Lowboy Trailer Bogie With Trough-Shaped Cross-Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lowboy trailer bogies face challenges in efficiently transitioning from a low-profile deck to a structural section, particularly in accommodating equipment with boom arms due to height restrictions and load distribution, leading to inefficiencies in transportation and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The bogie design incorporates longitudinally extending main beams with sloped intermediate portions and trough-shaped transversely extending cross-members, which are strategically positioned and shaped to lower the top surface of the cross-members, allowing for closer ground clearance and reduced interference with boom arms, enabling the transportation of equipment with boom arms at lower heights and facilitating shorter routes through height-restricted roadways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional bogie designs are used with standard cross-member heights, then the structural strength is maintained, but the ground clearance is insufficient and interference with boom arms occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-members are designed with a trough shape featuring a lower midsection and higher side sections. This local variation in height allows the midsection to provide ground clearance and avoid boom arm interference, while the higher side sections maintain structural strength and support capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If taller trailers are used to accommodate equipment with boom arms, then interference with boom arms is avoided, but transportation efficiency decreases and route options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The trough-shaped cross-members create localized low points in the trailer structure that allow boom arms to pass through without interference. This enables the use of shorter trailers while maintaining the ability to transport equipment with boom arms, thereby improving transportation efficiency and expanding route options.
3Shape
If the cross-members are lowered to reduce trailer height, then ground clearance improves, but load distribution capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The trough shape concentrates the load-bearing function in the higher side sections while the lower midsection provides ground clearance. This differentiation allows the structure to maintain load distribution capability through the side sections while achieving reduced overall height and improved ground clearance through the midsection.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-members feature an asymmetric trough shape with varying heights across their span. This asymmetric design optimizes both ground clearance and load distribution by placing structural support elements at different elevations, allowing the structure to perform multiple functions simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A bogie for a lowboy trailer includes a pair of longitudinally extending main beams, each having a lower front end configured to be coupled to a lower deck, a higher rear portion configured to carry a suspension system, and a sloped intermediate portion connecting the front end to the rear portion. The bogie also includes multiple transversely extending and longitudinally spaced cross-members connected between the main beams. Each of the cross-members is trough-shaped and has a pair of transversely spaced side sections and a midsection between the side sections, the side sections sloping downwardly toward the midsection such that a top surface of the midsection is lower than respective top surfaces of the main beams. Each side section of at least one cross-member intersects with a respective one of the main beams, such that at least a portion of each side section is located directly below the respective main beam.