The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 22, 1980
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1979
Ronald D VanDyke, Florissant, MO (US);
ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A hitch head or fifth wheel is provided including a pair of pivotable jaws which hold in place a kingpin of a highway trailer. A horizontally movable lock block, biased by a stiff spring to closed position, engages the jaws and holds them in closed position, maintaining the kingpin in place. The lock block is movable to an open position by a finger extending through an opening in the lock block. The finger is rigidly attached to a horizontally extending operating shaft which is rotatable by a handle to move the finger to an overcenter position holding the lock block in open position. The finger includes a transversely extending protrusion which is engaged by the jaws as the kingpin exits to pivot the finger from the overcenter position and allow the lock block to move to a position engaging the rear portion of the jaws, holding the jaws open until another kingpin enters the jaws and pivots the jaws to closed position.