Means for extending wires through the center pivot of an articulated vehicle

Claim 1

In an articulated vehicle having front and rear frame sections connected for pivoting about an axis, a means for extending wires between said section so that stresses imposed on said wires by pivoting of said sections during steering maneuvers is minimized and the wires are isolated from water, dust and debris; said means comprising: a box mounted on each of said frame sections in overlying relationship; an inner sleeve secured to one of said boxes and extending toward the other; an outer collar secured to said other box and extending toward said one box, said collar surrounding said sleeve and having upper and lower shoulders projecting toward said sleeve; a pair of bushing members positioned between said sleeve and collar to function as a bearing means therebetween and formed of polytetrafluoroethylene, one bushing member located between said upper shoulder and said one box and the other bushing member located between the lower shoulder and said other box; retainer means carried by said sleeve and engaging said other bushing member to hold the later member agaInst said lower shoulder; said sleeve and collar being arranged to be coaxial with said pivot axis of said frame sections; a bundle of wires extending between said boxes through said sleeve so that the wires are subjected primarily to torsion stresses thereby enhancing the fatigue life of the wires.