Hinge assembly

A hinge assembly for connecting a door to a trailer body in a manner permitting pivotal movements of the door about a generally vertical axis, said hinge assembly comprising:

• a longitudinally elongated hinge body having a mounting portion and a hinge portion, said mounting portion of the hinge body having a series of apertures for allowing attachment members to pass endwise therethrough, and with said hinge portion defining an elongated opening arranged toward one end of said hinge body, and wherein said hinge portion of the hinge body further defines a keyway as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• a pair of axially aligned bearings for journaling lengthwise portions of a pivot member defining the vertical axis about which said door pivots, each bearing including a barrel portion non-rotatably arranged within the elongated opening of said hinge body and a cap portion for limiting axial insertion of the bearing into the elongated opening of said hinge body, with each bearing having, as part thereof, a key, and wherein the key of each bearing has a flanged configuration extending in opposed directions relative to each other such that when the key is accommodated within the keyway the key and keyway combine with each other to inhibit inadvertent endwise and rotational movements of said bearing relative to said hinge body.

A hinge assembly, comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion, said mounting portion of said hinge plate being configured to permit attachment to a door or the like, and wherein the hinge portion of said hinge plate defines an elongated opening open at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion of the hinge plate further defines a generally linear keyway as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• bearing structure non-rotatably accommodated within said opening for forming a bearing connection between said hinge plate and a pivot member endwise extending through the hinge portion of said hinge plate, said bearing structure including a cap formed integral therewith and extending from opposite ends of said opening, and wherein said bearing structure has, as part thereof, a key having a curved configuration between opposed ends thereof, with the curved key of the bearing structure being snugly accommodated within the generally linear configured keyway defined by the hinge portion of the hinge plate to prevent inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of the bearing relative to said hinge body.

A hinge assembly, comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion, said mounting portion of said hinge plate being configured to permit attachment to a door or the like, and wherein the hinge portion of said hinge plate defines an elongated opening open at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion of the hinge plate further defines a generally linear keyway as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• bearing structure non-rotatably accommodated within said opening for forming a bearing connection between said hinge plate and a pivot member endwise extending through the hinge portion of said hinge plate, said bearing structure including a cap formed integral therewith and extending from opposite ends of said opening, with said bearing structure having, as part thereof, a key, and wherein the key of the bearing structure has a flanged configuration extending in opposed directions relative to each other such that when the key is accommodated within the keyway the key and keyway combine with each other to inhibit inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of said bearing relative to said hinge plate.

A hinge assembly, comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion arranged in offset relation relative to each other, said mounting portion being configured to permit attachment to a door or the like, and with said hinge portion defining an elongated passage extending generally normal to the mounting portion and opening at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion of the hinge plate further defines a generally linear keyway as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• a pair of non-metallic bearings non-rotatably inserted from opposite ends within the elongated passage defined the hinge portion of said hinge plate for forming a bearing connection between the hinge plate and a pivot member sized to pass endwise through the bearings, each bearing including cap structure for limiting axial insertion of the bearing into the elongated passage defined by said hinge plate, and wherein each bearing has, as part thereof, a key having a curved configuration between opposed ends thereof, with the curved key of each bearing being snugly accommodated within the generally linear keyway defined by the hinge portion of the hinge plate to prevent inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of the bearing relative to said hinge plate.

A hinge assembly, comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion arranged in offset relation relative to each other, said mounting portion being configured to permit attachment to a door or the like, and with said hinge portion defining an elongated passage extending generally normal to the mounting portion and opening at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion of the hinge plate further defines a keyway as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• a pair of non-metallic bearings non-rotatably inserted from opposite ends within the elongated passage defined the hinge portion of said hinge plate for forming a bearing connection between the hinge plate and a pivot member sized to pass endwise through the bearings, each bearing including cap structure for limiting axial insertion of the bearing into the elongated passage defined by said hinge plate, and with each bearing having, as part thereof, a key, and wherein the key of each bearing has a flanged configuration extending in opposed directions relative to each other such that when the key is accommodated within the keyway the key and keyway combine with each other to inhibit inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of said bearing relative to said hinge plate.

A hinge assembly comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion, said mounting portion being configured to permit attachment of said hinge plate to a door, with said hinge portion having an elongated opening open at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion defines opposed and spaced ends arranged to confront and fit between projections of a hinge butt, and with said hinge portion further defining a generally linear keyway open at opposite ends and formed as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• bearing structure accommodated within the elongated opening of the hinge portion of said hinge plate for forming a bearing connection between said hinge plate and a pivot member endwise extending through the bearing structure to pivotally connect the hinge plate to the hinge butt, said bearing structure including a cap formed integral therewith and extending from opposite ends of said elongated opening defined by the hinge portion of the hinge plate, and wherein said bearing structure has, as part thereof, an elongated key having a curved configuration between opposed ends thereof, with the curved key of the bearing structure being accommodated within the generally linear keyway defined by the hinge portion of the hinge plate to prevent inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of the bearing relative to said hinge body.

A hinge assembly, comprising:

• a hinge plate having a mounting portion and a hinge portion, said mounting portion being configured to permit attachment of said hinge plate to a door, with said hinge portion having an elongated opening open at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said hinge portion defines opposed and spaced ends arranged to confront and fit between projections of a hinge butt, and with said hinge portion further defining a generally linear keyway open at opposite ends and formed as part of said elongated opening;
• and
• bearing structure accommodated within said opening for forming a bearing connection between said hinge plate and a pivot member endwise extending through the hinge portion of said hinge plate, said bearing structure including a cap formed integral therewith and extending from opposite ends of said opening, with said bearing structure having a key as part thereof, and with the key of the bearing structure having a flanged configuration extending in opposed directions relative to each other such that when the key is accommodated within the keyway the key and keyway combine with each other to inhibit inadvertent shifting and rotational movements of said bearing relative to said hinge plate.