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US 7,547,034 B2Granted
Fifth wheel lube plate having a perforated support member
AssigneeSAF-HOLLAND GmbH
InventorsGerald W. Hungerink, David R. Pernesky
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AssigneeSAF-HOLLAND GmbH
InventorsGerald W. Hungerink, David R. Pernesky
Estimating the term…
The fifth wheel hitch lube plate of the present invention comprises a perforated support member having a plurality of perforations and a lubricious material molded around the perforated support member such that the lubricious material covers both the top and bottom surfaces of the perforated support member and extends through the perforations formed in the perforated support member. Preferably, the support member is a perforated metal plate and the lubricious material is nylon, graphite, or an ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene material. The problems associated with utilizing nylon (or similar materials) and bonding it to a support plate are overcome by forming the plurality of apertures in the support plate so that a mechanical cohesive bond is formed between the upper and lower surfaces of the support plate, thereby substantially increasing the lube plate strength, and shear strength, while decreasing the likelihood that the lube plate may buckle.
A lube plate for attachment to a hitch plate of a fifth wheel hitch, said lube plate comprising:
A lube plate for attachment to a hitch plate of a fifth wheel hitch, said lube plate comprising:
A lube plate for attachment to a hitch plate of a fifth wheel hitch, said lube plate comprising:
A fifth wheel hitch comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.