Hensley Arrow: How does it REALLY work?
There have been several discussions on this hitch that have become somewhat 'controversial'. I am NOT trying to stir this controversy/bashing back up. Instead, I'd like to see a good, intelligent di...
Forum Discussion
Ron Gratz wrote:jdwhittaker wrote:
I am still looking for an explanation of the Virtual Pivot Point, and it's role in all of this, that I can follow. Anybody?
Dave
Dave,
The side links of the HA are attached via pinned (roller bearing) connections at each end. This means that a link can only transmit a pure force (either tension or compression) from the HA's rear unit to its front unit.
The rear unit has no way of knowing how long the link is. The rear unit only is able to respond to the angle at which the force in the link is acting; and that angle is directly in line with the centers of the roller bearings at each end of the link.
This means that, for any given angle of articulation between TT and TV, you could throw away the front unit of the HA and extend the side links until they converge. You then could connect the two links together and to the TV using a pinned connection. The two side links and the rear unit would form a rigid triangle. You would have created an "A-frame" extension of the TT's tongue. The TT now would pivot about the point at which the side links converge and are pinned to the TV.
This, in essence, is what the PullRite does; except that, instead of having an "A-frame", the PR has a solid drawbar connecting the TT to the pivot point. The difference is that the location of the HA's VPP changes as the angle between TT and TV changes.
Ron
Can you tell me how this explanation differs in any way from this one?
Stressor wrote:
Just curious. :B
