Trailer for an articulated vehicle

Abstract

A low floored trailer has a base frame welded to wheel arches and flooring formed over the major part of corrugated sheet welded to the base frame and overlaid with wood, between the wheel arches i.e. above the wheel axles, the floor is formed by a flat plate. Upright corrugated walls are also welded to the base frame. The axles are supported by springs carried by cross beams in the wheel arches to that the load carried by the trailer is transmitted through the springs to the base frame in the vicinity of the wheel arches and into the upright walls. Because of the lowness of the floor a larger than usual internal height is obtained, which is important especially where the overall height of the trailer is restricted by regulations.

I claim: 
     
       1. A road trailer comprising: (a) a pair of transversely spaced wheel arches carrying at least one wheel axle via spring means;   (b) a horizontally disposed base frame attached to said wheel arches substantially adjacent to the level of said axle so that said base frame is below the level of the tops of wheels attached to each end of said axle;   (c) a floor supported by said base frame; and   (d) corrugated upright wall members supported by said base frame for supporting a roof frame, the weight of the load carried by said trailer being transmitted through said spring means to said base frame in the vicinity of said wheel arches and into said upright wall members;   (e) said floor comprising a major portion formed of corrugated sheet material attached to said base frame and a minor portion disposed between said wheel arches and above said wheel axle and being formed of flat steel plate having an upper surface which is level with the upper surface of said major portion and an underside disposed substantially higher than an underside of said major portion and only a short distance above said wheel axle to allow for vertical movement of said wheel axle, thereby to provide a low-lying floor unobstructed along its length apart from each wheel arch.   
     
     
       2. A trailer according to claim 1 characterised in that an intermediate floor is provided at a location between the .[.face.]. .Iadd.base .Iaddend.frame and the roof frame, said intermediate floor being formed of corrugated members welded to the sides of the trailer. 
     
     
       3. A trailer according to claim 2, characterised in that each of said first-mentioned floor and intermediate floor is overlaid with wood. 
     
     
       4. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that a counterbalance door is provided in at least one of said upright walls and comprises upper and lower door panels pivotal horizontally and interconnected by a linkage so that movement of one panel causes corresponding movement of the other panel. .Iadd. 
     
     
       5.  A road trailer comprising: (a) a pair of transversely opposed wheel arches;   (b) at least one wheel axle carried in said wheel arches; and   (c) a wheel mounting assembly having a front and a back and comprising: at least two transverse beams, a first of said beams being located at said front of said assembly and a second of said beams being located at said back of said assembly, said first and second beams being attached directly to said wheel arches; and   spring means connected between adjacent ones of said beams for supporting said at least one wheel axle, the weight of the load carried by said trailer being transmitted through said spring means to said wheel arches. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. The road trailer of claim 5, further comprising:     (d) a pair of frame members, each of said frame members being connected to one of said wheel arches and following the contours of said one of said wheel arches to which it is connected. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The road trailer of claim 5, further comprising:   (d) a floor; and   (e) a flat plate attached to the upper surfaces of said beams so as to form a part of said floor. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The road trailer of claim 6, further comprising:   (d) a floor; and   (e) a flat plate attached to the upper surfaces of said beams so as to form   
     
     
        a part of said floor. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9.  A road trailer comprising: (a) a pair of transversely opposed wheel arches,   (b) first and second wheel axles carried in said wheel arches;   (c) a wheel mounting assembly having a front and a back and comprising: first, second, and third transverse beams, said first beam being located at said front of said assembly, said second beam being located at said back of said assembly, and said third beam being located centrally of said assembly, said first and second beams being attached directly to said wheel arches and said third beam being connected to the top of said wheel arches;   connection means for connecting said third beam to the tops of said wheel arches; and   first and second spring means, said first spring means being connected between said first and third beams for supporting said first wheel axle and said second spring means being connected between said second and third beams for supporting said second wheel axle, whereby the weight of the load carried by said trailer which is evenly distributed through said spring means to said wheel arches. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The road trailer of claim 9, further comprising:     (d) a pair of frame members each of said frame members being attached to one of said wheel arches and following the contours of said one of said wheel arches to which it is connected. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The road trailer of claim 9, further comprising:   (d) a floor; and   (e) a flat plate attached to the upper surfaces of said beams so as to form   
     
     
        a part of said floor. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  The road trailer of claim 10, further comprising: (d) a floor; and   (e) a flat plate attached to the upper surfaces of said beams so as to form a part of said floor. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The trailer of claim 9, said connection means having an inverted "V" shape. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The trailer of claim 10, said connection means having an inverted "V" shape. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The trailer of claim 11, said connection means having an inverted "V" shape. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The trailer of claim 12, said connection means having an inverted "V" shape. .Iaddend.