Hensley Arrow: How does it REALLY work?

tluxon wrote:
So far I haven't seen anything I disagree with in Ron's past few posts.

However, I thought of something else that should be addressed.

As one who has never owned a Hensley, I'd like to ask if it's possible that the hitch has a mechanism in it that actually and literally "locks" the linkage before running the stinger bar into it to keep from damaging the hitch when backing it in?

Yes, and NO, but mostly no. There is nothing in the linkage or bearings that does any such thing. The front bar of the linkage (black part) moves quite freely in either direction to the extent of the side links interfering with each other. So that the hitch will be possible to back into without careening freely about, Hensley includes a gravity locking bar in the link fixed to the TT that drops down into a slot in the black part to hold it in one of three positions as long as and only if a hitch bar (stinger) is NOT inserted. In order to observe the free swinging motion, this drop down bar must be held in the up position (I use a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square wood stick for this purpose - mostly for initially aligning the receiver on the hitch with my hitch bar just prior to backing. Once the hitch bar is inserted the drop down bar is totally inoperative.

tluxon wrote:
That could make it so it actually DOESN'T move at all until both ends are securely engaged. If this is so, that would explain why it's difficult for Hensley owners to comprehend what we non-Hensley owners insist - that there is freedom for BOTH ends of the linkage to trans-rotate through their respective restricted elliptical paths. Can anybody say for certain one way or the other if this is the case?

I think it's mostly semantics. The back link (orange part) is firmly affixed to the TT frame and cannot (ever) move anywhere relative to the TT. Of course the TT (and the hitch) does move back and forth behind the TV in turns and the back link goes along with it, thus moving back and forth. So it depends on your point of view. It never moves, and it always moves.

tluxon wrote:
I bring this up because it's one of the few reasons I could come up with to explain the difficulty we've had trying to resolve this impasse. I believe most designers and engineers would come to the same conclusion that Ron and I have been insistent on - that the Hensley COULD (not that it WOULD) be turned from either end. In fact, I can think of no obvious way to make any kind of hinge that can pivot from one side but not the other. It's no more logical to me than freezing food with heat. If anyone can cite an example I really want to see it.

Tim

The only way the HA could be moved from the back link is if the TT tires are translated sideways (the hockey puck scenario). But as I explained in my earlier post, the forces required to do this are not trivial (say 400# minimum) and are unlikely to be realized in any but an extremely unlikely situation.

Ed B