Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1992-03-19
1994-03-15
Focarino, Margaret A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
280433, 2804381, B62D 5308
Patent
active
052941434
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a tractor for trailers and devices equipped with a kingpin, used for transferring these in harbours, lorry terminals, industrial plants and elsewhere.
With the development of container transports the need to handle various kinds of trailers, transfer devices and the like has grown substantially at points of departure and destinations and junctions in the traffic. Examples of this include the loading and unloading of semitrailers in roll on-roll off vessels (ro-ro vessels); transfers of semitrailers in lorry terminals, as well as e.g. transfers of swap bodies from points of loading and unloading to stations where transport vehicles are waiting.
Traditionally these operations and transfers are carried out by means of so-called terminal tractors which are two-axle vehicles similar to lorries. These vehicles are expensive and of complicated build, and owing to their great length, less maneuverable. Especially in freight stations and industry's internal transports old tractors removed from actual road traffic have been reconditioned for short-range transfers. The only advantage of these vehicles lies in their relatively low price, in all other aspects they are inferior to the above mentioned terminal tractors.
Patent specification FI 50596 presents the principle of a single-axle tractor equipped with a gooseneck. The vehicle is not directly applicable to the use described here. Patent specification CH 533570 presents a transfer device with a 5th wheel for a semitrailer which transfer device grips the trailer by the kingpin. The device, however, is constructed in such a manner that in practice it is unable to control forces directed to it from the trailer to be transferred, for example forces directed to it upon braking seek to rotate it around the kingpin. The clearances of an ordinary 5th wheel locking and the dynamic shocks they enable damage either the pulling device or the kingpin upon sudden stress and make the transport a risky measure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above drawbacks can be decisively remedied by means of a tractor according to the invention. To achieve this the tractor according to the invention is characterized in that the 5th wheel comprises gripping means and power mechanisms by means of which the device being coupled to the 5th wheel is pressed by its kingpin into contact with the 5th wheel.
The creation of a practical and safe-to-use coupling between a maneuverable, single-axle tractor with low manufacturing costs and a wheeled unit to be transferred can be regarded as the greatest advantage of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following the invention is described in detail with reference to the enclosed drawing.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a tractor in accordance with the invention equipped with a transfer device
FIG. 2 illustrates the same device as FIG. 1 but with the 5th wheel of the tractor in accordance with the invention in its raised position.
FIG. 3 illustrates a tractor in accordance with the invention seen from above.
FIG. 4 illustrates a section taken on the line I--I of FIG. 3
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the 5th wheel of a tractor in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A tractor 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an axle 2 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and thereto coupled wheels 3 equipped with hydraulic motors, a 5th wheel 4 coupled to axle 2 in a known manner through a cylinder 6 and possibly a bearing 5, an auxiliary wheel 9 coupled to a supporting structure 10 through cylinder 11, an engine space 8, and a driver's cab 7. The cylinder 6 is fixed to the axle 2 in such a manner that it cannot rotate around the axle 2. The engine space 8 accommodates the motor, a hydraulic pump, tanks and other devices and the driver's cab 7 accommodates the controls of the tractor 1, a bench etc. While the tractor is not coupled into a trailer to be transported or similar, the auxiliary wheel 9 is by means of the cylinder 11 pressed to a supporting
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patent: 3552774 (1971-01-01), Gottler
patent: 3649047 (1972-03-01), Plantan
patent: 3870342 (1975-03-01), Baxter et al.
patent: 3887251 (1975-06-01), McKay
Focarino Margaret A.
Marita Jarvinen Oy
Mattix C.
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