STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR TRAILERS

• US 3,690,698 A
• Filed: 11/30/1970
• Issued: 09/12/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl E. Humes, 907 Franklin Ave.
• Original Assignee: Carl E. Humes, 907 Franklin Ave.
• Inventors: Carl E. Humes, 907 Franklin Ave.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benjamin Hersh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert R. Song
• Application Number:
  US05/093,685
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 280/426
• US Class Current: 280/426
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/025 the pivoted movement being initiated by the coupling means between tractor and trailer

Abstract

An improved steering mechanism for a tractor driven plural wheeled extendable trailer wherein the motive force for steering the trailer positively extends from the fifth wheel of the tractor in the form of readily changeable tie rods to one or more turntable supporting assemblies structurally associated with one or several steerable axle assemblies supporting the trailer with means being provided for varying and limiting the degree of turning movement of each turntable assembly to maintain all of the steerable axle assemblies in proper steering relation to the tractor regardless of the operating length of the trailer.

Claims

1. In a multiple wheeled tractor-trailer assembly wherein the front end of the trailer is pivotally connected by a king pin to a fifth wheel supported by the tractor and the tractor fifth wheel is of the type which has a generally V-shaped rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, and wherein the trailer is of the expandable type and has a least one wheeled steerable axle assembly supporting the trailer, means mounting the wheeled axle assembly for controlled pivotal movement relative to the trailer main frame;

said mounting means including a steering control plate journalled about the king pin, transverse frame means for the trailer, a vertical shaft means rotatably mounted on the transverse frame means of the trailer for rotation relative thereto, a first lever arm assembly mounted for rotation with the shaft means, a second lever arm assembly secured to rotate on a vertical axis, a connective operating member slidably carried by the second lever arm assembly to permit lost motion when the fifth wheel causes turning motion of the trailer, means pivotally connecting the connective operating member to said steering control plate eccentric to the king pin, and tie rods connecting the first and second lever arm assemblies outboard of their pivotal axes.

2. In a multiple wheeled tractor-trailer assembly wherein the front end of the trailer is pivotally connected by a king pin to a fifth wheel supported by the tractor and the tractor fifth wheel is of the type which has a generally V-shaped rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, and wherein the trailer is of the expandable type and has at least one wheeled steerable axle assembly supporting the trailer, means mounting the wheeled axle assembly for controlled pivotal movement relative to the trailer main frame;

said mounting means including a steering control plate journalled about the king pin, transverse frame means for the trailer, a vertical shaft means rotatably mounted on the transverse frame means of the trailer for rotation relative thereto, a first lever arm assembly mounted for rotation with the shaft means, A second lever arm assembly secured to rotate on a vertical axis, a connective operating member slidably carried by the second lever arm assembly to permit lost motion when the fifth wheel causes turning motion of the trailer, means pivotally connecting the connective operating member to said steering control plate eccentric to the king pin, and tie rods connecting the first and second lever arm assemblies outboard of their pivotal axes, a third lever arm assembly secured to pivot with said at least one axle assembly, and additional tie rods connecting said second and third lever arm assemblies outboard of their pivotal axes.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the lengths of the tie rods are variable to accommodate for variations in the length of the trailer.

4. A multiple wheeled tractor-trailer assembly wherein the front end of the trailer is pivotally connected by a king pin to a fifth wheel supported by the tractor and the tractor fifth wheel is of the type which has a generally V-shaped rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, and wherein the trailer is of the expandable type and has a plurality of one wheeled steerable axle assemblies supporting the trailer, means mounting the wheeled axle assemblies for pivotal movement relative to the trailer main frame, said mounting means including a steering control plate journalled about the king pin, transverse frame means for the trailer, a vertical shaft means rotatably mounted on the transverse frame means of the trailer for rotation relative thereto, a first lever arm assembly mounted for rotation with the shaft means, a second lever arm assembly secured to rotate on a vertical axis, a connective operating member slidably carried by the second lever arm assembly to permit lost motion when the firth wheel causes a turning motion of the trailer, means pivotally connecting one end of the connective operating member to said steering control plate eccentric to the king pin, and tie rods connecting the first and second lever arm assemblies outboard of their pivotal axes, further lever arm assemblies secured to pivot with each of the plurality of wheeled axle assemblies, further tie rods connecting said second and the last in series of the further lever arm assemblies outboard of their pivotal axes, and additional tie rods connecting each of the said further lever arm assemblies.