GB2077698A

GB2077698A - Trailer with lifting gear

Info

Publication number: GB2077698A
Application number: GB8118443A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-06-17
Filing date: 1981-06-16
Publication date: 1981-12-23

Abstract

A trailer has a wheeled axle (10) with a tow bar (12) extending forwardly therefrom and with a lift mast assembly (11) pivoted thereto and its carriage (17) (Fig. 2, not shown) faces rearwardly. Rearwardly extending attachments e.g. forks (14) are mountable on said carriage. A length-adjustable link (15) is mounted between anchorage points 15A on the tow bar (12) and the assembly (11) for angular adjustment of the assembly (11) relative to the tow bar (12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A trailer This invention relates to a trailer to be towed by a vehcile, for example a tractor.

According to the present invention, there is provided, a trailer comprising a wheeled axle with a tow bar extending forwardly therefrom and a lift mast assembly pivoted thereto for a carriage thereof to face rearwardly for mounting rearwardly extending attachments, and means being provided between the lift mast assembly and the tow bar for controlling angular adjustments of the lift mast assembly relative to the axle.

Preferably, the angular adjustment means is a length-adjustment link mounted between anchorage points on the lift mast assembly and on the tow bar.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view.

Referring to the drawings, a trailer comprises a wheeled axle 10 with a tow bar 1 2 extending forwardly at right angles to said axle 1 0. A lift mast assembly 11 is pivoted to said axle 10 and its carriage 1 7 faces rearwardly. The tow bar 1 2 extends from mid-way of the axle 10, and two braces are secured between the tow bar 1 2 and axle 10 symmetrically of said tow bar 1 2. For mounting the lift mast assembly, the axle 10 has symmetri cally thereof two spaced apertured lugs 1 OA and the lift mast assembly 11 has two sets of two aperatured lugs 11A, the sets being spaced apart and the lugs of each set being spaced apart such as to accommodate the lugs 10A therebetween.The assembly 11 is connected to the axle 10 by pivot pins 9 passing through aligned apertures in lugs 1 or, 11 A. A length-adjustable link 1 5 connects the assembly 11 to the tow bar 12, the link being pivotally anchored at each end to an anchorage point 1 5A on the assembly 11 and tow bar 1 2 respectively. The link 1 5 by which angular adjustment of the lift mast assembly 11 relative to the axle 10 is controlled is shown as a hydraulic ram, but may simply be a screw length-adjustable member, commonly known as a top link for use with the three-point linkage of a tractor. The lift mast can thereby, when loaded, be tilted forwardly of the trailer to move the centre of gravity of the load forwardly about its pivots 9.The lift mast assembly is of conventional construction and its carriage is for friction or roller movement relative to the mast. Two forks or tines 1 4 are provided for mounting on the carriage to extend rearwardly therefrom, and other conventional attachments can be provided for selective use, one at a time, with the carriage of the lift mast. The attachments may, for example be those commonly referred to as a block bale handler, a pipe and log grab, a push-off grab, a silage grape, a box-handler tipper, a link box or a bucket.The carriage of the lift. mast is moved relative thereto under the influence of a hydraulic ram (not shown) anchored adjacent to the bottom of the lift mast and to the outer end of the piston of which is connected either a chain (not shown) entrained around a sprocket wheel and connected to the carriage, or a rope (not shown) running in a pulley and connected to the carriage. The sprocket wheel or pulley is mounted for rotatable movement on a spindle mounting (not shown) transversing the lift mast at the top thereof and movement of the marriage up and doVJn the lift mast is controlled by the retraction and extension of the carriage ram.The carriage ram (not shown) and the link ram 1 5 are for connection to a fluid supply through hoses, and most suitably, the fluid supply of a tractor is used. If no fluid supply is availabie on the towing vehicle, then a pump and a fluid tank is provided on the trailer, the pump being driven by the engine of the vehicle. Ballasting may be provided at the forward end of the tow bar 12, if necessary. The tow bar 1 2 may be telescopic. A height-adjustable foot 1 6 is provided to support the outer end of the tow bar 1 2 when the trailer is not in use.

The trailer is hitched on to a tractor or other vehicle and the lift mast assembly is used in conventional manner. The trailer has been developed primarily for use in handling palleted loads since a problem exists in handling bagged feedstuffs and fertilisers which are delivered to, for e,çample farmers in palleted loads of 2 tons and have to be manhandled by the farmer to a storage location.Alternatively, the farmer has to invest in a lift mast assembly attachment for fitting to the threepoint linkage at the rear end of a tractor or to front end forward reach arms which, in any case, cannot lift loads oi 2 ton An advantage of the present invention is that the trailer can be hitched onto and unhitched from the tractor or other vehicle in a relatively short period of time whereas to mount and demount a lift mast assembly attachment requires about half a day.

The trailer has also applications in other fields, such as on small building sites where it would be uneconomic to use fork lift trucks.

The centres of gravity between the unloaded lift mast assembly and ale, and the axle and outer end of the tow bar are preferably in the ratio of 1:3.

1. A trailer comprising a wheeled axle with a tow bar extending forwardly therefrom and a lift mast assembly pivoted thereto for a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A trailer This invention relates to a trailer to be towed by a vehcile, for example a tractor. According to the present invention, there is provided, a trailer comprising a wheeled axle with a tow bar extending forwardly therefrom and a lift mast assembly pivoted thereto for a carriage thereof to face rearwardly for mounting rearwardly extending attachments, and means being provided between the lift mast assembly and the tow bar for controlling angular adjustments of the lift mast assembly relative to the axle. Preferably, the angular adjustment means is a length-adjustment link mounted between anchorage points on the lift mast assembly and on the tow bar. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view. Referring to the drawings, a trailer comprises a wheeled axle 10 with a tow bar 1 2 extending forwardly at right angles to said axle 1 0. A lift mast assembly 11 is pivoted to said axle 10 and its carriage 1 7 faces rearwardly. The tow bar 1 2 extends from mid-way of the axle 10, and two braces are secured between the tow bar 1 2 and axle 10 symmetrically of said tow bar 1 2. For mounting the lift mast assembly, the axle 10 has symmetri cally thereof two spaced apertured lugs 1 OA and the lift mast assembly 11 has two sets of two aperatured lugs 11A, the sets being spaced apart and the lugs of each set being spaced apart such as to accommodate the lugs 10A therebetween.The assembly 11 is connected to the axle 10 by pivot pins 9 passing through aligned apertures in lugs 1 or, 11 A. A length-adjustable link 1 5 connects the assembly 11 to the tow bar 12, the link being pivotally anchored at each end to an anchorage point 1 5A on the assembly 11 and tow bar 1 2 respectively. The link 1 5 by which angular adjustment of the lift mast assembly 11 relative to the axle 10 is controlled is shown as a hydraulic ram, but may simply be a screw length-adjustable member, commonly known as a top link for use with the three-point linkage of a tractor. The lift mast can thereby, when loaded, be tilted forwardly of the trailer to move the centre of gravity of the load forwardly about its pivots 9.The lift mast assembly is of conventional construction and its carriage is for friction or roller movement relative to the mast. Two forks or tines 1 4 are provided for mounting on the carriage to extend rearwardly therefrom, and other conventional attachments can be provided for selective use, one at a time, with the carriage of the lift mast. The attachments may, for example be those commonly referred to as a block bale handler, a pipe and log grab, a push-off grab, a silage grape, a box-handler tipper, a link box or a bucket.The carriage of the lift. mast is moved relative thereto under the influence of a hydraulic ram (not shown) anchored adjacent to the bottom of the lift mast and to the outer end of the piston of which is connected either a chain (not shown) entrained around a sprocket wheel and connected to the carriage, or a rope (not shown) running in a pulley and connected to the carriage. The sprocket wheel or pulley is mounted for rotatable movement on a spindle mounting (not shown) transversing the lift mast at the top thereof and movement of the marriage up and doVJn the lift mast is controlled by the retraction and extension of the carriage ram.The carriage ram (not shown) and the link ram 1 5 are for connection to a fluid supply through hoses, and most suitably, the fluid supply of a tractor is used. If no fluid supply is availabie on the towing vehicle, then a pump and a fluid tank is provided on the trailer, the pump being driven by the engine of the vehicle. Ballasting may be provided at the forward end of the tow bar 12, if necessary. The tow bar 1 2 may be telescopic. A height-adjustable foot 1 6 is provided to support the outer end of the tow bar 1 2 when the trailer is not in use. The trailer is hitched on to a tractor or other vehicle and the lift mast assembly is used in conventional manner. The trailer has been developed primarily for use in handling palleted loads since a problem exists in handling bagged feedstuffs and fertilisers which are delivered to, for e,çample farmers in palleted loads of 2 tons and have to be manhandled by the farmer to a storage location.Alternatively, the farmer has to invest in a lift mast assembly attachment for fitting to the threepoint linkage at the rear end of a tractor or to front end forward reach arms which, in any case, cannot lift loads oi 2 ton An advantage of the present invention is that the trailer can be hitched onto and unhitched from the tractor or other vehicle in a relatively short period of time whereas to mount and demount a lift mast assembly attachment requires about half a day. The trailer has also applications in other fields, such as on small building sites where it would be uneconomic to use fork lift trucks. The centres of gravity between the unloaded lift mast assembly and ale, and the axle and outer end of the tow bar are preferably in the ratio of 1:3. CLAIMS

1. A trailer comprising a wheeled axle with a tow bar extending forwardly therefrom and a lift mast assembly pivoted thereto for a carriage thereof to face rearwardly for mounting rearwardly extending attachments, and means being provided between the lift mast assembly and the tow bar for controlling angular adjustment of the lift mast assembly relative to the axle.

2. A trailer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the angular adjustment means is a lengthadjustable link mounted between anchorage points on the lift mast assembly and on the tow bar.

3. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the link is a hydraulic ram.

4. A trailer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the link is a screw length-adjustable member.

5. A trailer as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the tow bar is telescopic.

6. A trailer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.