Patent ID: 7918294

Claim:
A powered load-moving tractor unit for moving a wheeled load, comprising a tractor body including a pair of steerable ground-engaging tractor wheels, a steering mechanism for steering the ground-engaging tractor wheels, the steering mechanism including a tiller fast to the tractor body and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a coupling for connecting the tractor body to the load through a releasable load hitch, the coupling including: a turntable mounted on the tractor body directly over the axis of rotation of the steerable ground-engaging wheels, the turntable having upper and lower components which are pivotally movable one relative to the other while receiving a downward force from the wheeled load to be moved, that downward force being applied along a pivotal axis of the turntable which passes through or substantially through the axis of rotation of the steerable ground-engaging wheels, a draw bar rigidly connected to an upper component of the turntable, across the top of the tractor body and down a front of the tractor body to the load hitch, wherein the load hitch comprises: telescopically inter-engageable male and female elements of which one is fast to the draw bar and extends forwardly therefrom and the other is fast to the load or to a wheeled trolley in which the load is movable, and a latch mechanism on, in, or associated with the load hitch element fast to the draw bar, for latching around a draw pin on, in, or associated with the load hitch element fast to the load or trolley when the male and female elements are fully engaged one within the other; and a remote latch release mechanism is provided for releasing the latch mechanism from the end of the draw bar remote from the load hitch.