Fontaine Fifth Wheel Company

Fontaine International

Fountaine Fifth Wheel Company

James Matthew Rhodes

Steven William Mann

Jeff Marcus Terry

Christopher Aaron Bond

Robert Keith Laney

A fifth wheel coupling device is adapted for a towing vehicle that vertically receives a kingpin of a trailer. The device includes a plate having a kingpin hole formed therethrough defining a vertical path adapted to permit entry of the kingpin into the kingpin hole and through the plate along the vertical path, and to prevent release of the kingpin out of the kingpin hole along a lateral path leading outside the plate. A support base is attached to the plate, and is adapted to mount the plate to the towing vehicle. A lifting mechanism is operatively connected to the plate and is adapted to be mounted on the towing vehicle for raising and lowering the plate relative to the trailer. A locking mechanism is movably attached to the plate and is provided with an actuating portion. The locking mechanism is configured to be automatically actuable and adapted for releasably locking the kingpin relative to the plate and the locking mechanism upon engagement of the kingpin with the actuating portion of the locking mechanism.

Vertical coupling fifth wheel device and method of use

An improved slide rail for a fifth wheel hitch assembly is disclosed that has T-shaped cross-section with a horizontal top section and a vertical base section. The horizontal top section includes scalloped edges, and the vertical base section includes weld pockets.

Fifth wheel slide rail

A secondary lock assembly for a fifth wheel, where the fifth wheel includes a hitch plate with a rearward opening slot to receive a trailer kingpin and a transversely sliding primary locking member for retaining the kingpin within the slot. The assembly comprises a tie bar pivotally connected at its middle to the primary locking member and a transversely oriented pull bar pivotally connected at an inner end to the forward end of the tie bar. The pull bar comprises a rearward offset tab. A latch is pivotally connected roughly at the center of the latch to the forward end of the tie bar, and also pivotally connected at a point rearwardly and inwardly offset from the first pivoting connection to the offset tab. A detent extends from a transverse wall comprised in said hitch plate such that said detent lies in the same horizontal plane as said latch.

Fifth wheel secondary lock

A fifth wheel assembly comprises a fifth wheel having a plurality of journal bearings extending generally downward from its underside, and an 'I-shaped' transverse beam member for mounting the assembly to a truck frame. The beam member is dimensioned to span across parallel longitudinal truck frame members and it includes mounting flanges extending generally downward from either lateral side where the mounting flanges have a plurality of apertures for receiving suitable fasteners inserted therein for mounting said beam member to the truck frame members. The transverse member also includes a plurality of pivot bearing pairs to receive the journal bearings of the fifth wheel which is coupled thereto by a trunnion.

Fifth wheel assembly

A fifth wheel with a removable bearing plate includes a load structure comprising frame walls and inner bracing, and including a plurality of flanges, each of said plurality of flanges having an aperture disposed therethrough, said load structure also having at least two pivot bearings; and a bearing plate having a plurality of fasteners extending from an underside of said bearing plate disposed at locations corresponding to the disposition of said apertures configured to permit removable attachment of said bearing plate to said load structure and plurality of ridges disposed upon the underside to form a seat for said frame walls.

Fifth wheel assembly with removable bearing plate

A fifth wheel assembly comprises a fifth wheel having a plurality of journal bearings extending generally downward from its underside, and a transverse beam member for mounting the assembly to a truck frame. The beam member is dimensioned to span across parallel longitudinal truck frame members and it includes mounting flanges extending generally downward from either lateral side where the mounting flanges have a plurality of apertures for receiving suitable fasteners inserted therein for mounting said beam member to the truck frame members. The transverse member also includes a plurality of pivot bearing pairs to receive the journal bearings of the fifth wheel which is coupled thereto by a trunnion.

A fifth wheel mounting pin riser adaptation is provided, said riser adaptation allowing a mounting pin to be easily extracted from a fifth wheel assembly.

Fifth wheel mounting pin riser adaptation

A fifth wheel mounting bracket is provided. Said mounting bracket allows for the transfer of the load placed on the hitch plate through the mounting pin rather than through its contact surface with the saddle bearing of the hitch plate.

Growing community of inventors

Pelham, AL, United States of America

James Matthew Rhodes