US839324A - Fifth-wheel. - Google Patents

Description

; PATENTEDTDEG. 25,1906.

F SCHMIDT FIFTH WHEEL urmon iox FILED .nov. if); m5.

, residing in West Bend, in the county of Washington and State of Wisconsin, have in-' UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

I FREDERICK SCHMIDT, OF WEST BEND, WISCONSIN.

. FIFTH-WHEEL.

Specification of LetterszPatent.

Application filed November 10, 1905. Serial No. 286,639.

. Patented. Dec. 25, 1 906.

ToaZZ whom/it may concern.-

Be it known'that I, FREDERICK SCHMIDT,

vented new and useful Im rovements in Fifth-Wheels, of which the fo lowing is a description, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification. I

My invention has relation to improvements in fifth-wheels.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of. fifthan under view of my invention.

vice when occupying its proper position, and

Fig' 3 is'a front end vlew.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 4 .4 indicate two arms, preferably in the form The front ends of arms 9 are connected by the upper circular member 11 of the fifthof merger.

of a casting andprovided with depending bearings5 5 for the axle (not shown) of the wheel. These arms gradually converge and merge into each other rearwardly and are formed into a rounded crotch 6 at the point The front ends of the arms are connected by the lower circular member 7 of the fifth-wheel, the said member being preferably formed in the same casting or integral with the arms. The upper surface of this circular member is shouldered at opposite edges, as indicated by the numerals 8 8, and said upper surface from shoulder to shoulder is of convex form.

Above the arms 4 are other arms 9, and bridging these arms is a bolster 10, preferably in one casting or integral with the arms.

wheel, which is also preferably in one casting or integral with the arms. This upper member ofrthe fifth-wheel in concavo-convex in cross-section, and its concavity fits the convex surface of the lower member of the fifth' wheel, the lower edges of said upper member resting upon the shoulders 8 8. The two arms 9 also converge andmergednto each other rearwardly, and, from the point of merger extend two divergent arms 12 12,to which" armsthe forward ends oflthe reachbars (not shown) are connected. The rearwardly-extending "divergent arms are also preferably in one casting or integral with the arms 9. v

Depending from the arms'9 at thezpoint of merger thereofis a pin 13, which'fits in the rounded crotch '6 and is provided at its lower end with an enlargement or head-'14, which bears against the underside of-the-merged ends of the arms 4, and thereby not only assists'in holding'the two parts together,'but also forms the center of oscillation of the From the foregoing description it will be -seen that I provide a most simple form of fifth-wheel wherein the necessity of employing the usual king-bolt, which has heretofore been subjected to considerable strain,is entirely obviated and the entire strain is trans-' ferred directly to the two members of the fifth-wheel.

It will be'further noticed that my construction is such that the two upper arms 9, the upper circle 11 of the fifth-wheel, the bridging-bolster 10 the pin 13, and the rearwardly-diverging arms 12 may all be made in one casting and integraland that also the lower arms 4 and the lower member 7 of the fifth wheel may also be in one casting or integral. By this provision a considerable saving in cost of manufacture is effected.

In order to prevent the two members of the fifth-wheel from separating to any considerable .extent, I prefer to provide one of the members (the lower member being shown as .a retrwardly-extending projection, another fifth-wheel member movably fitted to the first-named fifth-wheel member, and provided with a rearwardly-extending projection superimposed upon the rearwardly-extending projection of the firstna'med fifthwheel member, and the upper of said rearwardly-extnding projections provided at its rear end and at its center with a downwardlyextending pin engaging a rounded crotch at therear end and center of the other rearwardly-projecting extension, the lower end of said pin provided with an enlargement or head bearing against the lower rearwardlyextending projection, the said pin forming the center of oscillation for the fifth-wheel and the headed lower end thereof maintaining the rear ends of the rearwardly-extending projections against separation.

3. In a fifth-wheel, the combination with arms converging and merging rearwardly and connected at their forward ends by a circular fifth-wheel member, of superimposed arms connected at their forward ends by another fifth-wheel member, said arms also converging and merging rearwardly, and the said fifth-wheel members movably fitted together so that one may move in the arc of a circle. upon the other, and one of the set of arms at the .point of merger provided with a projecting pin engaging a rounded crotch at the point of merger of the other set of arms, the said pin forming the center of oscillation for the fifth-wheel.

. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK SCHMIDT.

I itnesses:

'. ANNA F. SCHMIDTBAUER,

A. L. MoRsELL.

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