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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the fifth wheel bearing plate improvements, and
more particularly to fifth wheels with an antifriction plastic liner.
There are now in operation hundred of millions of trucks going back and
forth all over the world doing over 75% of the material land
transportation, the rest of 25% being covered by the rail, aircraft and
other systems.
The fifth wheel is using grease at a rate of about 1 kg per 3 months
depending on conditions. This grease is in danger to be contaminated with
dirt, dust, and other particulate contaminants normally associated with
travelling long distances sometimes in areas with much dust and sand.
Consequently this grease is becoming an abrasive paste, and because of the
special additives for pressure and water repellency, this paste is glued
to the bearing surfaces of the fifth wheel, as well as on the surrounding
areas.
When the time is coming to clean it is necessary to use high pressure
steam, and the regreasing operation is per se complicated and time
consuming.
A serious effect is the environmental pollution by which millions of tonnes
of used grease is discharged in the environment or in the treatment
facilities at the truck maintenance centres around the world.
STATE OF THE ART
Different efforts were made to eliminate the above disadvantages, based on
the idea of using a plastic liner to replace the grease. All these
solutions used screws associated directly with the bearing surfaces, or
welds, or adhesives, all in direct association with the bearing surfaces,
that is applied directly to them. This creates a lot of difficulties in
terms of damaging the liner or creating problems when the liner is
worn--being necessary to be burned by flame, by this affecting the heat
treatment of the fifth wheel, or when is worn there is a danger that the
screws will stick out through the liner and will damage the bolster plate.
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE INVENTION
The above disadvantages were eliminated by the present invention by the
fact that:
it proposes a fifth wheel comprising:
a) a fifth wheel bearing plate,
b) whereby the fifth wheel bearing plate has a recess in it, this recess
having a certain constant depth herein after called the recess depth, this
recess depth in fact having the bottom flat and the edges being parallel
with the edges of the fifth wheel bearing plate along the left and right
arms of the fifth wheel bearing plate, but at the engaging ramps the edges
of the recess being straight and essentially perpendicular on the general
engaging direction,
c) whereby the walls of the recess being, except the engaging areas,
vertical and perpendicular on the flat bottom,
c1) whereby the form of the recess in the engaging ramps areas being such
that the, walls of the recess are inclined in reference with the flat
bottom of the recess, therefore making angled dead ends retaining areas,
d) whereby on the margins of the fifth wheel bearing plate, left and right
above the centre of the fifth wheel in the direction of the engagement,
there are at least two cuts, communicating the recess space with the
outside space of the fifth wheel,
e) whereby these cuts, having the bottom like a continuation of the flat
bottom of the recess, and whereby these cuts having a trapezoidal form,
that is these cuts having the form of opening in the defending walls of
the medieval castles, the area at the recess being larger than the area at
the exterior of the fifth wheel,
f) also the proposed fifth wheel contains an antifriction plastic liner
made of PTFE, high impact bearing nylon with solid lubricant in it, or
other suitable plastic antifriction material, this plastic liner having
the general form of the said recess in the fifth wheel bearing plate, so
that if it is put inside of the recess, will fit snugly in to it, however
having a play/gap in all directions to take care of the thermal expansion
of the plastic liner, having in mind that the plastic is
expanding/contracting cca 9 times more than steel,the said play/gap being
in the range of cca 3 mm all around the recess contour, the liner having a
flat configuration and at the ends/the engaging area being chisel like
slanted ends to accommodate the inclined walls of the recess,
g) whereby the thickness of the antifriction plastic liner being bigger
than the depth of the recess,
h) whereby in the areas associated with the cuts, the liner having
rectangular protuberances, or rectangular retaining ears protruding
outside of the liner, their bottom surfaces coinciding, being a
continuation of the bottom surface of the liner, their thickness being
smaller than the thickness of the liner, so that an observer looking to
them will note them as some rectangles attached to the liner,
i) whereby, when the liner is put inside of the recess, the said
rectangular retaining ears will be centred in relation with the walls of
the cuts,
j) also the proposed fifth wheel containing trapezoidal retaining blocks,
these blocks, having the form of an extruded trapezoid or trapezoidal
configuration, and being able to fit in the said cuts,
having the larger area flush at the inside of the fifth wheel bearing
plate, and the exterior flush with the outside surface of the fifth wheel
bearing plate, also the top area of the retaining blocks being flush with
the top surface of the fifth wheel bearing plate,
k) whereby when in place or working position, the trapezoidal retaining
blocks will recreate the continuation of the recess wall and the surfaces
of the fifth wheel bearing plate in the cuts areas,so that when in place,
around and at the top the fifth wheel bearing surface is continuous,
l) whereby the trapezoidal retaining blocks nave at the larger area a
rectangular inner retaining recess having the bottom part open ended and
the top part like a roof, this rectangular retaining recess being centred
in reference with the axis of symmetry of the trapezoidal configuration,
and having the dimensions and configuration essentially the same with the
said rectangular retaining ears of the plastic antifriction liner,
m) whereby the rectangular retaining ears, can be accommodated in the said
rectangular retaining recesses,
n) whereby the trapezoidal retaining blocks are retained in working
position by screws rigidizing the retaining blocks with the fifth wheel
bearing plate, the symmetry axes of these screws being parallel with the
upper surface of the fifth wheel bearing plate, and the screws being
applied from the exterior of the fifth wheel bearing plate, the retaining
blocks having suitable threaded holes where the screws can be applied, and
the fifth wheel has suitable holes and recesses to allow the screws to be
accommodated,
o) whereby the screws have no prominent protuberances outside of the fifth
wheel bearing area, so that when assembled the fifth wheel is essentially
a smooth object,
THE way of operation/putting together of the above proposed fifth wheel is
as follows:
The chisel like slanted ends of the antifriction liner are placed in the
angled dead end retaining areas, then the liner is gently placed in the
recess of the fifth wheel bearing plate, by this the rectangular retaining
ears are coming centred in the trapezoidal cuts, then the trapezoidal
retaining blocks and the screws are applied, the antifriction liner upper
surface being a little above the surface of the fifth wheel bearing plate,
and having a little play/gap around the inner and exterior periphery.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Below is given an example of application of the invention in relation but
not limited with the figures:
FIG. 1--Perspective view fifth wheel bearing plate assembled;
FIG. 2--Perspective view--the chisel like slanted ends of the antifriction
liner;
FIG. 3--Exploded view of the fifth wheel bearing plate assembly;
FIG. 4--Perspective view detail trapezoidal retaining block seen from
outside fifth wheel;
FIG. 5--Perspective view detail trapezoidal retailing block seen from
inside the fifth wheel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As is seen in the figures, the proposed fifth wheel comprises:
a) a fifth wheel bearing plate 1,
b) whereby the fifth wheel bearing plate has a recess in it 2, this recess
having a certain constant depth 3 herein after called the recess depth,
this recess depth in fact having the bottom 4 flat and the edges 5 being
parallel with the edges 6 of the fifth wheel bearing plate 1 along the
left and right arms 7 of the fifth wheel bearing plate, but at the
engaging ramps 8 the edges 9 of the recess being straight 10 and
essentially perpendicular on the general engaging direction,
c) whereby the walls of the recess 12 being, except the engaging areas,
vertical and perpendicular on the flat bottom 13,
c1) whereby the form of the recess in the engaging ramps areas being such
that the, walls of the recess are inclined 14 in reference with the flat
bottom of the recess, therefore making angled dead ends retaining areas
15,
d) whereby on the margins of the fifth wheel bearing plate, left and right
above the centre of the fifth wheel in the direction of the engagement,
there are at least two cuts 16, communicating the recess space 17 with the
outside space 18 of the fifth wheel,
e) whereby these cuts, having the bottom like a continuation of the flat
bottom of the recess, and whereby these cuts having a trapezoidal form,
that is these cuts having the form of opening in the defending walls of
the medieval castles, the area at the recess being larger than the area at
the exterior of the fifth wheel,
f) also the proposed fifth wheel contains an antifriction plastic liner 19
made of PTFE, HIGH impact bearing nylon with solid lubricant in it, or
other suitable plastic antifriction material, this plastic liner having
the general form of the said recess in the fifth wheel bearing plate, so
that if it is put inside of the recess, will fit snugly in to it, however
having a play/gap in all directions to take care of the thermal expansion
of the plastic liner, having in mind that the plastic is
expanding/contracting cca 9 times more than steel,the said play/gap being
in the range of cca 3 mm all around the recess contour, the liner having a
flat configuration and at the ends/the engaging area being chisel like
slanted ends 20 to accommodate the inclined walls of the recess,
g) whereby the thickness of the antifriction plastic liner being greater
than the depth of the recess so that the liner is above the fifth wheel
bearing surface,
h) whereby in the areas associated with the cuts, the liner having
rectangular protuberances 21, or rectangular retaining ears protruding
outside of the liner, their bottom surfaces coinciding, being a
continuation of the bottom surface of the liner, their thickness being
smaller than the thickness of the liner, so that an observer looking to
them will note them as some rectangles attached to the liner,
i) whereby, when the liner is put inside of the recess, the said
rectangular retaining ears will be centred in relation with the walls of
the cuts,
j) also the proposed fifth wheel containing trapezoidal retaining blocks
22, these blocks, having the form of an extruded trapezoid or trapezoidal
configuration, and being able to fit in the said cuts,
having the larger 23 area flush at the inside 24 of the fifth wheel bearing
plate, and the exterior 25 flush with the outside surface 26 of the fifth
wheel bearing plate, also the top area 27 of the retaining blocks being
flush with the top surface 28 of the fifth wheel bearing plate,
k) whereby when in place or working position, the trapezoidal retaining
blocks will recreate the continuation of the recess wall and the surfaces
of the fifth wheel bearing plate in the cuts areas,so that when in place,
around and at the top the fifth wheel bearing surface is continuous,
i) whereby the trapezoidal retaining blocks nave at the larger area a
rectangular inner retaining recess 29 having the bottom part 30 open ended
and the top part 31 like a roof, this rectangular retaining recess being
centred in reference with the axis of symmetry of the trapezoidal
configuration, and having the dimensions and configuration essentially the
same with the said rectangular retaining ears 21 of the plastic
antifriction liner,
m) whereby the rectangular retaining ears, can be accommodated in the said
rectangular retaining recesses,
n) whereby the trapezoidal retaining blocks are retained in working
position by screws 32 rigidifying the retaining blocks with the fifth
wheel bearing plate, the symmetry axes of these screws being parallel with
the upper surface of the fifth wheel bearing plate,and the screws being
applied from the exterior of the fifth wheel bearing plate, the retaining
blocks having suitable threaded holes 33 where the screws can be applied,
and the fifth wheel has suitable holes 34 and recesses to allow the screws
to be accommodated,
o) whereby the screws have no prominent protuberances outside of the fifth
wheel bearing area, so that when assembled the fifth wheel is essentially
a smooth object,
THE WAY OF OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
THE way of operation/putting together of the above proposed fifth wheel is
as follows:
The chisel like slanted ends 20 of the antifriction liner 19 are placed in
the angled dead end retaining areas 15, then the liner 19 is gently placed
in the recess 2 of the fifth wheel bearing plate 1, by this the
rectangular retaining ears 21 are coming centred in the trapezoidal cuts
16, then the trapezoidal retaining blocks 22 and the screws 32 are
applied, the antifriction liner upper surface being a little above the
surface of the fifth wheel bearing plate, and having a little play/gap
around the inner and exterior periphery.
ADVANTAGES
The ADVANTAGES of applying this invention are:
1--eliminates the greasing problem,
2--reduces the wear of the fifth wheel,
3--easy to assemble, disassemble and maintain,
4--has a self locking effect because of the trapezoidal retaining blocks,
5--has no screws or other rigidifying means impending on the bearing
surfaces,
6--is positively locked and allows expansion.
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