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US 6,964,445 B1Granted
Tail gate assist
OwnerWilliam B. Bellis, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tail gate assist is provided for an open trailer and includes an elastic member mounted so as to provide assistance in raising the tail gate without substantially adding to the force required to open the tail gate.
Claims15
An arrangement for assisting with opening and closing the tail gate of an open trailer, comprising:
- an open trailer, including a frame defining a front, rear, left, right, top and bottom;
- a hinge mounted on said frame, said hinge having a horizontal axis of rotation;
- a tail gate having first and second ends, said first end being mounted to said hinge so that said tail gate pivots relative to said trailer about said horizontal axis of rotation from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal open position;
- an upright post mounted near the rear of said frame and projecting upwardly above the elevation of said hinge;
- and
- an elastic member having first and second ends, said first end being secured to said upright post and said second end being secured to said tail gate, wherein said elastic member defines a straight line and extends downwardly from said first end to said second end at all the positions of said tail gate, from said closed position to said open position, so that said elastic member elongates continuously as said tail gate moves from its closed position to its open position.
3 more elements
An arrangement for assisting with opening and closing the tail gate of an open trailer, comprising:
- an open trailer, including a frame defining a front, rear, left, right, top and bottom and wheels supporting said trailer frame;
- a hinge mounted on said frame, said hinge having a horizontal axis of rotation;
- a tail gate having first and second ends, said first end being mounted to said hinge so that said tail gate pivots relative to said trailer about said horizontal axis of rotation from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal open position, with the length of said tail gate being the distance between said first and second ends;
- an upright post mounted near the rear of said frame, wherein said post has a top end that projects above said hinge a distance that is at least half the length of said tail gate;
- and
- a coil spring having a first end mounted to said upright post near said top end and having a second end mounted to said tail gate, wherein said coil spring extends in a straight line from its first end to its second end and extends at a downwardly acute angle to said upright post at all positions of said tail gate from said open position to said closed position, said coil spring defining an elongated central opening;
- and
- a retaining cable extending through said elongated central opening and secured to said post and to said tail gate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.