Bil-Jax Develops Patent-Pending Retractable Axle System

Enlarge Image A patent-pending dual mechanical interlock system deters against retracting the axles while the trailer is hitched and blocks the trailer hitch from opening while the axles are in the retracted position.

December 21, 2005 — Bil-Jax, Inc., Archbold, Ohio, has announced the development of an optional retractable axle system for its new Summit Series™ trailer-mounted boom lifts, which it will unveil at The Rental Show in February. Using this breakthrough technology, select towable aerials will be able to pass through single doorways and most fence gates.

 

The optional retractable axle system features a patent-pending dual mechanical interlock system that deters against retracting the axles while the trailer is hitched to a towing vehicle and physically blocks the opening of the trailer hitch to discourage vehicles from coupling to the trailer while the axles are in the retracted position. The system also includes a secondary interlocking system, preventing axle retraction during towing.

 

Select Summit Series models equipped with this option will be capable of retracting to a compact 34-inch width. According to Steve Citron, Bil-Jax's director of business development, models that utilize this option are towables mounted to its smallest base chassis, which includes the new 3522A trailer-mounted aerial lift. The 3522A is only 16 feet long • 14 feet long with the platform removed • and provides a tight compact package for maneuvering when it is equipped with the retractable axle option. Bil-Jax is currently working on building the retractable axle into the base design of the 3522A so it can be a field retrofittable option on the standard 3522A chassis at a later date. “We are also planning to integrate another lift structure on this [34-inch wide] chassis in the not-to-distant future, but that is beyond 2006 at this time,” Citron said.

 

Axle extend and retract functions can be accomplished in less than 60 seconds, and these are actuated hydraulically when the machine's tires are raised off the ground by the outriggers. All Summit Series models equipped with the retractable axle will also feature a quick-disconnect system, allowing easy removal of the platform so it can pass through single doorways and fence gates. The platform can then be quickly re-attached to the machine after both items pass through the restricted opening.

 

Enlarge Image The drive behind developing a retractable axle came from the increasing demand for aerials to fit through areas with limited access, such as standard doorways and fence gates.

Driving the need for a retractable axle is the demand for aerial work platforms to fit through standard doorways • not only for indoor applications but also outdoor applications with limited access, such as fitting through fence gates. Citron gave the example of the homeowner market where the target rental demographics include a home improvement project, such as painting, gutter work, or tree trimming, for a multi-story house with a privacy fence. If a homeowner decides to rent an aerial lift, he or she will have a strong desire to use the lift around the entire house including backyards that are typically fenced off versus using a lift in the front yard and having to still use a ladder in the backyard. Therefore, a retractable axle would be highly desirable, and in many cases, will be necessary (or required) to drive homeowner rental utilization upward.

 

“The amount of potential jobsites that trailer-mounted booms can be utilized in could easily double, and in some regions, triple or more once you break through the single doorway and fence gate barrier,” Citron said. “This system truly allows our boom to get into locations where no other booms can go.”

 

Bil-Jax has applied for a broad-based U.S. patent, covering the utilization of this system on any type of trailer. “Anything that you would want to squeeze into a 34-inch opening is fair game,” Citron said. “Obviously, we are only looking at boom lifts right now, but there are potentially other applications.” The company also intends to file for patent protection in select international regions.