US 12,258,146 B2
Pallet trailer and method for loading and unloading cargo aircraft
Logan Kurtz, Eagle River, AK (US); and Nichole Kurtz, Eagle River, AK (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed by Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
Filed on May 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/739,760.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/214,962, filed on Jun. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0139589 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. B64F 1/32 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 1/322 (2020.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pallet trailer comprising:
a deck having a top, a bottom, and sides, wherein the top of the deck comprises an uppermost portion that lies in a top plane wherein the top of the deck has at least one pair of spaced apart forklift clearance channels therein that are disposed below the top plane of the deck and extend inward from at least one of the sides of the deck;
a plurality of wheels located underneath the bottom of the deck, wherein said wheels are rotatable on axles that are joined at least indirectly to the bottom of the deck; and
a fold-up rail system joined to at least one of the sides of the deck, said fold-up rail system comprising at least one rail that comprises an elongated plate which has an upper edge portion that is movable between a pallet loading position to a pallet securing position, wherein the rail is positioned below a level of the forklift clearance channels in the pallet loading position, and the upper edge portion of the elongated plate is disposed above the top plane of the deck in the pallet securing position.