The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 20, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 22, 1994
Jeffrey D Wallace, Des Moines, IA (US);
Dico, Inc., Des Moines, IA (US);
Abstract
A trailer breakaway safety mechanism which brings a trailer to a controlled stop after disengagement with a pulling vehicle. The mechanism consists of a cable which remains attached to the trailer after the trailer has disengaged from the pulling vehicle. As the trailer slows in relationship to the pulling vehicle, the cable activates a breaking mechanism on the trailer. Once the breaking mechanism has been fully actuated, the hook which attaches the cable to the pulling vehicle fails thereby completely releasing the trailer from the pulling vehicle. Steel balls are swaged to the cables so that when the cable is released from the pulling vehicle, a spring lock can engage the balls and prevent the cable from retracting and releasing the actuated brake. After the trailer has come to a complete stop, a screwdriver or other tool may be inserted into the housing of a mechanism to push back the spring lock and release the steel balls which thereby allows the cable to release the trailer brake.