Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed for attachment to a jack including a first axle. The apparatus includes a fulcrum wheel disposed on a second axle, the second axle being connected directly or indirectly to the first axle. A lever has a first end connected directly or indirectly to the second axle and a second end having a terminus. A first line intersects the first axle and second axle. A second line intersects the second axle and the lever terminus. The first and second lines meet at an obtuse angle. In another aspect, an apparatus is disclosed including a jack having a first axle, an extension member, and a fulcrum wheel is disposed on a second axle connected to the extension member. A lever has a first end attachable to the extension member proximate the second axle. A method of moving a jack relative to a ground surface is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority from, and fully incorporates by reference herein, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/378,665, filed Aug. 31, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     An exemplary prior art jack for a trailer, such as a boat trailer to be towed by a motor vehicle, is shown in  FIG. 1 . Jack  10  is mounted on horizontal member  12  of boat trailer  14 . When trailer  14  is detached from a towing vehicle (not shown), horizontal member  12  is generally supported so that tongue  16  does not rest on the ground. Such support may be accomplished by a structure such as a block or a variable length apparatus that has an easily adjustable height such as jack  10 . Jack  10  is especially suitable for raising tongue  16  of horizontal member  12  to the same level as a hitch  18  of the towing vehicle. Jack  10  also typically provides a wheel  20  so that the horizontal member  12  may be moved with respect to the ground surface  22 . Crank handle  24  is turned to telescope post  26  within sleeve  28  to thereby raise and lower horizontal member  12  with respect to ground surface  22 . 
     To attach trailer  14  to hitch  18 , a driver of the towing vehicle backs the vehicle up to the boat trailer  14  to position hitch  18  as close as possible to ball coupler  30  of trailer tongue  16 . However, most vehicle drivers are conservative because hitting the trailer with the vehicle can cause great damage. Accordingly, even with skilled drivers, a distance usually remains between the towing vehicle&#39;s hitch  18  and the ball coupler  30  of the trailer  14 . 
     To close this gap, a user must push trailer  14  on jack wheel  20  to position ball coupler  30  over hitch  18 . It is to be understood that different coupling mechanisms and hitches may be used that are known in the art. Although jack wheel  20  pivots about post  26  to facilitate this maneuver, it is still a very difficult task because of the weight of trailer  14  (and any boat thereon) and the fact that it is very hard to pivot jack wheel  20  while it bears such considerable weight. A user generally must kick jack wheel  20  in order to turn to in the appropriate direction for bringing ball coupler  30  toward hitch  18 . Then the user must push on jack  10  or horizontal member  12  to bring ball coupler  30  to hitch  18 . 
     After placing ball coupler  30  over hitch  18 , the user turns crank handle  24  to lower ball coupler  30  onto hitch  18 . After ball coupler  30  is secured onto hitch  18 , the user turns crank handle  24  to raise jack wheel  20  off ground surface  22 . Then the user pulls pin  32  to allow jack  10  to pivot into a horizontal orientation, so that jack  10  is out of the way during trailer transport and storage. 
     Moreover, another problem is commonly encountered by boat trailer users. After bearing the weight of the trailer for a period of time on a soft ground surface such as gravel, soil, sand or asphalt, the jack wheel  20  may sink into the ground, thereby rendering it difficult to thereafter move the trailer  14 . For a trailer hauling a typical boat, the weight of the tongue could be on the order of 500 pounds. Thus, it can be exceedingly difficult for a user to lift horizontal member  12  in order to dislodge jack wheel  20  from its embedded position in the ground. Also, such lifting attempts can result in great back strain and a high likelihood of injury. 
     Accordingly, the present invention presents an apparatus and method to ease the guidance and maneuvering of a trailer tongue. 
     SUMMARY 
     An apparatus is disclosed for attachment to a jack, the jack comprising a first axle. The apparatus comprises a fulcrum wheel disposed on a second axle, the second axle being connected directly or indirectly to the first axle. A lever has a first end connected directly or indirectly to the second axle and a second end having a terminus. A first line intersects the first axle and second axle. A second line intersects the second axle and the lever terminus. The first and second lines meet at an obtuse angle. 
     In another aspect, an apparatus is disclosed comprising a jack, which in turn comprises a variable length member and a first axle disposed at an end of the variable length member. An extension member has a mechanism for attachment to the first axle. A fulcrum wheel is disposed on a second axle, the second axle being connected to the extension member. A lever has a first end attachable to the extension member proximate the second axle and has a second end opposite the first end. 
     A method of moving a jack relative to a ground surface comprises connecting a fulcrum wheel to the jack and to a lever, contacting the ground surface with the fulcrum wheel; pushing down on an end of the lever to pivot about the fulcrum wheel to thereby raise the jack above the ground surface, and moving the end of the lever to move the jack relative to the ground surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosed subject matter will be further explained with reference to the attached figures, wherein like structure or system elements are referred to by like reference numerals throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art trailer jack in a vertical position on a trailer. 
         FIG. 2  is a front right perspective view (from the standpoint of a user) of an exemplary lever apparatus of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a right side elevation view of an exemplary lever apparatus attached to a jack, in an inactive position. 
         FIG. 4  is a right side elevation view of an exemplary lever apparatus attached to a jack, wherein the lever handle is pushed down to thereby raise the jack wheel. 
         FIG. 5  is a right rear perspective view of an exemplary shroud and fulcrum wheel assembly of the disclosed lever apparatus. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial left side elevation view of an exemplary shroud and fulcrum wheel assembly attached to a jack. 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the assembly of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8A  is a left front perspective view of a second embodiment of lever apparatus attached to a jack, wherein the lever handle is pushed down to thereby raise the jack wheel. 
         FIG. 8B  is a left front perspective view of the lever apparatus of  FIG. 8A , wherein the lever handle and arm are in a folded configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The current disclosure describes a jack assembly that includes a lever apparatus. The disclosure is also directed to a foldable lever apparatus that is attachable to a conventional jack. A method of using the assemblies and apparatuses are also described. 
     An exemplary lever apparatus  36  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , lever apparatus  36  may be attached to the jack wheel  20  of a conventional jack  10 . The lever apparatus  36  illustrated in  FIG. 2  includes an extension member extending between and connecting jack wheel  20  and a lever fulcrum wheel  40 . The extension member is a shroud  38  that at least partially covers jack wheel  30  and lever fulcrum wheel  40 , thereby providing a strong connection therebetween. Stud  42  on shroud  38  allows for removable attachment of lever arm  44  using pin  46 . Left handle section  48  and right handle section  50  are removable from handle tube  52  and stowable in holders  54 . As assembled, the handle components  48 ,  50  and  52  form handle  56 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , lever apparatus  36  is attached to the axle of jack wheel  20  to form an exemplary jack assembly  60 , connected to a trailer such as a boat trailer  14 . Shroud  38 , including lever fulcrum wheel  40 , is semi-permanently attached to jack wheel  20  at its axle by bolt  62  or other suitable fastener. Lever arm  44  is easily attachable to and removable from stud  42  of shroud  38  using pin  46 . During transport of trailer  14 , lever arm  44  is typically removed from shroud  38  so that jack  10  can be easily pivoted to a horizontal orientation with very little obstruction and weight thereon. When trailer  14  is in place, a user can then easily place the lower end of lever arm  44  onto stud  42  and attach the two components  44  and  42  with pin  46 . Wire spring  64  attaches to a hole  82  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) on each side of shroud  38  and wraps around bolt  62  and around post  26 . Wire spring  64  is tensioned to automatically lift lever fulcrum wheel  40  slightly off ground surface  22  when no pressure is exerted on lever arm  44 . In an exemplary embodiment, a distance between lever fulcrum wheel  40  and ground surface  22  is about 0.5 inch. This slight raising of lever fulcrum wheel  40  enhances steering control because only one of the wheels—either jack wheel  20  or lever fulcrum wheel  40 —contacts the ground surface  22  at any time during typical maneuvering of the trailer  14  using jack assembly  60 . Moreover, because lever fulcrum wheel  40  is held above the ground surface  22 , it is less likely to sink into the ground, thereby remaining unstuck even if jack wheel  20  becomes embedded in the ground. 
     Since lever arm  44  is attached to shroud  38 , handle  56  is positionally fixed with respect to the axle of lever fulcrum wheel  40  and the axle of jack wheel  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , pushing down upon handle  56  in direction  66  results in a pivot about the axle  80  of lever fulcrum wheel axle  40  that overcomes the spring force of wire spring  64 , allowing lever fulcrum wheel  40  to contact the ground and causing jack wheel  20  to lift off the ground by distance  68 . With jack wheel  20  thus lifted, interference between jack wheel  20  and ground surface  22  is eliminated. Shroud  38  keeps jack wheel  20  in line with lever fulcrum wheel  40  so they roll in a same direction. A user can easily swing handle  56  in a horizontal rotation plane (as indicated by arc arrows  70  to pivot jack wheel  20  about lever fulcrum wheel  40  illustrated in  FIG. 8A ) to the desired direction. This method of turning jack wheel  20  is much more effective than the previous method of kicking jack wheel  20  while it is on the ground because there is no ground interference and the lever arm aids in greatly reducing the effective work required of the user. Because of the length of shroud  38 , moving handle  56  in the horizontal plane in arc directions  70  not only turns jack wheel  20  about lever fulcrum wheel  40  but also causes small changes in the position of jack wheel  20  (and therefore of tongue  16  of attached trailer  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) in arc directions  72  with respect to the ground surface  22 . A user can thus use such swinging motions to accomplish small positional changes to place ball coupler  30  over hitch  18 . 
     Also referring to  FIG. 4 , because of the lifting of jack wheel  20 , less turning of crank handle  24  of jack  10  is required. The current practice with the prior art jack  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  requires a user to crank handle  24  to raise ball coupler  30  above hitch  18 ; kick on jack wheel  20  to pivot it to the correct direction; push on trailer  14  to move jack wheel  20  along the ground surface  22  until ball coupler  30  is in place above hitch  18 ; turn crank handle  24  to lower ball coupler  30  onto hitch  18 ; and then turn crank handle  24  again to raise jack wheel  20  off the ground so that jack  10  can be pivoted to horizontal storage position. 
     With the jack assembly  60  of the present disclosure, the same result can be much more easily accomplished. A user pushes down on handle  56  in direction  66  to raise jack wheel  20  off the ground and swings handle  56  in directions  70  (illustrated in  FIG. 8A ) to move jack  10  in directions  72  to change the location and direction of jack wheel  20 . If a user desires to move the horizontal member  12  of the boat trailer  14  a greater distance than that afforded by the pivoting action of handle  56  in arc directions  70 , the user can also push or pull upon handle  78  in linear directions  74 , which are aligned with the travel direction of jack wheel  20  and lever fulcrum wheel  40 . As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , for example, lever fulcrum wheel  40  and jack wheel  20  are aligned to roll in the same direction. Accordingly, one may push or pull upon handle  56  in directions  74  with either jack wheel  20  or lever fulcrum wheel  40  or both wheels  20 ,  40  in contact with ground surface  22 . When ball coupler  30  is has been located over hitch  18 , the user releases the downward force on handle  56  to then lower ball coupler  30  onto hitch  18 . 
     Because of the enhanced maneuverability offered to trailer  14  by lever apparatus  36 , it is much easier for a towing vehicle driver to position the towing vehicle because the hitch of the vehicle  18  need not be exactly below the ball coupler  30  of the trailer  14 . If the hitch  18  is within a short distance of ball coupler  30 , the discrepancy can be easily remedied by moving the trailer  14  using the jack assembly  60  as discussed. 
     At many boat trailer storage and boat launch locations, the ground can be wet or soft or both. When trailer  14  rests on such a ground surface  22 , the considerable weight of the trailer  14  often causes the jack wheel  20  to sink into the ground so that it cannot be moved along the surface  22  unless it is lifted out of its rut. In this situation, the user can push down on handle  56  in downward direction  66  in order to lift jack wheel  20  out of its rut so that it can be placed upon ground surface  22  for further positioning. 
     Obtuse angle alpha (α) is fixed by the geometry of shroud  38  and lever arm  44 . Obtuse angle alpha is defined as the angle in a vertical plane between 1) a line intersecting bolt  62  at an axle of jack wheel  20  and axle  80  of lever fulcrum wheel  40 ; and 2) a line intersecting axle  80  of lever fulcrum wheel  40  and a terminus of lever arm  44  at handle  56 . In an exemplary embodiment, angle alpha is an obtuse angle at or between about 93 degrees and about 130 degrees. In some embodiments, obtuse angle alpha is at or between about 100 degrees and about 120 degrees. Obtuse angle alpha increases the leverage of lever arm  44  by allowing for a long lever arm  44 , wherein the terminus of the lever arm  44  at handle  56  is still low enough for users to easily exert downward force thereon. Obtuse angle alpha also facilitates swinging lever arm  44  under horizontal member  12  of trailer  14  to change the direction of movement. Moreover, the obtuse angle alpha provides clearance between lever arm  44  and jack  10  and horizontal member  12 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an exemplary shroud  38  for semi-permanent attachment to the jack wheel  20  of a conventional jack  10 . Shroud  38  includes a plurality of apertures  76  through which bolt  62  may pass for mounting shroud  38  on jack wheel  20 . The various positions of the different apertures  76  allow shroud  38  to accommodate jack wheels  20  of varying diameters. In a typical use, the attachment of shroud  38  to jack wheel  20  is semi-permanent in that once attached, shroud  38  remains on jack wheel  20  during its normal use. However, shroud  38  may be disconnected from jack wheel  20  for use on a different jack  10  or different trailer  14 . Stud  42  includes an aperture  78  for attachment of lever arm  44  using pin  46 . In an exemplary embodiment, pin  46  is of the quick-release type. The attachment of lever arm  44  to stud  42  is typically temporary in that the lever arm  44  is attached and removed for each use so that it does not add bulk or weight to trailer  14  during transport. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate side elevation and bottom views, respectively, of shroud  38  attached to jack  10 . To attach jack assembly  36  to a conventional jack  20 , a user removes the bolt securing jack wheel  20  to jack  10  and places shroud  38  around fork  34  of jack wheel  20 . The user wraps pre-shaped wire spring  64  around post  26 , positions the spring coils on both sides of the suitable aperture  76 , and inserts each end of wire spring  64  into a retention aperture  82  provided on each side of shroud  38 . Using a bolt  62  that is longer than the original bolt if necessary, the user attaches shroud  38  to jack wheel  20  by passing the bolt through wire spring  62 , apertures  76 , fork  34  and jack wheel  20 . 
       FIG. 8A  illustrates a variation of jack assembly  160 , which is similar to jack assembly  60  except that lever arm  144  is foldable. The lever arm  144  has lower section  84  and upper section  86  connected at hinge  88 . Quick release pin  90  holds lever arm  144  in the straight configuration by passing through apertures  92  of flange  94  and apertures  96  of flange  98 . While two sections  84  and  86  are shown, it is contemplated that more sections can also be used. Obtuse angle alpha is maintained whether the lever arm is presented in the foldable straight configuration of lever arm  144  or the bent configuration of lever arm  44 . 
     To disassemble the handle  56 , a handle section  48  or  50  is removed from handle tube  52  by depressing spring buttons  100  at apertures  102  and then sliding each handle section  48 ,  50  out of handle tube  52 . Each handle section  48 ,  50  is then inserted into a holder  54 . In the folded configuration shown in  FIG. 8B , jack assembly  160  is much more compact and can be left on trailer  14  if desired. Alternatively, lever arm  144  can be removed from stud  42  by releasing pin  46  for compact storage off shroud  38 . 
     While jack  10  is shown in a marine application in which it has a jack wheel  20 , lever apparatus  36 ,  136  is also usable with a trailer pad, which is typically a jack that has a foot pad, rather than a wheel, in contact with the ground. Particularly suitable trailer pads have a construction similar to jack  10 , wherein post  26  is able to rotate within sleeve  28 . Moreover, a suitable trailer pad has an axle disposed at a lower end of post  26 . 
     Because users typically install jack  10  about three to four feet from tongue  16  of horizontal member  12 , a length of lever arm  44 ,  144  is generally long enough so that a user can move lever arm  44 ,  144  under horizontal member  12  without needing to position handle  56  under tongue  16 . In one instance lever arm  144 ,  144  was about 43 inches long and constructed of 2 mm thick tubular steel having a rectangular cross-section measuring about 1 inch thick and about 1.5 to 2.0 inches wide. 
     An exemplary shroud  38  had an overall length of about 12 inches and a distance between the lever fulcrum wheel axle  80  and the jack wheel bolt  62  of about 7.7 to 9.0 inches. An exemplary shroud  38  also had an overall width of about 3.0 inches and an overall height of about 6.3 inches. 
     Although the subject of this disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In addition, any feature disclosed with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated in another embodiment, and vice-versa. Where terms such as above, below, over, under, top, bottom, side, right, left, etc., are used, it is to be understood that they are used only for ease of understanding the description. It is contemplated that structures may be oriented otherwise.