Automatic Wheel Chocks

[RFDACM02]

A pretty lengthy discussion was occurring in the engineers board about the use of wheel chocks, and no one had seen the auto-deploying ones so here's a link to the posts with some pics for anyone interested. I though Apparatus Innovation was a more appropriate place for discussing them.

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthre...t=92270&page=4

I'm not sure I personally would want them, but who knows...

[Tower47]

These are kinda neat. Do they also retract from the cab? How do you retract them if you rollup on it if you can't release the park brake while deployed?

I am sure that as soon as someone on the NFPA committee sees these will be manditory in the next revision.

All joking aside this is a good thread for this forum.

[firepundit]

Kind of impractical IMHO.

For one thing, they only work on one side of the wheel. I guess if you never drive anyway but downhill they might be of some value. (All of the roads to and from school in my home town were uphill.)

The main problem I see is that the chock remains attached to the chassis. If not forced under the tire, the chock would just go along with the truck rather than dig into the road surface.

If NFPA gets ahold of it you will see four cylinder systems with sensors, lights, reflective stripes, alarms, and a whopping price tag. If Pierce gets ahold of it, you'll see third party certificates, finite stress analysis results, patents galore, and authorized service center requirements in specifications along with a price tag that will cause nosebleeds.

[Rescue101]

Hehe,we got "otto"deploying wheel chocks.By the time the officer gets out of the cab,the chauffer "otto"(auto)have them down.OK,good joke but it's in our policy. T.C.

[RFDACM02]

A little more info:

They do deploy front and rear of the same tire so they cover both directions.

They also do push in a little as I understand to ensure they work vs. sliding as the truck rolls. Obviously this wouldn't work on an aerial where the tire is raised or can shift positions over the course of a set and operation.

I was thinking of investing in the Co. then sending the pictures to the NFPA 1901 committee! l

[RFDACM02]

By the time the officer gets out of the cab,the chauffer "otto"(auto)have them down.

Slowing up these days T.C.? I can't see Cartman beating you out of the cab.

[islandfire03]

I can see the theory behind them being sound , but down here in the midcoast the ram and swivel mechanism would be so full of road salt /slush and frozen ice as to make them inoperable within a few miles travel. We've had to stop and beat on the automatic chain wheels to knock the crap off them in order to allow them to deploy.
Be a lot cheaper and easier to just have a probie ride along with you to put the manual chocks out when you stop!