McCall air ride 5th wheel hitch system
OwnerEugene L. McCallinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An articulated air suspended hydraulic-dampened fifth wheel hitch coupling device for isolating the front of a fifth wheel or goose neck trailer hitch from the shock of bumps in the road and the inertia of movement of the trailer. Two inflatable air springs operatively connected to the pressurized air system of the tow vehicle eliminates vertical fifth wheel load from being transferred from the trailer to the tow vehicle. Additionally, an oscillating rocker connected transversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle allows the fifth wheel hitch to pivot in a transverse motion to eliminate load from being transferred from the trailer to the tow vehicle.
Claims1
An articulated air suspended hydraulic-dampened coupling device which permits a trailer to move in a vertical motion without transferring motion to a towing vehicle, while also permitting the trailer to move in a transverse motion due to the attachment of a fifth-wheel articulated hitch plate in such a way as to permit a gimbaled effect resulting in relieving all stress from the trailer and inhibiting the torque transferred from the tow vehicle to the trailer, the articulated air suspended hydraulic-dampened coupling device comprising of:
- a mounting base plate for attachment to the rear section of said towing vehicle;
- a hinged frame assembly pivotally attached to the front of said mounting base plate and supported at the rear of said mounting base plate by two air springs attached to the rear of said mounting base plate;
- a unshaped cradle assembly fixedly attached to said hinged frame assembly, wherein said unshaped cradle assembly is positioned transverse to said hinged frame assembly;
- a unshaped oscillating rocker is located within and pivotally connected to said cradle assembly by a pin, wherein said oscillating rocker is positioned longitudinally to said hinged frame assembly so that said oscillating rocker can pivot transversely with respect to said hinged frame assembly;
- a fifth-wheel articulated hitch plate is pivotally mounted on the top of said oscillating rocker for attaching said trailer to said tow vehicle, wherein the hitch plate can pivot longitudinally with respect to said hinged frame assembly;
- a pair of gas/hydraulic shock absorbing devices are located on both sides of said mounting base plate and mounted between the rear of said hinged frame assembly and the middle of said mounting base plate;
- a pair of vertical support posts welded inside said hinged frame assembly at a position forward of said cradle assembly to eliminate side thrust;
- a retaining bar mounted on top and between said vertical support posts to restrict the vertical movement of said hinged frame assembly to a pre-determined height;
- and
- a control value assembly is operatively connected to said air springs to facilitate height adjustment of said hinged frame assembly, utilizing pressurized air from said tow vehicle's air system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.