Utility trailer tailgate arrangement

A lift assembly assists in raising or lowering a tailgate, such as one found on a utility trailer. In one embodiment, a housing extends in a longitudinal direction with an end wall having an opening adjacent the tailgate. A spring is positioned within the housing. A cable extends between the spring and the tailgate, including through the opening in the end wall. An insert receives the cable passing through the opening, and is securely retained by the end wall and prevented from moving freely in the longitudinal direction as the cable moves to and fro during raising and lowering of the tailgate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to tailgate lift assemblies and more particularly to arrangements which permit a heavy tailgate which is hingedly attached to a utility trailer, to be raised and lowered with reduced effort due to the assistance of the lift assembly.

2. Prior Art

Utility trailers are common everywhere and are utilized to carry small equipment, construction goods and contractors implements. They consist of a flat bed with or without side rails or walls extending upwardly along the side to about 36 inches high. These utility trailers particularly have one or two sets of wheels and are pulled behind a large car or pickup truck. Utility trailers have a hinged gate or ramp at their rearward end to allow the loading and unloading of those supplies, goods or implements. Those gates or ramps are typically made of steel and have to be somewhat long to provide a relatively safe slope on which to load that trailer. Those gates therefore are typically also very heavy. Tailgate lift assemblies have been on the market and have been adapted to fit on to the beds or side rails of those utility trailers.

Examples of such add-on assemblies are shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,223, which prior art assemblies may utilize an expensive and foulable set of rollers on its distalmost end to guide a cable to the ramp or gate from the side rail arrangement on the utility trailer. Such roller assemblies are an expensive part of the assembly, they can be fouled by dirt, wear or by a lose cable and are susceptible to malfunction.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tailgate assist assembly which is easy to change, replace and utilize in an economical and safe manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a tailgate lift assembly arranged on the bed or side rails or walls of a utility tailer. A utility trailer, by definition, has a flat bed, at least one set of wheels, and a dropdown tailgate having a hinge attached to the back end of the flatbed, which is tiltable into an upward orientation. The utility trailer is typically pulled by a large vehicle such as a pickup truck or the like. The side rails of the utility trailer are typically no higher than about 36″ high from the flatbed of that trailer.

The tailgate lift assembly of the present invention comprises an elongated housing having a forward end and a rearward end. At least one elongated coiled spring is arranged within that elongated housing. The elongated spring has a forward end which is fixedly secured to the forward end of the elongated housing. The elongated spring has rearward end which is attached to the forward end of a flexible cable. The flexible cable has a rearward end which is attached to the pivotable tailgate which is attached to the rearward end of the utility trailer.

The rearward end of the elongated housing has a side-reinforced back wall with a cable-encircling guide member arranged and removably supported therewithin. The guide member of the present invention comprises a generally circumferentially disposed insert or grommet made from a smooth, slippery or lubricious material such as for example, teflon, nylon, copper or the like. The annular grommet is supported within an opening in the reinforced back wall of the elongated housing. The cable extends through a bore of the grommet, the cable's rearward end being attached to a connective link on the tailgate to permit articulation between the cable and the tailgate as the tailgate is moved from a generally horizontal or lowermost orientation to a vertical orientation with respect to the rear end of the utility trailer.

In a first preferred embodiment of the elongated housing, such elongated housing may be made by an extrusion process. The wall of the housing may be of plastic, fiberglass or of metal of various lengths. The rearward end of the housing may have a wall member extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that housing. A central opening extends through the rear wall member which receives the insert or grommet therethrough. The rear end of the housing preferably may comprise a pair of sloped sidewalls arranged adjacent the side of the rear wall to provide a rearwardly reinforced enclosure for the sides of the wall supporting the insert to permit ease of mounting to a trailer.

The insert is preferably of generally cylindrical configuration having a central bore therethrough and curved upstream and a curved rearward end to minimize wearing of the cable as it goes through its arcuate motion when the gate is lifted upwardly or downwardly. The insert preferably has an annular channel which receives the wall portion of the opening of the rear wall of the elongated housing. Replacement of a worn or broken insert is easily accomplished by a simple removal and pressed reinsertion of a new insert into the hole in the rear end wall of the elongated housing.

A further embodiment of the replacement guide member insert comprises a generally square circular or rectilinearly-shaped member having a bore or a U-shaped channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The rearwardmost side of the grommet adjacent the bore has an arcuate curve or scive therearound. An upper portion of the rearmost side of the insert has an insertable component which mates into the U-shaped channel. The insertable component has a tapered or scived edge which is in circumferential alignment with the scived edge of the rearward face of the replacement insert. After installation of a cable through the longitudinal channel, the insertable component may be pressed into engagement with the rear face of the reinstallation insert. The re-installation insert may then itself be inserted into the opening in the rear wall at the rearward end of the elongated housing, or inserted at the rear end of the housing inplace of the rear wall. Such an arrangement of assemblable and insertable components permits ready replacement of the cable within that insert alignment arrangement without necessarily disassembling the chain or the pivotable components at the rearwardmost end of the cable.

A further embodiment of the present invention contemplates the rearward end of flexible cable being attached to the rearwardmost half portion of the pivotable tailgate. The tailgate itself would be hingedly transversely divided and have a hinge at a location closer to the hinge to which it is attached to the utility trailer so that when the tailgate is moved into its vertical or upright orientation, the rearward or distalmost half of the tailgate or ramp may be pivoted and folded about its midpoint hinge to minimize wind resistance and increase visibility rearward of the trailer by the folding of that backward half of the ramp or tailgate against the forward half of the tailgate while still having the cable pulling against the now folded gate against the rearward end of the side rails on the utility trailer.

Thus what has been shown is a unique tailgate lift assembly which permits an inexpensive exchange of components in a facile manner while permitting safe usage of that tailgate assembly on a utility trailer. The present invention also eliminates the need for disassembly of the elongated cable at one or both ends and permits it to still be attached at both ends to thus maintain its attachment to the tailgate or ramp while the guide means at the rearward end of the elongated housing is replaced.

The invention thus comprises a tailgate lift assist arrangement for a utility trailer without a siderail or having a siderail extending upwardly from at least one side of a flatbed, and a tailgate being hingedly attached to a rear end of the flatbed. The lift assist arrangement comprises an elongated housing arranged on an upper portion of the siderail; and a spring attached to a forward end of the housing, the spring having a rearward end attached to a forward end of a flexible cable, the flexible cable having a rearward end movably secured to the tailgate.

The cable is supported in a rearward end of the housing by a stationary cable insert or guide member captured in or replacing a back transverse wall of the elongated housing. The cable insert or guide member may be comprised of a smooth, slippery or lubricious material circumferentially enclosed in an opening in the back wall of the housing or replace that back wall of the housing. The guide member may have an insertable portion which is removable with respect to the member, to enable receipt of the cable therein without disassembly of further cable components thereof. The lubricious insert may have a bore therethrough with a curved surface on each end thereof. The insert may have a channel disposed circumferentially around for receipt of edge portions of the opening in the back wall of the elongated housing. The elongated housing may comprise an extrusion. The back wall may be secured to a pair of triangularly shaped reinforcement walls for strengthening the guide member support. The tailgate may have a rearward portion and a forward portion connected together by a transversely disposed hinge. The rearward end of the cable may be attached to the rearward portion of the tailgate. The elongated housing may also be built into the siderail as a unitary part thereof, instead of being attached to an upper portion of a siderail as an add-on, to streamline the trailer and minimize assembly costs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly toFIG. 1, there is shown the present invention which comprises a tailgate lift assembly10arranged on the bed, low side rails or walls12of a utility trailer14. The utility trailer14, by definition, has a flatbed16, at least one set of wheels18, and a tailgate20having a hinge22attached to the back end24of the flatbed16, which is tiltable from a lowered orientation into an upward orientation. The utility trailer14is typically pulled by a large vehicle such as a pickup truck or the like. The side rails12of a utility trailer14are typically no higher than about 36″ high from the flatbed16of that trailer14, and are identified as “low” siderails.

The tailgate lift assembly10of the present invention comprises an elongated housing30having a forward end32and a rearward end34. At least one elongated coiled spring36is arranged within that elongated housing30. The elongated spring36has a forward end38which is fixedly secured to the forward end32of the elongated housing30. The elongated spring36has rearward end40which is attached to the forward end41of a flexible cable42. The flexible cable42has a rearward end44which is attached to a portion46of the pivotable tailgate20which itself is hingedly attached to the rearward end24of the utility trailer14. The elongated housing30may for safety purposes in a preferred embodiment comprise an elongated enclosure and be extruded or formed from a metal, fiberglass or plastic, and is represented inFIG. 2prior to a final forming operation of a back wall50thereon, as represented by the arrow “A”.

The rearward end34of the elongated housing30has a side-reinforced back wall50, as is shown inFIG. 3. The back wall50may be welded or adhesively secured to a pair of generally triangularly shaped reinforcing side walls51, as shown in FIGS.2,3, and4. The back wall50is arranged to removably receive a cable-encircling guide member or insert52arranged and removably supported therewithin, as shown inFIG. 4. The guide member52of the present invention in a first embodiment thereof comprises a generally torroidally shaped insert or grommet54made from a slippery or lubricious material such as for example, teflon, nylon, copper or the like. The annular insert54is supported within an opening56in the reinforced back wall50of the elongated housing30. The cable42extends through a bore58of the insert54, the cable's rearward end44being aft ached to a connective link60on the portion46of the tailgate20to permit articulation between the cable42and the tailgate20as the tailgate is moved from a from a generally horizontal, or lowermost orientation to a vertical orientation with respect to the rear end24of the utility trailer14, as represented by the arrow “M” inFIG. 1.

In a first preferred embodiment of the elongated housing30, such elongated housing30may be made by an extrusion process. The back wall member50preferably extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing30.

The insert or grommet52is preferably of generally cylindrical configuration having its central bore58therethrough and a curved upstream end62and a curved rearward end64to minimize wearing of the cable42as it goes through its arcuate motion when the gate20is lifted upwardly or downwardly. The insert or grommet52has an annular channel66which receives the wall portion of the opening56of the rear wall50at one end of the elongated housing30. This securely retains or captures the insert52in place and prevents it from moving freely in the longitudinal direction as the cable42moves during raising or lowering of the tailgate20. As shown inFIG. 4, a first end of the insert52is oversized relative to the opening56and extends inside the housing30. A second end of the insert52is also oversized relative to the opening56extends outside the longitudinal housing30. Replacement of a worn or broken insert is easily accomplished by a simple removal and pressed reinsertion of a new insert into the hole56in the back wall50of the elongated housing30.

A further embodiment of the replacement guide member54comprises a generally square, circular, rectilinear or multi-piece member70having a bore or channel72extending longitudinally therethrough, as may be seen inFIG. 5. The rearwardmost side74of the member70adjacent the bore72preferably has an arcuate curve or scive76therearound. An upper portion of the rearmost side74of the insert has an insertable component78which mates into a tapered receiving slot80of the member70. The insertable component78has a tapered or scived edge82which is in circumferential alignment with the scived edge76of the rearward face74of the replacement member70. After installation of a cable42through the longitudinal channel72, the insertable component78may be pressed into engagement with the tapered receiving slot80of the reinstallation member70. The reinstallation member70may then be inserted into the opening56in the rear wall50at the rearward end34of the elongated housing30.

The re-installation member70may itself comprise the rear wall50in a further preferred embodiment, and be secured to the rear portion34of the housing30by side bolts or screw securement members71or the like, in a placement for those securement members71as represented inFIG. 3, and shown in phantom as a further embodiment inFIG. 5. The member70may be secured into the rear end34of the housing30by detents73on the rear end of the housing34engaging depressions75in the member70, which are represented also inFIG. 5. Such an arrangement of insertable components permits ready replacement of the cable42within that re-installation member70without requiring disassembling the cable, chain or pivotable components60at the rearward most end of the cable42.

A further embodiment of the present invention contemplates the rearward end44of flexible cable42being attached preferably to the rearwardmost half portion90of the pivotable tailgate20. The tailgate20itself would be hingedly transversely divided and have a hinge96at a location closer to the hinge22to which it is attached to the utility trailer14so tat when the tailgate20is moved into its vertical or upright orientation, the rearward or distalmost half90of the tailgate or ramp20may be pivoted and folded about its midpoint hinge96, as indicated by arrow “R” inFIG. 6, to minimize wind resistance and increase visibility rearward of the wailer14by the folding of that backward half90of the ramp or tailgate20against the forward half91of the tailgate20while still having the cable42pulling against the now folded gate20against the rearward end of the side rails12on the utility trailer14.

Thus what has been shown is a unique tailgate lift assembly which permits an inexpensive exchange of components in a facile manner while permitting safe usage of that tailgate assembly on a utility trailer. That present invention also eliminates the need for disassembly of that elongated cable and permits it to still be attached to the tailgate20and maintain its attachment to the tailgate or ramp20while the guide means52at the rearward end34of the elongated housing30is replaced.

The insertable member78of the guide member70may be tapered or it may have parallel side walls and its body79, preferably of rectilinear shape, may fit inside the rear portion34of the housing30in its rectilinear configuration, and attached thereto by the securement members71.