AU670717B2

AU670717B2 - Improved vehicle trailer

Info

Publication number: AU670717B2
Application number: AU75798/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Clarence Robert Ellicott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-10-19
Filing date: 1994-10-14
Publication date: 1996-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-14
Also published as: AU7579894A

Description

P;O 00/1 1 Roqo I ei n 3~j l .2 AUIS TRAL IA Patents Act 7990 I,

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: IMPROVED VEHICLE TRAILER The following statement -,full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me, This invent ion rela tes to improved vehicle trailer and in particular to a steerable trailer.

Many different forms of vehicle trailer are presently available for towing or conveying many different objects. Vehicle trailers have also found application for towing vehicles, for example motor cars which have broken down. In one such form of trailer, the axle of the trailer is formed or connected rigidly to the drawbar of the trailer and a rotatable turntable is provided to support the front or rear wheels of the vehicle to be towed so as to facilitate towing of the vehicle around corners or curves. This arrangement has not provided particularly satisfactory and is a relatively complex and expensive device. If a rigid trailer is used for towing a vehicle, difficulties are encountered in negotiating corners as the towed vehicle resists the cornering action.

The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate the above disadvantages by providing a trailer adapted to be towed by a vehicle of any S" suitable form wherein the wheels of the trailer are steerable to facilitate towing around corners or curves. The trailer of the present invention is particularly applicable to the towing of vehicles, for example broken down vehicle but may be used in other applications. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following desc 4 pt ion.

The present invention thus provides a trailer having a main towing member adapted to be connected at one end to a towing vehicle, a cross arm extending transversely of said towing member and supporting at each end a pair of wheels, said arm being pivotally mounted to said towing member whereby pivotal movement therebetween causes a corresponding pivotal movement of said trailer wheels whereby to effect steering of said trailer.

Preferably the towing member extending rearwardly beyond the cross arm and a pair of links connect the extending portion of the towing member to the steerable wheels so as to effect steering thereof upon 15 pivotal movement of the towing member relative to the arm.

Preferably locking means are provided to lock the arm in a position extending normally of the towing member for straight ahead towing.

The cross arm of the trailer suitably is provided with wheel receiving supports to receive a pair of wheels of a vehicle to be towed. Ramps may be provided to facilitate movement of the wheels of the vehicle onto the wheel supports.

The towing member may include winch means which may be coupled to the vehicle to be towed to facilitate its movement onto the vehicle supports.

In order that the invention may be more readily

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understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein FIGS 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view of the trailer according to the present invention from side and rear; FIG 3 is a plan view of the trailer of FIG 1; and FIG 4 is a plan view of the trailer showing the steering action of the trailer.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to FIGS 1 and 2 there is illustrated a trailer 10 according to the present invention including a towing member or beam 11 having a coupling 12 at one end to enable 15 connection of the trailer in conventional fashion to the towball of a vehicle. Pivotally mounted to the member 11 is a cross-arm 13 which is arranged for pivotal movement relative to the member 11 at 14 by means of a pivot pin or bolt 15 (see FIG The arm 13 is supported on its underside by a bracing arrangement 16, whilst on its upper side the arm 13 is provided with forwardly extending frame members 17 which may be connected through a locking pin 18 to the member 11 to prevent pivotal movement of the arm 13 relative to the member 11. Mounted for pivotal movement at each end of the arm 13 through stub axles 19 are a pair of wheel assemblies 20 including tyred wheels 20 supported for rotation in bearings in I

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conventional fashion. A pair of steering arms 21 are connected to the wheel assemblies 20 to effect steering of the wheel assemblies 20 about a vertical axis. A pair of tie rods 22 are pivotally connected at one end to the respective arms through conventional ball joints or other pivot connection and are connected pivotally at their opposite ends to a rearwardly extending portion of the towing member 11 at 23.

The arm 13 as shown in FIGS 1 and 2 additionally carries a pair of spaced apart wheel supports 24 upon which the wheels of a vehicle to be towed may be supported. The support 24 may be provided with a perforated grid 25 to facilitate gripping between the 15 tyres of the vehicle to be towed and the support 24.

A pair of ramps 26 (shown in dotted outline) may be o ee supported at one end on the wheel supports 24 and extend to the ground at an inclination so that the wheels of a vehicle to be towed may be directed onto the supports 24 and be located at an elevated position. The towing member 11 may additionally be provided with a winch 27 having a cable 28 which may be connected to a vehicle to be towed so that the wheels of the vehicle may be drawn at the ramps 26 onto the supports 24.

A chain 28 may be provided to secure the vehicle wheels on the supports 26.

In use the trailer 10 is coupled through the coupling 12 to the towing ball of any suitable towing vehicle, such as a car or truck. Where the trailer is to be used for towing say a broken down vehicle, the vehicle, with the aid of the ramps 26 is drawn onto the trailer 10 so that say the front wheels thereof locate on and are supported by the supports 24. This may he effected with the aid of the winch 27. With the vehicle positioned as above the chain 28 may then by coupled to a suitable point on the vehicle to restrain the vehicle from movement off the supports 24. Alternatively or additionally, further ties may be provided to secure the vehicle wheels to the supports 24. The ramps 26 may then be removed as may the locking pin 18 so that the member 11 is free to pivot relative to the cross arm 13. When the towing vehicle is towing the trailer 10 around a corner, the e eo o member 11 will move pivotally relative to the cross arm 13 as shown in FIG 4 so as to cause the wheels to pivot through the action of the tie rods in the oo er same direction. This will improve the tracking of the trailer around corners and ensure that the vehicle o S•being towed remains securely supported on its supports 24 and follows the path of the towing vehicle. So that the towed vehicle does not resist the movement of the supports, it is preferred that the front steerable wheels be supported on the supports and the steering left free.

When the vehicle is turning in the opposite direction the member 11 pivots in the opposite direction relative to the cross arm 22. For straight ahead towing the locking pin 18 is replaced so that the cross arm 13 is held rigidly at right angles to the towing member 11.

It will be appa -nt that the trailer 10 may have many different constructional features without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention. Thus the pivotal connection between the arm 13 and member 11 may comprise any suitable pivotal connection such as a simple bolt or a pivot pin supported in bearings. The wheel assemblies 20 may be supported to the arm 13 in any suitable fashion for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis.

15 Additionally the trailer 10 may be used with any towing vehicle. The supports 24 may be positioned any o.oo .distance apart to suit the vehicle to be towed and may if desired be laterally adjustable. Additionally, the ramps 26 may be pivotally mounted to the supports 24 or adjacent portion of the trailer 10. Where however the ramps 26 are removable, means are preferably provided to support the rams on the trailer cross arm 13.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention 8 as herein seb forLh.

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Claims

1. A vehicle towing trailer comprising a main towing member adapted to be connected at one end to a towing vehicle, a cross arm extending transversely of said towing member and supporting at each end a pair of steerable wheels, said arm being pivotally mounted to said towing member, said towing member extending rearwardly beyond the cross arm and a pair of links connect the extending portion of the towing member to the steerable wheels so as to effect steering thereof upon pivotal movement of the towing member relative to the arm, said trailer characterised in the provision i of substantially planar wheel receiving supports to 00 "receive a pair of wheels of a vehicle to be towed, said wheel receiving supports being rigidly associated with said cros's arm to prevent relative rotation about an upright axis and, wherein in use, the mass of that portion of a vehicle being towed is supported by said 0cross arm substantially over the rotational axes of said wheels.

2. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 wherein locking means are provided to lock the arm in a position extending normally of the towing member for straight ahead towing.

3. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein removable ramps are provided to facilitate movement of the wheels of a vehicle to be towed onto the wheel receiving supports. M

4. A trailer as claimed in any preceding claims wherein mudguards for the trailer wheels are rigidly connected to the trailer.

A trailer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the towing member includes winch means which, in use, may be coupled to a vehicle to be towed to facilitate its movement onto the vehicle supports.

6. A vehicle towing trailer substantially a s hereinbefore described.

7. A vehicle towing trailer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. C C DATED this Twenty-first day of May 1996 CLARENCE ROBERT ELLICOTT By his Patent Attorney A g FISHER ADAMS KELLY l 11 ABSTRACT A vehicle towing trailer comprises a main towing member (11) having a towing coupling (12) at a Liee end thereof and a cross arm (13) extending transversely thereof adjacent an opposite end. Steerable wheels (20) are pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the cross arm (13) and are coupled to the main towing member (11) whereby relative pivotal movement between the main towing member (11) and the cross arm (13) effects a corresponding pivotal movement in the steerable wheels (20) to permit selective steering of the trailer when the front or rear wheels of a towed vehicle are mounted thereon.