dock worker positions and then repositions the stabilizing device 800 by grasping the T-shaped handle 826 of the repositioning assembly 824 while it is in the transport position shown in FIGURE 30. The dock worker can either pull or push the stabilizing device 800 using the handle 826 so that the stabilizing device rotates relative to the floor by means of the two wheel assemblies 806 and the repositioning assembly 824. More specifically, the two nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi The 106 tires 818 and the wheels 816 can rotate freely, assuming the brake assembly 890 is not engaged, as can the metal hub wheels 830. The rotation and / or pivoting of the stabilizing device 800 is accomplished by repositioning the T-shaped handle 826 to cause the steering shaft 828 to pivot about the cylindrical cover 850, thereby causing the metal hub wheels 830 to rotate and pivot in order to make a turn. Since the steering shaft 828 can pivot ±90 degrees from a straight-line orientation (straight-line orientation shown in FIGURE 30), the metal hub wheels 830 are correspondingly able to pivot ±90 degrees from a straight-line orientation to facilitate full right and left turns. After reaching a forward proximity of the parked semi-trailer 1080, the dock worker repositions the stabilizing device 800 beneath a forward portion of the trailer, in front of the landing gear 1088. Specifically, the dock worker grasps the T-shaped handle 826 of the repositioning assembly 824 to push the stabilizing device 800, using the handle 826, beneath the semi-trailer 1080. More specifically, the dock worker pushes the handle 826 to cause a rearward aspect of the stabilizer 800 (extension pads 976, repositionable jacks 960, 107 wheel assemblies 806, torsion axle assembly 804) so ​​that it passes under the leading edge of the trailer 1080. In particular, the dockworker aligns the stabilizer 800 with respect to a hitch pivot 1094 of the trailer 1080 so that the extendable tube 864 is in line with the hitch pivot. By continuing to push the stabilizer under the semi-trailer 1080, he finally orients the extension pads 976 to generally center with respect to the hitch pivot (i.e., on opposite sides of the hitch pivot). At the same time, handle 826 is not located below semi-trailer 1080. In other words, stabilizer 800 is long enough to allow the worker outside the dock to reposition the stabilizer under the front portion of semi-trailer 1080 without requiring the dock worker to be positioned under the parked semi-trailer at any time.Although not required, this centered position of the stabilizer 800 is configured to allow the extension pads 976 to make contact with a hitch pivot plate (not shown), mounted under the lower side of the semi-trailer 1080, when the stabilizer is pressed between the floor and the semi-trailer in its stabilization position. After the stabilizer 800 is placed under the front portion of the semi-trailer 1080, the dockworker repositions the brake assembly 890 for nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 108 retard the movement of the stabilizer relative to the floor. Specifically, the dockworker grasps the handle 828 of the brake lever 872 and pulls it forward toward the T-shaped handle 826. While pulling the brake lever 872 forward, the dockworker ensures that the lever is laterally away from the brake lock 892 so that further forward pulling will reposition the lever forward of the brake lock. When this forward position is achieved, the dockworker repositions the lever 872 laterally toward the brake lock 89 so that the rearward movement of the lever will finally seat within the semicircular cut 893, thereby further retarding the rearward movement of the lever and effectively locking the brake lever in a brake-on orientation. This brake-on orientation is operative for applying continuous braking to the wheel assemblies 806. In order to provide continuous braking, lever 872 is operatively coupled to cable 884 via tension arm 880, which in turn is operatively coupled to brake pads 948 that make contact with a rolling portion of each tire 818. More specifically, the brake applied position holds cable 884 under tension, which is operative to pull lever arm 952 and cause rotation of brake shaft 940. This rotation of shaft 940 of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi The brake force 109 causes the brake shoes 942, 944 to pivot, and the corresponding thrust of the brake pads 948 makes contact with the tread portion of each tire 818. The amount of force applied to the tire tread varies depending on any number of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, the size and composition of the brake pads 948, the distance between the tire treads 818 and the brake axle 940, and the tension applied to the cable 884. In any event, the brake on position is operative to retard the repositioning of the stabilizer 800 to a predetermined maximum force. After application of the brake assembly 890 in the brake on position, the stabilizer 800 can be repositioned to assume a stabilized towing position. However, it should be noted that application of the brake assembly is not a prerequisite for repositioning the stabilizer 800 to a stabilized towing position. The exemplary stabilized trailer position corresponds to the stabilizer 800 being pressed between the floor and the lower side of the semi-trailer 1080 so that the stabilizer assumes at least a portion of the load associated with a forward portion of the semi-trailer, whether loaded or unloaded. In an exemplary manner, the dockworker grasps the crank handle 970 and repositions the crank handle to longitudinally reposition the first nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi The telescopic tube 966 (not shown) is rotated relative to the second telescopic tube 960. More specifically, the crank handle 970 is rotated, which correspondingly causes the rotation of the connected jack drive shaft 972. A gear (not shown) mounted on the jack drive shaft 972 is rotated correspondingly when the jack drive shaft 972 is rotated by the handle 970. This gear engages a complementary gear (not shown) associated with at least one of the telescopic tubes 966 in order to cause longitudinal repositioning between the tubes. The longitudinal repositioning of the first tube relative to the second tube 966 causes the vertical separation between the ground bases 962 and the extension pads 976 to change.In particular, the contraction between the first and second tubes 966 causes the vertical separation between the ground bases 962 and the extension pads 976 to decrease, while the extension between the first and second tubes causes the vertical separation between the ground bases and the extension pads to increase. In order for the stabilizer 800 to fit snugly between the floor and the underside of the semi-trailer 1080, the first tube extends relative to the second tube 966 until both extension pads 976 make contact with the underside of the stationary semi-trailer and the ground bases 962 make contact with the floor, so that the stabilizer assumes at least a portion of the nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 111 load associated with a front portion of the semi-trailer, whether loaded or unloaded. Before the first tube is repositioned relative to the second tube 966, the stabilizer 800 assumes a transport position with the jack assemblies 960 raised above the ground. In short, a deflection associated with the torsion axle 808 allows the rectangular ground bases 962 of the jack assemblies 960 to rise above the ground when the first tube is fully retracted relative to the second tube 966 (indicative of the transport position). Specifically, the torsion axle 808 has an integrated spring deflection that creates an active suspension between the axle itself and the torsion arms 810, the spindle pairs 812, and the wheel assemblies 806. In other words, the spring deflection of the torsion axle 808 operates to resist upward movement of the wheel assemblies 806 relative to the axle.Most of the weight of the stabilizer 800 is ultimately supported by the wheel assemblies 806 (as part of a downward force in the direction of gravity) when it is in the transport position, but this weight is not sufficient in the downward direction to overcome the spring deflection of the axle 808, thus causing the jack assemblies 960 to rise above the ground. But when the stabilizer 800 is repositioned under the front portion of the semi-trailer parked in a nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi position. In the stabilized position (112), the weight of the stabilizer is supported by the jack assemblies (960) so that the full deflection of the axle (808) is applied to the wheel assemblies (806). In other words, when in a transport position, the load on the axle (808) is greater than when the stabilizer (800) is in a stabilized position. As the first tube extends relative to the second tube 966 of each jack assembly 960, where the ground bases finally make contact with the floor, two deflections associated with the stabilizer 800 are no longer partially counteracted by the stabilizer's weight, since the entire weight of the stabilizer is now borne by the two jack assemblies. First, the spring deflection associated with the torsion shaft 808, when not counteracted by supporting the entire weight of the stabilizer 800, causes the torsion arms 810 to pivot so that the respective end connected to the spindle 812 swings downward toward the floor as more of the stabilizer's weight is supported by the jack assemblies 960. Finally, the 960 jack assemblies support the entire weight of the 800 stabilizer and the 812 spindles reach a static position where the weight of the 806 wheel assemblies is balanced by the spring deflection of the 808 torsion shaft.In this position, the 806 wheel assemblies are lifted off the ground. Secondly, the spring deflection associated with the 910 shock absorber pair, when not nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. The position of the extendable tube 864, which attempts to compress the shock absorbers (when the wheels 830 support at least a portion of the stabilizer 800's weight), counteracts this, causing the shock absorbers to extend to their maximum length. This maximum length results in the wheels 830 lifting off the ground as the jack assemblies assume the entire weight of the stabilizer 800. The shock absorbers 910 restrict the pivoting movement between the extendable tube 864 and the torsion axle 808 because the distance between the lower side of the sliding tube and the bottom of the wheels is always the same, whereas the same cannot be said for the distance between the bottom of the torsion axle and the bottom of the tire 818. As previously discussed, after the stabilizer 800 is pressed between the floor and the underside of the semi-trailer 1080, the stabilizer supports at least a portion of the forward weight of the parked semi-trailer. In cases where the parked semi-trailer has its landing gear down, the jack assemblies 960 can be repositioned to support all (e.g., the landing gear 1088 raised off the floor), none of the weight (e.g., when in the transport position), or a portion of the forward weight of the parked semi-trailer (e.g., the landing gear 1088 and stabilizer 800 cooperating to support the weight). For example, the nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi The 114 jack assemblies 960 can be repositioned to support anywhere from zero to 100 percent of the forward weight of trailer 1080. In a circumstance where the stabilizer 800 is initially set to support none of the forward weight of the trailer, but is instead repositioned as a backup in case of landing gear failure, the jack assemblies 960 can be repositioned so that the extension pads 976 almost make contact with the underside of the trailer. This places the stabilizer 800 in a position to support all or a portion of the forward weight of trailer 1080 should the landing gear 1088 experience a failure. Alternatively, in a circumstance where trailer 1080 is loaded, compression of the landing gear 1088 may occur, resulting in a slight decrease in the height between the underside of the trailer and the ground.In this loading scenario, the 800 stabilizer can start with the 976 extension pads not in contact with the semi-trailer, but as the front portion of the semi-trailer increases and causes a slight decrease in height between the underside of the trailer and the ground, the underside of the semi-trailer eventually makes contact with the extension pads, so the stabilizer supports at least a portion of the front weight of the semi-trailer. Alternatively, for example, the 960 assemblies of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. The 115 jack can be repositioned to initially support some or all of the weight of the front portion of the trailer 1080. By turning the crank handle 970, the jack assemblies 960 can be repositioned so that the extension pads 976 make contact with the underside of the trailer 1080 and the stabilizer 800 supports some or all of the weight of the front portion of the parked semi-trailer. As will be understood by those experienced in the art, extending the first tube relative to the second tube 966 (after the extension pads 976 have made contact with the underside of the trailer) and continuing to do so, operates to shift some, and possibly all, of the responsibility for supporting the weight of the landing gear onto the stabilizer 800, so that the landing gear can remain on the ground or be raised off the ground (in a case where the stabilizer supports the entire weight of the front portion of the semi-trailer).Accordingly, the worker outside the dock is able to manipulate the jack assemblies 960 by means of the crank handle 970 to place the jack assemblies in one or three positions: (1) a reserve position, where the jack assemblies are initially placed so as not to support the weight of the parked trailer 1080; (2) a sharing position, where the jack assemblies share the responsibility for supporting the weight with the semi-trailer's landing gear 1088; and, (3) an exclusive position, nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 116 where the jack assemblies are only responsible for supporting the front weight of the parked semi-trailer (e.g., the landing gear does not make contact with the ground). After the stabilizer 800 is positioned in one of the three positions, the parked semi-trailer 1080 can be loaded or unloaded by dock personnel. To confirm that the parked semi-trailer 1080 is ready for loading / unloading, dock personnel can view one or more images on a screen 1092 showing the front portion of the parked semi-trailer and whether a stabilizer 800 is positioned beneath it. To complete this visual verification of the presence or absence of a stabilizer 800 beneath a parked semi-trailer 1080, the loading dock is equipped with one or more cameras 1090 directed at an area where the front portion of a parked semi-trailer might be located. Each camera 1090 is connected to at least one screen 1092 mounted inside the loading dock 1082 and visible to dock personnel.For example, cameras 1090 may include video cameras capable of generating video data and / or still image data. Furthermore, displays 1092, as described herein, include televisions, computer monitors, and projection screens. Based on images available for nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi. 117. Once visible to internal dock personnel, internal dock personnel may authorize the loading or unloading of the parked semi-trailer after the stabilizer assumes one of three positions. After the loading / unloading of the parked semi-trailer 1080 is complete, internal dock personnel notify the off-dock worker that the semi-trailer has been loaded or unloaded so that no further entry into the semi-trailer will occur. Exemplary forms of notification include, but are not limited to, colored and / or multiple lights on the external loading dock, radio signals, and mechanical signals (e.g., a mechanical indicator). After receiving notification that loading / unloading of the parked semi-trailer 1080 is complete, the worker outside the dock removes stabilizer 800 from the underside of the front portion of the parked semi-trailer. As part of the example discussion for removing stabilizer 800 after loading / unloading of the parked semi-trailer 1080, it is assumed that the stabilizer is in a unique position where the jack assemblies 960 support the entire weight of the front portion of the parked semi-trailer. As will be appreciated by those experienced in the art, the example discussion for removing stabilizer 800 from the underside of the parked semi-trailer 1080 will necessarily cover those nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 118 circumstances where the stabilizer is placed either in the sharing position or a reserve position. As an initial step, the worker outside the dock (1086) repositions the jack assemblies (960) to decrease their overall longitudinal span, ultimately causing the stabilizer (800) to make contact with the ground as a rolling chassis. As part of this process, the worker outside the dock turns the crank handle (970) to cause the first tube to retract into the second tube (966). This retraction, in turn, results in the extension pads (976) no longer making contact with the underside of the semi-trailer (1080), meaning that the landing gear (1088) of the parked semi-trailer assumes sole responsibility for supporting the weight of the front portion of the semi-trailer. The continued retraction of the first tube into the second tube (966) finally results in the wheel assemblies (806) and the metal hub wheels (830) making contact with the ground.In particular, as the first tube is further retracted into the second tube 966, the wheel assemblies 806 and the metal hub wheels 830 act to share the responsibility for supporting the weight with the jack assemblies 960. In the case of the 806 wheel assemblies, the more weight the wheel assemblies support, the more the weight support operates to counteract the spring deflection of the 808 axle of nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 119 Torsion. Specifically, as more weight is supported by the wheel assemblies 806, the spring deflection associated with the torsion shaft 808 increases and is accompanied by the rotation of the torsion arms 810 so that the respective end of the torsion arm connected to the spindle 812 swings upward away from the ground, as less weight of the stabilizer is supported by the cat assemblies 960. Finally, the cat assemblies 960 no longer support the weight of the stabilizer 800 (because the ground mounts 962 are no longer in contact with the ground) and the spindles 812 reach a static position where the weight of the stabilizer is balanced by the spring deflection of the torsion shaft 808. As more weight is borne by the 806 wheel assemblies and the 960 jack assemblies are repositioned, the metal hub wheels finally make contact with the ground. Since the distance between the lower side of the extendable tube 864 and the bottom of the 830 wheels is always the same, while the distance between the lower part of the 808 torsion axle and the lower part of the 818 tire is not, the sliding tube can pivot about the torsion axle as the 806 wheel assemblies are repositioned. In this case, the pivoting motion of the extendable tube 864 is retarded by the 910 dampers, so that the pivoting motion occurs when the upward force acting on the Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi The 120 sliding tube overcomes the downward force applied to the sliding tube by the dampers. The pivoting motion between the 864 extending tube and the 808 torsion axle generally reaches a maximum when a point of maximum travel is reached between the 806 wheel assemblies and the torsion axle. In other words, as the load supported by the 806 wheel assemblies increases (including in cases of active suspension where the forces are not static) and the 810 torsion arms pivot upward relative to the 808 torsion axle, away from the ground, the distance between the bottom of the tires 818 and the lower side of the torsion shaft 808 decreases, which can operate to increase the upward force on the extendable tube 864 so that pivoting motion occurs as a result of the compression of the dampers 910 to compensate for the increased forces exerted by the sliding tube. When the jack assemblies 960 are fully retracted so that the ground bases 962 no longer make contact with the floor and the stabilizer is in a static position, the forces between the wheel assemblies 806 and the torsion shaft 808 are balanced, as they are the forces between the extendable tube 864 and the torsion shaft. At this point, the brake assembly 890 can be disengaged. To disengage brake assembly 890, the worker outside the dock repositions brake lever 872 nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 121 disengages the brake lock 892 so that the brake lever can be moved toward the jack assemblies 960 and past the brake lock. Repositioning the brake lever 872 toward the jack assemblies 960 reduces the tension in cable 884, allowing the brake shaft 940 to rotate. More specifically, this rotation of the brake shaft 940 causes the brake shoes 942, 944 to pivot away from the tires 818 to a point where the brake pads 948 no longer make contact with the tire tread. After disengaging the brake assembly 890, the stabilizer 800 can be repositioned by rotating it off the underside of the parked semi-trailer 1080. In order to reposition the stabilizer 800 off the underside of the parked semi-trailer 1080, the worker outside the dock grasps the T-shaped handle 826 of the repositioning assembly 824 (while the stabilizer is in the transport position shown in FIGURE 30) and pulls the stabilizing device 800 from the underside of the parked semi-trailer 1080 by rotating the stabilizer about the ground on its tires 818 and wheels 830. More specifically, the two tires 818 and the wheels 816 can rotate freely, allowing the stabilizer to be repositioned on the ground by pulling the T-shaped handle 826 or by rotating the T-shaped handle to cause the steering shaft 828 to pivot in order to effect a 122 turn. The worker outside the dock can then reposition the 800 stabilizer under a different parked semi-trailer (to restart the deployment placement process) or can place the stabilizer in a standby position waiting for another semi-trailer to park. Either way, the 800 stabilizer is removed from under the parked semi-trailer to allow the trailer to be repositioned away from the loading dock. With reference to FIGURES 39-42, an alternative exemplary first trailer stabilizer 800 differs from the exemplary trailer stabilizer 800 only in that the extension pads 97 6 are replaced with a single, complete contact plate 1100; otherwise, the use and operating capability of the alternative first trailer stabilizer 800 is the same as the exemplary trailer stabilizer 800. In an exemplary form, the alternative first trailer stabilizer 800 includes the contact plate 1100, which is operative in place of the stop plates 1054 and jack housings 1050 of the exemplary stabilizer 800. More specifically, the contact plate 1100 includes a pair of screw-on tabs 1102 that are connected to each other by a block U-shaped channel member 1104. In this alternative exemplary configuration, the 1102 screw tabs fit snugly between the naczLn / Lznz / E / Yii 123 mounting plates 1030 and the corresponding 1042 jack mounting plates so that the holes through the tabs and plates align with each other to receive nut and bolt fasteners. In this first exemplary alternative trailer stabilizer 800', the contact plate 1100 includes a contoured cup 1110 configured to receive a trailer hitch pin (not shown). For example, the trailer could be a fluid tanker that needs to be loaded or unloaded. More specifically, the contoured cup 1110 faces away from the repositioning assembly 824 and fits within a cavity formed within the channel member 1104. Specifically, the cup 1110 comprises a flat bottom plate 1112 and a curved peripheral wall plate 1114 that are mounted to the channel member 1104 and reinforced using a pair of transverse clamps 1116 extending from the front of the channel member to the side of the channel member.Thus, as the 800' stabilizer is repositioned beneath a trailer with a hitch pin, the contoured cup 1110 is sized to receive the hitch pin after proper stabilizer alignment. This provides a stop in conjunction with the peripheral wall plate 1114, further retarding the stabilizer's movement beneath the trailer. In this way, the contoured cup 1110 can act as a... 124 alignment device to ensure that the 800' stabilizer is centered. Furthermore, the 800' stabilizer can include the 210 ground hook so that the stabilizer can provide both stabilization and support for a parked trailer. In this way, the 210 ground hook can be attached to a ground cleat, and the hitch pin can slide against the curved peripheral wall to prevent the trailer from moving away from a loading dock or other loading / unloading position. Those experienced in the art will understand the exemplary use of this revised 800' stabilizer in light of the preceding exemplary uses. With reference to FIGURES 43-45, an alternative exemplary second trailer stabilizer 800 differs from the exemplary trailer stabilizer 800 only in that the extension pads 97 6 are replaced with a single, complete contact plate 1200; otherwise, the use and operation of the alternative second trailer stabilizer 800 is the same as the exemplary trailer stabilizer 800. In an exemplary form, the alternative second trailer stabilizer 800 includes the contact plate 1200, which is operative in replacing the stop plates 1054 and jack housings 1050 of the exemplary stabilizer 800. More specifically, the contact plate 1200 includes a pair of screw tabs 1202 that connect nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 125 are joined together by a U-shaped channel member 1204. In this alternative embodiment, the screw-on tabs 1202 are press-fitted between the mounting plates 1030 and the corresponding jack mounting plates 1042 so that the holes through the tabs and plates align with each other to receive nut and bolt fasteners. Consequently, the contact plate 1200 is operative for coupling the lower side of a stationary trailer in order to stabilize it after the jacks have been deployed. Accordingly, reference is made to the previous embodiment stabilizer 800 for a detailed discussion of the use of this second alternative embodiment stabilizer 800. After the foregoing summaries of the description and invention, it shall be apparent to those skilled in the art that, although the methods and apparatus described herein constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the invention contained herein is not limited to this precise embodiment and that changes may be made to such embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, the invention shall be understood to be defined by the claims, and no limitation or element describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein is intended to be incorporated into the interpretation of any element of a claim unless such limitation or 126 element is explicitly stated. Likewise, it shall be understood that it is not necessary to comply with any or all of the identified advantages or features of the invention described herein in order for it to fall within the scope of any 5 claims, because the invention is defined by the claims and because inherent and / or unforeseeable advantages of the present invention may exist even if they have not been explicitly discussed herein. 10

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method for stabilizing a parked semi-trailer, the method being characterized in that it comprises: placing a semi-trailer stabilizer under the parked semi-trailer; applying tension to at least a portion of the semi-trailer stabilizer by concurrently coupling the parked semi-trailer and a fixed anchor to the ground at least once before and during the movement of contents between the parked semi-trailer and a dock installation; and releasing the tension on at least a portion of the semi-trailer stabilizer without repositioning the post of the parked semi-trailer by moving contents between the parked semi-trailer and the dock installation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the placement of the semi-trailer stabilizer under the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning the semi-trailer stabilizer against at least one of the fixed-position ground anchors and a front stop of the semi-trailer.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the action of placing the semi-trailer clamp under the parked semi-trailer includes 128 deploying a repositionable connector of the semi-trailer clamp to engage the fixed position ground anchor.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the action of interrupting the tension of at least the portion of the semi-trailer fastener includes repositioning a cylinder to provide clearance that allows the fastener to disengage the ground anchor.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the action of exerting tension on at least a portion of the semi-trailer stabilizer occurs as a result of the parked semi-trailer pushing against the semi-trailer stabilizer in response to the movement of contents between the parked semi-trailer and the dock installation.

6. A method for verifying the stabilization of a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising: placing a semi-trailer stabilizer under a front portion of the parked semi-trailer, and towards a rear end of the parked semi-trailer, while at least two repositionable jacks of the semi-trailer stabilizer are raised above the ground, wherein placing the semi-trailer stabilizer includes placing each of the at least two repositionable jacks to be located on opposite sides of a longitudinal center plane of the parked semi-trailer;nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 129 manually rotating a handle operatively coupled to at least two repositionable jacks and causing the at least two repositionable jacks to extend, thereby wedging the semi-trailer stabilizer between the ground and a lower surface of the parked semi-trailer so that the semi-trailer stabilizer supports at least a portion of the weight of the parked semi-trailer, where the handle extends beyond a footprint of the parked semi-trailer, and where the wheels associated with the semi-trailer stabilizer are lifted from the ground when the semi-trailer stabilizer is wedged between the ground and the lower surface of the parked semi-trailer; and displaying a camera image, of a relative position of the semi-trailer stabilizer and the parked semi-trailer, on a visual display within the interior of a loading dock adjacent to the parked semi-trailer.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises: mounting a camera on an outer portion of the loading dock; and orienting the mounted camera to allow the capture of a camera image of the relative position of the semi-trailer stabilizer and the parked semi-trailer.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 130 mounting the visual screen within an interior of the loading dock, the visual screen communicatively coupled to the camera to display the camera image.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that mounting the camera on the outer portion of the loading dock includes positioning the camera so that it extends into a footprint of the parked semi-trailer when the parked semi-trailer is adjacent to the loading dock.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that mounting the camera on the outer portion of the loading dock includes positioning the camera so that it extends below the parked semi-trailer when the parked semi-trailer is adjacent to the loading dock.

11. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that placing the semi-trailer stabilizer under the parked semi-trailer includes repositioning at least a portion of the semi-trailer stabilizer to come into contact with a forward-facing surface, away from the rear end, of the parked semi-trailer to inhibit further movement of the semi-trailer stabilizer towards the rear end of the parked semi-trailer.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that: the forward-facing surface comprises a portion of a hitch pivot of the stationary semi-trailer; I, a hitch pivot receiver of the semi-trailer stabilizer contacts the hitch pivot to inhibit further movement of the semi-trailer stabilizer towards the rear end of the stationary semi-trailer.

13. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises the semi-trailer stabilizer that simultaneously couples a hitch pivot of the stationary semi-trailer and a ground anchor, wherein the coupling of the ground anchor includes repositioning a tail hook of the semi-trailer stabilizer from a stowed position, uncoupled from the ground anchor, to an extended position, coupled with the ground anchor.

14. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises: at least one loading of contents into and unloading of contents from the parked semi-trailer after visual verification that the stabilizer of the semi-trailer is wedged between the ground and the parked semi-trailer; and communication between the interior of the loading dock and an exterior of the loading dock, wherein the communication includes notifying personnel outside the loading dock that the parked semi-trailer has been at least one time loaded or unloaded. nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 132 15. The method according to claim 6, wherein the camera image comprises a video camera image.

16. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that fitting the stabilizer of the semi-trailer between the ground and the lower surface of the parked semi-trailer includes lifting wheels, associated with the stabilizer of the semi-trailer, off the ground.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the camera image comprises a video camera image representing at least one of the wheels on the ground.

18. A method for verifying the stabilization of a semi-trailer parked at a loading facility, the method comprising: placing a semi-trailer stabilizer, including at least two repositionable jacks, under the parked semi-trailer such that the at least two repositionable jacks support at least a portion of the weight of the parked semi-trailer before loading or unloading the parked semi-trailer; and displaying, on a visual screen within a loading facility, a camera image of the relative position of the semi-trailer stabilizer and the parked semi-trailer. 133 19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises: mounting a camera on an exterior of the loading facility where the parked semi-trailer is to be located; and orienting the mounted camera to allow the capture of the camera image of the relative position of the semi-trailer stabilizer and the parked semi-trailer.

20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises: mounting the visual screen within an interior of the loading facility so that when the parked semi-trailer is at least one of the loaded or unloaded, the visual screen is not obstructed.

21. A trailer stabilization system comprising: a repositionable semi-trailer stabilizer including: a first bracket mounted on a first repositionable jack and a second repositionable jack, the first bracket further mounted on a first wheel and a second wheel; a contact plate extending over and between the first and second repositionable jacks, the contact plate mounted on the first and second repositionable jacks, the contact plate including an upper surface configured to contact the underside of a semi-trailer; a semi-trailer stop configured to engage, in a first direction, with a vertical surface of the semi-trailer to retard the horizontal repositioning of the trailer stabilizer in the first subsequent engagement direction; a drive shaft extending between the first and second repositionable jacks and operatively engaged; a camera;and a screen configured to communicatively couple with the camera and display images based on signals from the camera.

22. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that at least one of the first and second repositionable jacks comprises a screw jack with multiple gears.

23. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that: the first repositionable jack includes a first jack bolt flange; the second repositionable jack includes a second jack bolt flange; the contact plate includes first and second plate bolt flanges; first fasteners engage simultaneously and connect the first jack bolt flange to the first plate bolt flange; second fasteners engage and connect the second jack bolt flange to the second plate bolt flange.

24. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that: the first wheel includes a first tire; the second wheel includes a second tire.

25. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that the semi-trailer stop is inserted laterally with respect to the first and second repositionable jacks.

26. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 25, characterized in that the semi-trailer stop is configured to engage with a hitch pivot of the semi-trailer.

27. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that it further comprises a handle operatively coupled to the transmission shaft.

28. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that: nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 136 each of the first and second repositionable jacks comprises a first telescopic tube insertion with respect to a second telescopic tube, the first telescopic tube is configured to be repositioned longitudinally with respect to the second telescopic tube, the second telescopic tube is mounted on the contact plate, the first telescopic tube is mounted on a ground base; and the first telescopic tubes can be repositioned independently of the first and second wheels.

29. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 28, characterized in that: the first telescopic tube comprises rectangular steel; the second telescopic tube comprises rectangular steel.

30. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that it further comprises a third wheel operatively coupled to the first support, wherein the first and second wheels are laterally aligned with each other and offset in depth from the third wheel.

31. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that the semi-trailer stop extends from the upper surface and cooperates with it to form an L-shaped profile. nocz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 137 32. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that the repositionable semi-trailer stabilizer includes a tubular handle offset in depth from the contact plate.

33. The trailer stabilization system according to claim 21, characterized in that the tubular handle includes a vertical component operatively coupled to a horizontal component.

34. A trailer stabilizer comprising: a repositionable semi-trailer stabilizer including: a first bracket mounted on a first repositionable jack and a second repositionable jack, the first bracket also mounted on a first wheel and a second wheel; a contact plate extending over and between the first and second repositionable jacks, the contact plate being mounted on the first and second repositionable jacks, the contact plate including an upper surface configured to contact the underside of a semi-trailer; a semi-trailer stop configured to engage, in a first direction, with a vertical surface of the semi-trailer to retard the horizontal repositioning of the trailer stabilizer in the first subsequent engagement direction; and a drive shaft extending and operatively engaging between the first and second repositionable jacks.

35. The trailer stabilizer according to claim 34, characterized in that at least one of the first and second repositionable jacks comprises a multi-gear screw jack.

36. The trailer stabilizer according to claim 34, characterized in that: the first repositionable jack includes a first jack bolt flange; the second repositionable jack includes a second jack bolt flange; the contact plate includes first and second plate bolt flanges; first fasteners engage simultaneously and connect the jack bolt flange to the first plate bolt flange; second fasteners engage and connect the second jack bolt flange to the second plate bolt flange.

37. The trailer stabilizer according to claim 34, characterized in that the semi-trailer stop is inserted laterally with respect to the first and second repositionable jacks.

38. The nacz Ln / Lznz / E / YiAi 139 trailer stabilization system according to claim 34, characterized in that: each of the first and second repositionable jacks comprises a first telescopic tube insertion with respect to a second telescopic tube, the first telescopic tube configured to be longitudinally repositionable with respect to the second telescopic tube, the second telescopic tube is mounted on the contact plate, the first telescopic tube is mounted on a ground base.

39. A method of stabilizing a parked semi-trailer, the method being characterized in that it comprises: manually repositioning a trailer stabilizer, which includes a pair of telescopic jacks, at least partially under the parked semi-trailer in front of the landing gear of the parked semi-trailer, by rolling the trailer stabilizer so that the stabilizer passes under a leading edge of the parked semi-trailer and is generally laterally centered with respect to the parked semi-trailer, so that a portion of the handle of the trailer stabilizer is beyond a footprint of the parked semi-trailer;Manually turn the trailer stabilizer handle to reposition a drive shaft by operatively engaging the pair of telescopic jacks to lengthen a dominant dimension thereof, causing the pair of telescopic jacks to wedge the trailer stabilizer between the lower part of the stationary semi-trailer and the ground so that the trailer stabilizer and the undercarriage share the responsibility of supporting the weight of the front of the stationary semi-trailer and causing the wheels of the trailer stabilizer to lift off the ground.

40. The method according to claim 39, characterized in that it further comprises displaying an image on a screen within the interior of a loading dock which shows a relative position of the trailer stabilizer and the parked semi-trailer, wherein the image is generated from an output signal of a camera located outside the loading dock facility.

Images