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:
Feb. 09, 1988
Filed:
Apr. 10, 1986
Jan D Holt, St. Charles County, MO (US);
ACF Industries, Incorporated, Earth City, MO (US);
Abstract
An elastomeric in compression trailer hitch cushion for an over-the-road trailer hitch, as mounted on a railway car, is disclosed so as to cushion against longitudinal loads transmitted between the railroad car and the trailer. This trailer hitch cushion serves as the hitch diagonal strut and it has one end thereof secured to the railway car and its other end secured to the vertical hitch strut, with the diagonal cushioning strut being disposed so as to cushion longitudinal loads in either fore or aft direction and to maintain the vertical strut in vertical position. The cushioning strut comprises a frame, compressible elastomeric cushioning members carried by the frame, and a compression load applying system for compressing the elastomeric members relative to the frame upon a longitudinal load in either fore or aft directions relative to the railroad car being applied to the hitch. The cushion strut comprises a plurality of generally annular-shaped plates of a suitable elastomeric material, each having a center opening, an outer peripheral face, and a pair of generally parallel load bearing faces for transmitting compression forces into the elastomeric plates. These elastomeric plates alternate with a plurality of non-compressible washers, preferably metal washers, with each load bearing face of each elastomeric plate being frictionally engagable with, but being unbonded to, a respective contiguous face of one of the washers.