GB2403703A

GB2403703A - Removable gooseneck for a trailer

Info

Publication number: GB2403703A
Application number: GB0316141A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Stuart Eldridge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-09
Filing date: 2003-07-09
Publication date: 2005-01-12
Also published as: GB0316141D0

Abstract

A gooseneck (3) has a tongue (4) adapted to be received in a recess in a trailer (2) to which the gooseneck (3) is to be coupled. Means, such as a rotary abutment (11) are provided on the gooseneck (3) to limit vertical displacement of the tongue (4) when it is received in the recess.

Description

TITLE: TRACTOR/TRAILER CONNECTIONS

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to tractor/trailer connections, and more particularly to such connections commonly used in dockyards to connect freight trailers to tractors known as tugs for loading and unloading cargo boats.

To enable the fast turn-round of such cargo vessels, it is essential that freight is loaded and unloaded speedily and for that reason it is usual to load the freight onto trailers which can be moved by tugs, thus reducing the need for manual labour.

The need for speed in loading and unloading means that the connection between the tug and trailer needs to be made quickly and reliably with the minimum of manual labour.

This has lead to the widespread use of a connection system in which a socalled gooseneck coupled by means of a fifth wheel coupling to the tug carries a projecting tongue which locates in a corresponding recess in the trailer to guide the gooseneck into a position where lateral projections, so called cow horns, on the gooseneck engage under hooks, so called cheek plates, on the trailer to connect the tug and trailer together. The projections and the hooks are formed with inclined leading faces so that when they meet the hooks slide upwardly over the projections to allow the projections to become engaged with the hooks.

Conventionally the tugs are provided with means for raising the engaged gooseneck to lift the front of the trailer clear of the ground to transfer weight to the tug and thus increase its traction.

Such cargo trailers can be loaded with as much as 60 to 100 tonnes of goods and in the event of an accidental uncoupling of the trailer from the tug during movement of the trailer either on board the boat or on the dockyard, e.g. due to the need to traverse uneven ground or shipboard ramps can cause serious damage and even loss of life.

To reduce the consequences of accidental detachment, it has been suggested to couple secondary check chains between the tug and trailer after the gooseneck is engaged with the trailer. This involves heavy manual labour and takes time and is thus not popular.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to prevent the unintended uncoupling of the tug and trailer and which at least partly mitigates the disadvantages of the known arrangements.

According to the invention there is provided a tug gooseneck having a tongue adapted to be received in a recess in a trailer to be coupled thereto, and means on or associated with the gooseneck to limit upward displacement of the tongue when so received.

In one embodiment, the trailer is formed with hook means and the gooseneck is formed with means for engaging the hook means. The hook means may comprise a pair of hooks disposed one on each side of the tongue recess and the means for engaging the hook means may comprise a pair of oppositely extending lateral projections.

The means to limit upward movement of the tongue may comprise an abutment member on the gooseneck and arranged for movement into a position adjacent to the hook means to provide an abutment limiting relative vertical displacement of the hook means and gooseneck. The abutment member may be a rotary device. Preferably the abutment is spring loaded into its working position to limit upward movement of the tongue of the gooseneck. The abutment member may be operated hydraulically, e.g. via a ram, although it could be pneumatically or mechanically actuated. The abutment member actuation of the abutment member can thus be under the control of the tug driver and operated from his cab.

In an arrangement where the trailer is not provided with hook means, and where connection of tug and trailer together can be effected by tipping the gooseneck tongue upwards after it is engaged in the recess in the trailer so that the tongue couples to the means defining the recess, the means to limit relative vertical movement of the tongue and recessdefining means may comprise means on or associated with the gooseneck and adapted in an operative position to engage or to lie adjacent to an upper surface of the trailer to form an abutment with the said upper surface to limit vertical movement which might tend to decouple the tug from the trailer. The means may be in the form of one or more pivoted arms which form clamping members engaging the trailer.

Alternatively, where the trailer is formed with towing eyes near to the tongue recess, connection between the gooseneck and trailer can be established by way of means on or associated with the gooseneck and adapted to engage in the towing eyes. The means may comprise one or more pivoted arms formed with projections at their ends for engaging the towing eyes.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general view of a tug and cargo trailer; Figure 2 is a general view of a gooseneck connector; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front of a trailer; Figure 4 is a partial side view of a first embodiment of connector; Figure 5 is a top view of the connector of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional end view of the first embodiment of connector; Figure 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of connector, and Figure 8 is a side view of a third embodiment of connector.

In the drawings, and referring more particularly to S Figures 1 to 6 thereof, there is shown an arrangement for connecting a tractor, e.g. a tug (1) of the kind used in dockyards, to a trailer (2), e.g. a cargo trailer of the kind used for loading and unloading cargo vessels. The connection arrangement is in the form of a gooseneck (3) of the kind conventionally used to couple tugs to cargo trailers in dockyards and the like, the gooseneck conventionally being mounted on a fifth-wheel coupling (22) on the tug.

At its end (15) remote from the tug, the gooseneck (3) is formed with a projecting tongue (4) adapted to be received in a recess (7) in the front face (13) of the trailer (2). A pair of oppositely extending lateral projections (5) commonly known as cow-horns are fixed to the front end (15) of the gooseneck at a position behind the tongue (4) and are adapted to be received in corresponding hooks (6) on the trailer (2). The leading or forward-facing upper surfaces (10) of the projection are downwardly sloping for the purpose appearing hereinafter.

A pair of the hooks (6), commonly known as cheek plates, are fixed to the front face (13) of the trailer on opposite sides of the recess (7) and are formed with hook recesses (8) in their lower surfaces. The leading ends (9) of the lower surfaces are upwardly sloping for the purpose appearing below.

When coupling the tug and trailer together, the tug is manoeuvred to align the tongue on the gooseneck with the recess in the trailer and the tug is driven forwards so that the tongue is received in the recess. Conventionally the tongue is tapered to aid the alignment process. When the tongue is fully inserted in the recess, the lateral projections on the gooseneck contact the hooks and in doing so the sloping faces on the hooks meet the correspondingly sloping faces on lateral projections so that the hooks and projections are deflected vertically until the projections engage in the hook recesses, at which stage a towing connection is established.

The foregoing description is of the conventional

arrangement for coupling dockyard tugs to cargo trailers.

A problem with the known arrangement is that it is possible for the coupling accidentally to become detached, e.g. when the tug and trailer is traversing a ramp.

The present invention provides means on the gooseneck for limiting downward displacement of the lateral projections of the gooseneck relative to the hooks on the trailer to prevent accidental detachment. The means comprises a rotary abutment (11) journaled on the front end (15) of the gooseneck and adapted to rotate into a position adjacent to, but not necessarily in contact with the upper faces (16) of the hooks (6) to provide a positive stop preventing or limiting vertical deflection.

The abutment (11) may have the appearance of a cam, r i.e. having a lobe forming the abutment and a flat face, which when positioned opposite the upper faces (16) allows downward displacement of the lateral projections to permit disengagement of the gooseneck from the trailer. The abutment may be spring-biased into a position to prevent disengagement and may be rotated, e.g. by a hydraulic ram under the control of the tug driver to release the gooseneck.

Figure 7 shows a coupling arrangement for use where the trailer is not equipped with hooks or cheek-plates (6).

In this case the rotary abutment (11) is formed with an abutment arm (18) which can be brought into a position to engage, or to lie closely against, the upper surface (17) of the trailer to prevent unintended downwards displacement of the gooseneck which might allow accidental uncoupling (4) of the tug and trailer.

In some instances a trailer not provided with hooks (6) is instead formed with towing eyes (19). In this case the rotary abutment is formed with abutment arms with peg like projections (21) at their distal ends and adapted to engage the towing eyes to prevent unintended downward displacement of the gooseneck to guard against accidental uncoupling of the tug and trailer.

Claims

1. A tug gooseneck having a tongue adapted to be received in a recess in a trailer to be coupled thereto, and means on or associated with the gooseneck to limit vertical displacement of the tongue when so received.

2. A tug gooseneck according to claim 1, wherein the gooseneck is formed with means for engaging hook means on the trailer.

3. A tug gooseneck according to claim 2, wherein the means for engaging the hook means comprises a pair of oppositely extending lateral projections.

4. A tug gooseneck according to claim 3, wherein the lateral projections are positioned adjacent to, and rearwardly of, the tongue.

5. A tug gooseneck according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the means to limit upward movement of the tongue comprises an abutment member on the gooseneck and arranged for movement into a position adjacent to the hook means to provide an abutment limiting relative vertical displacement of the hook means and gooseneck.

6. A tug gooseneck according to claim 5, wherein the abutment member is a rotary device.

7. A tug gooseneck according to claim 6, wherein the abutment member is spring loaded into a working position to limit upward movement of the tongue of the gooseneck.

8. A tug gooseneck according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the abutment member is operated hydraulically.

9. A tug gooseneck according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein actuation of the abutment member is adapted to be under the control of a tug driver and operated from the driver's cab.

10. A tug gooseneck according to claim 1, wherein the means to limit relative vertical movement of the tongue and recess-defining means comprises means on or associated with the gooseneck and adapted in an operative position to engage or to lie adjacent to an upper surface of the trailer to form an abutment with the said upper surface to limit vertical movement which might tend to decouple the tug from the trailer.

11. A tug gooseneck according to claim 10, wherein the means is in the form of one or more pivoted arms which form clamping members engaging the trailer.

12. A tug gooseneck according to claim 1, wherein connection between the gooseneck and trailer is established by way of means on or associated with the gooseneck and adapted to engage in towing eyes on the trailer, and wherein the means comprises one or more pivoted arms formed with projections at their ends for engaging the towing eyes.

13. A tug comprising a gooseneck as claimed in any preceding claim.

14. A turbans trailer combination comprising a gooseneck as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.