Two-speed trailer landing gear safety arrangement

Claim 2

A two speed landing gear comprising: a longitudinally shiftable landing gear drive shaft for high speed and low speed manual shift and having inner and outer ends, an outer rotatable and longitudinally reciprocable crank handle shaft for the landing gear having inner and outer ends with the inner end in longitudinal abutting relation with the outer end of the landing gear shaft, a coupler housing disposed over the abutting inner end of the handle shaft and the outer end of the landing gear shaft for longitudinal reciprocal movement and rotational movement with respect to said abutting shaft ends, said housing having an outer portion provided with outer and inner recesses separated by a central neutral recess, high speed and low speed shear pins mounted on the outer portion of the handle shaft and carrying high and low speed dogs for selective alternative coupling with their outer and inner recesses, and a lost motion connection between said landing gear shaft and said coupler housing, whereby axial to and fro movement of the handle shaft results in shifting of the landing gear between high speed drive and low speed drive.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1, and said landing gear shaft having a low speed detent means and a high speed detent means for positioning the landing gear drive shaft in a low speed position and in a high speed position.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, and wherein the inner and outer recesses are rectangular in shape and the high and low speed dogs are complementally rectangular shape to provide positive drive between the handle shaft and the coupler housing.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, and a detent engaging means in the housing engageable with a detent groove on the handle shaft for limiting longitudinal movement of and locating the handle shaft with respect to the housing.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 4, and said detent groove being on the outer end of the handle shaft and the detent engaging means being outwardly of the ouTer recess.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 1, and said lost motion connection including a lost motion pin on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and the housing having an inner portion having a slotted inner portion cooperative and coupling with the pin to provide for a longitudinal lost motion connection.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 6, and a detent engaging means in the housing engageable with a detent groove on the handle shaft for limiting longitudinal movement of and locating the handle shaft with respect to the housing.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1, and a limit element on the handle shaft to entrap the dogs and the handle shaft within the housing.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 1, and flat surface means on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and flat surface means on the housing inwardly of the recesses cooperative with the shaft flat surface means to provide for rotational movement of the landing gear shaft with the coupler housing and the handle shaft.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 9, and a lost motion pin on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and the housing having an inner portion having a slotted inner portion cooperative and coupling with the pin to provide for a longitudinal lost motion connection.

Claim 12

A two speed landing gear comprising: a longitudinally shiftable landing gear drive shaft for high speed and low speed manual shift and having inner and outer ends, an outer rotatable and longitudinally reciprocable crank handle shaft for the landing gear having inner and outer ends with the inner end in longitudinal abutting relation with the outer end of the landing gear shaft, a coupler housing disposed over the abutting inner end of the handle shaft and the outer end of the landing gear shaft for longitudinal reciprocal movement and rotational movement with respect to said abutting shaft ends, said housing having an outer portion provided with outer and inner recesses separated by a central neutral recess, high speed and low speed shear pins mounted on the outer portion of the handle shaft and carrying high and low speed dogs for selective alternative coupling with their outer and inner recesses, and a lost motion connection between said landing gear shaft and said coupler housing, whereby axial to and fro movement of the handle shaft results in shifting of the landing gear between high speed drive and low speed drive, a detent engaging means in the housing engageable with a detent groove on the handle shaft for limiting longitudinal movement of and locating the handle shaft with respect to the housing, a lost motion pin on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and the housing having an inner portion having a slotted inner portion cooperative and coupling with the pin to provide for a longitudinal lost motion connection, a limit element on the handle shaft to entrap the dogs and the handle shaft within the housing, and flat surface means on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and flat surface means on the housing inwardly of the recesses cooperative with the shaft flat surface means to provide for rotational movement of the landing gear shaft with the coupler housing and the handle shaft.

Claim 13

A two speed landing gear comprising: a longitudinally shiftable landing gear drive shaft for high speed and low speed manual shift and having inner and outer ends, an outer rotatable and longitudinally reciprocable crank handle shaft for the landing gear having inner and outer ends with the inner end in longitudinal abutting relation with the outer end of the landing gear shaft, a coupler housing disposed over the abutting inner end of the handle shaft and the outer end of the landing gear shaft for longitudinal reciprocal movement and rotational movement with respect to said abutting shaft ends, said housing having an outer portion provided with outer and inner recesses separated by a central neutral recess, high speed and low speed shear pins mounted on the outer portion of the handle shaft and carrying high and low speed dogs for selective alternative coupling with their outer and inner recesses, and a lost motion connection between said landing gear shaft and said coupler housing, whereby axial to and fro movement of the handle shaft results in shifting of the landing gear between high speed drive and low speed drive, a detent engaging means in the housing engageable with a detent groove on the handle shaft for limiting longitudinal movement of and locating the handle shaft with respect to the housing, a lost motion pin on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and the housing having an inner portion having a slotted inner portion cooperative and coupling with the pin to provide for a longitudinal lost motion connection, a limit element on the handle shaft to entrap the dogs and the handle shaft within the housing, and flat surface means on the outer end of the landing gear shaft and flat surface means on the housing inwardly of the recesses cooperative with the shaft flat surface means to provide for rotational movement of the landing gear shaft with the coupler housing and the handle shaft.

Claim 14

A two speed landing gear arrangement for high and low speed operation thereof including: a landing gear drive member having a high speed detent position and a low speed detent position, a landing gear handle having a handle shaft in abutting relation with the landing gear drive member, a coupler housing surrounding and disposed in reciprocable relation on the handle shaft and the landing gear drive member, the handle shaft having axially spaced high speed and low speed drive dogs each mounted by a shear pin and respectively received in an opposed interlocking recess in the outer end of the housing, said housing at the inner end thereof having an end portion with an inner end part in aButtable relation with a fixed portion of the landing gear, the outer end of the landing gear drive member having an outer end including a landing gear portion therethrough in lost motion coupleable relation with the housing end portion and further including a slide portion cooperative with a reduced bore in the housing for constrained rotation therewith, and a releasable catch on the handle shaft outwardly of the drive dogs and cooperative with a catch member in the outer end of the housing for limiting longitudinal reciprocable movement of the handle shaft with respect to the housing during pulling out of the landing gear handle whereby pushing of the handle into the landing gear member pushes the landing gear arrangement in low gear through the low gear shear pin in the low gear drive dog and pulling out of the landing gear handle causes high gear drive of the landing gear through the high gear shear pin in the high gear drive dog.

Claim 15

A two speed landing gear arrangement for high and low speed operation thereof including: a landing gear drive member having a high speed detent position and a low speed detent position, a landing gear handle having a handle shaft in abutting relation with the landing gear drive member, a coupler housing surrounding and disposed in reciprocable relation on the handle shaft and the landing gear drive member, the handle shaft having axially spaced high speed and low speed drive dogs each mounted by a shear pin and respectively received in an opposed interlocking recess in the outer end of the housing, said housing at the inner end thereof having an end portion with an inner end part in aButtable relation with a fixed portion of the landing gear, the outer end of the landing gear drive member having an outer end including a landing gear portion therethrough in lost motion coupleable relation with the housing end portion and further including a slide portion cooperative with a reduced bore in the housing for constrained rotation therewith, and a releasable catch on the handle shaft outwardly of the drive dogs and cooperative with a catch member in the outer end of the housing for limiting longitudinal reciprocable movement of the handle shaft with respect to the housing during pulling out of the landing gear handle whereby pushing of the handle into the landing gear member pushes the landing gear arrangement in low gear through the low gear shear pin in the low gear drive dog and pulling out of the landing gear handle causes high gear drive of the landing gear through the high gear shear pin in the high gear drive dog.