Abstract:
A pair of telescopic tensioning legs are pivotally attached to either a fifth wheel trailer goose-neck or kingpin. To stabilize the trailer, the telescopic tensioning legs are extended between the trailer gooseneck and the trailer extension supports foot pads.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 60/597,305, filed Nov. 22, 2005, hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to trailer stabilizers and more particularly to stabilizers for a gooseneck or kingpin.  
         [0003]     Various types of recreational vehicles and trailers require supporting and stabilizing in a safe and secure position after the recreational vehicle or trailer has been detached from the cab or truck which had been towing the vehicle or trailer.  
         [0004]     A vehicle which is constructed to be towed, such as a fifth wheel recreational vehicle, or a camper, or a trailer, conventionally includes an upper portion, or gooseneck portion that extends forwardly a considerable distance at the front of the vehicle. The typical front extension section is constructed to avoid interference with the body members of the towing truck or cab while moving and turning, and the front extension section of the vehicle or trailer includes means for connecting the vehicle to the towing truck or cab.  
         [0005]     Thus, the front section extends in an unsupported and possibly unbalanced condition when the recreational vehicle or trailer is detached from the towing truck or cab.  
         [0006]     Quite often, the front extension section of a recreational vehicle is designed to incorporate a form of sleeping area or storage space. With this design, the front section may become unstable and be in need of further support when the recreational vehicle is separated from the towing truck.  
         [0007]     The normal means for temporarily connecting a recreational vehicle or trailer to a towing truck comprises a pivotal apparatus, generally including a kingpin secured beneath the front extension portion of the vehicle in cooperation with a form of socket secured on the body of the truck. In this arrangement, the connective device on the recreational vehicle is referred to as a fifth wheel.  
         [0008]     Usually, the recreational vehicle or trailer includes a pair of short extension supports beneath the main body of the vehicle and at the very front of the main body and behind the front extension portion of the vehicle, which are lowered into a supporting position to the surface of the ground when the operator is preparing to remove the vehicle from the attachment to the towing truck.  
         [0009]     Unfortunately, these typical extension supports do not provide sufficient stabilization of the front of the fifth wheel travel trailer.  
         [0010]     The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present trailer stabilizers. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     In one aspect, a kingpin stabilizer is described comprising telescopic tension legs that extend from either the trailer gooseneck or the trailer kingpin to base pads on the trailer corner supports.  
         [0012]     In a further aspect, a kingpin stabilizer is described comprising telescopic tension legs that are pivotally attached to the trailer gooseneck that can be moved between a raised travel position and a lowered stabilizing position.  
         [0013]     The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the kingpin stabilizer in the lowered position attached to the gooseneck in the lowered position;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a second perspective view illustrating the kingpin stabilizer in the raised or travel position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the kingpin stabilizer illustrating the pivot ball attached to the gooseneck and the storage bracket attached to the trailer;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a telescopic tensioning leg of the kingpin stabilizer; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a portion of a trailer illustrating the kingpin stabilizer attached to the kingpin. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     Shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a fifth wheel travel trailer  10  having a front extension  12  extending from the front of the trailer  10 . Typically, the trailer front extension  12  is a bedroom. Attached to the underside of the trailer front extension  12  is a gooseneck  20  that has a kingpin  22  attached to its underside. The kingpin  22  is used to connect the trailer  10  to the towing vehicle (not shown).  
         [0020]     Trailer  10  includes support extensions  50 , usually one near each corner of the trailer  10 . After the trailer  10  has been positioned in its assigned camping space, the support extensions  50  are lowered to the ground to level and support the trailer  10 . Each support extension usually includes a foot pad  52  to provide greater contact with the ground.  
         [0021]     The kingpin stabilizer comprises a pair of telescopic tension legs  30  that extend from either the gooseneck  20  or the kingpin  22  to the trailer support extension foot pads  52 .  
         [0022]     The telescopic tension legs  30  are pivotally attached at  40  to the gooseneck  20  to allow legs  30  to move between a raised travel position, shown in  FIG. 2 , to a lowered stabilizing position, shown in  FIG. 1 . Further in this embodiment, each telescopic tension leg  30  is provided with a pivot socket  36 , which receives a pivot ball  38  attached to either the gooseneck  20  or kingpin  22 ,  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The pivot socket  36  is secured to the pivot ball  38  by a retaining pin (not shown). The pivot socket  36  and pivot ball  38  permit the legs  30  to pivot in a first plane parallel to the length of the trailer  10  and to swivel in a second plane perpendicular to the length of the trailer  10 , i.e. polar motion. In a further embodiment, the telescopic tension legs  30  also swivel to permit the ends of the legs  30  to be positioned further inboard of the side of trailer  10  when the legs  30  are in the raised travel position.  
         [0023]     The legs  30  may include a tensioning device to provide tension between the trailer front extension  12 , via the gooseneck  20 , and the support extension foot pads  52 . Shown in  FIG. 4 , the tensioning device is a jack screw  34  disposed in one end of the leg  30 .  
         [0024]     Also, a storage bracket  32  may be provided in combination with retaining pins  31  on the trailer  10  to hold the telescopic tension legs  30  in the raised travel position, shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0025]     After the trailer  10  has been positioned in its assigned camping space, and the towing vehicle has been disconnected from the trailer  10 , the trailer  10  is leveled and stabilized using the support extensions  50 . Next, the telescopic tension legs  30  are released from the raised travel position by releasing the legs  30  from the storage bracket  32 . The telescopic tension legs  30  comprise multiple sections that fit within one another and the bottommost sections of the legs  30  contain multiple adjustment holes, shown in  FIG. 1 . A retaining pin  33  used to secure each of the telescopic tension legs  30  in a retracted position is removed from each of the legs  30 , and the legs  30  are pivoted downward, outward and telescopically extended until the free ends of the legs  30  fit onto the support extension foot pads  52 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the legs  30  are attached to the foot pads  52  by tension, but a mechanical attachment, for example a retaining pin, may also be used. The legs  30  may attach to the foot pads  52  at a variety of angles, depending on how far the support extensions  50  are extended to level the trailer  10 . Once the legs  30  are fully extended and attached to the foot pads  52 , a retaining pin  33  is reinserted into each leg  30  to secure the legs  30  in an extended position. Finally, the jack screw  34  or other telescoping mechanism is operated to apply tension between the gooseneck  20  and the foot pad  52 .  
         [0026]     In an alternate embodiment, shown in  FIG. 5 , the telescopic tension legs  30  are pivotally removably attached to a kingpin collar bracket  23  by retaining pins (not shown). Further this embodiment, the tensioning device is a screw drive assembly  34 ′. Tension is increased between the support extension foot pads  52  and the kingpin  22  by rotating the screw drive assembly handles  35 .