NZ233709A

NZ233709A - Securing clamp arrangement for flanged faces of vehicle pin hitch mounting

Info

Publication number: NZ233709A
Application number: NZ233709A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Horst-Dieter Schafer; Rolf Vandeweerd; Peter Bonacker; Udo Wensing; Joachim Rossbach
Original assignee: Ringfeder Gmbh
Priority date: 1989-06-28
Filing date: 1990-05-16
Publication date: 1992-07-28
Also published as: AU623238B2; DE3921111C2; AU5237090A; EP0405231A3; DK0405231T3; EP0405231B1; DE3921111A1; ATE110649T1; DE59006953D1; EP0405231A2

Abstract

A towbar for vehicle trailers, in particular for central axis trailers, is formed essentially from a trailer coupling element (1) which has an eye part (1a) and a shaft (1b), and from a trailer-side towbar element (2). In order to attach the trailer coupling element (1) to the towbar element (2), the shaft (1b) of the trailer coupling element (1) and the towbar element (2) each have a flange (1c and 2a, respectively). These two flanges (1c, 2a) which face one another have shell bodies (3a) engaging around them with a view to providing a particularly stable and reliable connection, which bodies can be clamped axially and radially to the flanges (1c, 2a). In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the shell bodies (3a) are each formed in the manner of a half shell and can be clamped by screws (3b) which are arranged tangentially with respect to the flanges (1c, 2a). <IMAGE>

Description

\J 'J- (,, •. •- • >< J / U . 1 Priori./ i Compete | Class: {S^.U.iL A • • * Pyt'icaricr? Cr's: J ij.L. 1232 Patents Form No. 5 i NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TRAILER DRAWBAR CONNECTION MEANS WE, RINGFEDER GMBH, a corporation under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, of Duisburger Strasse 145, 4150 Krefeld-Uerdingen, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by £ N following statement: V *^Y, i oil y f 9 JUN J992 - 1 - v Jr (followed by page la) / * 233~703 TRAILER DRAWBAR CONNECTION MEANS The invention relates to a drawbar connection means for trailer vehicles, particularly for a single or tandem-axle 5 trailer. The connector is used to connect the drawbar to a hitch pin on a trailer. The drawbar comprises an eyelet and a shaft, the latter of which has a flange for connection to another flange attached to the hitch pin. In order to be connected, these flanges are orientated so 10 as to face each other and are engaged by a detachable connector.

From DIN 74 053 Part 1 page 3, a drawbar (Form D) with a flange is known. The drawbar has holes which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drawbar shaft. A 15 flange of the hitch pin on the trailer has corresponding holes, so that the drawbar and the hitch pin can be connected to each other by means of bolts. The bolts must carry all the tensile forces between the motor vehicle and the trailer and, particularly in case of single or 20 tandem-axle trailers, considerable supporting forces. An overloading, which may occur for example when the hitch pin of a trailer, positioned relative to the motor vehicle at an angle greater than at right angles, collides with the chassis of the motor vehicle, leading to the loosening 25 of the bolted joints due to the plastic elongation of the bolts. This represents a risk to the driving safety.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drawbar connection which overcomes or reduces the above problems.

According to the present invention, there is provided a drawbar connection means for connecting a drawbar comprising an eyelet and a shaft to a hitch pin on a trailer, said shaft of said drawbar and said hitch pin having flanges which, during connection, are in face-to-35 face contact with each other, said drawbar connection means including sleeve elements which surround and clamp said flanges together axially and radially.

In the following, the invention and its advantageous \ z N ^ Oja^velopments mentioned in the sub-claims are described in « "A _ la. r-»>* I 19 JUN1992 /; oft .. ..«v; -*\ detail based on an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The following description refers to a preferred embodiment of the drawbar connector of the present 5 invention. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating the drawbar connector and in which: Fig. 1 - is a partially sectioned side view of the front area of a hitch pin of a trailer 10 vehicle.

Fig. 2 - is the top view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 - is the front view of Figs. 1 and 2. A drawbar 1 has on its front end an eyelet la for connection to a trailer coupling, and a shaft lb, which at 15 the rear end of the drawbar 1 becomes a flange 1c. A hitch pin 2 on the trailer is provided with a flange 2a, which is facing the flange lc of the drawbar. Both flanges lc and 2a are surrounded by the sleeve elements 3a, which serve as means of connection 3 and are 20 constructed in this present embodiment as half-sleeves.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, the flanges lc and 2a, as well as the sleeve elements 3a, which have an approximately U-shaped cross-section, are provided with interacting tapered surfaces. The bolts 3b, shown in 25 Figs. 2 and 3 are arranged tangentially to the flanges lc and 2a and serve to provide the axial and radial clamping made possible by this arrangement.

The drawbar 1 and the hitch pin 2 are also held together in the circumferential direction due to the 30 force-locking arising from the clamping. In addition, in the region of the flanges lc and 2a, means preventing relative rotation 4 is provided, which also facilitates the assembly. This means 4 comprises according to Fig. 1, eccentric axial holes Id and 2b, respectively, in both 35 flanges lc and 2a and a pin 4a, engaging these holes Id and 2b. To enable the transfer of large supporting forces acting on the drawbar 1 by form-locking, both flanges lc and 2a are connected through a shear spigot le and a hole 2c (see rig. 1) as means of a centering. 40 - 2 - The hitch pin according to the invention is suitable to transfer the largest tensile forces between the motor vehicle and the trailer as well as the supporting forces of the heaviest single or tandem-axle trailers due to its stability achieved without great expense, while the sleeve bodies would withstand even overloads. Consequently, the hitch pin provides better driving safety. 2337o^ '

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS;

1. A drawbar connection means for connecting a drawbar comprising an eyelet and a shaft to a hitch pin on a trailer, said shaft of said drawbar and said hitch pin having flanges which, during connection, are in face-to-face contact with each other, said drawbar connection means including sleeve elements which surround and clamp said flanges together axially and radially.

2. A drawbar connection means according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve elements are half-sleeves.

3. A drawbar connection means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sleeve elements are clamped by bolts arranged tangentially to the flanges.

4. A drawbar connection means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising means for preventing relative rotation, arranged between the flanges.

5. A drawbar connection means according to claim 4, wherein the means for preventing relative rotation comprises eccentric axial holes in both flanges, and a pin engaging said holes.

6. A drawbar connection means according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further including a shear spigot on one flange which locates in a corresponding recess in the other flange when the flanges are mated.

7. A drawbar connection means, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. RINGFEDER GMBH -4 i. N f ■ - -2660Z By their attorneys BALDWIN, SON & CAREY 4