Rear Axle Wheel Assemblies for Heavy Equipment Trailer Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lowboy trailers face challenges in loading heavy equipment due to extreme forces on the trailer edges and undercarriage, and conventional wheel and axle assemblies struggle with large moment arm torques, making it difficult to carry the heaviest loads safely and efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The trailer features pivotally mounted axle wheel assemblies that can be raised and rotated laterally to clear the rear of the trailer, allowing the rear to lower for loading and unloading, with a locking mechanism to secure them in transport position, and a hydraulic system to manage the movement, distributing the load across a wider area for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional wheel and axle assemblies with cantilevered axles are used, then the trailer can support heavy loads, but large moment arm torques create excessive stress on the axles and make it difficult to carry the heaviest loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the axle wheel assemblies from a lateral cantilevered position to a longitudinal position at the rear of the trailer. This dimensional change repositions the wheels from extending outward from the sides to being located at the rear ends, fundamentally altering the moment arm geometry and reducing torque stress on the axles while maintaining load capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The axle wheel assemblies are made movable between a transport position (lowered) and a loading position (raised). This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its configuration: during transport, the axles are in line with the trailer to minimize moment arms; during loading, they are raised to clear the loading area, enabling flexible operation under different conditions.
2Ease of operation
If the rear axle and wheel assemblies are positioned outboard of the rear of the trailer for loading, then access to the rear trailer edge is cleared, but the large moment arm torques increase stress on the axles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning wheels laterally outboard of the rear, the patent positions them longitudinally at the rear ends of the trailer. This dimensional repositioning clears the rear edge for loading access while keeping the wheels aligned with the trailer's longitudinal axis, minimizing the moment arm and reducing axle stress.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the trailer is lowered to the ground during loading to stabilize it, then stability is improved, but the hitching apparatus must be unhooked and rehooked, making the process cumbersome and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable axle wheel assemblies that can be raised and lowered independently. During loading, the axles are raised to clear the loading area while the trailer remains hitched and stable. This eliminates the need to unhook and rehook the gooseneck, significantly reducing loading time while maintaining stability.
4Ease of operation
If the axle wheel assemblies are raised to clear the rear of the trailer for loading, then loading access is improved, but the trailer becomes unstable on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The axle wheel assemblies are designed to be dynamically positioned: raised during loading to clear the rear edge for equipment access, and lowered during transport to provide stable ground contact. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize for either loading access or terrain stability depending on the operational phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailer's support system is segmented into independently controllable axle wheel assemblies. Each assembly can be raised or lowered independently, allowing selective positioning of support points. This segmentation enables the trailer to clear the loading area when needed while maintaining stable contact with the ground during transport.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces stress on the trailer and equipment during loading and transport, enabling the carriage of heavy loads while maintaining stability on uneven terrain and preventing trailer instability.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic system to manage the movement, distributing the load across a wider area for stability
Implementation Method 2
The trailer features pivotally mounted axle wheel assemblies that can be raised and rotated laterally to clear the rear of the trailer
Implementation Method 3
with a locking mechanism to secure them in transport position
Data Source
AI summary
A rear loading lowboy trailer is described having a pair of rear wheel assemblies mounted to a chassis of the trailer for movement between transport and loading positions such that the wheel assemblies are aligned across a back of the chassis when they are in the transport position and raised and positioned outwardly when the chassis is in the loading position. A linkage mechanism moves each of the wheel assemblies in both horizontal and vertical directions so as to move each of the wheel assemblies between the transport and loading positions. Each linkage mechanism automatically fastens the wheel assembly to the chassis of the trailer when the wheel assembly is moved to its transport position.