Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-17
2001-01-30
Johnson, Brain L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C180S418000, C056S015400, C056S015500, C172S280000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179315
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to steering of machinery trailers and dollies having wheels that are relatively far behind wheels of a towing vehicle.
2. Relation To Prior Art.
Wheels of machinery trailers that are relatively far behind wheels of a towing vehicle take shortcuts instead of following behind or where desired on turns. Typical are wheels of tandem rake dollies that bypass hay on turns, highway-trailer wheels that run over curbs and industrial dollies that hit corner stacks and structures when their wheels take shorter distances than those of towing vehicles such as various types of tractors and trucks.
There are known trailer-steering means, but none that allow turn-positioning with controllable motors in a manner taught by this invention.
Examples of different but related devices for steering trailing vehicles are described in the following patent documents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,929, issued to Urbain et al, described a tandem implement hitch having a hydraulic cylinder expandable between pivotal arms of wheel-turning rods. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,702, issued to Lewis, described a windrow apparatus for guiding hay into a hay bailer from opposite sides. U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,352, issued to Knusting, described a hay-making machine that was adjustable to land irregularities but not to turns. U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,829, issued to Tonutti, described a rake trolley with width adjustment but not wheel-following turn adjustment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,616, issued to Moss, described a side arm for towing a second rake beside and behind a first rake towed by a tractor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,734, issued to Rowe et al, described a hydraulically foldable hay rake.
Problems with trailing of wheels of agricultural and industrial trailers and dollies continue to exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of these problems, objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a steerable machinery trailer which:
Provides selective steering of rear wheels of a trailer from a driver position of a vehicle towing the trailer; and
Provides selectively lateral following of wheels of a trailer behind either side of a towing vehicle.
This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a steerable machinery trailer having a chassis intermediate a pivotal towing attachment and trailer wheels proximate a rear portion of the chassis. The trailer wheels have pivotal attachment to the trailer and are pivotal for steering with a steering shaft that is length-controllable intermediate rigid positioning on the chassis and a steering arm attached to a steering rod that is connected to a pivotal attachment of the trailer wheels to the chassis. Separately and optionally from being pivotal on the pivotal towing attachment by wheel-following of the trailer wheels, the chassis is pivotal on the pivotal towing attachment with a positioning shaft that is length controllable intermediate rigid positioning on the chassis and a rigid lateral attachment to the towing vehicle. Length changes of the steering shaft steer the trailer wheels to guide the rear portion of the trailer from-side-to-side for selective turn-positioning of the trailer wheels. Length changes of the positioning shaft position the trailer laterally from-side-to-side for selectively side-towing of the trailer. Length changes of the steering shaft and the positioning shaft are controllable from a remote position with fluid motors, electrical motors and/or mechanical linkages,
REFERENCES:
patent: 2316397 (1943-04-01), Briscoe
patent: 3212793 (1965-10-01), Pietroroia
patent: 3832837 (1974-09-01), Burkhart et al.
patent: 4166352 (1979-09-01), Knusting
patent: 4685282 (1987-08-01), Allen
patent: 4977734 (1990-12-01), Rowe et al.
patent: 4979359 (1990-12-01), Inskeep
patent: 5025616 (1991-06-01), Moss
patent: 5231829 (1993-08-01), Tonutti
patent: 5404702 (1995-04-01), Lewis
patent: 5412929 (1995-05-01), Urbain et al.
patent: 5544475 (1996-08-01), Skibo
Johnson Brain L.
Lerner Avraham H.
VanGilder Derek R.
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