Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1993-02-25
1994-07-12
Hill, Mitchell J.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
340686, B60D 136, B60Q 100
Patent
active
053281993
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with the provision of assistance to vehicle drivers in aligning a towing or tractor vehicle with a trailer to be attached thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many forms of attachments for connecting trailers to towing vehicles, but one for which the invention is particularly, though not exclusively, intended is that in which an upwardly directed ball is mounted at the rear of the towing vehicle and a downwardly directed socket is mounted at the front of the trailer. The socket is usually at the forward end of a towbar projecting from the trailer and the ball is usually projecting behind the rear bumper of the towing vehicle. In the case of a lightweight trailer with one axle, it is possible to lift the front of the trailer by the towbar and manoeuvre the trailer until the socket is over the ball and can be lowered onto it and attached thereto. However, in the case of close-coupled twin axle trailers, this is not so easy and a jockey wheel of adjustable height is often provided on the towbar, by which the height of the towbar can be adjusted so that the socket clears the ball for detachment and attachment. The jockey wheel can also be used to lift the front of the trailer, so that one of the pairs of wheels is lifted clear of the ground to make manoeuvring easier. Nevertheless, with heavy loads in the trailer, such as horses, boats of the contents of a caravan, it is much easier to leave the trailer at the point of detachment and to reverse the towing vehicle into position with the ball under the socket when attachment is again required.
However, it is still not easy to reverse the towing vehicle exactly into the position required to within a few centimeters. This is particularly the case when the driver of the towing vehicle is trying to attempt the manoeuvre alone. It may not be so difficult to align the towing vehicle in the lateral direction, though experience suggests that even this may require several attempts. But in order to place the ball exactly under the socket, it is necessary to align the vehicle with the trailer in the fore-and-aft direction. Without being able to see the ball or socket, as they are too low in most cases, this is very difficult.
By the invention, the alignment of a towing vehicle with a trailer in the lateral and/or fore-and-aft direction is rendered much easier.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a vehicle alignment device for a towing vehicle and trailer, comprising a visible target located on the trailer in predetermined relationship with a socket to be attached to a ball on the towing vehicle, and a sighting mark on a rear window of the towing vehicle in a corresponding predetermined relationship with the ball, the predetermined relationship being such as to enable the target to come into contact with the rear window when the ball is under the socket, is characterised in that the target is at the forward end of a carrying member which is telescopic or folding, in order to be retractable into an inoperative position within a box adapted to be secured to the front of the trailer.
The carrying member may be so mounted in the box as to be movable at will out of the box to locate the target in its predetermined relationship with the socket. This is in order that there be no forwardly projecting member on the trailer liable to damage.
The carrying member may conveniently be pivotally mounted within the box.
For the convenience of users, the target and its carrying member could be permanently mounted on the front of the trailer within a waterproof box secured thereto. Thus the box may have a closure which is closable to render the box waterproof when the carrying member and target are within the box in the inoperative storage position. For use, the carrying member would be pivoted from an upright position to a horizontal position and drawn out to its full extent to place the target in its predetermined relationship with the socket. The length of the fully extende
REFERENCES:
patent: 3734539 (1973-05-01), Salmi
patent: 4065147 (1977-12-01), Ross
patent: 4614356 (1986-09-01), Mills
patent: 4687220 (1987-08-01), Danielson
patent: 4856200 (1989-08-01), Riggs
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