Semitrailer dolly and tracking trailer for freight containers

Claim 2

A dolly for supporting a semitrailer and connecting it to a towing vehicle for movement along substantially flat terrain, said dolly comprising chassis means including fifth wheel means for engaging a semitrailer, wheel means mounting said chassis means and including at least one pair of wheels mounted on a common axis, a pair of towing bars of equal length each having a first end pivotally connected to one end of said chassis means and a second end having pivotal engaging means for pivotal connection to a towing vehicle, each said towing bar being adapted to be manually connected to and discOnnected from a towing vehicle, said first ends of said towing bars being pivotally connected to said one end of said chassis means at spaced-apart points on opposite sides of a line perpendicular to said common axis at a point midway between said pair of wheels, said spaced-apart points being at different vertical levels with respect to said chassis means, and said pivotal mounting of said first ends of said towing bars at said spaced-apart points and said different levels being such that the towing bars are adapted to be crossed for said pivotal connection to the towing vehicle so that the semitrailer will track behind the towing vehicle.

Claim 3

A dolly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said towing bar is hollow along substantially its entire length.

Claim 4

A dolly as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said towing bar has a tensile-compression strength of at least 100,000 pounds.

Claim 5

A dolly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said towing bar comprises a central portion in the form of a hollow steel tube.

Claim 6

A dolly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the semitrailer to be connected to a towing vehicle is approximately 40 feet long, each said towing bar is approximately 12 feet long, said semitrailer comprises kingpin means disposed approximately 11 feet from the forward end of the semitrailer for engagement with said fifth wheel means of said dolly, and said towing bars are connected to said dolly approximately 3 feet forward of the expected center of engagement of said kingpin means in said fifth wheel means.

Claim 7

A tracking trailer for freight containers for movement along substantially flat terrain, comprising an elongated flat bed for receiving freight containers, wheel means movably mounting and supporting said bed, said wheel means including at least one pair of rear wheels mounted on a first common axis fixed relative to said bed and forward wheel means rotatably connected to said bed, said forward wheel means including frame means and at least one pair of front wheels mounting said frame means, said pair of front wheels being mounted on a second common axis, a pair of towing bars of equal length each having a first end pivotally connected to one end of said frame means and a second end having pivotal engaging means for pivotal connection to a towing vehicle, each said towing bar being adapted to be manually connected to and disconnected from a towing vehicle, said first ends of said towing bars being pivotally connected to said one end of said frame means at spaced-apart points on opposite sides of a line perpendicular to said second common axis at a point midway between said pair of front wheels, said spaced-apart points being at different vertical levels with respect to said frame means, and said pivotal mounting of said first ends of said towing bars at said spaced-apart points and said different levels being such that the towing bars are adapted to be crossed for said pivotal connection to the towing vehicle so that the trailer will track behind the towing vehicle.

Claim 8

A tracking trailer for freight containers for movement along substantially flat terrain, comprising an elongated flat bed for receiving freight containers, wheel means movably mounting and supporting said bed, said wheel means including at least one pair of rear wheels mounted on a first common axis fixed relative to said bed and forward wheel means rotatably connected to said bed, said forward wheel means including frame means and at least one pair of front wheels mounting said frame means, said pair of front wheels being mounted on a second common axis, a pair of towing bars of equal length each having a first end pivotally connected to one end of said frame means and a second end having pivotal engaging means for pivotal connection to a towing vehicle, each said towing bar being adapted to be manually connected to and disconnected from a towing vehicle, said first ends of said towing bars being pivotally connected to said one end of said frame means at spaced-apart points on opposite sides of a line perpendicular to said second common axis at a point midway between said pair of front wheels, said spaced-apart points being at different vertical levels with respect to said frame means, and said pivotal mounting of said first ends of said towing bars at said spaced-apart points and said different levels being such that the towing bars are adapted to be crossed for said pivotal connection to the towing vehicle so that the trailer will track behind the towing vehicle.

Claim 9

A tracking trailer for freight containers as claimed in claim 6, comprising guide plate means pivotally mounted on the trailer bed for movement between an operative position above said bed and an inoperative position below said bed, said guide plate means comprising at least one pair of guide members disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the trailer bed, each said guide member being triangularly shaped for at least a portion of its cross section, and each said triangularly-shaped portion forming sloped guide surfaces adapted to be engaged when in said operative position by said containers and to guide said containers to desired positions relative to said trailer bed.

Claim 10

A tracking trailer for freight containers as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said towing bar is hollow along substantially its entire length.

Claim 11

A tracking trailer for freight containers as claimed in claim 8, wherein each said towing bar has a tensile-compression strength of at least 100,000 pounds.

Claim 12

A tracking trailer for freight containers as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said towing bar comprises a central portion in the form of a hollow steel tube.

Claim 13

A tracking trailer for freight containers as claimed in claim 10, wherein said tracking trailer is approximately 40 feet long, said forward wheel means is rotatably connected to said tracking trailer at a point approximately 11 feet from its forward end, each said towing bar is connected to said frame means approximately 3 feet forward of the rotatable connection of said forward wheel means to said bed, and each said towing bar is approximately 12 feet long.