Holland Hitch Company

Saf-holland Gmbh

Samuel A Martin

Fredrick J Bakker

James H Bush

Gerald W Hungerink

William J Hicks

Steven C Dupay

Jack L Gisinger

Mark M Audo

Roger L Elkins

A short span fifth wheel hitch comprising a hitch plate, at least one back rib, a peripheral flange connected to ends of the back rib, and a main rib extending between the back rib and a portion of the peripheral flange, with the main rib being connected to ends of the peripheral flange. The fifth wheel hitch also includes skirts extending from the hitch plate adjacent the back rib. At least two pairs of mounting ribs are located interior of the peripheral flange and the back rib, each pair of mounting ribs including aligned apertures for accepting a mounting pin therein, whereby a mounting bracket can be inserted into a space between the mounting ribs of each pair of mounting ribs and the mounting pin can be placed through the aligned apertures and the mounting bracket to connect the fifth wheel hitch to a tractor.

Lightweight narrow-span fifth wheel

A fifth wheel assembly for coupling tractor and trailer units includes an improved trunnion bracket, comprising a pair of forged bearing caps having an inverted, U-shaped configuration, with bearing sleeves fixedly mounted therein. In sliding fifth wheel embodiments of the present invention, the bearing caps are mounted on rectangular channels fabricated from two L-shaped channel members with a flat plate attached to the upper edges of the L-shaped channels. An improved plunger is provided for adjustably connecting the trunnioned fifth wheel assembly with a base plate on which slotted racks have been mounted, and comprises a forged, two-prong construction with internal guides which minimizes structural disruption in the channels to provide greater strength. Adjustable stops are mounted on the exterior ends of the plungers, and abut the exterior sides of the racks to accurately maintain the plungers in a locked position. A manual lock release comprises an over-centered lever arm arrangement, which securely retains the plungers in the unlocked position for adjustment.

Fifth wheel assembly

Kingpin gage

A fifth wheel hitch includes a kingpin locking mechanism having a pair of pivoting locking jaws which form a socket in which the kingpin is retained. An adjustment device varies the angular position of the closed jaws to vary the side-to-side dimension of the socket, and thereby compensate for side wear in the hitch. A stationary, semicircular bearing is fixedly mounted in the hitch to form a portion of the forward half of the socket, such that pivotal adjustment of the closed jaws also varies the fore-to-aft dimension of the socket, and thereby compensate for end wear in the hitch.

Fifth wheel hitch

A support for a tilt stabilizing fifth wheel hitch that connects a truck tractor to a trailer, the fifth wheel plate being on a movable frame having a pair of convex shoes connected by a tie rod and resting on concave bearing plates on a fixed frame, the movable frame being movable on the fixed frame toward either of two opposite extreme positions from an intermediate neutral position. The movable frame is biased away from these extreme positions toward the intermediate position by variable force biasing means, preferably coil compression springs on said tie rod, which apply increasing biasing force with increased movement of the movable frame toward one of said extreme positions, thereby enabling the truck driver to 'sense' or 'feel' the tilted condition of his trailer relative to his tractor during operation.

Fifth wheel suspension

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

Samuel A Martin