Conversion arrangement for a dump truck

Claim 2

In a tractor-type off-the-highway vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a chassis, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over rough terrain, in combination with means for converting said wehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a tractor for a semitrailer, said means comprising a mounting platform secured to said chassis after the dump-type body has been removed, said mounting platform having a support portion extending between parallel side frame members of said chassis, flange means on the ends of said support portion and resting on said side frame members, means for securing said flange means to said side frame members, a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts carried by said support portion, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, a tubular member carried by the opposite end of said saddle support and having an axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having downwardly extending yoke means straddling said tubular member, a pivot pin passing through said yoke means and said tuBular member for pivotally mounting said kingpin for movement about the axis of said tubular member, and a gooseneck member on said semitrailer encircling said kingpin for movement about the vertical axis of said kingpin.

Claim 3

In a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said yoke means and said saddle support have aligned stop means to limit the amount of pivotal movement of the kingpin about the axis of the tubular member.

Claim 4

In a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein each side of one end portion of said flange means being secured to said side frame members by means of tie bolts and tie plates straddling said side frame members and wherein each side of the other end portion of said flange means being secured to said side frame members by means of pivot pins engaging in openings in said side frame members previously used to secure said dump-type body to said chassis.

Claim 5

In a tractor-type off-the-highway vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a chassis, for and aft wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over rough terrain, in combination with means for converting said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a tractor for a semitrailer, said means comprising a mounting platform secured to said chassis after the dump-type body has been removed, a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts carried by said platform, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, a tubular member carried by the opposite end of said saddle support and having an axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having downwardly extending yoke means straddling said tubular member, a pivot pin passing through said yoke means and said tubular member for pivotally mounting said kingpin for movement about the axis of said tubular member, a gooseneck member on said semitrailer encircling said kingpin for movement about the vertical axis of said kingpin, means for preventing said semitrailer from bumping the cab of said vehicle, said means comprising a turn stop having a support structure with two depending legs removably bolted to said frame, and bumper means mounted on the sides of said support structure in position to be engaged by the front of said semitrailer upon excessive turning motion between the vehicle and semitrailer.

Claim 6

In a tractor-type off-the-highway vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a chassis, for and aft wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over rough terrain, in combination with means for converting said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a tractor for a semitrailer, said means comprising a mounting platform secured to said chassis after the dump-type body has been removed, a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts carried by said platform, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, a tubular member carried by the opposite end of said saddle support and having an axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having downwardly extending yoke means straddling said tubular member, a pivot pin passing through said yoke means and said tubular member for pivotally mounting said kingpin for movement about the axis of said tubular member, a gooseneck member on said semitrailer encircling said kingpin for movement about the vertical axis of said kingpin, means for preventing said semitrailer from bumping the cab of said vehicle, said means comprising a turn stop having a support structure with two depending legs removably bolted to said frame, and bumper means mounted on the sides of said support structure in position to be engaged by the front of said semitrailer upon excessive turning motion between the vehicle and semitrailer.

Claim 7

A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein fender members for the aft wheels are connected by fastening means to said chassis, some of said fastening means passing through holes in the frame used previously to secure the dump-type body to the frame and other of said fastening means passing through openings in said mounting platform.

Claim 8

A dual use vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a frame, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on the frame, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over the terrain, and conversion means for attachment to a portion of said frame for changing said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a semitrailer, said conversion means comprising a mounting platform having a depending portion extending between opposite sides of said frame, means on said depending portion engaging with and being bolted to said sides of said frame, a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts carried by said depending portion, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, said saddle support having a tubular member having an axis lying in a plane above said stub shafts with said axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having a bifurcated yoke pivotally attached to said saddle support by means of a pivot pin passing through said tubular member and said bifurcated yoke, and a gooseneck member on the semitrailer encircling said kingpin whereby said semitrailer may pitch, roll and yaw relative to the vehicle as they both traverse rough terrain.

Claim 9

A dual use vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a frame, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on the frame, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over the terrain, and conversion means for attachment to a portion of said frame for changing said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a semitrailer, said conversion means comprising a mounting platform having a depending portion extending between opposite sides of said frame, means on said depending portion engaging with and being bolted to said sides of said frame, a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts carried by said depending portion, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, said saddle support having a tubular member having an axis lying in a plane above said stub shafts with said axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having a bifurcated yoke pivotally attached to said saddle support by means of a pivot pin passing through said tubular member and said bifurcated yoke, and a gooseneck member on the semitrailer encircling said kingpin whereby said semitrailer may pitch, roll and yaw relative to the vehicle as they both traverse rough terrain.

Claim 10

A dual use vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a frame, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on the frame, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over the terrain, and conversion means for attachment to a portion of said frame for changing said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a semitrailer, said conversion means comprising means for bolting a mounting platform to said frame, said platform having a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, said saddle support having a tubular member above said stub shafts with an axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having a bifurcated yoke pivotally attached to said saddle support by means of a pivot pin passing through said tubular member and said bifurcated yoke, a gooseneck member on the semitrailer encircling said kingpin whereby said semitrailer may pitch, roll and yaw relative to the vehicle as they both traverse rough terrain, means for preventing said semitrailer from bumping the cab of said vehicle, said means comprising a turn stop having two legs removably bolted to said frame, a support structure carried by said legs and extending sidewardly parallel to the cab of the vehicle, and vertically disposed sidewardly facing bumper means mounted on the sides of said support structure in position to be engaged by said semitrailer upon excessive turning motion between the vehicle and said semitrailer.

Claim 11

A dual use vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a frame, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on the frame, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over the terrain, and conversion means for attachment to a portion of said frame for changing said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a semitrailer, said conversion means comprising means for bolting a mounting platform to said frame, said platform having a pair of inwardly projecting aligned stub shafts, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said stub shafts, said saddle support having a tubular member above said stub shafts with an axis extending transverse to the axis of said stub shafts, a vertically disposed kingpin having a bifurcated yoke pivotally attached to said saddle support by means of a pivot pin passing through said tubular member and said bifurcated yoke, a gooseneck member on the semitrailer encircling said kingpin whereby said semitrailer may pitch, roll and yaw relative to the vehicle as they both traverse rough terrain, means for preventing said semitrailer from bumping the cab of said vehicle, said means comprising a turn stop having two legs removably bolted to said frame, a support structure carried by said legs and extending sidewardly parallel to the cab of the vehicle, and vertically disposed sidewardly facing bumper means mounted on the sides of said support structure in position to be engaged by said semitrailer upon excessive turning motion between the vehicle and said semitrailer.

Claim 12

A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein fender members for covering the wheels are connected by fastening means to said frame, at least some of said fastening means being connected in holes in the frame used to secure the dump-type body to the frame.

Claim 13

A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein stop members on the opposite sides of the bifurcated yoke are aligned with and spaced from stop members on the opposite sides of the saddle support to limit the pivoting of the kingpin about the longitudinal axis.

Claim 14

In a tractor-type off-the-highway vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a chassis, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over rough terrain, in combination with means for converting said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a tractor for a semitrailer, said means comprising a mounting platform having a depending portion with outwardly extending flange means, means for bolting said flange means to spaced apart frame members of said chassis after the dump-type body has been removed, pivot means carried by said depending portion, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said pivot means, elongate means on said saddle support spaced from said pivot means and having an axis extending transverse to and lying in a plane spaced above the axis of said pivot means, and a vertically disposed kingpin having downwardly extending yoke means pivotally mounted on said elongate means on said saddle support to permit pivotal movement of said kingpin about the axis of said elongate means on said saddle support.

Claim 15

In a tractor-type off-the-highway vehicle having an operator cab mounted on a chassis, fore and aft wheels rotatably mounted on said chassis, an engine and drive train connected to said wheels for propelling said vehicle over rough terrain, in combination with means for converting said vehicle from use as a dump truck to use as a tractor for a semitrailer, said means comprising a mounting platform having a depending portion with outwardly extending flange means, means for bolting said flange means to spaced apart frame members of said chassis after the dump-type body has been removed, pivot means carried by said depending portion, a saddle support pivotally mounted on said pivot means, elongate means on said saddle support spaced from said pivot means and having an axis extending transverse to and lying in a plane spaced above the axis of said pivot means, and a vertically disposed kingpin having downwardly extending yoke means pivotally mounted on said elongate means on said saddle support to permit pivotal movement of said kingpin about the axis of said elongate means on said saddle support.