초록 ▼

An articulated vehicle has features that facilitate loading and unloading. The vehicle includes a truck and a trailer. The truck is loaded from the rear, as in the case of a pickup truck with an endgate or tailgate. The trailer is coupled to the truck by a tongue on the undercarriage of the trailer.

An articulated vehicle has features that facilitate loading and unloading. The vehicle includes a truck and a trailer. The truck is loaded from the rear, as in the case of a pickup truck with an endgate or tailgate. The trailer is coupled to the truck by a tongue on the undercarriage of the trailer. The trailer includes a bed and a front section. The bed, when released from the tongue pivots toward the ground so that a load can be rolled from the ground onto the bed. The front section is hinged to the bed. When the front section is unlocked from an upright position, it extends over the tongue to be supported in part by the tailgate. A hinged riser on the tongue supports the bed and the section as the load is rolled from the bed into the truck. When unloading, the bed tips toward the ground as the load is rolled off the bed. The articulated vehicle loads and unloads without a separate ramp, dock, or tailgate lift.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [3.] An articulated vehicle driven on and loaded from a ground surface, the vehicle comprising:a. a rear-loadable truck having a rear end; andb. a trailer comprising:(1) an undercarriage having wheels and a wheel axle;(2) a tongue that mechanically couples the truck rear end to the under

[ I claim:] [3.] An articulated vehicle driven on and loaded from a ground surface, the vehicle comprising:a. a rear-loadable truck having a rear end; andb. a trailer comprising:(1) an undercarriage having wheels and a wheel axle;(2) a tongue that mechanically couples the truck rear end to the undercarriage;(3) a bed pivotally connected to the undercarriage near the wheels and having a front end and a rear end, wherein the bed pivots rearward to move the rear end toward the ground surface and to support a provided load that rolls onto the trailer from the ground surface, and wherein the bed pivots forward as the provided load rolls forward toward the bed front end; and(4) a section pivotally connected to the bed near the front end and constructed to pivot forward to contact and be supported by the truck rear end, wherein the section supports the provided load that rolls onto the truck from the trailer;wherein the tongue is pivotally connected to the bed between the front end of the bed and the wheel axle; andwherein the trailer comprises a riser extending up from the tongue, wherein the riser does not contact the bed when the bed is pivoted rearward to place the bed rear end in contact with the ground; andwherein the riser is pivotally connected to the tongue, so that the riser is pivotal down to a lowered position and pivotal upward to a raised position underneath the front end of the bed.