Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-16
2001-03-27
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S763100, C280S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206401
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an arrangement for use with various types of trailers that have a tongue by which a vehicle can tow the trailer, and a tongue jack arrangement that supports the trailer when it is disconnected from the towing vehicle.
BACKGROUND ART
Trailers such as cargo trailers, camping trailers, boat trailers and the like that are used with automobiles and small trucks are often single-axle or bogie trailers that are towed via a tongue (also known as a “drawbar”) that is connected to or integral with the chassis of the trailer. The tongue typically has a single-beam or wishbone structure, depending on the load the trailer is to carry. When the trailers are disconnected from the vehicle, a tongue jack is arranged mainly near the front part of the tongue to support the tongue so that it will not rest with its hitch on the ground, and also so that the trailer will stand mainly parallel to the ground to make for easier loading and unloading.
The tongue jack is commonly designed as a threaded rod within a tube so that a supporting wheel or plate can be cranked down to the ground when the trailer is unhitched, or up when it is hitched and ready to be towed. For some trailers, the tongue jack is often removably or pivotably mounted on the tongue by means of a bracket. When the bracket is removed or the jack pivoted up, the jack can be locked clear of the ground and the trailer can be safely towed.
A common problem is that many people forget to retract and lock the tongue jack when the trailer has been hitched to a towing vehicle. When the vehicle then drives away, the tongue jack will sooner or later catch on the ground or road with the result that the entire tongue jack arrangement is deformed or, in the worst case, torn off.
What is needed is an arrangement for tongue jacks that eliminates this risk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a supporting arrangement for a trailer that is towable by a vehicle, in which the trailer includes a tongue for connecting the trailer to the vehicle. The supporting arrangement includes a tongue jack mounted on the tongue. In a deployed position, the tongue jack vertically supports the tongue and thereby prevents contact between the tongue and the ground. In a retracted position, the supporting arrangement holds the tongue jack clear of the ground.
A retraction assembly is provided, which includes a release mechanism, and which moves the tongue jack from the deployed to the retracted position upon activation of the release mechanism. A motion detection arrangement is also provided for sensing a dangerous trailer configuration, in which the tongue jack is in the deployed position and actual or potential motion of the trailer above a safe speed is present, and for activating the retraction means and thereby the release mechanism upon sensing the actual or potential motion. A manual activation arrangement is preferably also included for allowing activation of the release mechanism by a user.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the retraction assembly includes an electrically activated, movable member (such as the core of a solenoid) that activates the release mechanism when the dangerous trailer configuration is sensed. A control rod is preferably included for transmitting motion of the movable member to the release mechanism. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the retraction assembly includes a pressurized gas cylinder that is connected to the tongue jack and that, upon extension, urges the tongue jack into the retracted position and that is re-pressurized by manual movement of the tongue jack into the deployed position.
The motion detection arrangement preferably includes a switch, located in the vehicle, that connects the retraction means with a voltage source in the vehicle and thereby activates the retraction means when the vehicle generates an electrical signal associated with impending or actual motion of the vehicle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3181891 (1965-05-01), Moats
patent: 3783960 (1974-01-01), Feliz
patent: 4113274 (1978-09-01), Vahrenkamp
patent: 4136891 (1979-01-01), Menzel
patent: 4368899 (1983-01-01), Smalley et al.
patent: 5497969 (1996-03-01), Broughton
Hurley Kevin
Slusher Jeffrey
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