Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1998-01-26
2000-04-04
Boehler, Anne Marie
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
384421, B62D 5308
Patent
active
060451483
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fifth wheel including a coupling plate, a rotary joint and a preferably multipart sliding segmental lining which is rotationally fixedly arranged on the coupling plate and affords an upwardly directed sliding surface constituting an engagement surface for a semitrailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional fifth wheels are predominantly provided with sliding segments of steel whose sliding surface must be lubricated with grease in order to produce the desired frictional values and to avoid noise nuisance when two highly loaded steel surfaces frictionally slide against one another. A further disadvantage of this conventional fifth wheel construction resides in the temperature-dependent viscosity of the grease constituting the lubricant. At extremely low temperatures, for instance in use in arctic regions, the grease loses its lubricating properties; when used in hot areas the grease film rapidly breaks down and drips onto the road covering. The latter constitutes a heavy environmental burden which is difficult to tolerate.
Attempts have therefore been made to produce sliding segments for fifth wheels from special plastic mixtures which are supposed to ensure constant sliding characteristics between the trailer and coupling plate, even without lubrication. The load bearing capacity and stability of such lubricant-free sliding segments were previously not capable of being fully satisfactory.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide fifth wheels with lubricant-free sliding segments whose sliding properties are practically independent of temperature and which make a high use comfort and a high service life possible.
This object is solved in accordance with the invention in a fifth wheel of the type referred to above if the sliding segmental lining comprises a frictional material and if the sliding surface of the sliding segmental lining has a coefficient of friction in the range of 0.1 to 0.2.
Surprisingly, it transpires that the relatively high coefficient of friction of 0.1 to 0.2 of machined frictional material surfaces ensures an optimum sliding behaviour of the trailer on the sliding surface. The friction is large enough to prevent swaying and thus critical driving situations of the semitrailer. The mechanical strength of the frictional material has been tested and proved many times in brake linings. The frictional material is unchanged even at extremely low temperatures of -50.degree. C. and also at extremely high temperatures of, for instance, 300.degree. C. and its coefficient of friction remains substantially constant. An important advantage of the frictional material used in accordance with the invention resides in its compatibility with opposing surfaces coated with grease on the underside of the semitrailer. This is an economic requirement by haulage companies whose trailer park will still necessitate for many years a mixed usage of semitrailers on semitrailer towing vehicles of conventional and new construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An exemplary embodiment of a fifth wheel, in which the invention can be realized, is shown schematically in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the fifth wheel in the installed position between a semitrailer towing vehicle which is shown indicatively and a semitrailer, which is also shown indicatively; and
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fifth wheel shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sliding segmental lining is moulded from a moulding composition which contains:
The moulding composition has proved to be particularly satisfactory which contains
Phenol novolak is suitable as the bonding agent and hexamethylene tetramine can be provided as the setting agent.
The moulding composition produced in accordance with the above composition is mixed in a dry process in the molten state, for instance with the aid of a worm kneading machine, and s
REFERENCES:
patent: 3924909 (1975-12-01), Kent et al.
patent: 4752081 (1988-06-01), Reeners et al.
patent: 4946184 (1990-08-01), Larocco
patent: 5263856 (1993-11-01), Huehn et al.
patent: 5417308 (1995-05-01), Hartl
patent: 5431424 (1995-07-01), Colwell
patent: 5522613 (1996-06-01), Heeb
patent: 5746438 (1998-05-01), Bergmann et al.
Baumeister Bernhard
Bugaj Richard
Gunther Peter
Theopold Kurt
Boehler Anne Marie
Rutgers Automotive Aktiengesellschaft
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