Test panel for tractor and trailer lights

• US 4,547,722 A
• Filed: 04/06/1983
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Sarlo
• Original Assignee: Thomas J. Sarlo
• Inventors: Sarlo, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krawczewicz, Stanley T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Application Number:
  US06/482,494
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 324/51
• US Class Current: 324/504
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps

Abstract

A testing unit for testing the lighting of truck tractors and trailers wherein the tester can be alternately connected to the truck or the tractor and when connected to the tractor a battery in the tester provides power to energize the various circuits in the trailer such as left turn signal, right turn signal, stop lights, tail and marker lights, auxiliary feed and ground. When the tester is connected to the trailer connector of the tractor, various accessories on the tractor are turned on such as the tail lights, turn signals, stop lights, etc. and the indicator lights on the tester will light and correspond to the accessories turned on in the tractor. The tester can also check itself by attaching the negative and positive leads to a 12 volt battery and attaching the male trailer connector of the tester harness to the female connector of the tester by flipping the toggle switches to the ON position. Indicator lights of the tester will light up corresponding to the toggle switches. Thus, the present invention allows trailers and tractors to be tested wihtout being connected to each other.

Claims

1. A tester for testing the electrical systems on trailers and tractors which can be electrically interconnected by a cable comprising, a housing with a first connector terminal with a number of electrical circuits for receiving the end of the tractor cable therein, a first plurality of test indicators mounted in the housing and electrically connected to said first connector terminal such that as the various electrical circuits of said tractor are closed in the tractor cab said first plurality of test indicators will be energized to indicate that the associated tractor circuit is properly operating, including a pair of battery terminals connected to said housing for connecting it to a battery, including a cable connected to said housing and with a second connector which can be connected to an electrical receptacle of a trailer and a plurality of switches connected to said battery and said second connector for testing various electrical circuits in the trailer, and including a second plurality of test indicators associated with said plurality of switches to indicate when said switches are on including a flasher connected between one of said plurality of switches and said second connector, wherein said first plurality of test indicators are electrical lights, wherein said second plurality of test indicators are electrical lights, wherein said plurality of switches have at least partially transparent actuators and said second plurality of test indicators mounted in said actuators, wherein said plurality of switches each contain said test indicators, and wherein said second connector can be connected to said first connector terminal for allowing the test circuits of said tester to be tested.