FR2463688A1 - TOW HITCH FOR TRAILER - Google Patents

Abstract

THE SUBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS A BALL JOINT COUPLING INCLUDING A DIVIDED SPHERICAL BOWL, PART 2 OF WHICH IS CONSTITUTED BY A HOUSING FIXED ON THE TIMON AND OF WHICH THE OTHER PART 3 IS ARTICULATED ON THE CASE TO BE ABLE TO SWIVEL AROUND A HORIZONTAL AXIS. THE COUPLING IS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE PIVOTING SHAFT 10 OF THE OPERATING HANDLE 6 IS GUIDED SO AS TO SLIDE TRANSVERSALLY IN SLOT HOLES 11 OF THE CASING ORIENTED PERPENDICULARLY TO ITS LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AND ABOUT VERTICALLY; THE MANEUVER HANDLE 6 INCLUDES A SHOULDER 12 THAT CAN BE LOCKED, DURING THE PIVOTING MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE UNTIL THE DISCONNECT POSITION, ON THE PIVOT AXIS 4 OF THE MOBILE PART OF THE SPHERICAL BOWL; IT IS PROVIDED ON THE MOBILE PART OF THE SPHERICAL BOWL 3 OF THE COACHES ARRANGED ABOVE AND BELOW THE HANDLE SHAFT 10 AND CORRESPONDING TO THIS. THE INVENTION APPLIES TO MOTOR VEHICLE TRAILERS.

Description

TOW HITCH FOR TRAILER.

  The present invention relates to a ball joint, in particular for a motor vehicle trailer, comprising a divided spherical bowl, part of which is constituted by a casing fixed on the drawbar and the other

  part is articulated on the housing, with the possibility of pivoting limited to

  turn of a horizontal axis, and can be pivotally displaced by means of an operating handle relative to the portion of the bowl which is integral with the

  casing, the operating handle, which pivots to a position of

  under the effect of the tension of a spring and the force of gravity, being arranged in the form of a bent lever and being mounted so as to be able to perform limited pivoting by means of an axle mounted in the housing

and oriented horizontally.

  In a hitch of known type, the operating handle must, for the detachment of the hitch, be initially pulled up in opposition to the force of a helical spring disposed in the handle, to then allow the pivoting the handle portion that protrudes

  top of the housing to the spherical bowl, which causes the

  constraint of another elastic element and then the moving part of

  the spherical bowl is swiveled into the disengaged position

  coupling by force of a third elastic element.

  For this purpose, the housing carries a pivot axis which is engaged in an oblong hole oriented in the longitudinal direction of the operating handle. In addition, there is provided in the part of the handle that enters the housing another oblong hole in which is engaged a pin whose end portions are guided with the possibility of transverse displacement in oblong holes of the housing, which are oriented parallel to axis

longitudinal sump.

  This pin rests, in the coupling position of the coupling, against a finger protruding from the rear side of the moving part of the spherical bowl and, for the uncoupling of the coupling, it can be moved away from the bowl spherical, using the handle and being guided through the slots in the housing until it releases the finger.

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  A hitch of this kind is, on the one hand, relatively expensive

  and, on the other hand, difficult and complex manipulation for the un-

the hitch.

  The object of the invention is therefore to provide a ball coupling of the type defined above, the structure and handling of which is simplified without reducing the protection against inadvertent disconnection.

of the hitch.

This problem is solved in that:

  at. the pivot axis of the operating handle is guided so that it can

  see transversely slide in oblong holes in the housing, oriented

  perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and almost vertically

  LEMENT; b. the operating handle comprises a shoulder that can bear when

  the pivoting movement of the handle into the disengaged position

  coupling, on the pivot axis of the movable portion of spherical bowl; c. there are provided on the spherical bowl movable portion of the drivers arranged above and below the handle axis and corresponding

to this one.

  Thanks to this arrangement, it is sufficient, to uncouple the hitch according to

  the invention, to rotate, in the direction of the spherical bowl, the po-

  which exceeds the crankcase.

  Under these conditions, the handle initially pivots about its axis, but it will pivot when contacting the handle shoulder with the spherical cup pivot axis, around the latter, so that the pivot axis of handle is applied against the driver of the spherical bowl moving part, which is above the handle axis,

  and entraIne said bowl portion to the open position, oppo-

  the force of a closing spring.

  In addition, the hitch according to the invention comprises where appropriate

  fewer parts than the known type of coupling defined above, which is

  by simplifying and reducing the cost of manufacturing and

of the assembly.

  According to an advantageous variant of the invention, a flexible spring is fixed on the axis of pivoting of the movable portion of a spherical bowl, in particular a spring with branches, the two branches of which are oriented, under the action of an elastic prestressing. substantially in the direction of the pivot axis of the handle and, in addition, one of the branches of the spring is arranged to bear against the housing internally and above the handle axis, while the other leg of the spring is applied against a pivot arm of the handle which is oriented approximately

  close in a direction opposite to its actuating arm.

  This provides the advantage that it is now sufficient to use a single element

  elastic. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the

  telage is remarkable in that there is provided a spring branches, which comprises at least two turns spaced axially from each other by a certain distance, in that it is further provided between the turns a stirrup having substantially the shape of a U, overlapping said turns and departing substantially tangential-! in order to be applied against the pivoting arm of the operating handle, and that the free end portions of the spring turns are

  arranged so as to rest approximately tangentially against the casing.

  Thanks to this arrangement, the coupling is significantly better protected against any

  inadvertent disconnection, without its mounting becomes more difficult.

  According to another characteristic of the coupling according to the invention,

  which makes it possible in particular to obtain a space-saving arrangement, this one is

  marked in that the operating handle is pivotally arranged between

  two turns of the mainspring and in that it is provided on the pivot arm

  two pins arranged parallel to the pivot axis of the handle

  maneuvering and supporting the branches of the spring in mutual directions

  opposed, the branch spring being arranged, preferably, between two lateral cheeks bearing against the convex side of the movable part of the spherical bowl, said cheeks being traversed by the pivot axis of

  the spherical bowl and having in their free frontal sides

  whose flanks are arranged so as to reach the pivot axis of the operating handle and are arranged as corresponding trainers

  to the pivot axis of the operating handle.

  To further increase safety against inadvertent disconnection of the coupling, it is provided on the operating handle, on the side opposite the

  spherical bowl, a nose snapping under the crankcase cover when

  that the coupling is in mating condition.

  To further simplify the handling of the hitch proper and to lift it latter relative to the ball head disposed on the towing vehicle, it is advantageous that, in the structure described above, the actuating arm of the handle of maneuver ends with a fit part

  handle substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing.

  Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from

  reading of the following description and accompanying figures given as

illustrative but not limiting.

  Figure 1 shows a ball joint, in plan view and partly broken away. Figure 2 shows the same coupling in longitudinal section, in the

  coupling or closing position.

  Figure 3 shows the same coupling in longitudinal section, but in

  the position of uncoupling or opening.

  The ball hitch according to the invention, which is intended to be fixed on the

  a trailer and that cooperates with a ball head fixed on a

  tractor, consists of a housing 1 made of sheet metal and having a cross section substantially channel-shaped, at the end of which is formed a portion 2 having the profile of a spherical bowl. In the casing channel 1 open towards the bottom, there is provided a movable portion of spherical bowl 3, which can pivot about an axis 4 and whose ends are held in position between the side walls of the casing 1. This axis 4 is engaged in suitably sized holes in lateral cheeks 5, which

  depart from the convex side of the spherical bowl portion 3.

  On the casing 1 is, in addition, disposed a maneuvering handle 6, which has an end portion 8, which is arranged in the middle of the housing cover and is engaged in a longitudinal guiding slot 7, and which

  enters the crankcase channel 1.

  The other end portion of the operating handle 6, oriented approximately vertically, is arranged in the form of a handle 9 itself, extending approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing

  in the coupling or closing position of the coupling.

  The end portion of the operating handle 6 is traversed by an axis

  which is oriented parallel to the axis 4 and which is mounted with

  transversal translation unit in oblong holes 11 oriented slightly

near vertically.

  The oblong holes 11 are formed in the side walls of the casing 1.

  To fix the axis 10 in position in the axial direction, it is provided on the latter rivet heads or similar parts relying

  against the outer sides of the side walls of the housing.

  In addition, it is provided on the operating handle 6, above the axis

  4, a shoulder 12 of convex profile which bears against said axis.

  On axis 4, immobilized in the axial direction also by means of

  rivet heads, is fitted with a spring with branches 13 subjected to a

  constraint. This spring comprises two turns 14, 15, which are axially spaced-

  distance from one another and which are overlapped by a U-shaped, approximately tangentially

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  and which is mounted so as to rest against a pivoting arm 17

operating handle 6.

  The end portions 18, free and oriented in the same direction relative to each other, of the two turns 14 and 15, are applied against the inner side of the housing cover so that the spring 13 exerts on the handle maneuvering 6 a couple acting in the direction of the

arrow 19.

  For this purpose, there is provided on the pivot arm 17 two pins 20

  oriented parallel to the axis 10 and in opposite directions.

  In the lateral cheeks 5 of the part 3 of the spherical bowl, it is

  provided a respective recess, so that its flanks 21 and 22 extend

  tooth to the zone of displacement of the axis 10 and can be applied against this axis 10. For this purpose, the sidewall 22 is arranged so as to be inclined obliquely, in the coupling position of the coupling ( FIG. 2), with respect to the longitudinal direction of the oblong holes 11, so that, even for relatively large manufacturing tolerances, the spherical cup portion 3 always comes into application with a combination of shapes against the

head of ball, not visible.

  On the side of the handle 6, which is opposed to the spherical bowl, there is further provided a nose 23, oriented approximately perpendicularly and which is applied on one side, during a movement approximately vertical of the operating handle 6, against the underside of the crankcase cover, thereby limiting the displacement of the hitch in this direction, and therefore preventing its untimely decoupling while, on the other hand, by pivoting the operating handle 6 towards the spherical bowl,

  said nose 23 can exit to the outside through the housing slot 7.

  The casing 1 can also be made in the form of a malleable cast iron piece. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the modes of

  described and illustrated embodiments; it is capable of many

  rants accessible to those skilled in the art, depending on the intended applications

  and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (7)

  1.- Ball joint, in particular for a motor vehicle trailer, comprising a divided spherical bowl, part of which is constituted by a housing fixed on the drawbar and the other part is hinged to the housing, with the possibility of limited pivoting around of a horizontal axis, and can be pivotally displaced by means of an operating handle relative to the bowl portion which is integral with the housing, the operating handle, which pivots to a closed position under the housing. the effect of the spring tension and the gravity force, being arranged in the form of a bent lever and being mounted so as to be able to perform limited pivoting by means of an axle mounted in the housing and horizontally oriented, characterized in that: a. the pivot axis (10) of the operating handle (6) is guided so as to be able to slide transversely in oblong holes (11) of the housing oriented perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and approximately vertically; b. the operating handle (6) comprises a shoulder (12) that can be supported during the pivoting movement of the handle into the position of   uncoupling, on the pivot axis (4) of the movable portion of cu-   spherical vortex; c. on the spherical bowl mobile part (3), there are provided drivers arranged above and below the handle axis (10) and corresponding to this one.   2. A ball coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that   * flexible spring, including a spring branches (13), is maintained in po-   on the pivot axis (4) of the spherical bowl moving part   (3), the two branches of the spring being oriented, under the effect of a pre-   elastic constraint, substantially in the direction of the pivot axis (10) of the operating handle (6), and in that one of the branches of the   spring is arranged so as to bear against the casing (1), internally   above and above the handle pin (10), while the other leg of the spring bears against a pivoting arm (17) of the operating handle which is oriented substantially in a direction   opposed to the actuating arm of said handle (6).   3.- Ball joint according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized   in that a leaf spring (13) is provided, which comprises at least two turns (14, 15) axially spaced from each other by a distance,   in that there is further provided between the turns a stirrup (16) having   a Uichevachanititles said turns and spreading about tangentially so as to be applied against the pivoting arm (17) of the operating handle (6), and in that the free end portions (18)   turns of the spring are arranged so as to support approximately gentially against the housing (1).   4. A ball coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that the operating handle (6) is pivotally arranged between the two turns (14; 15) of the leaf spring (13) and that two pins are provided on the pivot arm (17) ( 10) arranged parallel to the pivot axis (10) of the operating handle (6) and supporting the   spring branches in mutually opposite directions.   5. A ball coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the leaf spring (13) is arranged between two lateral cheeks bearing against the convex side of the movable part of the spherical bowl (3), said cheeks (5) being traversed by the pivot axis ( 4) of the spherical bowl and having in their free front sides recesses whose sides (21, 22) are arranged to reach the pivot axis (10) of the operating handle (6) and are arranged as coaches corresponding to the pivot axis (10) of the handle of maneuvering (6).   6. A ball coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that there is provided on the operating handle (6), on the opposite side to the spherical bowl, a nose (23) clinging below the   crankcase cover when the hitch is in mating condition.   7. A ball coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that the actuating arm of the operating handle (6) terminates in a handle portion (9) which is roughly oriented   parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing.