GB2092536A

GB2092536A - Trailer vehicle winching apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2092536A
Application number: GB8125109A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-12-23
Filing date: 1981-08-18
Publication date: 1982-08-18
Also published as: GB2092536B

Abstract

A winch 4 provides means of drawing a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle, together reducing the amount of physical effort required and guiding the two parts of the vehicle coupling together. The winch is mounted immediately beneath the towing fitting 6 and is attached either permanently or detachably to a backplate 5 which is bolted to the towbar of the towing vehicle. A cable or rope 1 is fed outwards from the winch and attached to the drawbar of the trailer vehicle centrally, so that when the winch is operated, the cable draws the trailer and towing vehicles together, positioning the two parts of the coupling ready for the coupling together to be completed easily. The coupling may be a ball-and- socket coupling or a pin-and-clevis coupling. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trailer vehicle winching apparatus This invention relates to vehicles drawing trailer vehicles, including caravans, boat trailers, camping trailers, light goods trailers, vehicle recovery trailers, vehicle transporting trailers and farm trailers, where the trailer vehicle is connected to the towing vehicle by means of a ball hitch coupling or by means of a clevis, pin and eye piece coupling.

The object of this invention is to provide a means of facilitating the effort of coupling the trailer vehicle to the towing vehicle and also to reduce the accuracy required of the driver of the towing vehicle when reversing the towing vehicle to approach the trailer vehicle preparatory to coupling them together.

The conventional procedure for coupling a trailer vehicle to a towing vehicle will now be described in order that advantages resulting from this invention may be more readily apparent. For the purpose of this description of procedure, reference will be made to the coupling of a motor car to a caravan. In order to couple a motor car to a caravan, it is necessary to wind-up or retract the corner steadies of the caravan which when extended hold the caravan in a horizontal attitude. The caravan will be loaded so that the caravan manufacturer's recommended nose weight load will be applied to the coupling, which is normally in the region of one hundredweight or fifty kilograms, in order to ensure optimum towing efficiency and safety. The caravan nose wheel height will be adjusted so that the coupling socket is a little higher than the towing ball on the motor car.The motor car will be reversed towards the caravan to bring the towing ball underneath the coupling socket on the caravan, or as near to it as is within the ability of the driver. Since the driver of the motor car cannot see either the towing ball on the rear of his vehicle or the coupling socket on the caravan from his position in the driving seat, there is a high degree of difficulty and risk in attempting to achieve a close proximity between the two coupling parts. It is generally necessary to release the caravan handbrake and to manhandle the caravan to bring the coupling socket over the towing ball. The nosewheel will then be retracted to lower the coupling socket onto the towing ball. Meanwhile the coupling locking device is released to allow the towing ball to enter the socket.Where the caravan is on soft, rough or sloping ground, it is difficult and sometimes physically beyond the strength of those concerned to manhandle the caravan to the motor car, particularly in the case of the larger caravans.

According to the present invention, there is provided a winch mounted on a plate attached directly underneath the towing ball or clevis coupling of the towing vehicle. The winch has a ratchet device to prevent the cable running back off the drum or spindle until so desired.

The cable has a hook at its extremity which may be attached to the draw bar or frame of the trailer vehicle, centrally and below the coupling unit. A removable handle is provided for operating the winch.

In operation, the towing vehicle is reversed to within a yard or metre of the trailer vehicle.

The trailer vehicle having been prepared as previously described in respect of corner steadies and nosewheel sdjustment, the ratchet pawl lever of the winch is released and the cable is drawn out from the winch and attached by the hook to the draw bar of the trailer vehicle, beneath the coupling unit. It may in some cases be necessary to provide a suitable eyebolt or lug to which the hook on the winch cable may be attached. The winch is then operated to wind in the slack of the cable. The trailer vehicle handbrake is released and the winch is operated to draw the coupling of the trailer vehicle directly over the towing ball of the towing vehicle. The coupling is then completed in the conventional manner.In the case of the clevis, pin and eye type of coupling, the winch is used to draw the eye coupling of the trailer vehicle into the clevis coupling of the towing vehicle and the pin is inserted through both parts. The cable may then be released from the trailer vehicle and wound back into the winch, or alternatively, the cable may be slacked off but left attached to the trailer vehicle so as to act as a breakaway safety cable.

In alternative designs, the winch may be made as an integral unit with the towing ball or clevis coupling, or as a detachable unit which may be fitted to a separate back plate permanently mounted on the vehicle, by means of a removable cross pin passed through the winch body and a lug or lugs protruding from the face of the backplate.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trailer vehicle winching apparatus embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation showing the winch mounted beneath the towball coupling of a vehicle.

Figures 3 and 4are side elevations showing the alternative method of manufacture where the winch is made integrally with the towball coupling and the clevis coupling respectively.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the backplate and lug for the detachable model.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the detachable model attached to the backplate by the cross pin.

The cable 1 is wound round the winch spindle 2 and has a hook 3 attached to its extremity. The winch spindle is mounted in a body 4 attached to a plate 5 which is bolted behind a coupling 6. A ratchet wheel 7 is fixed to the winch spindle and is held in check by a ratchet pawl lever 8 held in contact with the ratchet wheel by a spring 9. The winch spindle is terminated by a hexagon or square or other suitable shape for the attachment to and rotation by a winding handle. The detachable winch body 10 is attached to the lug 11 on the backplate 1 2 by means of the removable cross pin 1 3.

Claims

1. Trailer vehicle winching apparatus comprising a winch adapted to be securely mounted immediately beneath the towing fitting of a towing vehicle, with a rope or cable which may be extended and attached to the drawbar of the trailer vehicle so that on operation of the winch the trailer vehicle will be drawn towards the towing vehicle to align the mating parts of the towing fittings on the towing and trailer vehicles.

2. Trailer vehicle winching apparatus according to clairn 1, wherein the winch housing is constructed integrally with a backplate which may be bolted between the towball or clevis type towing fitting and the towbar of the towing vehicle in such a manner that the winch is situated immediately beneath the towing fitting.

3. Trailer vehicle winching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winch housing is constructed as an integral part of the towball or clevis type towing fitting in such a manner that the winch is situated immediately beneath the towing fitting.

4. Trailer vehicle winching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winch housing is constructed to be detachably mounted to a backplate by means of a locating cross pin passing through the winch housing and through a lug or lugs on the backplate. The backplate may be permanently bolted to the towbar of the towing vehicle and by withdrawal of the locating pin, the winch may be detached from the towing vehicle when not required for use. The lug or lugs on the backplate is or are positioned in such a manner that the winch, when in use is situated immediately beneath the towing fitting.

5. Trailer vehicle winching apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 or Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.