EDC Launches Federal Safety Compliance Services

Freightliner Argosy

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

EDC Director of Engineering Awarded Patent on Innovative Design

PORTLAND, Ore., 1999—The U.S. Patent Office recently awarded Engineering Design Consultants Ltd. (EDC) Director of Engineering, Mike Smith, and Freightliner Strategic Project Planning Engineer, David Johnston, a patent on their innovative automated heavy truck step design. Smith and Johnston developed and designed the mechanical system for the "Argosy Swing Out Step" for Freightliner's Argosy cab-over-engine line of heavy trucks. The Argosy Swing Out Step is the first American heavy truck step to feature an innovative moveable entry/exit system specifically developed to reduce heavy truck operator injury.

The largest cause of injury on cab-over-engine truck models like the Argosy is accidents occurring during cab entry or exit. Numerous operators incur serious injuries each year by slipping while attempting to enter or exit the truck. The original intent of the Argosy step design was to correct this safety hazard with an automatically controlled step system that is easy to use and minimizes the probability that slipping accidents might occur.

To accomplish the Argosy step design, Freightliner enlisted the help of engineers Mike Smith and David Johnston. The step design was very complex, and multiple competing factors had to be considered in its development.

"Safety issues in particular made this design very difficult. Overriding mechanisms, pinching the driver, parking safety mechanisms, as well as U.S. and European compliance all had to be considered in the step's development," said Smith.

The first step prototype provided insight for areas of improvement, but it proved a safer automatic swing out step design was possible. Smith and Johnston finished a fully functional, production-intent prototype six months later that was used in show and test trucks. This second design was a vast improvement over the original prototype, and successive alteration lead to the production version now assembled in Freightliner's Cleveland, N.C., truck manufacturing facility. The current Argosy step utilizes an innovative electric ball-screw linear motor design that enables highly controlled automated movement.

"The coordinated development of a control system, mechanical system, and structural system was a big challenge," said Johnston. "Mike and I designed several mechanical systems, each one of which had numerous performance and packaging constraints. The final version was completed just three months before production."

"This step is a big stride in heavy truck operator safety," said Smith. "The practical use of this step is highly applicable to almost all models of heavy trucks. I think the universal application of this design, or one like it, may be just around the corner for many vehicles similar to the Argosy."

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