GB2330866A

GB2330866A - Clamping means with resilience for trailer supports

Info

Publication number: GB2330866A
Application number: GB9811543A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Weimar Nilsson
Original assignee: Huskvarna Transportkonstruktioner AB
Current assignee: Huskvarna Transportkonstruktioner AB
Priority date: 1997-06-03
Filing date: 1998-06-01
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Also published as: GB9811543D0; DK9800222U3; SE508456C2; IT246142Y1; FR2763895B3; FR2763895A3; SE9702097D0; ITPG980007U1; SE9702097L; DE29809934U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a clamping means for a trailer support leg 1 (or wheel) which is independent of varying leg tube diameter and which comprises a jaw 3 pivoted at 22 to clamping plate 2; a link 9 pivoted to the plate 2 at 24 and a handle 4 pivoted to the jaw 3 and to the link 9. A spring (e.g. 13) acts when the clamp is closed to exert a resilient tightening force to accommodate any difference in leg diameter. As shown the spring acts between the link 9 and the handle, but in other embodiments there can be resilience between the jaw 3 and the plate2, or the link 9 can be resilient.

Description

- 1 CLAMPING MEANS 2330866 The present invention relates to a clamping

means for a support wheel or support leg for trailers.

Primarily the invention relates to a clamping means for a support leg or wheel for trailers having only one wheel shaft or a bogie, which, when they are not connected to a vehicle, need a further support in order to maintain a desired horizontal position. Trailers herein means all kinds of carriages which are intended to be pulled by a vehicle, such as loading trailers, caravans, horse transportation trailers and certain kinds of farming machinery. The support leg or wheel is movable so that it may be retracted when the trailer is coupled to a vehicle and pushed down when the trailer is disconnected, at which time the height of the support relative to the mounting of the trailer is frPely variable within specified limits. In all of these positions it should be possible to clamp the support in sic}- a way that it is secured so that there is no unintentional displacement of the support relative to the clamping means.

The support leg or wheel leg is usually a metal tube of circular cross section. It is clamped to the trailer by means of a special clamping device which usually includes a mounting plate and some kind of means for clamping the support leg to the plate. In the simplest case, the clampina means is a pivotable bar or shackle, which are clamped:.round a part of the support leg using a screw with turninz means or a handle. Another clamping,means, which is disclosed in WO 95/25026 comprises two clamping plates having concentrically arranged holes through which the support leg itself extends. The plates are pushed away from each other using a spring and the support leg is 'Locked by contacting the inner edges of the holes of the clamping plates.

2 - Using he above mentioned known clamping means one does not obtain a satisfactorily safe clamping of the support leg. This is especially the case if the diameter of the support leg differs slightly from the diameter for which the clamping means is intended and manufactured.

The present invention relates to a clamping means for the purpose mentioned above and with which a safe and secure clamping of the support leg is obtained, independent of its height position. The proper function of the device is also independent of normal production differences of the support leg, as for example differing tube diameters. The device is also simple and easy to operate and in normal use there are no free parts.

According t o the present invention there is provided a clamping means for a support leg or support wheel for trailers comprising a clamping plate, a shackle and a handle for clamping of the support leg between the clamping plate and the shackle characterised in that the handle pivotably cooperates with the shackle and the clamping plate, in that the shackle and a tensioning member or tensioning shackle between the handle and the clamping Plate are eccentrically positioned relative to each other and pivotably mounted to the handle, and in that a spring member causes a specific tensioning force for the bearing between the handle and the shackle.

The invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the preferred embodiments in the enclosed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a trailer having a clamping means accordina to the invention; Fig. 2 shows the clamping means of the invention from above in the mounted position; Fig. 3 is a side view of the clamping means; Fia. 4 is a front view of the clamping means; and 3 Figs. 5 invention.

cross section.

and 6 show other embodiments of the In Figs. 2-6 the clamping means is shown in partial The clamping means according to the invention is intended to be mounted, as usual, at the side of the pull rod or corresponding member, as shown in Fig. 1. The clamping means is mounted at the forward part of the pull rod 18. The support leg 20 has at its lower end a support wheel 21, which may be pivotably arranged in the support --eg.

The clamping means comprises a clamping plate 2, which is intended to be mountably connectable to the pull rod in any suitable position.

be mounted at the rear end The clamping means may also of a trailer to be used as a support during loading and unloading. For this purpose t..he clamping plate has two generally elliptic holes for mourIting screws. Retween the two flat surfaces having t..he holes, the clamping plate 2 is bent so that it has two rounded ridges 23 and 24 and, in between these inwardly rounded parts the bending radius thereof corresponds to the radilus of the outer surface of the support leg 1. The Clamping means also comprises a shackle 3, which at its rear end, is somewhat wider than the clamping plate 2 and z-tlso has an extended hole 22 through which the ridefe 23 of the clamping plate 2 extends so that the shackle 3 is pivotably connected to the clamping plate 2. Th-e major part of the shackle 3 is bent having a bending radius which corresponds to the outer radius of the support leg 1 and, in the clamped condition, the support leg 1 is clamped --,ei-.ween the shackle 3 and the rounded part 25 of the clamping plate 2.

4 - A tensioning member 9 extends through a hole in the second ridge 24 of the clamping plate 2 and is retained b,,, a crossbar 10 which is attached to the lower end of the tensioning member 9 and bears against the clamping plate 2. In the clamped los.-Ltion of the support leg 1, the tensioning member 9 extends at an angle from the clamping The upper section of the plate 2, as shown in Fig. 2.

tension-ing member 9 is threaded and has a nut 14 whic--i bears against a spring member 13. The lower end of the spring member 13 bears against a support plate 15.

At its upper part, the shackle 3 has two sections 7, 8 which are at right angle to the clamping plate 2. Near to the outer ends thereof are two shaft ends 11, 12 which extend inwardly towards each other and pivotably locate a handle 4, which also includes two downwardly directed flances 5, 6 in which there are corresponding holes for the shaft ends 11, 12. In a corresponding manner, the support plate 15 is pivotably connected to the flanges 5, 6 of the handle 4 by means of shaft ends 16, 17. These provide a shaft which is eccentrically positioned relative to -the shaft ends 11, 12, and in the clamped position ot the support leg as shown in Fig. 2, is displaced in a direction parallel to the clamping plate 3, preferably by about 5 mm. The lower end of the spring member 13 bears against the support plate 15 and pushes this with a specific force which can be adjusted by means of the nut 14. Iu is important that this force is properly ad.usted so that the device is easy to use and that clamping is effected with sufficient force to prevent i-,ni-nzentional displacement of the support leg. The magnitude of the force is generally 300-800 kp, preferably 31010-500 kp.

In Lhe embodiment of the invention which is shown in Fig. 5, the springing function is provided at a shaft 30, which connects the shackle 3 with the clamping plate 2.

- 5 The side of the clamping plate 2 which is turned to the pull rod or mounting surface may then be flat and ridges or bends 23, 24 as shown in other embodiments, are not necessary in this case. In this e=;cdiment, the shackle 3 may be resiliently displaced relative to the clamping plate 2 by displacing the centre of the shaft, 30 at the shackle 3 relative to the centre of the shaft at the clamping plate 2. The adjustment of the clamping force is carried out as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, by m. eans of a nut 14. The springing function in connection with the shaft 30 can be obtained in various ways, for example by using rubber bushings or metallic members, which act on the shaft 30 which is mounted in C1liptic holes.

Fig. 6, A further embodiment of the invention is shown in in which the tensioning member 9 is replaced by a tensioning shackle 31, by means of which the handle is connected to the clamping plate 2. The shackle 3, by which the support leg is held, cooperates with the handle by a front part 32 which extends from the main body of the shackle 3, being that part of the shackle 3 which does not contact with the support leg. This part J s acted on by the handle by a shaft 33, which is mourted to the handle 4.

The resilient function which decides the tensJon-ng force is then obtained directly at the front section 32 of the shackle 3. In this specific case, the tensioning force cannot be adusted, but possible va--j.a,----'-ons of the diameter j of t_he support leg are accommodated b- L y the resiliency of the front section 32 of the shackle 3.

In or-her embodiments of the invention, the tensioning member 9 may, for examp--,, be replaced by a shackle and the tensioning force which is required is obtained by spring mounting of the shackle or by the shackle itself being made resilient so as to be springy. In a further embodiment of the invention, the eccentric tunction may be achieved by the upper part of the handle 4 6 being extended forwards and bent down around, for example, the shackle which replaces the tensioning member as shown in Fig. 5. The adjustment of the tensioning force may be by other means than the nut 14 and such means may also be arranged at the other end of the tensioning member 9. These and other modifications of the embodiments are within uhe scope of the present invention.

- 7

Claims

1. A clamping means for a support leg or support wheel for trailers comprising a clamping plate, a shackle and a handle for clamping of the support leg between the clamping plate and the shackle characterised in that the handle pivotably cooperates with the shackle and the clamping plate, in that the shackle and a tensioning member or II-ensioning shackle between the handle and the clamping p-late are eccentrically positioned relative to each other and pivotably mounted to the handle, and in that a spring member causes a specific tensioning force for the bearing between the handle and the shackle.

2. A clamping means according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle is pivotably connected to the shackle by a shaft or shaft ends.

3. A clampJA-ng means, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Che accompanying drawings.