Importance

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Abstract

A method of connecting a tow vehicle to a trailer having a front axle assembly which pivots about a vertical axis. The method includes the following steps which will be hereinafter described. Firstly, position a drawbar assembly between the tow vehicle and the trailer. The drawbar assembly has a tow vehicle end and a trailer end. The tow vehicle end is mounted to a single articulation point at a rear of the tow vehicle. The trailer end is pivotally mounted on a substantially horizontal transverse axis thereby accommodating up and down movement while precluding side to side movement of the drawbar assembly. Secondly, position a steering arm assembly between the tow vehicle and the front axle assembly of the trailer. The steering arm assembly includes a pair of steering arms having tow vehicle ends and trailer ends. The tow vehicle ends are adapted for omni-directional attachment to the tow vehicle equidistant from the single articulation point. The trailer ends are adapted for omni-directional attachment to the front axle assembly of the trailer equidistant from the vertical pivot axis of the front axle assembly, thereby accommodating relative movement of the tow vehicle and the front axle assembly of the trailer while causing a proportionate change in the angular positioning of the front axle assembly of the trailer to maintain correct steering geometry of the trailer relative to the tow vehicle as the tow vehicle turns.

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First Claim