FI128937B

FI128937B - Trailer kicker

Info

Publication number: FI128937B
Application number: FI20207001A
Authority: FI
Inventors: Matti Koponen
Original assignee: Matti Koponen
Priority date: 2020-01-05
Filing date: 2020-01-05
Publication date: 2021-03-31
Also published as: FI20207001A1

Abstract

The trailer kicker is used to assist getting a car-trailer combination going on a steep uphill slope. The trailer is typically a boat trailer. Typically, assistance is needed When a boat has been towed from the water to a trailer and the car-boat trailer starts to be driven upward on the ramp. Such places are called boat ramps. The invention relates both to the purpose of use of device itself and to the use of a gas spring or a combination of a gas spring and a pneumatic cylinder as a source of mechanical force. It is also an invention that the gas spring is tensed by help of a load strap or a pneumatic cylinder in this kind of use. There may be several this kind of devices in one (boat)trailer. The trailer kicker consists of two different parts. The first sub-assembly is the mounting plates that secure the unit to the trailer. The (boat) trailer usually has a rectangular tube frame. The mounting plates (1) are clamped by bolts around the rectangular tube of the frame. In addition to the bolts, the mounting plates have an axle (2). The second subassembly is fixed to that axle (2) and it rotates freely about the centerline (A) of that axle (2). The second sub-assembly is an assembly consisting of a fastening body (3), a portion that is named here as a upper thigh-like part (4), a portion that is named here as a lower shin-like part (5) and a thrust plate (6) and associated actuators such as gas springs (7) and a load strap (8) and pneumatic cylinders (9).

Description

TRAILER KICKER

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The invention named here as Trailer kicker is used to assist getting a car-trailer combination going on a steep uphill slope. The trailer is typically a boat trailer. Typically, assistance is needed when a boat has been towed from the water to a trailer and the car- boat trailer starts to be driven upward on the ramp. Such places are called boat ramps. In general, the ramps are quite steep, especially on the seashore, more often than average. The angle of the ramp influences substantially the force required for upward movement.

An SUV would be optimal in that situation. However, a four-wheel drive vehicle is more expensive than a two-wheel drive vehicle and can also be more environmentally harmful. A large and heavy car consumes more fuel and is more expensive to buy. In a world affected by climate change, replacing four-wheel drive vehicles with lighter, more economical and cleaner front-wheel drive vehicles is increasingly important. Today, most cars are front-wheel driven. However, the problem with a front-wheel drive car on the ramp is that the front end of the car rises up and "looses weigth" due to the momentum transmitted from the wheels to the ground when the car pulls heavy load. In this case, the friction of the wheels may not be sufficient for car and trailer to move upwards. Even before that, there is a problem. The clutch of passenger car is not dimensioned for pulling very heavy loads. Gravity pulls the car and trailer backwards when car and trailer tries to move uphill. Getting uphill generates a lot more strain on the car's transmission, especially for the clutch. This problem also applies to rear and four-wheel drive cars. Excessive slipping the clutch will often have to be done deliberately. The object of the trailer kicker is to ease the start off the car and trailer by reducing the load so that the weight of the trailer is partly supported by the invented device. The goal is to make the start off the car-trailer combination to be almost alike as a start off just a car. Using the trailer kicker reduces wheel slipping and the need to slipping the clutch at the moment of departure. N In modern cars, traction control prevents the car and trailer combination to proceed if the O Lo . N wheels start to slip in ramp. That is why one may need to make several start offs. Each start N 35 off will overdo the clutch and transmission. The purpose of the device is to reduce the O io. . . . N number of those start offs needed. The device is a one-time operational, but it can be — reloaded quickly. The car is usually always heavier than a boat trailer. The situation will = ease when the car rises to a flat ground. However, depending on the ramp, you need to get a up 5-15 meters uphill before the load situation eases. = 40 S The invention relates both to the purpose of use of device itself and to the use of a gas I spring or a combination of a gas spring and a pneumatic cylinder as a source of mechanical S force. It is also an invention that the gas spring is tensed by help of a load strap or a pneumatic cylinder in this kind of use. There may be several this kind of devices in one 45 —(boat)trailer.

No similar devices were found in Patent Search nor was the gas spring used in this type of application.

LIST OF THE FIGURES The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a trailer kicker having a gas spring and a load strap being used to tension the spring; Figure 2 shows a trailer kicker having a gas spring and a pneumatic cylinder used for tensioning the spring and as an additional power source.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The trailer kicker consists of two different parts. The first sub-assembly is the mounting plates that secure the unit to the trailer. The (boat) trailer usually has a rectangular tube frame. The mounting plates (1) are clamped by bolts around the rectangular tube of the frame. In addition to the bolts, the mounting plates have an axle (2). The second subassembly is fixed to that axle (2) and it rotates freely about the centerline (A) of that axle (2).

The second sub-assembly is an assembly consisting of a fastening body (3), a portion that is named here as a upper thigh-like part (4), a portion that is named here as a lower shin- like part (5) and a thrust plate (6) and associated actuators such as gas springs (7) and a load strap (8) and pneumatic cylinders (9).

The upper thigh-like part(4) contains the fastening body(3). There is a joint between the upper thigh-like part and the lower shin-like part. The upper end of the lower shin-like part revolves around the center line (B) of the pivot pin and the upper thigh-like part(4) revolves around the center line of axle (2).

The pusher plate (if needed) is attached to the tip of lower shin-like part. The other end of the gas spring(s) (and the pneumatic cylinder(s)) is attached to the joint (C) of the = fastening body (3). The other end is attached near to the tip, joint (D), to the lower shin- O like part.

N S 35 The frame of the load strap (8b) used to tense the device is attached to the fastening body.

N The load strap is attached to roll (E) or it circulates around the roll (E) so that force is I transmitted through the roll (E) to the lower shin-like part. Other end of the strap is T attached to the fastening body. The unit can also be tensed with a pneumatic cylinder. The - pneumatic cylinder can also be used to change the direction of movement, it can be used 2 40 also for pushing, to assist the gas springs. Pneumatic cylinder can be replaced with electric r~ actuator.

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O N The load strap (8) is to be released after tensing the gas spring (7) and after the pusher plate (6) is set to touch the ground. Force of gas spring (7) is now pushing the tip of lower shin- 45 like (5) part to ground and at the same time it pushes via axle (2) the trailer forward and upward. The upper thigh-like part (4) revolves around axle (2) and lower shin-like part (5)

revolves around pivot pin (B) when the trailer starts to move forward. Contact to the ground ends when the gas spring has opened. In transport position, the upper thigh-like part (4) is locked in a horizontal position parallel to the trailer body. Likewise, the lower shin-like part (5) is then in a nearly horizontal position. When the device is put into use, it has to be tensed so that the lower shin-like part (5) revolves about 90 degrees. The tip of the lower shin-like part (5) points then towards ground or slightly forward in other words. After that the locking of the upper thigh-like part (4) is loosed. The device rotates because its own weight so that the pusher plate (6) contacts the ground. The tensing is then triggered either by releasing the strap (8) lock or by reversing the movement of the pneumatic cylinder (9). The unit is now operational and aims to push the trailer forward.

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Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. The Trailer kicker that assists in starting off a car-trailer combination on a steep uphill slope consists of two different parts. The first sub-assembly is the mounting plates that secure the unit to the trailer. The (boat) trailer usually has a rectangular tube frame. The mounting plates (1) are clamped by bolts around the rectangular tube of the frame. In addition to the bolts, the mounting plates have an axle (2). The trailer kicker, characterized that the second subassembly that extends to the ground is mounted to that axle (2) and it rotates freely about the centerline (A) of that axle (2). The second sub-assembly is an assembly consisting of a fastening body (3), a portion that is named here as a upper thigh-like part (4), a portion that is named here as a lower shin-like part (5) and associated joints (A and B) and a tip plate (6) and associated actuators such as gas springs (7) and a load strap (8) and cylinders (9). The top plate (or tip of the lower shin-like part (5)) is pushed against the ground after the device is tensed and after that the load strap (8) is released. The force charged to the gas spring (7) acts in such a way that the device, when it rotates around axle (2) and the lower shin-like part is rotating around joint B, is pushing the axle (2) and at the same the whole trailer forward and upwards.

2. The trailer kicker of claim 1, characterized in that it uses a gas spring(s) as a power source. Other end of the gas spring(s) is mounted to joint (C) of the fastening body (3) and the other end is mounted near to the tip, joint (D), of the lower shin-like part.

3. The trailer kicker of claim 1-2, characterized in that the gas spring(s) is compressed to the loaded position by aid of a load strap (8) type mechanism or by aid of a pneumatic cylinder(s) (9). The base of the load strap mechanism (8b) is attached to the fastening body(3). Near the tip of the lower shin-like part there is a roll (E) around which the strap rotates. Other end of the strap (8) is attached to the fastening body(3). It is also possible to attach the end of the strap to roll (E). S

4. The trailer kicker of claim 1-3, characterized in that a combination of (gas) spring(s) V and compressed air cylinder(s) or electric actuator can also be used as a power S source. Additional pneumatic cylinder(s) or electric actuator(s) can be used for K 40 compressing the (gas) spring or it can be used to produce more thrust.

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