GB2293580A

GB2293580A - Trailers eg for transporting and launching boats

Info

Publication number: GB2293580A
Application number: GB9419824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Peter Hume Richardson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-10-01
Filing date: 1994-10-01
Publication date: 1996-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-01
Also published as: GB2293580B; GB9419824D0

Abstract

A boat trailer (1) has a wheeled chassis (2); a tow hitch (11), for connection to a vehicle (13), which is connected to the chassis (2) via a connection arm (9) hinged to the chassis (2). Variable adjustment means (15, 16, 17) are provided for adjusting the angle of the connection arm (9) relative to the chassis (2) whereby, with the trailer (1) hitched to a vehicle via the tow hitch (11), the angle of the chassis (2) relative to the ground on which the trailer (1) stands can be adjusted to minimise the extent to which the wheels of the trailer (1) become immersed during the launch or recovery of a boat (3) using the trailer (1). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to improvements to trailers, and particularly to a trailer which allows a boat to be recovered onto the trailer without immersing the trailer wheels in water.

Recovering boats from the water onto a basic trailer usually involves immersing the trailer in the water, floating the boat onto the trailer, and towing the trailer and boat out of the water. A major problem is that the wheels of the trailer become immersed in water and the wheel bearings and other wheel parts rust; this problem is particularly acute if the trailer is immersed in salt water regularly. Also, it often means a person has to wade deep in the water to get the boat on the trailer and sometimes even the wheels of the towing vehicle get wet.

It has been attempted to solve the above problem to some extent using what is known as "break-back" trailer or a roller "cradle" in which a proportion of the trailer is > inged and has rollers thereon so as to provide a temporary slope. The boat can then be winched up the slope on the rollers. These arrangements have two disadvantages. Firstly the mechanical parts add considerably to the expense of the trailers.

Secondly as the winch is located at the towing end of the trailer, the direction of pull provided by the winch is considerably different to the angle of the slope which puts an extra strain on the relevant boat fitting, trailer and winch.

The invention seeks to provide a trailer which solves the above difficulties.

According to the present invention there is provided a trailer comprising: a) a tow hitch for connection to a towing vehicle, b) a trailer chassis, c) a plurality of wheels connected to the chassis, and d) an arm having one end hinged to the chassis and the other end connected to the tow hitch, and e) variable adjustment means for adjusting the angle of the arm relative to the chassis, whereby the angle of the trailer chassis relative to the ground on which it stands can be adjusted.

Preferably the variable adjustment means is a second link arm connected between the end of the first arm adjacent the tow hitch and the end of the chassis. Preferably the second link arm is hinged to the end of the first arm, and joint means connects the chassis to variable positions on the second link arm to adjust the angle of the first arm relative to the chassis.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of the trailer in launch/recovery position attached to a car and with a boat thereon, and Figure 2 shows a side semi-cross section view of one end of the trailer of Figure 1 illustrating the arm, tow hitch and variable adjustment means.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a trailer 1 having chassis 2 supporting a boat 3 on rollers 4a,4b,4c. Trailer 1 has a pair of wheels 5a,5b (5b not shown). A manually-operated winch 6 is provided, connected to winch rope 7 attached to eye 8 on the boat, which pulls or lowers boat 3 up and down the rollers 4a,4b,4c.

An arm 9 is connected at one end to a hinge 10 on the chassis by means of a bolt 9a. Hinge 10 is formed from two plates lOa,lOb (lOb not shown) bolted to either side of the chassis 2.

Arm 9 has a first tow hitch 11 at its other end remote from the hinge. Tow hitch 11 may be connected to a tow ball 12 on the rear end of a car 13. A second tow hitch 14 is provided on the end of the chassis 2.

A variable adjustment means is provided in the form of a link arm 15 hinged to the end of the arm 9 adjacent the tow hitch 11 and a tow ball 16 connected to a clamp 17 which slides on the link arm 15. Tow hitch 14, tow ball 16 and clamp 17 form a joint means. Clamp 17 may be in the form of a sleeve which slides on the link arm 15 and can be locked in any desired position on link arm 15 by a turning handle 18. Handle 18 is connected to a bolt 19 threaded into the sleeve, which bolt 19 is forced into friction engagement with the link arm 15. Link arm 15 is connected to arm 9 by means of a bolt 20 which extends through holes in the sides of arm 9 and through an eye (not shown) at the end of link arm 15. Link arm 15 may therefore be disconnected when not required by removal of bolt 20. Moving the position of clamp 17 on link arm 15 adjusts the angle of arm 9 relative to the chassis 2.

In use of the trailer, when towing boats along the road, the second tow hitch 14 is connected to the vehicle tow ball 12. In this mode, link arm 15 is removed and the arm 9 is brought parallel to the chassis 2 between the arms of a U-shaped bracket 21. The arm 9 may be secured in this position by means of a removeable bolt passing through apertures 22a and 22b in the bracket and arm respectively. An arrangement may be made (not shown) for supporting and storing the link arm 15 between the arm 9 and the chassis 2.

When it is desired to launch or recover a boat on the trailer, the tow hitch 11 is attached to the tow ball 12 on the car, the link arm 15 is connected to the arm 9, and the tow ball 16 is engaged with the tow hitch 14. The clamp 17 is then placed in a position such that the angle of the trailer is at a suitable angle relative to the slope of the slipway whereby the trailer can be positioned to launch or recover the boat without immersing the wheels.

During the launch or recovery procedure, it may be desirable to alter the angle of the trailer relative to the slope so as to maintain the bottom of the boat supported on one or more of the rollers 4a,4b,4c. This can easily be achieved by altering the postion of the clamp 17 on the link arm 15.

The arm 9, link arm 15, brackets 10 may need to be interconnected in a sufficiently rigid manner so as to limit movement of the parts whilst a boat is being towed on the tow hitch 11 when the trailer is being manoevered on a slipway.

The arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 show the arm 9, tow hitch 11, bracket 10, link arm 15 and the clamp 17 and tow ball 16 as a device which can be fitted to existing trailers such as of the type shown. It is envisaged however that a trailer could also be manufactured similar to that described above except that the tow hitch 11 would be used both to tow the trailer on the road and manoeuvre the boat on the slipway. In such a case the tow hitch 14 could be eliminated as could the tow ball 16 to save cost. The link arm 15 could then be attached to the end of the trailer chassis with any suitable joint means such as a clamp fixed to the end of the trailer end. In such a case the arm 9 would need to be hinged and connected to the trailer chassis by a strong mechanism.

The trailer of the invention may incorporate any other trailer parts such as jockey wheels, brakes and the like. Furthermore, the trailer of the invention may be used to facilitate the transporting, loading and unloading of objects other than boats, e.g cars and other vehicles.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CtAIddS

1. A trailer comprising a wheeled chassis; a tow hitch, for connection to a vehicle, connected to the chassis via a connection arm hinged to the chassis; and variable adjustment means for adjusting the angle of the connection arm relative to the chassis whereby, with the trailer hitched to a vehicle via the tow hitch, the angle of the chassis relative to the ground on which the trailer stands can be adjusted.

2. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection arm is hinged to the chassis at a hinge that is distanced from the end of the chassis that'is the front end with respect to the intended direction of forward travel of the chassis when the trailer is being towed, and wherein the adjustment means comprises a link arrangement connected between the connection arm and the chassis forward of the connection arm hinge with respect to said intended direction of forward travel.

3. A trailer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the link arrangement includes a link arm having a first connection to the connection arm and a second connection to the chassis, one of these connections being a hinged connection and the other connection being a releasable joint means permitting variation of the length of the link arm extending between the connection arm and the chassis.

4. A trailer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said other connection connects the link arm to the chassis, and wherein the releasable joint means includes a means for adjustably securing the link arm to the chassis.

5. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the tow hitch is the sole tow hitch provided on the chassis.

6. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the tow hitch is a first tow hitch intended for connection to a vehicle only when it is desired to adjust the angle of the chassis relative to the ground and manoeuvre the trailer in the adjusted state, and wherein there is a second tow hitch that is intended for connection to a vehicle for the purpose of towing the trailer, the second tow hitch being secured to the end of the chassis that is the front end with respect to the intended direction of forward travel of the chassis when the trailer is being towed.

7. A trailer as claimed in claim 6 as appendant to claim 3, wherein said other connection connects the link arm to the chassis, and wherein the releasable joint means comprises a clamping arrangement that is adjustably clamped to the link arm and that is carried by a tow ball that is locked in said second tow hitch when it is desired to adjust the angle of the chassis relative to the ground.

8. A trailer as claimed in claim 6 or 7, each as appendant to claim 3, wherein said first connection is releasable whereby the link arrangement can be removed from the trailer.

9. A trailer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.