Pivoting Drive Socket for Trailer Leg Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Truckers face difficulties in efficiently raising and lowering trailer feet due to manual handling requirements, which can lead to occupational injuries and downtime, especially when power tools are not available, and existing mechanisms lack a handle, causing delays and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting drive socket system that allows for both manual and powered operation of trailer feet, featuring a cylindrical body with studs and a slotted bracket that engages a handle for manual effort and a tab for powered tools, enabling seamless transition between modes of operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a handle is added to the mechanism for manual operation, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the manual handle and powered tool interfaces into a single integrated drive socket assembly. The drive socket serves as a common interface that accepts both manual cranking through the handle and powered operation through tool receptacles, eliminating the need for separate manual and powered mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive socket is designed with multi-functionality to accept both manual operation via the handle and powered operation via air-powered or electric impact wrenches. The universal interface allows the same mechanism to serve multiple operational modes, improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Productivity
If power tools are used to raise and lower trailer feet, then productivity is improved, but reliability worsens due to lack of manual backup
Solution Approach 1:
The drive socket acts as an intermediary interface between the power tool and the trailer leg mechanism. It provides a standardized connection point that allows power tools to efficiently operate the mechanism while maintaining the option for manual operation, thus bridging the gap between automated productivity and manual reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows operators to change the operational parameter from manual mechanical input to powered rotational input based on situational needs. The drive socket accommodates both modes, enabling productivity enhancement with power tools when available, while maintaining reliability through manual backup capability when power tools are unavailable or fail.
3Productivity
If a separate power source and fitting are used for powered operation, then productivity is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to lack of manual handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the powered tool interface and manual handle into a single integrated drive socket assembly. This unified design allows the mechanism to accept both powered operation through impact wrenches and manual operation through the handle, eliminating the need for separate power sources and fittings while maintaining ease of manual operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A pivoting drive socket has a cylindrical body within a sleeve, studs on the sleeve, the studs fitting into a slotted bracket, and the bracket joining to a handle. The slot has an elongated, rectangular shape. The body rotates within the sleeve and has a tab upon one end that receives an external tool. The tab has a shape with at least two flat portions. The bracket permits the handle to engage the tab. The bracket has an opening reinforced by a ring that admits the tab for connection into that handle. The tab has at least two chamfers that grip the bracket during usage. The tab rotates the body which engages a pipe that fits upon a mechanism to raise and to lower trailer legs. The invention allows a trucker to use manual effort or to use power to raise or to lower trailer legs.