Pierce announced that it has recently been awarded several new US Patents, with several additional patents pending, for its expanding line of Pierce® Ascendant® aerial apparatus. The newly granted patents protect several innovative technologies, and encompass many aspects of the Ascendant aerial’s components, operating systems and configurations.
APPLETON, Wis. (March 30, 2017) – Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, announced that it has recently been awarded numerous new US Patents, with several additional patents pending, for its expanding lineup of Pierce® Ascendant® heavy-duty aerial apparatus. The newly granted patents protect several innovative technologies, and encompass many aspects of the Pierce Ascendant aerial’s components, operating systems and configurations.
The Pierce Ascendant is the most popular new aerial apparatus in the company’s history. “Since its debut less than two years ago, the Pierce Ascendant ladder has changed the paradigm of what can be accomplished on a single rear axle vehicle configuration – but that’s just the start,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “These newly awarded patents represent thousands of engineering and R&D hours, assuring Pierce customers that they are investing in state-of-the-art equipment that helps them perform at the highest level.”
The Pierce Ascendant ladder’s unmatched maneuverability and performance – and industry-leading 107-foot vertical reach in the single rear axle category – set a new benchmark for the category. Its weight-optimized design structure places weight and mass only where required. To validate its heavy-duty credentials, Pierce’s R & D team successfully completed three phases of a fatigue test on the Ascendant that demonstrate the equivalent of 20 years of service life.
The patent awards represent a collaborative effort, including teams from Pierce and its parent company, Oshkosh Corporation. “Many of the technologies covered under these new patents will make their world debut at FDIC in Indianapolis,” noted Johnson. “As we continue to expand the Ascendant class of aerial apparatus, we will seek patent protections whenever possible.”
The Pierce Ascendant aerial is available on a wide range of Pierce custom chassis and body styles, providing firefighters flexibility and a wide range of options to meet each department’s needs.