Device for damping the yawing motions of a highway trailer drawn by a motor vehicle

A device for damping yaw of a trailer drawn by a truck, at least one of the trailer and truck having a pneumatic suspension system, the device comprising:

• a curvilinear damping track (4) centered about a coupling (3) connecting the truck and trailer, but separate from the coupling (3);
• the curvilinear damping track (4) being connected to one of a damping track support integral with a rear of the truck and to an intermediate support to be attached to a fixed portion of the rear of the truck so as to absorb lurching and pitching;
• a friction brake (17) affixed with a trailer hitch shaft (2) having friction elements (21, 22) which are forced against surfaces of the damping track (4) by an actuator (27) which dampens the yaw by squeezing the friction elements against the surfaces of the damping track (4);
• the actuator (27) squeezing the friction elements against the damping track (4) to provide yaw damping is controlled based on one of a cargo weight and a speed of one of the trailer and the truck wherein a change in at least one of the cargo weight and the speed of one of the trailer and the truck produces a corresponding change in the yaw damping and the actuator (27) is driven by a suspension system fluid;
• and
• wherein the friction device (17) is attached to an upper surface of a front extremity (16) of the trailer hitch shaft (2).

A device for damping yaw of a trailer drawn by a truck, at least one of the trailer and truck having a pneumatic suspension system, the device comprising:

• a curvilinear damping track (4) centered about a coupling (3) connecting the truck and trailer, but separate from the coupling (3);
• the curvilinear damping track (4) being connected to one of a damping track support integral with a rear of the truck and to an intermediate support to be attached to a fixed portion of the rear of the truck so as to absorb lurching and pitching;
• a friction brake (17) affixed with a trailer hitch shaft (2) having friction elements (21, 22) which are forced against surfaces of the damping track (4) by an actuator (27) which dampens the yaw by squeezing the friction elements against the surfaces of the damping track (4);
• the actuator (27) squeezing the friction elements against the damping track (4) to provide yaw damping is controlled based on one of a cargo weight and a speed of one of the trailer and the truck wherein a change in at least one of the cargo weight and the speed of one of the trailer and the truck produces a corresponding change in the yaw damping and the actuator (27) is driven by a suspension system fluid;
• and
• wherein a thickness of the damping track (4) varies near a first and second extremities of the damping track.