FR2747360A1 - Manual hitch guide for motor vehicle tow hitch - Google Patents

Abstract

The guide for positioning a wheel (10) has a reduction transmission under the protective casing (19) associated with a guide tube (1). the assembly is controlled by a movable crank. The reduction system has a series of four pinions and a demountable guide tube and it is fixed on the left face of a hitch stirrup (18). The guide tube supports a Cardan joint on its lower face and carries, threaded on its axis, an interchangeable nut of the same dimensions as that of the cylinders of the trailer.

Description

 MOTIVATION.

It is sometimes difficult to ask for a helping hand in the absence of neighbors, when arriving at a campsite. So when you are alone or an elderly couple how to exert enough effort to push a caravan?
How do you steer and keep a jockey wheel in the right direction?
It is necessary at the same time to monitor on each side if there is room to maneuver to raise, not to injure yourself, not to risk damage to your equipment or to the environment, that's good enough to curb the most beautiful optimism or spoil the pleasure of escape.

This problem is repeated in three circumstances:
1 - At the time of departure to couple the trailer to the car.

2- Arrived to unhitch on the best location (not necessarily the
easier access).

 3 When going out or returning to the garage.

 It is therefore this imperative need, lived from a long practice which prompted me to seek the means which is at the same time simple, effective, light, inexpensive, and of a broad practical application.

 For these reasons, from various elements of the trade, I imagined and designed a coherent mechanical assembly. After several tests I managed to make a prototype that met the needs.

 I now plan to have my invention industrially built.

 DESCRIPTION.

 A guide tube (1) fixed on the stirrup (18) removable by 4 screws maintains in its curved lower part at 35- a cardan joint (2) whose end nut is interchangeable by elastic pin so that it corresponds to the nuts d 'origin mounted on the trailer cylinders.

 The curvature of the guide tube (1) has been chosen so as to position the steering (14) and drive (16) handles of the crank at the correct height.

 The mounting of the guide tube allows the cardan (2) to be visited and lubricated.

The screw cap (20) seals it out of service
The gear reduction system integral with the stirrup (18) is obtained by 4 toothed pinions as follows:
The universal joint (2) controls the rotation of the primary axis (3) on which the drive pinion (4) is keyed, which drives both the driven pinion (6) and the driving pinion ( 7).

 The driving pinion (7) drives the receiving pinion (9) which is assembled tightly on the receiving axis (8) carrying the drive wheel (10).

 The drive wheel has a notched tire to ensure better grip on soft soil (earth or grass).

 Several reduction variants can be provided to allow the effort to be exerted on the crank to be adapted as a function of the weight of the trailer.

 The device described above is set in motion by a crank specific to the invention.

 This crank with a diameter of 14 mm fits onto the suitable nut of the gimbal (2) at the bottom of the guide tube (1) by an interchangeable bush (11) retained by an elastic pin.

 It is held in the axis of the tube by the ring (12) locked in abutment by the perforated plug (13) movable on the rod of the crank.

 A steering handle (14) free to rotate allows the orientation of the drive wheel (10). The 240 mm long lever arm (15) transmits the force received by the drive handle (16).

 The direction of rotation of the drive wheel (10) being that of the crank, the length of this crank according to the variants always makes it possible to visually control the maneuvers both forwards and backwards.

 The casing (19), which can be dismantled in 2 parts, seals the mechanism against external aggressions: (projections, mud, gravel, twigs) and keeps the lubrication efficiency of the moving parts.

 ANNEX TO THE DESCRIPTION.

 Document 1/6 - The device seen from the right.

 Document 2/6 - The device seen from the front.

 Document 316- The device seen from the left.

Document 4/6 - The cross-sectional device seen from above without the
protection.

 Document 5/6 - The protective case.

 Document 6/6 - The control crank.

 NOMENCLATURE:.

Num Designation Observation 1 Steel guide tube 2 Gimbal Interchangeable nut 3 Primary axis 4 Motor pinion Keyed on the shaft 5 Secondary axis 6 Gear driven Tight fit (H .. p ..) 7 Driving gear Tight fit (H .. p .. ) 8 Receiver pin 9 Receiver pinion Tight fit (H. p ..) 10 Wheel Non-slip tire It Crank sleeve 12 PVC guide ring

13 Perforated plug 14 P.V.C.

15 Lever arm 16 P.V.C.

17 Steel support column 18 Steel bracket 19 P.V.C.

20 Cap

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:  1) Mechanical device intended to manually drive and orient a wheel (10) characterized by a reduction system in a protective housing (19) associated with a guide tube (1), the assembly being controlled by a removable crank (11 to 16).  2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the reduction system is constituted by the succession of 4 toothed pinions (4-6-7-9) and a removable guide tube (1) and in that it is fixed on the left side of a stirrup (18).  3) Device according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the guide tube (1) maintains in its lower part a universal joint (2) and carries pinned on its axis an interchangeable nut of the same dimension as those of the cylinders of the trailer.  4) Device according to claims 1 and 3 characterized in that the crank (11 to 16) is fixed in the guide tube (1).  5) Device according to claim 1 or claim 4 characterized by the dual function of the crank: Directing by its handle (14) and Driving by its driving handle (16) which allows to maintain visual control of the front and rear maneuvers .