Stabilizing and anti-zigzag device for caravans and trailers

Claim 2

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device for attaching caravans or road trailers, characterized in that it includes at least one metallic connection piece, to the rear end of which an end of a jack is linked, the other end of said jack being removably coupled to the pole of the caravan, while a linking pin passes through the front portion of said connection piece, said pin being integral with an upper plate above which it projects, and being provided with a lower locking nut to compress the stack constituted by the above-mentioned piece and a rotary friction damper constituted by a base sliding along the pin, said base being topped by a friction lining and resting on a first conical spring washer mounted on said pin between the plate and the nut, the projecting upper end of the pin being adapted to be removably fitted into a coupling device integral with the rear of the hauling vehicle.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary friction damper and first coniCal spring washer are disposed at the top of a ring or sleeve which passes through the connection piece, the latter resting in turn on a second conical spring washer which bears on the nut, all said members being slipped on the linking pin between the plate and the locking nut, the latter allowing adjustably compressing the friction damper.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, characterized in that each spring washer, when at rest, has a funnel-shaped profile, the top of smaller diameter of each washer bearing on the corresponding end of the sleeve, whereas the flared top bears on the locking nut and the sliding base respectively, the metallic connection piece being thus located around the sleeve and taking no part in the transmission of the compressive stress of the stack, so that, even if the connection piece tends to come and lie obliquely with respect to the pin, the plate and the base remain parallel to each other on either side of the friction lining, the latter wearing thus evenly.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 3, characterized in that it uses continuously tightening spring washers, which maintain a constant compressive stress on the friction lining, even after the latter is heavily worn.

Claim 6

A device according claim 1, characterized in that the metallic connection piece is a leaf spring, while the jack is a screw jack.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the metallic connection piece is a rigid bar, while the jack is a screw jack connected to said bar through an adjustable compression spring.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device integral with the rear of the hauling vehicle is constituted by a small bar carrying at least one stationary bearing having a vertical bore to receive the projecting and of the linking pin, which end, after the assembling, projects from said fixed bearing to receive removable fixing means, which enables a user to remove the device without unsettling the adjustment of the tightening of the anit-zigzag brake.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the jack is removably connected to the pole of the caravan through a cranked rod, one end of which is removably connected to the jack body, and the other end of which is secured to the pole without any drilling operation.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the stationary bearing receiving the projecting end of the linking pin is provided with a spring-loaded movable dog, and the plate integral with said pin is drilled with at least one hole, whereby the anti-zigzag device can be correctly positioned, whatever may be the initial position of the caravan or trailer with respect to the hauling vehicle.

Claim 11

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 7, characterized in that the central bore in the bearing is flared over more than half its length towards the port through which the free end of the linking pin is introduced at the time of the coupling operation, while means are provided to prevent automatically said pin from rotating owing merely to the fact that it is mounted in the bearing.

Claim 12

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that the linking pin is only rotatingly integral with the plate clamped on the friction lining of the coupling.

Claim 13

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 11, characterized in that the plate is adapted to slide in axial direction along the linking pin according to a limited amplitude, while said plate and said pin may be rotatingly connected by flutes, or else by a diametral cotter-pin on the plate, said cotter-pin sliding in axial direction through an elongated slot in said pin.

Claim 14

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means rotatingly immobilizing the linking pin and the plate in the bearing are constituted by the plane faces of a frustum of pyramid produced as a single piece both with the plate and the linking pin, said faces being receIved inside the corresponding faces of a female frustum of pyramid defined inside the recess in the bearing.

Claim 15

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means rotatingly immobilizing the linking pin and the plate in the bearing are constituted by radial teeth distributed around the linking pin on the annular surface of the plate, which teeth engage with corresponding teeth provided oppositely along a circle on the bearing surface of the bearing, around the flared end of the port thereof.

Claim 16

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that the inner recess in the bearing is provided at its end of smaller diameter with a cylindrical port of short length, while it flares along the most part of its length according to a frusto-conical profile up to the opposite end where it ends in a second concentrical frusto-conical recess of larger diameter, inside which the male frusto-conical peripheral surface of the lining-carrying plate is adapted to be centred, the teeth preventing the rotation being radially cut in the bearing on the annular transverse face which ensures the transition between the first and the second frusto-conical recesses.

Claim 17

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that it includes tightening means adapted to pull the linking pin lengthwise inside the bearing, and to lock efficiently the means preventing the plate from rotating, said tightening means being constituted by a rotary transverse key provided with a cam, which is engaged through a transverse port in the pin and projecting from the stationary bearing, it being only necessary to rotate said key to make the cam draw the linking pin axially inside the bearing and ensure the locking of said pin.

Claim 18

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 10, characterized in that it includes tightening means adapted to pull the linking pin lengthwise inside the bearing, so as to lock efficiently the means preventing the plate from rotating, said axial tightening means comprising a lateral claw linked to the stationary bearing and provided at one end with a rocking control handle, and at the opposite end with a nose adapted to fit in a lateral notch on the plate to draw the latter in axial direction when the claw is caused to rock, while, after said tightening operation a transverse cotter-pin is introduced in a diametral hole provided in the pin end projecting from the bearing.

Claim 19

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 1, characterized in that its plate is divided into two superposed coaxial parts, to wit: a friction plate rigidly integral with the linking pin and receiving the friction of the anti-zigzag brake lining; a plate carrying the teeth preventing the rotation inside the bearing, said plate being rotatingly integral with the linking pin, while being adapted to slide thereon.

Claim 20

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 18, characterized in that resilient means constituted by frusto-conical washers of the so-called ''''Belleville'''' type are interposed between the teeth-carrying plate and the friction plate.

Claim 21

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes at least one leaf spring, the rear end of which is linked to the lower end of a substantially vertical link, the upper end of the latter being in turn liked to a fork integral with the auxiliary wheel, or ''''Jockey wheel'''' of the trailer or caravan, so that, when the Jockey is lowered in a known way by the operation of a vertical screw jack, the load transferring spring is automatically loosened, which makes it possible to uncouple the trailer, whereas, on the contrary, after the coupling operation, it is only necessary to lift the Jockey wheel in the usual way to make automatically the load transferring leaf spring taut.

Claim 22

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 1, characterized in that it inclUdes a rigid arm of stamped sheet iron, the rear end of which is flexibly connected through a cable to the lower end of a slider adapted to be brought nearer to the pole of the trailer or caravan by means of a screw jack compressing a helical spring coaxial thereto, while the front end of said arm is provided with ratchet means which enable it, at the time of the coupling operation, to fit to the corresponding friction lining plate of the anti-zigzag devices, so that the vertical linking pin and all the members of the frictional anti-zigzag device remain permanently on the stationary bearing which is integral with the rear of the hauling vehicle, the stamped sheet iron arm alone being removed by a mere pulling action at the time the trailer is uncoupled, said arm remaining then hanging from said trailer.

Claim 23

A stabilizing and anti-zigzag device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring means (leaf spring or helical spring) are mounted above the pole of the trailer so that the linking pin of the device is introduced downwards in a vertical direction into the rear stationary bearing on the hauling vehicle.