Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1984-08-21
1987-02-24
Love, John J.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
280411C, 280446R, 280474, 280DIG14, 172450, B62D 5300
Patent
active
046452265
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a dolly carrying a coupling, e.g. a fifth wheel, for connecting a trailing vehicle, a draw device for pivotable connection of the dolly to a drawing vehicle and elongated side supports which by a connection movement are movable from a free position to a locked position in which they form an essentially rigid connection between the dolly and a support element carried by the drawing vehicle in order to make the connection between the dolly and the drawing vehicle sidewardly rigid if needed.
Practical tests with vehicle rigs of the double semitrailer combination type have shown that in connection with driving with a sidewardly rigid dolly at low velocities and with forceful maneuvers, abrupt turns, etc., the stresses in the side supports become great, and the tires of semitrailer and dolly rub heavily with great wear of the tires as a consequence. The side supports should therefore be able to be eliminated in some way in connection with driving at lower velocities. It is also only at high velocities that dynamic stability becomes improved with a sidewardly rigid dolly.
If the drawbar is extended at lower velocities, such as is suggested in the Swedish patent application No. 8102442-4 the side supports are principally disengaged as desired. Simultaneously, however, the total length of the rig is increased and this can be less desireable when the aim is a rig having the maximum allowed length of 24 meters also with a rigid dolly.
One object of the present invention is to provide a dolly structure that, with unchanged length of a vehicle rig of the double semitrailer combination type, optionally allows driving with a sidewardly rigid and a not sidewardly rigid dolly.
A further object of the invention is then to make possible, to great extent, an automation of the change to and from a sidewardly rigid dolly.
The above objects have been attained in that, in a dolly of the kind defined by way of introduction, the side supports are carried by pivotal supports allowing sidewards pivoting of the side supports to the locked position.
The invention shall now be described more closely below with reference to a number of embodiments shown on the attached drawings, whereby also the advantages of the invention will appear.
In the drawings;
FIG. 1 illustrates a double semitrailer combination in sideview and simplified;
FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically in a plan view show the drawbar portion of a dolly included in a rig according to FIG. 1, in order to illustrate first and second embodiments of the invention;
FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 in similar views as FIGS. 2 and 3, show a third embodiment;
FIGS. 7 and 8 in the form of portions of similar views as FIGS. 2 and 3, show fourth and fifth embodiments;
FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, 12 still in similar views, show sixth and seventh embodiments;
FIG. 13 schematically shows a coupling device for making possible automatic connection and disconnection of the function according to the invention; and
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the mode of operation of the coupling device according to FIG. 13.
In the different Figures the same reference numerals have been used for indicating elements with the same or similar functions.
The double semitrailer combination shown in FIG. 1 includes a drawing vehicle 2 with a fifth wheel 4. By means of the fifth wheel a semitrailer 6 is connected to the drawing vehicle 2 in a conventional manner. A dolly 8 carrying a fifth wheel 10 is connected to the semitrailer 6. By means of the dolly 8 a second semitrailer 12 is connected into the vehicle combination.
The dolly 8 includes a frame 16 carried by wheels 14 and on which the fifth wheel 10 is mounted. The frame 16 carries a drawbar 18 in a way that can be conventional per se. The shaft of the wheels 14 can be arranged to be tracking at lower velocities of the vehicle combination, but to be locked at higher velocities.
The drawbar 18 at its forward end includes a towing eyelet arranged to be connected to e.g. a conventional trailer coupling 20 of the yoke type.
Common to all embodiments accordi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3663039 (1972-05-01), Morgan
patent: 3801137 (1974-04-01), Zucca
patent: 3815939 (1974-06-01), Pettay
patent: 4133552 (1979-01-01), Sheine
patent: 4313616 (1982-02-01), Howard
Bystedt Christer
Gustavsson Hans
Diederiks, Jr. Everett G.
Love John J.
Slapvagnskopplingar AB
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