US578022A - Fifth-wheel - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1v (No Model.)

G. NIELSON.

FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 578,022. Patented Mar, 2, 18 97.

l l l l l l i l (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. NIELSON] FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 578,022. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

%J 7 I Attorneys.

1w; nonms'hmas cc mmauma. \VASNINGTHN o c cated in Fig. 1.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHRISTEN NLELSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FlFTH -WH EEL.

sPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 578,022, dated March 2, 1897.

Application filed December 9, 1395. Serial No. 571,536. (No model.)

'1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHRIsTEN NIELsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of-Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels for trucks and other vehicles; and it consists of the hereinafter-described construction of a fifth-wheel composed of straight antifrictionrollers pillowed between plates having concave bearing-surfaces for the purpose of reducing the contact surface between the roller and the bearing-plates and to resist lateral dislocation of the bearing-plates when the truck or vehicle is jolted sideWise.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Y Figure l is a plan, a part of the upper plate being broken away to show the chain of rollers. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 3 indi- Fig. 3 is the same sectional view showing, however, the upper plate displaced by jolt. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the upper and lower plates. Fig. 5 is also an enlarged section showing a modified construction of these plates. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the fore axle and the bed-beam of the truck. Fig. 7 is a top view of the center part of the fore axle of a truck, showing how my improved fifth-wheel is attached to a vehicle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Heretofore the bearing-surfaces in fifthwheels, except in roller-bearin gs, have always been flat and the plates or disks have been constructed with overlapping flanges or rims, these flanges having the function to prevent alateral dislocation of the bearing-plates. In such construction, however, every jolt is apt to displace the upper plate to such an extent that the flanges of one plate would abut and press against the other plate, thus increasing the friction and defeating the very object of such fifth-wheels.

In fifth-wheels constructed as ball-bearings the bearing-plates are made of semicircular channels,and the balls used in the bearings are depended on for the maintaining of the bearin g-plates of the fifth-wheels in position. In

this construction, however, the whole surface of the balls contacts with the bearings and in case of jolt the pressure on the balls sidewise greatly increases the friction. In spite of this the strain on the king-bolt is hardly any relieved, as the balls, originally snugly fitted in the channels or grooves, are soon Worked out of shape and size.

My improved fifth-Wheel is provided with bearing-plates having concave bearing-surfaces and cylindrical rollers connected in an endless chain, as described in United States Patent N 0. 543,720, granted to R. A. Berger July 30, 1895, set between the plates. In these bearing-plates the rollers resist any jolt tending to displace the fifth-wheel sidewise, the edges of the rollers working against the curved surfaces of the plates, and if the bearing-plates should become displaced by a jolt the rollers will slide by the force of gravity until the bearing-plates will be brought again in horizontal and concentric position. It is apparent that in this construction the con tact between the rollers and the bearing-surfaces is reduced to a minimum, and the rollers themselves will resist dislocation of the bearing-plates without increasing in any Way the contact-surfaces or friction.

The bearing-plates shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are circular. The upper plate a is in shape of an inverted channel-iron. The bottom of the channel is, however, concaved instead of flat. The bearing-surface of lower plate bis similarly shaped and beveled on its edges. Between these bearing-plates I place the chain of rollers c, constructed as described in United States Patent No. 543,720, issued to R. A. Berger for a roller-bearing, dated July 30, 1895, or I may use any other construction of antifriction-rollers. Links (1 of this rollerchain or any similar connecting device for antifriction-rollers do not reach across from flange to flange of the upper plate, but are allowed a small clearance between the flanges. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified construction of myimproved bearing-plates havingv opposite flanges enlarged. This construction is, however, not in any way especially preferable to the one shown and described above. In a fifth-wheel constructed of such bearingplates the concaved bearing-surfaces will opcrate as before described and the rollers will when the bearing should be j olted,work themselves to normal position.

Various other shapes might be given to the bearing-plates. I have only shown this one modification to illustrate that my invention is applicable to other fagons of bearing-plates with equal utility. I am aware that rollers have been placed between a channeled and a flat bearing-plate or between two oppositelyflanged angle-bearings. I am also aware that in fifth-wheels constructed as ball-bearings bearing-plates having semicircular grooves have been used, but I am not aware that bear- 15 ing-plates having concave bearing-surfaces were used in fifth-wheels in combination with cylindrical rollers.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent In fifth Wheels the combination with straight cylindrical rollers of bearing-plates having concave bearing-surfaces.

In witness that I claim the improvements described in the foregoing specification I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTEN NIELSON.

YVitnesses:

RICHARD I. ELLIOTT, JOHN P. NORDSTROM.

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