초록 ▼

A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load includes a wheeled trailer structure for attachment to a towing vehicle; a carriage mounted for bidirectional travel on the trailer structure; a carriage hitch carried by the carriage, the carriage hitch configured for coupling

A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load includes a wheeled trailer structure for attachment to a towing vehicle; a carriage mounted for bidirectional travel on the trailer structure; a carriage hitch carried by the carriage, the carriage hitch configured for coupling to the load; a movable, preferably pivotable arm carried by the trailer structure; and an arm actuating cylinder operably engaging the movable arm to selectively position the movable arm in lowered and raised positions. In a first raised position, the movable arm can suspend a cable attached to the load and lift the load when the cable is pulled by a winch. In a second raised position, the movable arm can arrange the cable so that it presents a strong vertical component for lowering the load onto the carriage hitch. When the movable arm is arranged in the lowered position, the carriage can travel over the movable arm as the cable pulls the load onto the trailer structure.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load, the vehicle trailer system comprising: a trailer, arranged along a front-to-back, longitudinal direction, the trailer comprising: a wheeled trailer structure for attachment to a towing vehicle;a carriage mounted on the trail

1. A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load, the vehicle trailer system comprising: a trailer, arranged along a front-to-back, longitudinal direction, the trailer comprising: a wheeled trailer structure for attachment to a towing vehicle;a carriage mounted on the trailer structure for bidirectional travel along the trailer structure and along the longitudinal direction;a carriage hitch carried by the carriage, the carriage hitch configured for coupling to a load;a movable arm carried by the trailer structure;an arm actuator carried by the trailer structure and operably engaging the movable arm to move the movable arm; anda flexible, windable elongated element comprising a fastener for coupling to and pulling the load; whereinthe vehicle trailer system is configured to adopt; a first configuration, in which the carriage is mounted on the trailer structure and the movable arm is positioned in a raised position extending over said carriage and rearward of said carriage hitch, and further in which the flexible, windable elongated element is supported on and suspended from the movable arm and the fastener extends rearward of the carriage hitch for the coupling of the fastener to a load and the pulling and lifting of the load by the flexible, windable elongated element onto the carriage hitch;a second configuration, in which the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position, and further in which the carriage is traveling frontward on and along the trailer structure and passing over the movable arm; anda third configuration, in which the carriage is arranged frontward of the movable arm, and the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position for the passing of a load thereover as pulled by the elongated, windable element. 2. The vehicle trailer of claim 1, wherein the movable arm is pivotable about a side-to-side, transverse rotation axis and along a vertical longitudinal plane which is longitudinally aligned with the carriage hitch. 3. The vehicle trailer of claim 1, wherein the wheeled trailer structure comprises: a trailer front structure for attachment to the towing vehicle;a trailer rear structure, pivotably attached to the trailer front structure about a side-to-side, transverse pivot axis. 4. The vehicle trailer system of claim 3, wherein the movable arm is pivotably carried by the trailer rear structure. 5. The vehicle trailer system of claim 3, wherein the trailer rear structure comprises a pivotable structure pivotably attached to the trailer front structure and supported on the ground by at least one pair of wheels. 6. The vehicle trailer system of claim 5, wherein the pivotable structure of the trailer rear structure comprises a pair of spaced-apart trailer rails and the carriage is translationally mounted on the trailer rails. 7. The vehicle trailer system of claim 6, wherein the carriage is arranged between the trailer rails. 8. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, wherein the carriage hitch comprises a hitch ball providing a ball-joint coupling with the load. 9. The vehicle trailer system of claim 8, wherein the ball-joint coupling is arranged vertically higher than adjacent portions of the trailer structure. 10. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, further comprising at least one roller attachable to the load. 11. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, further comprising a hitch structure removably attachable to the load, the hitch structure comprising a hitch coupler for engaging with the carriage hitch, the hitch structure further comprising a fastener for coupling the fastener of the flexible, windable elongated element. 12. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, wherein the movable arm further comprises a retainer transversely retaining the flexible, windable elongated element within the arm when the flexible, windable elongated element is supported by the movable arm. 13. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, wherein the movable arm comprises at least one pulley from which the flexible, windable elongated element is suspended in at least one of the plurality of raised positions. 14. The vehicle trailer system of claim 1, wherein the trailer structure further comprises at least one trailer roller arranged at a rear end of the trailer structure, the at least one trailer roller rotatable about a side-to-side, transverse rotational axis for the longitudinal rolling thereon of the load. 15. The vehicle trailer system of claim 14, the at least one trailer roller comprising two trailer rollers arranged on opposite sides of a rear end of the trailer structure. 16. A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load, the vehicle trailer system comprising: a trailer, arranged along a front-to-back, longitudinal direction, the trailer comprising: a trailer front structure for attachment to a towing vehicle;a wheeled, trailer rear structure, pivotably attached to the trailer front structure about a side-to-side, transverse pivot axis;a carriage mounted on the trailer rear structure for bidirectional travel along the trailer rear structure and along the longitudinal direction;a carriage hitch carried by the carriage, the carriage hitch configured for coupling to the load;a movable arm pivotably carried by the trailer rear structure; andan arm actuator operably engaging the movable arm to pivot the movable arm; whereinthe vehicle trailer system is configured to adopt: a first configuration, in which the carriage is mounted on the trailer rear structure and the movable arm is positioned in a raised position extending over said carriage and rearward of said carriage hitch;a second configuration, in which the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position, and further in which the carriage is traveling frontward on and along the trailer rear structure and passing over the movable arm; anda third configuration, in which the carriage is arranged frontward of the movable arm and at a front end of the trailer rear structure, and the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position for the resting of the load over the movable arm and on the trailer rear structure. 17. The vehicle trailer system of claim 16, the carriage hitch comprises a hitch ball providing a ball-joint coupling with the load. 18. A vehicle trailer system for loading, transporting and unloading a load, the vehicle trailer system comprising: a trailer, arranged along a front-to-back, longitudinal direction, the trailer comprising: a trailer front structure for attachment to a towing vehicle;a trailer rear structure, pivotably attached to the trailer front structure about a side-to-side, transverse pivot axis;a carriage mounted on the trailer rear structure for bidirectional travel along the trailer rear structure and along the longitudinal direction;a carriage hitch ball carried by the carriage, the carriage hitch ball configured for providing a ball-joint coupling to the load on which the load can rotate sideways;a movable arm pivotably carried by the trailer rear structure;an arm actuator operably engaging the movable arm to pivot the movable arm; andat least one user-operable control for operating the arm actuator; whereinthe vehicle trailer system is configured to adopt: a first configuration, in which the carriage is mounted on the trailer rear structure and the movable arm is positioned in a raised position extending over said carriage and rearward of said carriage hitch;a second configuration, in which the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position, and further in which the carriage is traveling frontward on and alone the trailer rear structure and passing over the movable arm; anda third configuration, in which the carriage is arranged frontward of the movable arm and at a front end of the trailer rear structure, and the movable arm is lowered relative to the raised position for the resting of the load over the movable arm and on the trailer rear structure. 19. The vehicle trailer system of claim 18, further comprising a flexible, windable elongated element and a winch for winding and unwinding the flexible, winding elongated element, wherein the flexible, windable elongated element comprises a fastener for coupling to and pulling the load, and further wherein, in said first configuration, the flexible, windable elongated element is supported on and suspended from the movable arm and the fastener extends rearward of the carriage hitch. 20. The vehicle trailer system of claim 19, further comprising at least one user-operable control for operating the winch.