Fifth wheel unlocking device with fluid powered redundancy
AssigneeAMSTED Industries Incorporated
InventorsV. Terrey Hawthorne, John W. Kaim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accessory fluid cylinder and cam apparatus mounted under a fifth wheel may be energized by a tractor compressed air system to enable a driver to automatically and remotely unlock the fifth wheel jaw to release a trailer king pin when the tractor parking brake is engaged.
Claims20
An improved fifth wheel apparatus for an over the road tractor wherein a locking lever is movable between locked and unlocked positions by a manual operating rod having a follower end that moves along a guide means under the fifth wheel, said improvement comprising:
- a cam means for propelling said follower end, said cam means being positioned under said fifth wheel and located to be movable against said follower end of said operating rod;
- and
- power means for moving said cam means and connected thereto whereby upon activation of said power means said cam means is moved from a retracted position to an extended position whereby to propel said follower end along said guide means from a locked position to an unlocked position.
An accessory apparatus for mounting on a fifth wheel for an over the road tractor, said accessory comprising:
- a mounting bracket securable to the underside of a fifth wheel substantially opposite an operating rod for the locking mechanism of said fifth wheel;
- a cam means for propelling said operating rod said cam means being mounted on said bracket;
- and power means for moving said cam means and connected thereto whereby upon activation of said power means said cam means is moved from a retracted position to an extended position whereby to propel said operating rod from a locked to an unlocked position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.