The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 25, 2014
Filed:
Jul. 02, 2007
Jonathan Andersen, Grafton, WI (US);
Dave Holm, Kewaskum, WI (US);
Timothy Muhl, Slinger, WI (US);
Bradley J. Stone, Port Washington, WI (US);
Matt Sveum, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Jonathan Andersen, Grafton, WI (US);
Dave Holm, Kewaskum, WI (US);
Timothy Muhl, Slinger, WI (US);
Bradley J. Stone, Port Washington, WI (US);
Matt Sveum, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Rite-Hite Holding Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
To help hold a trailer bed of a truck steady at a loading dock as the truck is being loaded or unloaded of its cargo, a yieldable vehicle brace exerts a substantial, but limited, reactive force upward against the trailer's rear impact guard to resist the trailer's downward movement. In some embodiments, the brace holds the trailer bed stationary up to a certain load limit and provides the trailer bed with a controlled or dampened descent when the load exceeds that limit. In some cases, the reactive upward force exerted by the brace increases with the downward velocity of the trailer bed. The reactive force can be created by one or more pressure relief valves, hydraulic fluid passing through a flow restriction, a brake, a spring, or various combinations thereof. Some embodiments of the brace include provisions for accommodating horizontal movement of the rear impact guard.