Support for semi-trailers

Claim 2

A support for a semi-trailer adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a tractor, the front end of said trailer being supported by said tractor when connected thereto and said support supporting the front end of said trailer when said tractor is disconnected, said support comprising: leg means for supporting the front end of said semi-trailer when said tractor is disconnected; slide means movable forwardly and rearwardly along the underside of said trailer; guide means for said slide means extending generally horizontally; means pivotally connecting the upper portions of said legs with said slide means, said legs being movable between a depending position in which said legs are adapted to support said trailer through said slide means and a rearwardly extending position in which said legs are inclined rearwardly so as to be elevated; and means for moving said leg means between said depending position and said rear position, said pivotal connection being constructed and arranged so that forward movement of said leg means will cause said leg means to move to said depending position and will also produce forward movement of said slide means, while rearward movement of said leg means will produce movement of said leg means to said rearwardly inclined position and also movement of said slide means to said rear position.

Claim 3

A support as defined in claim 1, wherein: said leg means comprise a pair of connected, laterally spaced legs; said slide means comprise a pair of laterally spaced slides having depending plate means provided with slot means; said legs are provided with pin means engageable with said slot means of said plate means of the corresponding slides; and said moving means is connected to the lateral connection between said legs.

Claim 4

A support for a semi-trailer adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a tractor, the front end of said trailer being supported by said tractor when connected thereto and said support supporting the front end of said trailer when said tractor is disconnected, said support comprising: a pair of legs for supporting the front end of said semi-trailer when said tractor is disconnected, each leg having a pair of pins spaced one above the other and extending laterally at each side of said leg; a longitudinally movable slide for connection to each leg and including a depending plate at each side of the upper end of each leg; each depending plate having an upper slot and a lower slot, with said slots being in lateral alignment; means for moving said legs and slides between forward and rear positions; each upper slot being arcuate and having an upwardly and slightly rearwardly extending front portion and a downwardly and rearwardly extending lower portion; each lower slot having a central arcuate portion, a front portion extending upwardly and slightly rearwardly from the front of said central portion and a rear portion extending downwardly and rearwardly from the rear of said central portion; said central portion of said lower slot being curved along a radius from the intersection of said front and lower portions of said upper slot; said front portion of said lower slot being in alignment with said front portion of said upper slot; and said rear portion of said lower slot being in alignment with the lower portion of said upper slot, whereby when said legs are moved rearwardly from the front position, said legs will be pivoted upwardly and rearwardly and said slides will be moved rearwardly through connection with said legs to said rear position, and also so that when said legs are moved forwardly from the rear position, said legs will be moved downwardly and forwardly and said slides will be moved forwardly to said front position.

Claim 5

A support for a semi-trailer adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a tractor, the front end of said trailer being supported by said tractor when connected thereto and said support supporting the front end of said trailer when said tractor is disconnected, said support comprising: a pair of legs for supporting the front end of said semi-trailer when said tractor is disconnected, each leg having a pair of pins spaced one above the other and extending laterally at each side of said leg; a longitudinally movable slide for connection to each leg and including a depending plate at each side of the upper end of each leg; each depending plate having an upper slot and a lower slot, with said slots being in lateral alignment; means for moving said legs and slides between forward and rear positions; each upper slot being arcuate and having an upwardly and slightly rearwardly extending front portion and a downwardly and rearwardly extending lower portion; each lower slot having a central arcuate portion, a front portion extending upwardly and slightly rearwardly from the front of said central portion and a rear portion extending downwardly and rearwardly from the rear of said central portion; said central portion of said lower slot being curved along a radius from the intersection of said front and lower portions of said upper slot; said front portion of said lower slot being in alignment with said front portion of said upper slot; and said rear portion of said lower slot being in alignment with the lower portion of said upper slot, whereby when said legs are moved rearwardly from the front position, said legs will be pivoted upwardly and rearwardly and said slides will be moved rearwardly through connection with said legs to said rear position, and also so that when said legs are moved forwardly from the rear position, said legs will be moved downwardly and forwardly and said slides will be moved forwardly to said front position.

Claim 6

A support as defined in claim 3, wherein: each leg is hollow and generally rectangular in section and provided with an adjustable lower end and a beveled top; said pin means comprises a pair of pins associated with each leg and spaced one above the other, with the lower pin extending laterally through the corresponding leg and the upper pin attached to the apex of the top of said leg; a slide bar is attached to the outside of each depending side plate of each slide at the top thereof; said guide for each slide has an upper plate attached to the underside of said trailer, a pair of spaced, depending, inwardly extending angular members along which said slide bars of said slides are movable for supporting said slide during movement, and a central guide tube attached to the underside of said upper plate and disposed between the side plates of the corresponding slide; an extensible and retractable cylinder and piston rod means disposed rearwardly of and for moving said leg means and said slide means between said front and rear positions; means for supplying fluid under pressure to opposite ends of said cylinder, including an air brake line of said trailer and a storage tank; means for controlling the supply of fluid to said opposite ends of said cylinder, fOr retracting said piston rod means when said front end of said trailer is supported by said tractor and for extending said piston rod means when said tractor is to be driven out from under said trailer, includes a control valve operable by the pressure in said air brake line for causing air under pressure from said storage tank to be supplied to the rear end of said cylinder to extend said piston rod means and to exhaust from the front end of said cylinder, when the pressure in said air brake line is reduced to a lower predetermined value, and for causing air under pressure to be supplied to said front end and to exhaust from said rear end, thereby causing said piston rod means to be retracted, when the pressure in said air brake line reaches a higher predetermined value; and an exhaust valve is connected between said control valve and each respective end of said cylinder, each exhaust valve having an exhaust orifice adapted to be connected with the corresponding end of said cylinder when the air pressure at said exhaust valve is reduced to a predetermined value when such air is being exhausted from said exhaust valve by said control valve.

Claim 7

A support for a semi-trailer adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a tractor, the front end of said trailer being supported by said tractor when connected thereto and said support supporting the front end of said trailer when said tractor is disconnected, said support comprising: leg means for supporting the front end of said semi-trailer when said tractor is disconnected; slide means for said leg means for movement between a forward position and a rear position; means for moving said leg means and slide means between said positions; said slide means having depending plate means provided with slot means; said legs being provided with pin means engageable with said slot means of said plate means of the corresponding slide; each leg being hollow and generally rectangular in section and provided with an adjustable lower end and a beveled top; and said pin means comprising a pair of pins associated with each leg and spaced one above the other, with the lower pin extending laterally through the corresponding leg and the upper pin attached to the apex of the top of said leg.

Claim 8

A support for a semi-trailer adapted to be connected to and disconnected from a tractor, the front end of said trailer being supported by said tractor when connected thereto and said support supporting the front end of said trailer when said tractor is disconnected, said support comprising: leg means for supporting the front end of said semi-trailer when said tractor is disconnected; slide means for said leg means for movement between a forward position and a rear position; means for moving said leg means and slide means between said positions; said slide means having depending plate means provided with slot means; said legs being provided with pin means engageable with said slot means of said plate means of the corresponding slide; each leg being hollow and generally rectangular in section and provided with an adjustable lower end and a beveled top; and said pin means comprising a pair of pins associated with each leg and spaced one above the other, with the lower pin extending laterally through the corresponding leg and the upper pin attached to the apex of the top of said leg.