Devices for inhibiting the jack-knifing of articulated vehicles

Claim 2

An anti jack-knifing device coupling a wheeled vehicle to tow an articulated trailer, comprising a support means secured to the rear of the vehicle, a turntable supported from said support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, a releasable coupling means secured to the turntable for rotation therewith, said releasable coupling means being connected to the trailer whereby articulation of the trailer will cause corresponding rotation of the turntable about its said vertical axis, wherein the improvement comprises an annular brake surface defined by said turntable, said annular brake surface lying wholly in a plane normal to said vertical axis, and brake means operable to engage said annular brake surface to inhibit rotation of the turntable during deceleration of the vehicle, said releasable coupling means comprising a fifth wheel coupling, a vertically-directed king pin carried by the front underside of the trailer for engagement by the fifth wheel coupling, and locking means for interengaging the trailer and the fifth wheel coupling whenever the articulation of the trailer exceeds a very small angle in either direction, whereby the trailer is allowed very limited articulation about its king pin and greater angles of articulation can only take place about said vertical turntable axis.

Claim 3

An anti jack-knifting device as in claim 1 wherein said fifth wheel coupling defines a V-notch for guiding the king pin into engagement with the fifth wheel coupling, and said locking means is a V-shaped wedge secured to the trailer behind the king pin, the angle of the V-shaped wedge being slightly less than the angle of the V-notch, and the V-shaped wedge being positioned for its apex to be substantially coincident with the apex of the V-notch when the king pin is in position in said fifth wheel coupling.

Claim 4

An anti jack-knifing device coupling a wheeled vehicle to tow an articulated trailer, comprising a support means secured to the rear of the vehicle, a turntable supported from said support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, a releasable coupling means secured to the turntable for rotation therewith, said releasable coupling means being connected to the trailer whereby articulation of the trailer will cause corresponding rotation of the turntable about its said vertical axis, wherein the improvement comprises an annular brake surface defined by said turntable, said annular brake surface lying wholly in a plane normal to said vertical axis, and brake means operable to engage said annular brake surface to inhiBit rotation of the turntable during deceleration of the vehicle, a radial flange secured to said turntable, said support means defining a horizontal thrust surface complementary to the radial flange, said turntable being supported from said support means by the radial flange resting on the horizontal thrust surface, a horizontal annular radial flange forming a portion of said support means, the horizontal thrust surface being defined by the top surface of said horizontal annular radial flange, the bottom surface of the horizontal annular radial flange defining a second horizontal bearing surface, an annular retaining ring arranged to bear against said second horizontal bearing surface, and securing means interconnecting the turntable and the annular retaining ring.

Claim 5

An anti jack-knifing device coupling a wheeled vehicle to tow an articulated trailer, comprising a support means secured to the rear of the vehicle, a turntable supported from said support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, a releasable coupling means secured to the turntable for rotation therewith, said releasable coupling means being connected to the trailer whereby articulation of the trailer will cause corresponding rotation of the turntable about its said vertical axis, wherein the improvement comprises an annular brake surface defined by said turntable, said annular brake surface lying wholly in a plane normal to said vertical axis, and brake means operable to engage said annular brake surface to inhiBit rotation of the turntable during deceleration of the vehicle, a radial flange secured to said turntable, said support means defining a horizontal thrust surface complementary to the radial flange, said turntable being supported from said support means by the radial flange resting on the horizontal thrust surface, a horizontal annular radial flange forming a portion of said support means, the horizontal thrust surface being defined by the top surface of said horizontal annular radial flange, the bottom surface of the horizontal annular radial flange defining a second horizontal bearing surface, an annular retaining ring arranged to bear against said second horizontal bearing surface, and securing means interconnecting the turntable and the annular retaining ring.

Claim 6

An anti jack-knifting device coupling a wheeled vehicle to tow an articulated trailer, comprising a support means secured to the rear of the vehicle, a turntable supported from said support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, a releasable coupling means secured to the turntable for rotation therewith, said releasable coupling means being connected to the trailer whereby articulation of the trailer will cause corresponding rotation of the turntable about its said vertical axis, wherein the improvement comprises an annular brake surface defined by said turntable, said annular brake surface lying wholly in a plane normal to said vertical axis, and brake means operable to engage said annular brake surface to inhibit rotation of the turntable during deceleration of the vehicle, a radial flange secured to said turntable, said support means defining a horizontal thrust surface complementary to the radial flange, said turntable being supported from said support means by the redial flange resting on the horizontal thrust surface, and said radial turntable flange being secured to a drum defining an inwardly facing cylindrical surface, said support means defining an outwardly facing cylindrical surface constituting a journal bearing and said inwardly facing cylindrical surface bearing against said journal bearing.

Claim 7

An anti jack-knifting device coupling a wheeled vehicle to tow an articulated trailer, comprising a support means secured to the rear of the vehicle, a turntable supported from said support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, a releasable coupling means secured to the turntable for rotation therewith, said releasable coupling means being connected to the trailer whereby articulation of the trailer will cause corresponding rotation of the turntable about its said vertical axis, wherein the improvement comprises an annular brake surface defined by said turntable, said annular brake surface lying wholly in a plane normal to said vertical axis, and brake means operable to engage said annular brake surface to inhibit rotation of the turntable during deceleration of the vehicle, a radial flange secured to said turntable, said support means defining a horizontal thrust surface complementary to the radial flange, said turntable being supported from said support means by the redial flange resting on the horizontal thrust surface, and said radial turntable flange being secured to a drum defining an inwardly facing cylindrical surface, said support means defining an outwardly facing cylindrical surface constituting a journal bearing and said inwardly facing cylindrical surface bearing against said journal bearing.

Claim 8

An anti jack-knifting device as in claim 3, in which the radial turntable flange is secured to a drum defining an inwardly facing cylindrical surface, said support means defining an outwardly facing cylindrical surface constituting a journal bearing, and said inwardly facing cylindrical surface bearing against said journal bearing.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1 wherein said brake surface includes a brake member fast with said turntable and defining a pair of parallelly-spaced opposed horizontal brake surfaces and said brake means includes at least one brake calliper mounted from the tractor to be restrained from movement about said vertical axis of the turntable and positioned for operative engagement with said brake surfaces at all articulated positions of the trailer relative to the tractor, whereby upon actuation of said brake calliper articulation of the trailer relative to the tractor is resisted.

Claim 10

A coupling means for connecting a tractor vehicle to an articulated trailer so as to prevent jack-knifing of the trailer comprising, a. support means secured to the rear of the tractor vehicle; b. a cylindrical bearing support upstanding from the support means; c. bearing means mounted on the bearing support; d. a turntable supported by the support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle and rotatably mounted on the bearing means and radially and horizontally supported thereby for rotation; e. a brake member carried by the turntable for rotation therewith and having opposing horizontal parallel faces defining brake surfaces; f. at least one brake calliper mounted on the tractor vehicle to be restrained from movement about said vertical axis and positioned for operative engagement with said brake surfaces at all articulated pOsitions of the trailer relative to the tractor vehicle whereby upon actuation of the brake calliper articulation of the trailer relative to the tractor vehicle is resisted; g. means operatively carried by the support means and the turntable for preventing axial movement of the turntable relative to the support means; h. a fifth wheel coupling secured to the turntable for rotation therewith; i. a king pin carried by the front underside of the trailer; j. an abutment fast with the trailer to the rear of the king pin; k. said fifth wheel coupling receiving said king pin and abutment so that the trailer is fast with the turntable for rotation therewith, and l. a transverse horizontal pivot means operatively connected between the turntable and the fifth wheel coupling to permit the trailer to rise and fall relatively to the tractor vehicle when passing over a surface of varying grade.

Claim 11

A coupling means for connecting a tractor vehicle to an articulated trailer so as to prevent jack-knifing of the trailer comprising, a. support means secured to the rear of the tractor vehicle; b. a cylindrical bearing support upstanding from the support means; c. bearing means mounted on the bearing support; d. a turntable supported by the support means for rotation about a substantially vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center line of the vehicle and rotatably mounted on the bearing means and radially and horizontally supported thereby for rotation; e. a brake member carried by the turntable for rotation therewith and having opposing horizontal parallel faces defining brake surfaces; f. at least one brake calliper mounted on the tractor vehicle to be restrained from movement about said vertical axis and positioned for operative engagement with said brake surfaces at all articulated pOsitions of the trailer relative to the tractor vehicle whereby upon actuation of the brake calliper articulation of the trailer relative to the tractor vehicle is resisted; g. means operatively carried by the support means and the turntable for preventing axial movement of the turntable relative to the support means; h. a fifth wheel coupling secured to the turntable for rotation therewith; i. a king pin carried by the front underside of the trailer; j. an abutment fast with the trailer to the rear of the king pin; k. said fifth wheel coupling receiving said king pin and abutment so that the trailer is fast with the turntable for rotation therewith, and l. a transverse horizontal pivot means operatively connected between the turntable and the fifth wheel coupling to permit the trailer to rise and fall relatively to the tractor vehicle when passing over a surface of varying grade.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 7 wherein said fifth wheel coupling defines a V-notch for guiding the king pin into engagement with the fifth wheel coupling and said abutment is in the form of a V-shaped wedge, the angle of the V-shaped wedge being slightly less than the angle of the V-notch whereby the trailer is allowed very limited articulation about its king pin and greater angles of articulation can only take place about the vertical axis of the turntable.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 8 wherein said V-shaped wedge is positioned for its apex to be substantially coincident with the apex of the V-notch when the king pin is in position in said fifth wheel coupling.