Cross-Reference To Related Application

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/655,000, filed June 4, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background Of The Invention

Field of the Invention

[0002] Embodiments of the invention are directed to stands for equipment, and, in particular, stands for equipment to be loaded on a truck.

Description of Related Art

[0003] It is a common for certain types of equipment to be mounted or loaded on trucks or other similar vehicles. Such equipment is typically large and heavy, and its use requires that it be transported. A bed salt spreader is one example of this type of equipment. A typical bed salt spreader is a large and heavy container that can be loaded on the bed or back of a truck. Also, a typical salt spreader is far too large to be lifted or carried by a person. The spreader is filled with salt, and has an opening at a back end that can be controlled to allow salt to be distributed onto a road. During snow or icey weather conditions, municipalities and other entities deploy trucks with salt spreaders to distribute ice on roads and parking lots to melt surface ice.

[0004] Salt spreaders are typically purchased separately from the vehicles that they are loaded on. One method to load a salt spreader onto a truck is to use a crane, loader, or other lifting device or heavy machinery to pick of the salt spreader, and lift it into the bed of the truck. The salt spreader is then secured to the truck by way of straps, bolts, or other fastening devices. This method of loading a salt spreader, or other piece of equipment, onto the back of a truck is not overly burdensome, if the entity using the salt spreader has ready access to a crane or other lifting device, and a dedicated vehicle can be used with the salt spreader, so that the salt spreader need not be repeatedly loaded and then unloaded from the truck.

[0005] In many cases, however, an entity may not have ready access to a crane or other heavy lifting device, and a vehicle, such as a flat bed truck, may need to be deployed for other uses besides solely carrying the salt spreader or other equipment. In such cases, loading a salt spreader or other heavy piece of equipment onto and off of a truck can be problematic.

[0006] To address these problems, one approach has been to attach an equipment stand to the bottom of the piece of equipment. A schematic view of a stand that can be used to support a piece of equipment, such as a salt spreader 10, is shown in FIG. 1 1 . The stand includes a rigid metal base 60 that can be attached to the bottom of the salt spreader 10. The metal base 60 can be attached to the salt spreader 10 by bolting or other methods of securing. Rigid legs or posts 62 and 64 are attached to the base 60, and serve to elevate the bottom of the salt spreader above the bed 52 of dump truck 50. Rollers 66 are attached to the front of the base 60. Because truck 50 is a dump truck, the bed 52 can be pitched at an angle. The truck 50 is then backed up until the rollers 66 contact the bed 52 of dump truck 50. The angle of the bed of the dump truck is then adjusted to lift the front legs of the stand off of the ground. Because the bed 52 is in contact with the rollers 66, and not the bottom of the base 60, relatively little friction is generated, and the truck 50 can be backed up and under the salt spreader 10 in a type of scooping movement. To facilitate this loading, the front legs are hinged and fold back. This scooping movement is made possible by the use of a dump truck 50, which has the ability to pitch its bed 52. Thus, by way of such a stand, a salt spreader, or other piece of heavy equipment, can be loaded onto a dump truck without the need for a crane or other lifting device.

[0007]A drawback of this above-described system, however, is that a dump truck, or similar type of truck with a bed that can be pitched, is needed. Using this type of equipment stand, a bed salt spreader could not be loaded, for example, onto a typical flat bed truck or pickup truck

[0008] Another drawback with the above-described method is that using the dump truck to engage with the stand requires a relatively high level of skill by the truck operator, who has to accurately control both the position of the truck and the angle of the dump truck bed. In some circumstances, when the bed of a dump truck is inadvertently raised too high, the stand and spreader can tip or topple over, causing a potentially dangerous situation, and damage to the spreader.

[0009] Thus, a situation exists whereby certain difficulties arise when loading or unloading salt spreaders, or other heavy equipment onto trucks other than dump trucks. Consequently, a need exists for an improved equipment stand for equipment to be loaded on trucks and other vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Embodiments of the invention are directed to these and other needs. Embodiments are directed to a stand for loading an equipment piece onto a bed of a vehicle, wherein the stand is configured to support the equipment piece. The stand can include a base, configured to attach to the equipment piece, a plurality of back legs, extending outward from the base from a point proximate a back end of the base, a plurality of front legs extending outward from the base from a point proximate a front end of the base and a roller connected at the front end of the base.

[0011]The front legs and the back legs are designed and dimensioned to contact the ground, and support the base, and the lengths of the front legs and the lengths of the back legs can be adjusted such that the distance of the back end of the base from the ground is greater than the distance of the front end from the ground.

[0012] In some embodiments, the stand can include a controller, wherein a user can operate the controller to adjust the lengths of the back legs.

[0013] [0012] In some embodiments, the controller is a hydraulic controller, a pneumatic controller and/or a mechanical controller.

[0014] In some embodiments, the controller can adjust the length of the front legs such that the roller comes in contact with a bed of the vehicle, after the vehicle has been positioned such that the bed is positioned below the roller.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bed of the vehicle is substantially parallel to the ground. [0016] In some embodiments, the front legs are pivotally connected to the base, such that the front legs can pivot to a position where they are aligned with the base.

[0017] In some embodiments, the front legs are pivotally connected to the base, such that, when the vehicle is moved toward the back end of the base, the vehicle can come into physical contact with the front legs, causing the front legs to pivot to a position where they are aligned with the base.

[0018] In some embodiments, after the vehicle is moved to a position whereby the back of the vehicle is proximate the back legs, the controller can adjust the length of the back legs such that they do not contact the ground.

[0019] In some embodiments, the equipment piece is a bed spreader.

[0020] In some embodiments, the vehicle is a pickup truck.

[0021] In some embodiments, the vehicle is a flat bed truck.

[0022] Some embodiments are directed to a stand for loading a bed spreader onto a bed of a pickup truck, wherein the bed spreader is connected to the stand. The stand includes a base, the bed spreader being connected to the base, a plurality of back legs, extending outward from the base from a point proximate a back end of the base, a plurality of front legs extending outward from the base from a point proximate a front end of the base, a roller connected at the front end of the base and a controller, wherein a user can operate the controller to adjust the lengths of the back legs, wherein the front legs and the back legs are designed and dimensioned to contact the ground, and support the base, and wherein the lengths of the front legs and the lengths of the back legs can be adjusted such that the distance of the back end of the base from the ground is greater than the distance of the front end from the ground.

[0023] Some embodiments include a stand for loading an equipment piece onto a bed of a vehicle, wherein the stand is configured to support the equipment piece. The stand includes a base, wherein the object is connected to and supporting the equipment piece, a plurality of back legs, extending outward from the base from a point proximate a back end of the base, a plurality of front legs extending outward from the base from a point proximate a front end of the base, a roller connected at the front end of the base and a controller, wherein the front legs and the back legs are designed and dimensioned to contact the ground, and support the base, wherein a user can operate the controller to adjust the lengths of the back legs, and wherein the lengths of the front legs and the lengths of the back legs can be adjusted such that the base can be alternately pitched forward and pitched backward, while the base is connected to and supporting the equipment piece.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments presented below considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, of which: [0025] FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of an equipment stand, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of an equipment stand, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a rear schematic view of an equipment stand, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of an equipment stand, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0029] FIGs. 5-10 are perspective views of an exemplary sequence for loading a bed salt spreader onto a pickup truck, in accordance with certain embodiments; and

[0030] FIG. 1 1 is a side schematic view of a related equipment stand, being loaded onto a dump truck.

[0031] It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for purposes of illustrating, and not limiting, the concepts of the invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

[0032] With reference to FIG. 1 , there is shown an equipment stand 100 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The stand 100 includes a base 1 10. Back legs 130 and front legs 120 extend out from the bottom of base 1 10. Back legs 130 are connected near to a back end of the base 1 10. Front legs 120, however, are connected a distance back from a front side of base 1 10. A support portion 150 of base 1 10 extends in front of front legs 120. A roller mechanism 152 is connected to the front side of base 1 10 and extends frontward out from the base 1 10. [0033] Back legs 130 each include telescoping segments 131 , 132, 133 that facilitate extension and retraction of the back legs 130. Similarly, front legs 120 each include telescoping segments 121 , 122, 123 that facilitate extension and retraction of the front legs 120. In some embodiments, front legs 120 and back legs 130 can include more or less telescoping segments. Front feet 124 are connected to respective bottom potions of front legs 120. Similarly, back feet 134 are connective to respective bottom portions of back legs 130.

[0034] The height of front legs 120 and back legs 130 can be adjusted under load, such that the heights of the front legs 120 and back legs 130 can be adjusted while the base 1 10 is loaded with a piece of heavy equipment, such as, for example, a bed salt spreader.

[0035] Front legs 120 are each attached to base 1 10 via a selectively lockable pivot joint 154. By way of the pivot joints 154, front legs 124 can rotate or pivotally swing back and retract up to a position in alignment with base 1 10. In some embodiments, each of the front legs 124 can pivot independently. Such independent pivoting allows for the front legs 124 to function on uneven surfaces.

[0036] As is described in greater detail below, back legs 130 can be extended to a greater height than that of front legs 120, allowing base 1 10 to be pitched, or tipped forward at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal. This pitched position of the base 1 10 beneficially facilitates loading of the stand and an attached piece of equipment onto a truck having a flat bed, without the need for using a dump truck, or the need for a crane or other piece of lifting equipment.

[0037] In some embodiments, front legs 120 and back legs 130 can be telescopingly adjusted up or down, to be raised or lowered by way of a conrtoller, such as a hydraulic control system. In other embodiments, pneumatic control can be used. Further, in some embodiments, a mechanical system, such as a hand crank mechanism, can be used. In some embodiments, various combinations of hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, electronic, electric over hydraulic, pneumatic over hydraulic, and/or mechanical systems can be used for adjusting the length of the front legs 120 and/or the back legs 130. The hydraulic, pneumatic and/or mechanical systems would be implemented as would be understood by one of skill in the art, as infomred by the present disclosure. Also, in some embodiments, the legs can be controlled independently, while in others, the two front legs 120 and the two back legs 130 are each controlled together. In some circumstances, the front legs and back legs 130 can be adjusted to articulate the base 1 10 to one side or the other side, to adjust for uneven ground, or for other purposes.

[0038] With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a schematic top view of the equipment stand 100 of FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, base 1 10 includes main members 1 15, 1 16, front transverse member 1 18 and back transverse member 1 17. These members form a rigid generally rectangular structure. In some embodiments, other configurations and shapes can be used. Additional transverse members 1 19, or gussets extending from the base to the legs can provide additional structural support. Pivot joints 154 are shown disposed on respective outer sides of main members 1 15. In other embodiments, pivot joints 154 are disposed at respective inner surfaces of main members 1 15. In some embodiments, back transverse member 1 17 is longer than front transverse member 1 18. With such a configuration, back legs 130 can provide additional support, while front legs 120 can easily fit onto the bed of a truck, as is described in further detail below.

[0039] With reference to FIGs. 3 and 4, there is shown schematic rear and front views, respectively, of the equipment stand 100. As described above, in some embodiments, height adjustment of the front legs 120 and back legs can be facilitated by way of a mechanical hand crank system. Such a configuration would use a hand crank 162 to adjust the height of the stand. Alternatively, or in combination with the mechanical system, a control box 140 can include controllers 141 , such as levers, for hydraulically and/or pneumatically controlling the height of the legs.

[0040] In use, embodiments of the equipment stand can be used to load a piece of equipment, such as a bed salt spreader, or other object, onto a truck, such as a pickup truck. In some embodiments, other types of equipment, such as, for example, a water tank, and other types of vehicles, such as, for example, a flatbed truck, can be used. An exemplary process of loading a bed salt spreader onto a pickup truck is described below, with reference to FIGs. 5-10.

[0041] With reference to FIG. 5, a salt spreader 10 is attached to the base 1 10 of equipment stand 100. The salt spreader 10 can be attached by various means, such as by screws, bolts, welding, or other fastening methods. The spreader and stand can then be stored in this position until needed. A user then operates the pneumatic (or other type of) controls 140 to raise the front of base 1 10 to a level higher than the bed 22 of truck 20. The user then operates the controls to raise the back of base 1 10 to a height above that of the front of base 1 10. The heights of the front and back of the base 1 10 are controlled by selectively extending or retracting the front legs 120 and back legs 130 as described above. All below descriptions of extending or retracting the front legs 120 and back legs and of raising or lowering heights, or adjusting the pitch, of the base 1 10 are by way of a user operating hydraulic or pneumatic (or other type of) controls 140 as described above.

[0042] The user then backs up truck 20 until the bed 22 is just below the roller mechanism 152. If the roller mechanism is not in contact with the bed, the user lowers the front of base 1 10 until the roller mechanism 152 is in contact with the bed. With reference to FIG. 6, the user then backs up the truck some more, until the back of the truck is close to the front legs 120. At this point, the base 1 10 can be supported by the roller mechanism 152 on the bed 22. With reference to FIG. 7, the user then partially retracts the front legs 120 so that they are no longer in contact with the ground. At this point, the front of base 1 10 is being supported by the roller mechanism 152 on the bed 22. At this point, the user may also remove a locking pin, or otherwise unlock the pivoting capability of the front legs 120. The user then continues to back up the truck 20, placing the bed 22 of the truck 20 further under the base 1 10. With reference to FIG. 8, to facilitate this movement, the front legs 120, which make physical contact with the back of the truck 20, pivot about the pivot joints 154 (see also FIGs. 1 and 2).

[0043] With reference to FIG. 9, the user continues to back the truck 20 under the base 1 10 as the front legs 120 pivot up to a position in alignment with the main members 1 15, 1 16 (see also FIG. 2) of the base 1 10. With reference to FIG. 10, the user then backs the truck 20 up until the back of the truck 20 is close to the back legs 130 of the equipment stand 100. The user then controls the rear legs 130 to retract and become shorter (by operating hydraulic, pneumatic, or other type of, controls 140, as described above).

[0044] The salt equipment stand 100 and bed salt spreader 10 are then secured to the bed 22 of the truck 20 by straps or other known securing means. With further reference to FIG. 5, the salt spreader 10 would be loaded such that salt disperser 12 of spreader 10 extends outward behind the bed 22, so that salt (or sand, or other suitable substance) can be dispersed on roads and other surfaces.

[0045] When a time arises to remove the salt spreader 10 and equipment stand 100 from the truck 20, the user essentially performs the same steps as discussed above with loading the salt spreader and equipment stand on the truck 20, but in the reverse order.

[0046] Embodiments of the invention can be used with pickup trucks, flatbed trucks, utility vehicles, box trucks, and other similar vehicles. Dump trucks can also be used, but are not necessary, as they are with other known equipment stands.

[0047] In some embodiments, the pneumatic and/or hydraulic controller 140 (see FIG. 3) can also control wheels located at the front feet 124 and/or rear feet 134 (see FIG. 1 ). In such embodiments, instead of backing a truck 20 up to the stand 100, the stand can be moved to and loaded onto the truck 20 while the truck is standing still.

[0048] In some embodiments, the base can be formed from 4x4x1/4 inch structural steel box tubing, with the joints being welded. In some embodiments, other materials can be used. Further, while the base is shown as having a generally rectangular shape, other shapes may be used.

[0049]Thus, by way of embodiments of the invention, a single user can load (and unload) a salt spreader, or other piece of heavy equipment, and equipment stand on a truck or other vehicle having a flat bed, without the need for additional lifting equipment, such as a crane or loader. Further, the user can load (and unload) the salt spreader and equipment stand onto and off of a truck without the need for the truck to be a dump truck, or other type of truck with an articulating bed.

[0050] These features of embodiments of the invention are beneficial, because they allow for great flexibility of use of vehicles for a town or other entity, which may typically have access to, for example, multiple pickup trucks, but not multiple dump trucks. [0051] Other benefits arise because, with some embodiments, a user does not have to control both a position of a truck, and an angle of a bed of a dump truck.

[0052] Reference has been made above in detail to specific embodiments of the invention including the best modes contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the above description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. Embodiments of the invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In addition, well known features may not have been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.

[0053] It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention and that many variations of the above-described embodiments can be devised by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that all such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.