Abstract
A vehicle mounted storage device for the ball mount and spring/torsion bar component of a trailer weight distribution system when the equipment is not in use. The storage device is comprised of a horizontal channel where the spring bars can be inserted, a vertical channel, where the ball mount can be inserted, and a horizontal tongue separating the two channels. When the spring bars are inserted into the horizontal channel with the heads of the spring bars resting on the tongue area and the ball mount is inserted into the vertical channel with the hitch ball directly above the spring bar heads, the spring bars are securely confined to the device. Once a locking device has been affixed to the ball mount, the device deters theft of the spring bars and ball mount.
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a trailer system, comprising: forming a spring bar holder having a spring bar channel; forming the spring bar channel to be rectangular in shape; forming a base plate by combining a flat plate, a plurality of sloped support members, a bar, and a vertical shank channel, where (when the base plate is joined to the spring bar holder) the shank channel is perpendicular to the spring bar channel; and forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently wide enough and tall enough to provide a gap to allow a plurality of spring bars to be inserted thereto, but also forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently narrow to prevent removal of the plurality of spring bars when a ball mount has been inserted into the shank channel.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the spring bar channel having an open top.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the spring bar channel having cross-bracing on its top.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently long so that a center of mass of the plurality of spring bars (when inserted within the spring bar channel) does not extend past the end of the spring bar channel.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently long so that a center of mass of the plurality of spring bars (when inserted within the spring bar channel) extends past the end of the spring bar channel.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: affixing a tongue to a front end of the spring bar holder; affixing a plurality of parallel tabs to a bottom of the spring bar holder at the front end of the tongue; and forming a tab hole at a bottom edge of each of the plurality of parallel tabs, where the tab holes are each centered within one of the tabs and also traverses that specific tab;
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: utilizing the parallel tabs, forming a hinged connection between the spring bar holder and a base plate; aligning the tabs and the holes such that they correspond to a plurality of adjoining hinge holes on the base plate thereby forming a hinged connection that moves freely and smoothly;
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: forming the flat plate component in a square roughly twice the width of the spring bar holder; forming the flat plate component with through holes drilled though the corners; and drilling a height adjustment slot through a centerline of the flat plate such that the height adjustment slot permits adjustment of an angle of a hinged connection.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming the height adjustment slot along the rear edge of the flat plate such that when the spring bar holder is installed on the base plate and the spring bar holder and base plate are parallel to each other, the center of the height adjustment slot aligns with the center of the height adjustment hole in the spring bar holder.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: locating a plurality of hinge holes sufficiently distant from the flat plate such that the plurality of holes within the parallel tabs are aligned with the plurality of hinge holes but where a plurality of ends of the plurality of tabs are not in contact with the flat plate.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: forming the shank channel in a U-shaped configuration, by extending the front sides of the plurality of parallel support members beyond the front edge of the flat base plate to have a length slightly greater than a width of a shank of the ball mount; affixing a bar to the front edge of the parallel members and connecting the two parallel support members such that the bar has the same height as the support member members, thereby resulting in a structure with a square vertical shank channel being slightly larger than the square ball mount shank; and aligning the holes on the sloping members of the base plate with the holes on the tabs of the spring bar holder and inserting a joining device that allows a hinged connection that rotates freely and smoothly.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: directly integrating the base plate into the construction of a vehicle support member.
13. A method of manufacturing a trailer system, comprising: forming a spring bar holder having a spring bar channel; forming the spring bar channel to be rectangular in shape; forming a base plate by combining a flat plate, a plurality of support members, a bar, and a vertical shank channel, where (when the base plate is joined to the spring bar holder) the shank channel is perpendicular to the spring bar channel; and forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently wide enough and tall enough to provide a gap to allow a plurality of spring bars to be inserted thereto, but also forming the spring bar channel to be sufficiently narrow to prevent removal of the plurality of spring bars when a ball mount has been inserted into the shank channel.
14. A method of installing a trailer system, comprising: positioning a spring bar holder comprising a spring bar channel, a tongue, a plurality of tabs each having a tab hole, to be attached to a base plate comprising a flat plate, a plurality of sloped support members (each sloped support member having hinge hole), a bar, and a vertical shank channel; attaching the spring bar holder to the base plate by aligning the tabs and the tab holes such that they correspond to the hinge holes thereby forming a hinged connection that moves freely and smoothly; aligning the plurality of hinge holes with the plurality of tab holes, but in doing so avoiding the ends of the parallel tabs interfering with the flat plate; and
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: aligning a height adjustment hole located within the spring bar channel with a height adjustment slot located within the base plate, such that when the spring bar holder is installed on the base plate and the spring bar holder and the base plate are parallel to each other; inserting one of a plurality of long bolts downward through the base plate and through one of the plurality of bracket holes; and threading nuts onto the long bolts and tightening the nuts so as to hold the device in a preferred position.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: adjusting an angle of the spring bar holder by loosening a plurality of two bottom nuts; moving the spring bar holder up or down to a desired angle; and re-tightening the two bottom nuts against the base plate thereby securing the angle and preventing up/down movement of the spring bar holder.
17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: affixing the device to a support structure using sandwich clamping; wherein the support structure is a frame of a trailer.
18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: affixing the device to a support structure using sandwich clamping; wherein the support structure is a vehicle support member.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: during periods of non-use, stowing the ball mount within the shank channel; and inserting another apparatus holes in the place of the ball mount.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the another apparatus is a bicycle rack.
21. The method of claim 16, further comprising: installing a locking device within a shank locking device hole.
22. The method of claim 17, further comprising: inserting a plurality of retention pins through a plurality of retention holes into trunnion spring bars holes where the trunnion head is fixed to the ball mount, thereby preventing the trunnion bars from being removed once the ball mount has been inserted into the shank channel.
23. The method of claim 18, the step of sandwich clamping further comprising: clamping the base plate to the support structure using two corresponding ell brackets of the same length as the base plate having corresponding holes drilled through them; and aligning a bottom of the base plate to a desired position such that the top of a support structure and a plurality of ell brackets are aligned so that the mounting holes correspond to those on the base plate.
24. The method of claim 18, the step of sandwich clamping further comprising: stowing the device by inserting the spring bars into the spring bar holder and orienting the spring bars such that the spring bar ells are resting on the tongue of the spring bar holder and the ells are crisscrossed; after the spring bars have been inserted and the angle of the spring bar holder has been adjusted, inserting the ball mount into the shank channel with the hitch ball facing the spring bar ells; inserting the ball mount shank sufficiently far into the shank channel such that a lock hole on the shank is accessible below the bottom of the shank channel; and orienting the ball mount so as to restrict movement of the spring bar ells.
25. The method of claim 15, further comprising: directly integrating the base plate into the construction of a vehicle support member.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] For a better understanding of the particular embodiments of the present invention reference may be made to the following drawings exemplary of the invention, in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view assembly drawing for a trailer weight distribution system storage device;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled trailer weight distribution system storage device clamped to the tongue of a trailer;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the spring bar holder;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a side view of the spring bar holder;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a front view of the spring bar holder;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the base plate;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a side view of the base plate;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a front view of the base plate;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a perspective view installation drawing for a trailer weight distribution system that utilizes round spring bars;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a perspective view installation drawing for a trailer weight distribution system that utilizes trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is attached to the bar;
[0032] FIG. 11 is a perspective view installation drawing for a trailer weight distribution system that utilizes trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is fixed to the ball mount; and,
[0033] FIG. 12 is a perspective view drawing for an alternate embodiment for the trailer weight distribution system storage device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides a trailer weight distribution system storage device. As mentioned the trailer weight distribution system storage device is for storing a ball mount 4 (ball mount depicted in the drawings is representative of the mount used for each type of trailer weight distribution system) and various types of spring bars; including round spring bars 1, trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is attached to the bar 2, and trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is fixed to the ball mount 3. The other components of a trailer weight distribution system including the towing vehicle hitch, trailer frame mounted brackets, and chains are not depicted as they are not integral to the invention and are well known to those skilled in the art.
[0035] With the exception of the nuts, washers, and bolts used for assembling the equipment, the materials of construction for the preferred embodiment of the invention is an iron alloy such as steel, which is then powder coated due to cost considerations and ease of manufacture. However, the invention could constructed of any number of materials know to those skilled in the art that have good strength properties and are sufficiently weather resistant.
[0036] Additionally, preferred embodiment of materials of construction for the nuts, washers, and bolts used on assembling the equipment is stainless steel due to its weather resistance properties. However, the nuts, washers, and bolts could constructed of any number of materials know to those skilled in the art that have good strength properties and are sufficiently weather resistant.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1-5 and 9-11, one of the primary components of the trailer weight distribution system storage device is the spring bar holder 29. The spring bar holder 29 is made up of a spring bar channel 5, tongue 7, cross braces 9 and two parallel tabs 10.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the spring bar channel 5 is a rectangular channel with no top. The rectangular channel 5 needs to be wide enough and tall enough to provide a gap to allow the spring bars 1, 2, 3 to be inserted into the channel 5, but not so wide and tall to provide enough of a gap that the spring bars 1, 2, 3 can be removed from the trailer weight distribution system storage device once the ball mount 4 has been inserted into the shank channel 6. The length of the channel 5 can be variable, however, the channel 5 should be long enough so that the center of mass of the spring bars does not extend past the end of the channel 5.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, preceding the front end of the spring bar channel 5 is a flat rectangular tongue 7 on the base of the channel 5 that protrudes from the front of the channel 5. The tongue 7 is the same width as the channel 5. The tongue 7 needs to be long enough to provide a gap that will allow the ells on the round spring bars 1 and the trunnion heads 47 on the trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is attached to the bar 2 to fit between the ball mount 4 and the shank channel 6 but not so long as to not provide enough of a gap that the spring bars can be removed from the trailer weight distribution system storage device once the ball mount 4 has been inserted into the shank channel 6.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 3, across the top of the spring bar channel there is a cross brace 9, or any number of cross braces 9, that traverse the open top of the spring bar channel 5. The width of the cross braces 9 can vary greatly, however, the smaller the width, less materials will be required to fabricate the unit. The cross brace(s) 9 can be affixed to the spring bar channel 5 by any means known to those skilled in the art, preferably welded. The function of the cross brace 9 is to prevent the spring bars 1, 2, 3 from being removed from the top of the trailer weight distribution system storage device once the ball mount 4 has been inserted into the shank channel 6.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are two parallel tabs 10 affixed to the bottom of the spring bar holder 29 at the front end of the tongue 7. Near the bottom edge of each of these tabs 10 are a hole 11, centered in the tab 10 and traversing the tab 10. These tabs 10 will be used to form a hinged connection 12 between the spring bar holder 29 and base plate 13. The tabs 10 and these holes 11 are to be aligned such that they correspond to the adjoin hinge holes 14 on the base plate 13 so that the two form a hinged connection 12 that moves freely and smoothly. These tabs 10 can be affixed to the tongue 7 by any means known to those skilled in the art, preferably welded.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, there is a height adjustment hole 15 drilled through the centerline of the base of the spring bar channel 5. This hole 15 will be used to adjust and fix the angle of the hinged connection 12 in a manner that will be described in greater detail later in this specification. The hole 15 should be located along the length of the spring bar channel 5 such that when the spring bar holder 29 is installed on the base plate 13, and spring bar holder 29 and base plate 13 are parallel to each other, that the center of the height adjustment hole 15 aligns with the center of the height adjustment slot 16 in the base plate 13 that will be discussed in greater detail further in this specification.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 3, there are two trunnion bar pin holes 17 drilled through the tongue. These holes 17 will be used insert retention pins 18 in holes 49 in the trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is fixed to the ball mount 4 in a manner which will be discussed in further later in this specification. These holes 17 be used to prevent these types of trunnion bars 3 from being removed from the trailer weight distribution system storage device once the ball mount 4 has been inserted into the shank channel 6.
[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and 6-11, another one of the primary components of the trailer weight distribution system storage device is the base plate 13. The base plate is made up of a flat plate 20, a two sloped support members 23, bar 31, and a vertical shank channel 6.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 6, in the in the preferred embodiment of this invention, the flat plate component 20 of the base plate 13 is a square roughly twice the width of the spring bar holder 29 and has through holes 22 drilled though the corners, however, the size of the flat plate 20 and the need for through holes 22 can vary greatly depending on the method used to affix the trailer weight distribution system storage device to the vehicle support member 39.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 6, there is a height adjustment slot 16 drilled through the centerline of the flat plate 20 of the base plate 13. This slot 16 will be used to adjust the angle of hinged connection 12 in a manner that will be described in greater detail later in this specification. The slot 16 should be located along the rear edge of the flat plate 24 such that when the spring bar holder 29 is installed on the base plate 13, and spring bar holder 29 and base plate 13 are parallel to each other, that the center of the height adjustment slot 16 aligns with the center of the height adjustment hole 15 in the spring bar holder 29.
[0047] Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, affixed to the flat plate 20 member of the base plate 13 there are two support members which slope downward 23 from the front edge of the base plate 25 to rear edge of the plate 24. The function of the downward sloping members 23 are to provide a maximum downward angle of spring bar holder 29 thus preventing the spring bars 1, 2, 3 from contacting the ground and providing support for the attached shank channel 6. The support members 23 run parallel to and are equally offset from the centerline of the height adjustment slot 16. The offset distance should be slightly greater than the width of the ball mount shank 27. These support members 23 can be affixed to the flat plate 20 by any means known to those skilled in the art, preferably welded.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 7, there are two hinge holes 14 drilled through the downward sloping support members 23. These hinge holes 14 need to be located high enough from the flat plate 20 so that the holes 11 in the parallel tabs 10 on the spring bar holder 29 can be aligned with these holes 14 without the ends of the tabs 10 interfering with the flat plate 20. These hinge holes 14 work in conjunction with the two parallel tabs 10 affixed to the bottom of the spring bar holder 29 so that the two components can form a hinged connection 12 that rotates freely and smoothly.
[0049] Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, affixed to the flat plate 20 member of the base plate 13 and integrated into the two support members 23 which slope downward is a shank channel 6. The shank channel 6 shall be used to support the ball mount 4 when being stowed. The shank channel 6 is a U shaped support channel that is formed by extending the front side of the parallel support 23 members beyond the front edge of the flat base plate 25 a distance slightly greater than the width of the ball mount shank 27. Affixed to the front edge of the parallel members 23 and connecting the two parallel support members is a bar 31 the same height as the support member members 23. The resulting structure is a square vertical shank channel 6 slightly larger than the square ball mount shank 27. The shank channel 6 can be affixed to the flat plate 20 and support members 23 by any means known to those skilled in the art, preferably welded.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 7, there are two apparatus holes 32 drilled through the side of the shank channel 6. These apparatus holes 32 should be centered in the middle of the shank channel 6. These apparatus holes 32 will allow another apparatus with corresponding holes, such as a bicycle rack, to be inserted in the place of the ball mount 4. Having the ability to substitute various attachments for the ball mount provides additional versatility to the invention.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, the trailer weight distribution system storage device is assembled by first aligning the holes on the sloping members of the base plate 14 and the holes on the tabs of the spring bar holder 11 and inserting a joining device that allows creates a hinged connection that rotates freely and smoothly. In the preferred embodiment this is achieved using a bolt 33 and self-locking nut 34, but this function could also be achieved through use of a pin device, riveting device or any other means known to those skilled in the art.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 1, once the base plate 13 and spring bar holder 29 have been hinged together, a long bolt 35 is inserted downward through the height adjustment hole 15 in the spring bar channel 5. A first nut 36 is thread onto the bolt and tightened against the bottom of the spring bar channel 5. A second nut and washer 37 is then threaded onto the bolt to a level above that of the base plate 13, and the bolt is then inserted into the height adjustment slot 16 in the base plate 13. A third nut and washer 38 is then threaded onto the bolt 35 and tightened to the bottom of the base plate 13. If one wants to adjust the angle of the spring bar holder 29, they can simply loosen the two bottom nuts 37 & 38, move the spring bar holder 29 up or down to the desired angle, and then re-tighten the two nuts 37 & 38 against the base plate 13 to fix the angle and prevent up/down movement.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment for affixing the trailer weight distribution system storage device to a support structure 39, such as the frame of a trailer, is through sandwich clamping. This is preferred because it is minimally invasive to the support member and allows the spring bar channel to protrude from the vehicle support member in a variety of angles other than perpendicular. However, this function could also be achieved through use of welding the trailer weight distribution system storage device to the support member, bolting the device directly to the support member, integrating the base plate into the construction of the support member, or any other means known to those skilled in the art. These more invasive methods are not preferred because the welding or drilling may affect the vehicle warranty.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment the base plate 13 has clamping holes drilled through the four corners 22. The size of the plate 13 is long enough that the four corners of the plate 13 extend to either side of the support structure 39.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, in addition to the base plate 13, two corresponding ell brackets 40 of the same length as the base plate 13, with corresponding holes 41 drilled through them are used to clamp the base plate 13 to the support structure 39. The bottom of the base plate 13 is aligned to the desired position the top of support structure 39 and the ell brackets 40 are aligned so that the mounting holes 41 correspond to those on the base plate 22. Long bolts 42 are inserted downward through the base plate 13 and through the ell bracket holes 41 where nuts 43 are threaded onto them and tightened to hold the trailer weight distribution system storage device in position.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 9, a round spring bar 1 weight distribution system is properly stowed in the trailer weight distribution system storage device by first inserting the spring bars 1 into the spring bar holder 29. The spring bars 1 are oriented such that the spring bar ells 44 are resting on the tongue 7 of the spring bar holder 29 and the ells 44 are crisscrossed. Once the spring bars have been properly inserted, any necessary adjustments to the angle of the spring bar holder 29 are made using the method described above. After the spring bars 1 have been inserted and the angle has been adjusted, the ball mount 4 is inserted into the shank channel 6 with the hitch ball 45 facing the spring bar ells 44. The ball mount shank 27 must be inserted far enough into the shank channel 6 that the lock hole 46 on the shank can be accessed below the bottom of the shank channel 6. Additionally, the ball mount 4 needs to be oriented so that is restricts movement of the spring bar ells 44. Restricting the movement of these elk 44 is critical, so that the bars cannot be oriented into a manner that would allow them to be removed from the device in an unintended manner. Once the ball mount 4 is properly installed in the shank channel 6, a locking device (not pictured but known to those skilled in the art) is installed in the shank locking device hole 46.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 10, a weight distribution system trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is attached to the bar 2 is properly stowed in the trailer weight distribution system storage device by first inserting the spring bars 2 into the spring bar holder 29. The spring bars 2 are oriented such that the spring bar trunnions 47 are resting on the tongue 7 of the spring bar holder 29 and the two protruding ends 48 on the trunnions 47 are facing up and down. Once the spring bars 2 have been properly inserted, any necessary adjustments to the angle of the spring bar channel are made using the method described above. After the spring bars 2 have been inserted and the angle has been adjusted, the ball mount 4 is inserted into the shank channel 6 with the hitch ball 45 facing the spring bars 2. The ball mount shank 27 must be inserted far enough into the shank channel 6 that the lock hole 46 can be accessed below the bottom of the shank channel 6. Once the ball mount 4 is properly installed in the shank channel 6, a locking device (not pictured but known to those skilled in the art) is installed in the shank locking device hole 46.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 11, a trailer weight distribution system with trunnion spring bars where the trunnion head is fixed to the ball mount 4 is properly stowed in the trailer weight distribution system storage device by first inserting the spring bars 3 into the spring bar holder 29. The spring bars 3 are oriented such that the pin holes 49 in the spring bar which are used to connect the spring bar to trunnions on the ball mount are aligned with the two trunnion bar pin holes 17 drilled through the tongue. Two pins 18 are then inserted through the aligned holes on the spring bar 49 and tongue 7. Once the spring bars 3 and pins 18 have been properly inserted, any necessary adjustments to the angle of the spring bar holder 29 are made using the method described above. After the spring bars 3 have been inserted and the angle has been adjusted, the ball mount 4 is inserted into the shank channel 6 with the hitch ball 45 facing the spring bars 3. The ball mount shank 27 must be inserted far enough into the shank channel 6 that the lock hole 46 can be accessed below the bottom of the shank channel 6. Additionally, the ball mount 4 needs to be oriented so that restricts access from removing the pins 18. Preventing the removal of these pins 18 is critical, as once these pins 18 are removed, the spring bars 3 can easily be slid out spring bar holder 29. Once the ball mount 4 is properly installed in the shank channel 6, a locking device (not pictured but known to those skilled in the art) is installed in the shank locking device hole 46.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 12, an alternate embodiment of the trailer weight distribution system storage device is a one piece device made up of a spring bar channel 5 and cross braces 9 as described above, a tongue 7 affixed to the spring bar channel 5 as described above, and a vertical shank channel 50 affixed to the tongue 7. The tongue has two trunnion bar pin holes 17 as described above drilled through it. The vertical shank channel 50 can be constructed of a flat plate, with the thickness of the tongue 7 and having a square hole cut 51 out of it, the dimensions of the square hole being slightly larger than the dimensions of the ball mount shank 27. A flat plate 20 with mounting holes 22 as described above with can be affixed to the bottom of the tongue 7 spring bar channel 5 by welding or other means known to those skilled in the art. The different spring bars 1, 2 & 3 for the different weight distribution systems can be installed in the same manners as the preferred embodiment, referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11. This embodiment can be affixed to a structural member 39 through the same means as the preferred embodiment, referring to FIG. 2. This embodiment is not as versatile as the preferred embodiment, but will be less expensive to construct.
