Control means for a vehicular tractor-trailer connection
OwnerGerald Sheineinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention contemplates pressure-fluid operated control connections, auxiliary to a trailer-hitch connection, for providing a selected one of a plurality of functions primarily to aid in making a hitched connection between a trailer and a towing vehicle. The invention also provides selective availability of safety aids for back-up maneuvering of the hitched trailer, and anti-sway coupling for the safe trailing of hitched vehicles on the highway. Various embodiments are described.
Claims14
Trailer-coupling mechanism including first elements for application to towing-tongue or the like rigid structure of a towed vehicle, said first elements comprising first and second variably elongate link means including coacting piston and cylinder members for connecting transversely spaced parts of said towed-vehicle structure to transversely spaced parts of towing-vehicle structure, and pressure-fluid supply means including detachable-connection means for each of plural pressure-fluid supply lines independently connected to the respective end parts of the cylinder members of both said link means;
- and second elements including pressure-fluid control means for application to a towing vehicle, said pressure-fluid control means including detachable-connection means having detachable connection to the towed-vehicle detachable-connection means and providing independent control from the towing vehicle to the respective fluid-supply lines on the towed vehicle, said control means including a selectively operable pressure-fluid connection including a restrictive orifice and operative between two different end parts of said cylinder members.
Trailer-coupling mechanism including first elements for application to towing-tongue or the like rigid structure of a towed vehicle, said rigid structure having a towing connection for connection to a towed vehicle, said first elements comprising variably elongate link means including coacting piston and cylinder means for connecting towed-vehicle structure to towing-vehicle structure between parts transversly spaced from the towing connection to the towing vehicle, and pressure-fluid supply means including detachable-connection means for each of plural pressure-fluid supply lines independently connected to the respective end parts of said cylinder means;
- and second elements including pressure-fluid control means for application to a towing vehicle, said pressure-fluid control means including detachable-connection means having detachable connection to the towed-vehicle detachable-connection means and providing independent control from the towing vehicle to the respective fluid-supply lines on the towed vehicle, said control means including a selectively operable pressure-fluid connection including a restrictive orifice and operative between two different end parts of said cylinder means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.