Motor vehicles – Motor-carrying attachments – Driven steering wheel type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-01-09
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Motor vehicles
Motor-carrying attachments
Driven steering wheel type
C180S014200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170585
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for guiding and driving trailers and more particularly pertains to a new trailer driver for guiding and driving a trailer when the trailer is disconnected from the hitch of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for guiding and driving trailers is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for guiding and driving trailers 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 devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,482; U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,841; U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,217; U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,515; U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,711; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,483.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new trailer driver. The inventive device includes a support frame and a ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted to the support frame. A mounting bracket is pivotally coupled to the support frame and is adapted for mounting the support frame to a trailer tongue. A motor is provided for rotating the ground engaging wheel. A steering handle upwardly extends from the support frame.
In these respects, the trailer driver 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 guiding and driving a trailer when the trailer is disconnected from the hitch of a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of devices for guiding and driving trailers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new trailer driver construction wherein the same can be utilized for guiding and driving a trailer when the trailer is disconnected from the hitch of a vehicle.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new trailer driver apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the devices for guiding and driving trailers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new trailer driver which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art devices for guiding and driving trailers, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a support frame and a ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted to the support frame. A mounting bracket is pivotally coupled to the support frame and is adapted for mounting the support frame to a trailer tongue. A motor is provided for rotating the ground engaging wheel. A steering handle upwardly extends from the support frame.
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 trailer driver apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the devices for guiding and driving trailers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new trailer driver which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art devices for guiding and driving trailers, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new trailer driver which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new trailer driver which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new trailer driver 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 trailer driver economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new trailer driver 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 trailer driver for guiding and driving a trailer when the trailer is disconnected from the hitch of a vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new trailer driver which includes a support frame and a ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted to the support frame. A mounting bracket is pivotally coupled to the support frame and is adapted for mounting the support frame to a trailer tongue. A motor is provided for rotating the ground engaging wheel. A steering handle upwardly extends from the support frame.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new trailer driver that is mountable to the trailer tongue to allow easy maneuvering of the trailer.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3156315 (1964-11-01), Hawgood
patent: 3387681 (1968-06-01), Rabjohn
patent: 3439764 (1969-04-01), Kimball
patent: 3921744 (1975-11-01), Benoit et al.
patent: 3942823 (1976-03-01), Shields et al.
patent: 4162711 (1979-07-01), Cornelius
patent: 4860841 (1989-08-01), Sacco
patent: 5016720 (1991-05-01), Coker
patent: 5127488 (1992-07-01), Shanahan
patent: 5307889 (1994-05-01), Bohannan
patent: 5325934 (1994-07-01), Larson
patent: 5350029 (1994-09-01), Figueroa
Fischer Andrew J.
Hurley Kevin
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