Kendall, Donald H.;

Rear impact trailer guard

An auxiliary protection device is attached to the rear of a semitrailer wh resists the tendency of passenger vehicles to go under a trailer upon impact in order to provide an increased measure of safety. In addition, the device to will absorb energy incrementally so as to minimize vehicle damage at low speeds but have sufficient energy absorption to safely prevent incursion at moderate speeds. The device can be moved to a retracted position to allow the trailer to back up a ramp or into a plane with the protection device retracted so as to avoid injury to the ramp.

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What is claimed is:

1. An improved truck semitrailer safety bumper for use with trailers having a frame supporting a trailer body, to provide additional crash protection to cars and similar smaller vehicles on rear impacts with the trailer including:

a safety bumper extending horizontally across the vehicle body, the safety bumper being of sufficient strength to withstand the force of impact generated by the impact of a vehicle;

a plurality of vertically extending bumper supports located at the rear of the trailer, the bumper supports having a first end rotatably attached to the trailer frame, and a second end mounted to the safety bumper, said vertically extending bumper supports maintaining the bumper about 20-22 inches above the road surface under normal conditions;

a plurality of curved legs having one end firmly attached to the trailer frame, and the other end extending towards the rear of the trailer to a point below the trailer frame, the curved legs having a curved aperture formed therethrough, the curved aperture having a plurality of roller teeth formed on the lower surface thereof and a plurality of detents formed on the upper surface thereof;

a plurality of second arm members corresponding in number to the vertical supports each of the second arm members being associated with a particular curved arm, one end of the second arm member being attached to the safety bumper and a second end extending towards the associated curved arm;

a plurality of slotted bars having one end attached to the trailer frame at a point near the rear of the trailer, the slotted bars having a longitudinal slot formed near the end of the slotted bar juxtaposed the curved arm, the slot being coaxially aligned with the slotted bar, and having an unattached end near the curved arm, the slotted bar being disposed on the side of the curved arm opposite the corresponding second arm member;

a plurality of cam pins associated with the second arms, said cam pins having one end firmly mounted in the second end of the second arm, each of the cam pins extending orthogonally to the associated second arm through the curved slot and into the slot in said slotted bar,

whereby a gentle force on the safety bumper will cause the cam pin to move along the roller teeth allowing the bumper to retract in toward the trailer frame but when the bumper is struck forcefully, the cam pins will move into contact with one of the detents from the impact force preventing the vehicle from submarining under the semi-trailer.