Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-23
2001-02-06
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C384S192000, C384S222000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182996
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a fifth wheel for a truck, with a coupling plate and with means to fasten the fifth wheel to the vehicle frame in the form of two pivot pins, which are fashioned at the side at two diametrically opposite places underneath the top of the coupling plate on the fifth wheel and which project out to the side beyond the coupling plate, and which have a bearing segment and a fastening segment.
Fifth wheels are mounted in bearing pedestals, which are either an integral part of the vehicle frame or are screwed onto the vehicle frame and can swivel about a horizontal axis. The bearing pedestal is connected to the fifth wheel by bolts, which are inserted into the bearing pedestal and corresponding openings of the coupling plate. Bearing pedestals which are fastened on the vehicle frame or which are integral parts of the vehicle frame are known, for example, from EP 00 87 903 B1 and DE 43 22 717 A1. These bearing pedestals have a bearing tube, through which the bearing bolts can be inserted.
Moreover, there are fifth wheels that have pockets with inserted rubber bearings underneath the coupling plate. Here as well the fastening to the bearing pedestals is done by bearing pins, which are inserted into the side walls of the pockets and through the bearing pedestal. Such arrangements are known from DE-PS 23 03 163, DE 30 40 925 C2, EP 0 038 928, EP 0 114 046 and DE-PS 14 30 462.
All solutions have the common drawback that the fifth wheel during assembly must be oriented exactly to the frame and, thus, to the openings of the bearing pedestals before the bearing bolts can be inserted. This requires considerable assembly expense. A further disadvantage results from the manufacturing tolerances of the vehicle frame. The frame pieces and, thus, the spacing of the bearing pedestals can be of different size, so that a stable fastening of the fifth wheel cannot always be achieved without resorting to additional steps.
The drawbacks of these known designs with inserted bearing bolts or bearing pins are avoided by the above-mentioned fifth wheel with the pivot pins arranged on both sides directly on the fifth wheel, having a bearing segment and a fastening segment. The bearing segment is that part of the pivot pin which lies in the bearing pedestal. The fastening segment, instead, is responsible for mounting on the fifth wheel.
This design has become known, for example, through DE 28 36 703 A 1 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,548.
Through this known design, the assembly is significantly facilitated and, thus, the assembly time is shortened. The fifth wheel is lowered from above onto the vehicle frame, the pivot pins engaging with recesses of the bearing pedestal, arranged on the vehicle frame. The fifth wheel adjusts itself, without requiring additional measures. After this, the pivot pins are secured to the bearing pedestal by means of a corresponding fastening means, which shall be discussed hereafter in connection with the bearing pedestal.
Furthermore, manufacturing tolerances of the vehicle frame can be equalized. The pivot pins can be made to excess length, so that even when the frame spacing is too large a secure fastening on the bearing pedestal of the vehicle frame can be assured. If, at normal frame spacing, the pivot pins then project slightly to the outside from the bearing pedestal, this is acceptable.
In such a mounting of the fifth wheel, the fastening of the two pivot pins to the coupling plate becomes especially important, since they must convey the forces emanating from the fifth wheel plate during operation and diverted into the vehicle frame.
In the known fifth wheels, therefore, the pivot pins are joined to the fifth wheel as a single piece (material closure), in particular, welded, as specifically stated in the U.S. patent.
This type of fastening has the major disadvantage that, for applications which require different bearing bolts for the same fifth wheel plate, entire fifth wheel plates must be kept on hand with the corresponding bearing bolts each time. This circumstance increases the logistical expense, in particular, inventory is more costly, and it also prevents a modular system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The basic purpose of the invention is to configure the above-indicated fifth wheel such that the fifth wheel can be adapted to different applications in a simple yet safe manner.
This purpose is accomplished, according to the invention, in that each pivot pin is detachably fastened to the fifth wheel in at least two places.
The detachably secured pivot pins have the advantage that the fifth wheel can be adapted by simple replacement of the pivot pins to different installation circumstances, such as different frame spacings, while using the same coupling plate each time.
The secure fastening of the pivot pin with respect to the forces occurring is assured in that the pivot pin is fastened to at least two places on the fifth wheel. Preferably, according to a further development of the invention, the fastening segment is screwed to the fifth wheel at its front end and additionally held in the fifth wheel at its end near the bearing segment.
In order to achieve a deep installation position of the fifth wheel, according to one configuration of the invention the fastening segment and the bearing segment of the pivot pin can be offset from each other. This also opens up the possibility of securing the fastening segment at the point of the fifth wheel where an appropriate stability exists.
The pivot pin can have a cylindrical shape. Other configurations are also possible, but one must adapt to the particular bearing pedestals.
Preferably, the pivot pin carries a bushing, which can consist of a plastic material having especially good sliding properties. Preferably, bushing material and pivot material are attuned to each other in respect of a good slide fitting.
According to another embodiment, the bushing can carry a rubber insert on its outside, which creates an elastic mounting. When fastening the pivot pin, the rubber insert is compressed, producing tension on the pivot pin. It is also possible to equalize manufacturing tolerances with this design. The bushing with the rubber insert can also be preassembled on the pivot pin.
The pivot pin can also carry a spherical or ball-shaped extruded part, which interacts with a corresponding mate in the bearing.
According to another embodiment, the pivot pin can have a round end surface, which has the advantage that no additional extruded part is needed, since the pivot pin is salient with respect to the counterpart of the bearing.
Moreover, the ball-shaped bearing is well suited to compensate for twisting of the vehicle frame.
The bearing pedestal mounted on the vehicle frame and intended to accommodate the fifth wheel according to the invention is characterized in that it has a bottom piece with a recess on top and at least one holding element detachably secured to the bottom piece. The recess is preferably adapted to the shape of the pivot pin of the fifth wheel, so that a swivel bearing is achieved. Therefore, the recess is preferably semicircular in shape.
The recess can also have a different configuration, if, for example, the pivot pin of the fifth wheel is enclosed in an elastic material, which allows a limited swinging of the fifth wheel.
The holding element for fastening the pivot pin can be a half-clip, which is placed on the pivot pin and secured to the lower piece of the bearing pedestal after the fifth wheel is mounted.
According to another embodiment, the holding element can be a bearing cap embracing the pivot pin, which is secured to the bearing pedestal during assembly. The bearing cap preferably has an inner contour adapted to the shape of the pivot pin. The outer contour of the bearing cap is adapted to the recess of the bearing pedestal, so that a form-fitting connection to the bearing pedestal can be created.
The bearing cap, which likewise can be preassembled, can carry a bushing with a spherical or ball-shaped surface, which interacts with the spherical or ball-shaped extr
Algüera Gallego José Manuel
Koetter Stefan
Pohl Wolfgang
Spitz Rainer
Hudak & Shunk Co. L.P.A.
Johnson Brian L.
Jost-Werke GmbH & Co. KG.
Yeagley Daniel
LandOfFree
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