Patent ID: 7055859
Filing Date: 2006-06-06
Classification: B60S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Landing gear for selectively supporting a semitrailer, the landing gear comprising: a leg having an upper section and a lower section in telescoping arrangement with each other; a lead screw mounted for extending and retracting the upper and lower sections relative to each other upon rotation of the lead screw; an input shaft for applying a torque to the lead screw to drive rotation thereof, the input shaft being rotatable about a first rotation axis and movable in translation along the first rotation axis for shifting between a first position for low gear operation and a second position for high gear operation; an output shaft including an output gear for transmitting torque to the lead screw, the output shaft being mounted for rotation about a second rotation axis and being generally axially aligned with the input shaft; and a gearing subassembly configured so that for each rotation of the input shaft, the output shaft rotates less than one rotation for low gear operation and interconnecting the generally axially aligned input and output shafts in the second position so that for each rotation of the input shaft, the output shaft rotates more than one rotation whereby the gearing subassembly augments lift when the input shaft is in the first position and augments speed in the second position, wherein the gearing subassembly comprises at least three gears mounted for rotation about axes spaced from the axis of rotation of the input and output shafts, a first of the three gears being in driving engagement with the input shaft in the first position thereof, a second of the three gears being in driving engagement with the input shaft in the second position thereof, and a third of the three gears engaged with the output shaft, the first gear has a larger diameter than the second gear, and wherein the gearing subassembly further comprises an idler shaft, the first, second and third gears being mounted for conjoint rotation on the idler shaft.