GB2158025A

GB2158025A - Detachable gooseneck of trailer

Info

Publication number: GB2158025A
Application number: GB08509478A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter England
Original assignee: CRANE ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: CRANE ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 1984-04-28
Filing date: 1985-04-12
Publication date: 1985-11-06
Also published as: GB2158025B; GB8509478D0; GB8410938D0

Abstract

The detachable gooseneck (13) of a trailer is pivoted to two laterally spaced towers (14) about forwardly mounted pivot points (21) and can be moved up and down by two rearwardly attached upright rams (23). The pivotal connections of the gooseneck and of the ram (21) and (22) are each generally symmetrical and lie on a common longitudinal plane through the trailer. Each pivot (21), (22) is symmetrically loaded and torsional and lateral loads of damage or seizing in use under heavy load or on rough terrain. The towers (14) are detachably secured to the trailer platform (11) by projections (41) engaging apertures (42), and by an air operated locking pin. When the gooseneck has been removed from the trailer platform, it can be tilted relative to the tractor by a power cylinder within the gooseneck acting on a member engageable with the tractor. <IMAGE>

Description

position by a single pneumatic locking device.

5. A trailer according to any preceding claim wherein the power means comprise generally upright hydraulic rams.

6. A detachable gooseneck for fitment to a trailer, the gooseneck comprising a tower releasably secured to the trailer platform and having a pivot housing projecting forwardly therefrom and an associated power means, the gooseneck further comprising a neck member for attachment to a tractor unit to tow the trailer, and pivoted to the tower at said housing and, rearwardly of the pivot housing to the power means, whereby the neck member can be pivotally raised and lowered by operation of the power means, wherein the pivotal connections of the pivot housing and of the ram are each generally symmetrical and lie on common longitudinal plane through the trailer.

7. A trailer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A detachable gooseneck for fitment to a trailer, the gooseneck being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

S PECI FICATI ON

Trailer This invention relates to a trailer for towing behind a tractor vehicle and specifically relates to the type of trailer having a detachable gooseneck.

It is known to provide a trailer with a detachable gooseneck which, while the trailer is being used for transporting a load, connects the load carrying platform of the trailer to the "fifth wheel" of a tractor unit. When it is desired to unload the trailer, the gooseneck assembly is released from its connection with the trailer platform and towed away on the tractor vehicle, leaving the trailer behind.

Previous proposals for detachable goosenecks have been prone to difficulties because of unbal ancedforces acting on the compoenents of the gooseneck and in particular on the pivotal mounts.

Over a period of time, under heavy load or on rough terrain, these unbalanced forces may give rise to distortions affecting the functioning of the gooseneck. In particular these distortions can cause the pivotal mounts to seize.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a new or improved trailer having a detachable gooseneck which is less prone to such difficulties, and to provide a detachable gooseneck of new or improved design.

According to the invention there is provided a trailer comprising a platform; a plurality of road wheels; and a detachable gooseneck; the gooseneck comprising a tower releasably secured to the trailer platform and having a pivot housing projecting forwardly therefrom and an associated power means, the gooseneck further comprising a neck member for attachment to a tractor unit to tow the trailer, and pivoted to the tower at said pivot housing and rearwardly of the pivot housing to the power means, whereby the neck member can be pivotably'raised and lowered by operation of the power means, wherein the pivotal connections of the pivot housing and of the ram are each generally symmetrical and lie on a common longitudinal plane through the trailer.

In this way, each pivot pin is under two symmetrically disposed shear forces, the balanced loading reducing the risk of damage or seizing in use, especially under heavy load or on rough terrain. Similarly the forward and rearward pivots of the neck member lie on a common plane, reducing torsonial or lateral loads which act on the neck member of a conventional detachable gooseneck.

The gooseneck may have a pair of towers and a pair of associated power means on laterally opposed sides of the trailer, with the respective pivots lying on a pair of parallel longitudinal planes.

The towers may be locked to the platform of the trailer by a pneumatic locking device which preferably serves simulaneously to lock both towers in position.

The power may comprise generally upright hydraulic rams.

The invention also provides a detachable gooseneck for fitment to a trailer comprising a tower releasably secured to the trailer platform and having a pivot housing projecting forwardly therefrom and an associated power means, the gooseneck further comprising a neck member for attachment to a tractor unit to tow the trailer, and pivoted to the tower at said pivot housing and rearwardly of the pivot housing to the power means, whereby the neck member can be pivotally raised and lowered by operation of the power means, wherein the pivotal connections of the pivot housing and of the ram are each generally symmetrical and lie on a common longitudinal plane.

A trailer incorporating a detachable gooseneck embodying the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the trailer, partly broken away, with alternative positions of the gooseneck shown in dotted outline, Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the gooseneck on a larger scale, Figure 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow x of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 showing a pivotal mount, Figure 5 is a plan view of the forward end of the trailer platform, Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, a trailer generally indicated at 10 comprises a platform 11 and a gooseneck assembly generally indicated at 12 and itself comprising a neck member 13 and a pair of towers 14, disposed at laterally opposed sides of the neck member 13. Since each tower assembly 14 is a mirror image of the other, only one will be descibed for simplicity in the following description.

The trailer platform 11 is provided with twin axles 15 carrying road wheels 16 towards its rear end. The forward end is supported entirely on the gooseneck 12 during normal running of the trailer.

The position of the neck member 13 shown in Figure 1 is the normal running position.

However, the neck member 13 can be lifted to the upper position shown in dotted outline at 17 or lowered to the position shown in dotted outline 18 by the operation of the mechanism to be described. The gooseneck 13 carries a conventional king pin 19 for connection to the "fifth wheel" of a tractor unit in generally known manner.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, each tower 14 has a forwardly projecting pivot housing 20 having a pivot 21, for mounting the neck member 13. At a position spaced rearwardly of the pivot 21, the neck member is also pivoted at 22 to the upper end of a vertically disposed hydraulic ram 23, mounted in the tower 14. The neck member 13 forms a lever pivoted about the fixed pivot point 21 so as to be rocked upwardly or downwardly by the ram 23 between the dotted line positions 17 and 18.

Within the neck member 13, a further small piston and cylinder assembly 24 is provided, acting on a triangular plate 25 which is braced to a trans