AU2009212966B1

AU2009212966B1 - Vehicle jockey wheel

Info

Publication number: AU2009212966B1
Application number: AU2009212966A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Damien Jon Rossow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-07
Filing date: 2009-09-07
Publication date: 2009-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-07
Also published as: WO2011026196A1

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "VEHICLE JOCKEY WHEEL" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 TITLE: VEHICLE JOCKEY WHEEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention THIS INVENTION relates to a vehicle jockey wheel. 5 The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, a jockey wheel to be fitted to the drawbar of a towed vehicle, where the term "vehicle" shall be used throughout the description to include a trailer (e.g., box-trailer or flat-tray trailer); car-carrying trailer; motorcycle-carrying trailer; boat- trailer; horse float;, caravan or campervan; and the like. 10 2. Prior Art Jockey wheels are typically fitted to the drawbars of the vehicles (hereinbefore defined) to support the drawbars when the drawbars are not connected to towing vehicles or prime-movers. The jockey wheels stabilize the vehicles while the vehicles are 15 stored, or are being loaded and/or unloaded. In addition, the jockey wheels enable the vehicles to be manually maneuvered, e.g., to enable a caravan or campervan to be accurately located on a designated campsite pad or stand. Typically, a jockey wheel assembly has a tubular body which is 20 either fixed, or detachably mounted, to the vehicle drawbar; and the jockey wheel is rotatably journaled at the lower end of a telescoping member received within the tubular body, where the extension or retraction of the telescopic member is controlled by an operating handle; to enable the drawbar to be "leveled", and /or to enable the jockey wheel assembly to 25 accommodate a sloping or undulating support surface. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a brake device, or chock, operable to stop the jockey wheel moving when deployed. It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide such 30 a brake device which is easily engaged or disengaged. It is a still further preferred object of the present invention to provide a brake device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture; easy 2 to install; which may be incorporated as "original equipment manufacture" (O.E.M.) for jockey wheel assemblies; and/or which may be retro-fitted to existing jockey wheel assemblies. Other preferred objects of the present invention will become 5 apparent from the following description. In a first aspect, the present invention resides in a braking device for a jockey wheel assembly of the type having at least one jockey wheel rotatably journalled on a jockey wheel axle in a wheel housing, the braking device including: 10 a chock, or braking member, pivotally mounted at, or adjacent, a first distal end of the lever, the chock, or braking member, having a substantially concave contact face operable to engage the jockey wheel when the chock, or braking member, is in an engaged position; the lever being pivotally mounted on the jockey wheel axle at a 15 position closer to a second distal end; and respective first and second operating members at or adjacent the first and second distal ends of the lever; so arranged that: respective depression of the first and second operating members will move the chock, or braking member, to the engaged position 20 where the chock, or braking member, engages the jockey wheel and a supporting surface to prevent rotation of the jockey wheel; and to a released position, where the jockey wheel is free to rotate. Preferably, the chock, or braking member, is formed of metal, such as aluminum; or of a resiliently-deformable elastomeric material such 25 as rubber, neoprene or other suitable plastics material, e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene; or of a metal-core with elastomeric increased-friction liner(s) or coating(s); and the material(s) may be reinforced with, e.g., glass- or other fibres. Preferably, the chock, or braking member, has a substantially 30 planar "sole", preferably provided with teeth, and/or other projections, to increase the frictional engagement between the chock, or braking member, and the supporting surface, when the chock, or braking member, is in the 3 engaged position. Preferably, the first and second operating members are respectively depressed by an operator's foot. In an alternative embodiment, the chock, or braking member, 5 may be pivotally mounted between a pair of the levers, each lever being pivotally mounted on the jockey wheel axle and interposed between opposed sides of the jockey wheel and adjacent wheel housing portions. In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a jockey wheel assembly including: 10 a tubular body mountable on a drawbar of a vehicle (as hereinbefore defined); a telescopic member slidably received within the tubular body; an extension and retraction mechanism in the tubular body, preferably operable by a handle, to selectively extend or retract the 15 telescopic member; a wheel housing mounted to the distal end of the telescopic member and having a jockey wheel rotatably journalled therein on a jockey wheel axle; and a braking device of the first aspect, as hereinbefore described. 20 Preferably, the wheel housing is rotatably mounted at the distal end of the tubular member, to enable the jockey wheel to be "turned" or "steered" relative to the vehicle drawbar. In a third aspect, the present invention resides in a vehicle provided with the jockey wheel assembly as described in the second aspect. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 30 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a box trailer fitted with a jockey wheel assembly incorporating the braking device of the present invention; FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar views, showing the chock or braking 5 member of the braking device being moved between the released and engaged positions, respectively; FIG. 4 is an "exploded" side elevational view of the braking device; FIGS. 5 and 6 are respective front and side elevational views of 10 the jockey wheel assembly fitted with the braking device, with the latter in the released position; and FIGS. 7 and 8 are similar views, with the braking device in the engaged position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 15 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a box trailer 100 has a drawbar 101 provided with a drawbar coupling 102. The jockey wheel assembly 14, to be hereinafter described in more detail, is secured to the drawbar 101 by a mounting bracket 103. (In 20 some applications, the jockey wheel assembly 14 is fixed to the drawbar 101 by the bracket 103; while in other applications, the jockey wheel assembly 14 is releasably secured to the drawbar 101 by a releasable bracket 103, e.g. to enable the jockey wheel assembly 14 to be raised to a maximum clearance height for use on off-road trailers 100, or other vehicles. 25 As indicated by the doubled-ended arrow A in FIG. 1, the braking device 20, to be hereinafter described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, is movable between a release position, indicated by arrow B in FIG. 2; and an engaged position, indicated by arrow C in FIG. 3. The braking device 20 can be moved between the respective released and 30 engaged positions by depression of respective ends of the lever 6 (of the braking device 20) by an operator's foot F, when moved in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 3. (The skilled addressee will appreciate that the braking 5 device 20 can be returned to the released position by depressing the other end of the lever 6 of the braking device 20). Referring to FIGS. 4 to 8, the jockey wheel assembly 14 has a jockey wheel 12 rotatably journalled on a jockey wheel axle 11, located in an 5 inverted U-shaped wheel housing 13, where the jockey wheel axle 11 is releasably secured by respective axle nuts 7. The wheel housing 13 may be fixed, or rotatably mounted on, the distal (or lower) end of a telescopic member 15 slidably received in, and extending from, the tubular body 16 of the jockey wheel assembly 14. The 10 extension and/or retraction of the telescopic member 15 from the tubular body 16 is controlled by an operating mechanism (not shown) contained within the tubular body 16, operated by an operating handle 17. The braking device 20 has an elongate lever 6, with a hole 21 therethrough, to enable pivotal mounting of the lever 6 on the jockey wheel 15 axle 11, the lever 6 being interposed between one side face of the jockey wheel 12 and the adjacent portion of the wheel housing 13. The hole 21 is located "off-centre" intermediate the length of the lever 6, as illustrated in FIG. 4. A chock axle 10 has one end received in a hole 22 at the first 20 distal end of the lever 6. The chock axle 10 extends perpendicularly to the lever 6 and its longitudinal axis lies substantially parallel to the jockey wheel axle 11. Chock 1 for the braking device 20 has a body 31 of "substantially triangular" profile in side view, where the chock body 31 is 25 formed of neoprene material, and has a substantially planar sole 32, provided with teeth (or like projections) 2 to increase the frictional engagement between the chock 1 and the supporting surface when the braking device 20 is engaged. The chock body 31 has a substantially concave contact face 33 operable to engage the rim of the jockey wheel 12 30 when the braking device 20 is in the engaged position. A locking nut 8 and spring washer 9 retain the chock 1 on the chock axle 10, where the spring washer 9 urges the chock 1 towards the lever 6.

6 First and second operating pedals 3, 4 are provided at, or adjacent, the first and second distal ends of the level 6. A dimple 5 in the lever 6 is arranged to receive a spring- loaded ball or pin, to releasably retain the lever 6, and thereby the braking device, 5 20 in the release position until the braking device 20 is moved to the engaged position. In an alternative embodiment, the chock body 31 may be formed of metal e.g. aluminum; and the sole 32 and/or contact face 33 may be lined or coated with an elastomeric material e.g. neoprene, to increase 10 the friction between the chock 1 and the supporting surface and/or the jockey wheel 12. As hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the braking device 20 is moved from the release position (see FIG. 2) to the engaged position (see FIG. 3) by depressing the first operating 15 pedal 3, so that the contact face 33 of the chock 1 is frictionally engaged with the jockey wheel 12; while the sole 32, and/or teeth or projections 2 are engaged with the supporting surface. As the jockey wheel 12 cannot rotate, the trailer 100 cannot move. To release the braking device 20, the operator may simply 20 depress the second operating pedal 4, to cause the chock 1 to swing outwardly and upwardly to the release position. However, the simplify the release, the operator may push the vehicle 100 a small distance rearwardly i.e. so that the jockey wheel 12 moves in a direction away from the chock 1, and/or raise the drawbar coupling 102, to reduce the engagement between 25 the chock 1 and the wheel 12. In the preferred embodiment described and illustrated, the chock 1 is pivotally mounted on a chock axle 10 extending laterally from one side of the lever 6. It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that a pair of levers 6 may be provided to support respective ends of the chock axle 30 10, where each lever 6 is pivotally mounted on the jockey wheel axle 11 between a respective opposed side face of the jockey wheel 12 and adjacent portions of the wheel housing 13.

7 The skilled addressee will appreciate that the braking device 20 may be provided as "original equipment manufacture" (O.E.M.) with new jockey wheel assemblies 14; or may be easily retro-fitted to existing jockey wheel assemblies 14. 5 The braking device 20 can be easily and inexpensively manufactured and installed; and by the selection of suitable materials, can be robust, reliable and long-lasting. Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present 10 invention in the specification.

Claims

1. A braking device for a jockey wheel assembly of the type having at least one jockey wheel rotatably journalled on a jockey wheel axle in a 5 wheel housing, the braking device including: a chock, or braking member, pivotally mounted at, or adjacent, a first distal end of a lever, the chock, or braking member, having a substantially concave contact face operable to engage the jockey wheel when the chock, or braking member, is in an engaged position; 10 the lever being pivotally mounted on the jockey wheel axle at a position closer to a second distal end; and respective first and second operating members at or adjacent the first and second distal ends of the lever; so arranged that: respective depression of the first and second operating 15 members will move the chock, or braking member, to the engaged position where the chock, or braking member, engages the jockey wheel and a supporting surface to prevent rotation of the jockey wheel; and to a released position, where the jockey wheel is free to rotate. 20

2. A braking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the chock, or braking member, is formed of metal, such as aluminium; or of a resiliently-deformable elastomeric material such as rubber, neoprene, or other suitable plastics material such polyethylene or polypropylene; or of a metal-core with elastomeric increased-friction liner(s) 25 or coating(s); and the material(s) are optionally reinforced with glass- or other fibres.

3. A braking device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: the chock, or braking member, has a substantially planar "sole", 30 optionally provided with teeth and/or other projections, to increase frictional engagement between the chock, or braking member, and the supporting surface, when the chock, or braking member, is in the engaged position. 9

4. A braking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the first and second operating members are respectively 5 depressed by an operator's foot.

5. A braking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the chock, or braking member, is pivotally mounted between a 10 pair of the levers, each of the levers being pivotally mounted on the jockey wheel axle and interposed between opposed sides of the jockey wheel and adjacent wheel housing portions.

6. A jockey wheel assembly including: 15 a tubular body mountable on a drawbar of a vehicle (as hereinbefore defined); a telescopic member slidably received within the tubular body; an extension and retraction mechanism in the tubular body, preferably operable by a handle, to selectively extend or retract the 20 telescopic member; a wheel housing mounted to the distal end of the telescopic member and having a jockey wheel rotatably journalled therein on a jockey wheel axle; and a braking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5. 25

7. A jockey wheel assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the wheel housing is rotatably mounted at the distal end of the tubular member, to enable the jockey wheel to be "turned" or "steered" relative to the vehicle drawbar. 30

8. A vehicle provided with the jockey wheel assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7. 10

9. A braking device for a jockey wheel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5

10. A jockey wheel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A vehicle provided with the braking device for a jockey wheel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings.

12. A vehicle provided with the jockey wheel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.