Tag Archives: side guard patents

Underride Guard Patents

Engineers have long recognized the problem of truck underride (passenger vehicles going under trucks). They have also spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out engineering solutions to this deadly problem.

This post will attempt to record many of the patents issued in connection with these noble efforts. It will likely not be exhaustive, so I would welcome information on patents which I might have missed.

1896 This patent for a side underride protective device for street cars was issued on July 14 1896 and cited by numerous more recent underride patents: http://www.google.com.pg/patents/US564027.

1913 A patent was issued in 1913 for a “Safety Device for Motor Vehicles” to provide underride protection for the sides of large trucks. https://www.google.com/patents/US1127241

1935 H.H. Robinson was granted a patent for a Guard System for Tractor Trailer Combinations.

Since that time, numerous patents have been published which refer to this 1913 patent (with the patent information organized in these columns: Citing Patent, Filing date, Publication date, Applicant, Title):

US4688824 *Mar 4, 1986Aug 25, 1987Herring John DSafety device for vehicles
CN100572144CMay 27, 2005Dec 23, 2009沃尔沃拉斯特瓦格纳公司Device for a vehicle side anticollision box, and a vehicle comprising such a side anticollision box
US7407204 *Nov 27, 2006Aug 5, 2008Volvo Lastvagnar AbArrangement for a vehicle side fairing, and a vehicle comprising such a side fairing
US20070085355 *Nov 27, 2006Apr 19, 2007Volvo Lastvagnar AbArrangement for a vehicle side fairing, and a vehicle comprising such a side fairing
US7780224Jun 9, 2008Aug 24, 2010Vanguard National Trailer CorporationCrash attenuating underride guard
US20080303311 *Jun 9, 2008Dec 11, 2008Vanguard National Trailer CorporationCrash attenuating underride guard
US7887120Jan 26, 2009Feb 15, 2011Transtex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic trailer skirts
US7942467Dec 24, 2009May 17, 2011Transtex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic skirt support member
US7942468Dec 24, 2009May 17, 2011Transtex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic skirt securing mechanism
US7942469Dec 24, 2009May 17, 2011Transtex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic skirt panel
US7942470Dec 24, 2009May 17, 2011Transtex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic skirt opening
US7942471Dec 24, 2009May 17, 2011Trnastex Composite Inc.Aerodynamic skirt shape
US20090189414 *Jan 26, 2009Jul 30, 2009Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic trailer skirts
US20100096880 *Dec 24, 2009Apr 22, 2010Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt panel
US20100096882 *Dec 24, 2009Apr 22, 2010Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt opening
US20100096883 *Dec 24, 2009Apr 22, 2010Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt shape
US20100187856 *Dec 24, 2009Jul 29, 2010Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt support member
US20100187856 *Dec 24, 2009Jul 29, 2010Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt support member
US20100264691 *Apr 15, 2010Oct 21, 2010Giromini Richard JSide underride cable system for a trailer
US8292351Apr 3, 2011Oct 23, 2012Transtex Composite Inc.Resilient strut for aerodynamic skirt
US9004575Aug 3, 2011Apr 14, 2015Gary Alan GrandominicoAerodynamic skirt assembly
US20110175396 *Apr 3, 2011Jul 21, 2011Mathieu BoivinAerodynamic skirt
US8398150Apr 17, 2012Mar 19, 2013Wabash National, L.P.Side skirt system for a trailer
US8449017Sep 11, 2012May 28, 2013Transtex Composites Inc.Aerodynamic skirt resilient member
US20120169086 *Mar 7, 2012Jul 5, 2012Giromini Richard JSide underride cable system for a trailer
US8579359Jan 15, 2013Nov 12, 2013Wabash National, L.P.Side skirt system for a trailer
US8678474 *May 17, 2013Mar 25, 2014Transtex Composite Inc.Self-repositioning aerodynamic skirt
US8783758Mar 19, 2013Jul 22, 2014Wabash National, L.P.Folding side skirt system for a trailer
US8801078Oct 9, 2013Aug 12, 2014Wabash National, L.P.Side skirt system for a trailer
US9199676Jul 2, 2014Dec 1, 2015Wabash National, L. P.Side skirt system for a trailer
US9409610Mar 11, 2015Aug 9, 2016Wabash National, L.P.Side skirt system for a trailer
US9573636Mar 12, 2015Feb 21, 2017Ridge CorporationAerodynamic skirt assembly
US9688320Oct 27, 2015Jun 27, 2017Wabash National, L.P.Side skirt system for a trailer

1977 Page Patent guard rail for side protection on large wheel vehicles, 1977 US Side Guard Patent US4060268 William Page.pdf

1996  Volvo began manufacturing trucks with Front Underrun Protection in 1996 in Europe. This is a patent filed in 2007 for an “Underrun protector and method of providing underrun protection.”  http://www.google.sr/patents/WO2008002242A1?cl=en Other relevant information on front underrun protection can be found here: https://annaleahmary.com/tag/front-underrun-protection/

2009 Patent filed for a “Side impact guard device for industrial vehicles, particularly trailers or semi-trailers”

US7967349Apr 7, 2009Jun 28, 2011C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per AzioniSide impact guard device for industrial vehicles, particularly trailers or semi-trailers

2012 Sapa Extrusions (inventor/engineer Malcolm Deighton) filed for a patent in 2012 for a “Semi trailer under-run protection device” which they later developed into a rear underride guard which was successfully crash tested on a trailer in April 2017. https://www.google.com/patents/USD703106

2015 Aaron Kiefer, crash reconstructionist and forensic engineer, was issued a patent for an innovative combination side & rear trailer underride protection system: https://www.google.com/patents/US9463759 Please see the numerous underride patents referred to in this patent.

2015 This patent for a Trailer rear impact guard cites numerous other underride protection patents: https://www.google.com/patents/USD790407

2016 Stephen Batzer and Patrick Rogers granted a patent for an Adjustable side under-ride guard for sliding axle trailer, May 31, 2016.

2016 Aaron Kiefer granted TrailerGuard system underride protection patent, October 11, 2016.

pat9463759 Kiefer

2016 Stephen Batzer and Patrick Rogers granted a patent for a Telescoping side under-ride guard for sliding axle trailer, November 8, 2016.

2017 Seven Hills Engineering, Perry Ponder inventor of AngelWing side guard Underride Protection successfully crash tested at 35 MPH by IIHS on 3/30/2017 and 40 MPH on 8/29/2017. Patent Pending  http://www.7he.us and http://airflowdeflector.com/airflow-2/

2017 IIHS TOUGHGuard Award Announced for improved rear underride guard design by trailer manufacturers, March 1, 2017

2017 SAPA (Hydro Extrusions) publishes results of 40 mph crash test of a Rear Impact (Underride) Guard: Sapa 40-30 RIG Test Engineering Report Version 1.3

2017 Wabash Trailers announced a prototype side guard, September 29, 2017.

2018 Aaron Kiefer granted patent for an underride collision device for large trucks: pat9908493 Kiefer

2019 Vanguard Trailers granted application for strap side guard patent, June 20, 2019.

Vanguard Strap Underride Patent Vanguard Side Guard Patent Application 2019

2019 Fortier Side protection device for a vehicle, related kit and vehicle provided with the same, Patent No.: US 10,343, 636 B2. Canada.  

2020 Wabash Side Underride Guard Patent  Wabash 2020 SUG patent 

2021 Patent for an Underride Guard Assembly for Trailers from Great Dane Trailers was published on October 7, 2021.

2022 SIDE UNDERRIDE GUARD ASSEMBLY FOR A TRAILER, Fontaine Commercial Trailer, Inc. patent for a side underride guard on flatbed trailers.

2023 Utility Trailer Manufacturing, side guard patent, July 4, 2023

For additional information on Underride Research, Reports, and Recommendations, see this post: https://annaleahmary.com/2017/09/history-of-underride-research-reports-1896-to-2017/

1919 “Life-guard” Lawsuit Related To a 1913 Side Guard Patent for Safety of Motor Vehicles

When Jerry asked whether we could find any story about why Percy Hawksworth filed a patent in 1913 for a safety device for the sides of motor vehicles, this is what I found online:

A lawsuit related to that patent arguing that there was nothing novel about it. Nothing new under the sun.

IN THE IIIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.-CHANCERY DIVISION. Before Mn, JUSTICE SARGANT. July lOth and 11th and 31st, 1919

Some quotes:

  • A Patent was granted for Improvements in or relating to safety devices or life-
    guards for motor vehicles. One of the Claims was for A guard for a motor
    vehicle Consisting of a frame or the like carried along the side of the vehicle and
    crossing the path of the rear wheels at a slight inclination substantially as and
    for the purpose described.  At the trial of an action for infringement of
    the Patent, the only defences raised were want of novelty and of subjectmatter.
    It was proved that slatted guards of the same general construction as
    those described in the Specification had been in common use for many years between the front and back wheels of tramcars, and that the only difference in arrangement between those guards and the patented guards consisted in the fact that the tramcar guards, owing to the cars being run in either direction, were parallel to the sides of the cars, instead of being inclined to the sides. There was no constructional difficulty in giving the inclination to the guard. Guards similar to the patented guards had also been used for the front wheels of tramcars, and there was no constructional difficulty in adapting to the rear wheel of a motor omnibus the guards that had been used for the front wheels of tramcars. It was also proved that, in the prior Specification of P., guards for both the front and rear wheels of tramcars had been described, the inclination of the rear wheel guards being almost the same as that of the patented guards.
    Held, that in view of prior user on tramcars, of both side guards and front guards,
    and the publication of the Specification of P., there was no element of novelty or invention to support the Patent, and that it was invalid
  • ” This invention has reference to safety devices or life-guards for motor vehicles. It is well known that many, if not most, of the worst accidents with motor buses or heavy motor vehicles are  caused by the rear wheels. Now according to this invention, which is intended more particularly for use on motor buses, a life-guard, catcher or fender is provided for each of the rear wheels, consisting of a frame carried at each side of the bus or vehicle in such a way that with only a slight inclination its rear end overlaps or extends to the outside of the rear wheels, and thus serves to push anyone who may have been knocked down, or otherwise comes against it, clear of the said rear wheels.
  •  In this way if anyone should for instance be knocked down by the bonnet or front of the bus or other vehicle, and the driver has succeeded in clearing him with the front wheels, he will be pushed on one side by the advance of the inclined guard frame clear of the rear wheels, instead of being caught by the latter as frequently “happens.
  • Similarly, if anyone should be accidentally thrown towards the bus from the side,
    as for instance by a side-slip from a bicycle, and thus come against the inclined
    fender, it will act in the same way and prevent him from going under the bus
    or vehicle and from being run over by the rear wheels.
  • By the arrangement above described, a very simple efficient and reliable protection is provided against accidents from the rear wheels of motor vehicles and the device also acts as a side guard to close in and protect the side space between the front and
    rear wheels

See this previous post which includes an 1896 patent for side guards on tramcars/streetcars: History of Underride Research & Reports: 1896 to 2017