Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-07-17
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260872
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems and more particularly pertains to a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system for preventing a trailer from jackknifing when coupled to a tractor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,893; U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,640; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,863; U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,165; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 323,804; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,700 which are all incorporated by reference herein to the extent necessary for understanding of the present invention.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system. The inventive device includes a hitch plate designed for mounting to a tractor with a center hole for receiving a kingpin of a trailer therein and an arcuate first pin slot. The system also includes a bottom plate designed for mounting to the trailer. The bottom plate has a kingpin hole designed for extending the kingpin of the trailer therethrough and an arcuate second pin slot. A fluidic piston-cylinder actuator is mounted to the hitch plate beneath the first pin slot of the hitch plate. The fluidic piston-cylinder actuator has a cylinder portion and a piston portion retractably extendable from the cylinder portion. The piston portion is extended into the first pin slot of the hitch plate. The piston portion is extendable to an extended position where the piston portion upwards extends into the second pin slot of the bottom plate.
In these respects, the tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing a trailer from jackknifing when coupled to a tractor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system construction wherein the same can be utilized for preventing a trailer from jackknifing when coupled to a tractor.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a hitch plate designed for mounting to a tractor with a center hole for receiving a kingpin of a trailer therein and an arcuate first pin slot. The system also includes a bottom plate designed for mounting to the trailer. The bottom plate has a kingpin hole designed for extending the kingpin of the trailer therethrough and an arcuate second pin slot. A fluidic piston-cylinder actuator is mounted to the hitch plate beneath the first pin slot of the hitch plate. The fluidic piston-cylinder actuator has a cylinder portion and a piston portion retractably extendable from the cylinder portion. The piston portion is extended into the first pin slot of the hitch plate. The piston portion is extendable to an extended position where the piston portion upwards extends into the second pin slot of the bottom plate.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art tractor trailer anti-jackknifing systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system for preventing a trailer from jackknifing when coupled to a tractor.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new tractor trailer anti-jackknifing system which includes a hitch plate designed for mounting to a tractor with a center hole for receiving a kingpin of a trailer therein and an arcuate first pin slot. The system also includes a bottom plate desi
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