STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR TRAILERS

• US 3,734,538 A
• Filed: 02/07/1972
• Issued: 05/22/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl E. Humes
• Original Assignee: Carl E. Humes
• Inventors: Humes, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friaglia, Leo
• Application Number:
  US05/223,877
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 280/426,442
• US Class Current: 280/426
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/00 Steering specially adapted for trailers combined traction and steering hitches B60D

Abstract

Steering mechanism for a tractor driven multiple wheeled trailer wherein the motive force for steering a plurality of wheeled axle assemblies of the trailer is derived from the fifth wheel of the tractor in the form of flexible draft members extending from the fifth wheel to the first of the wheeled axle assemblies and thereafter each wheeled axle assembly is positively interconnected to its preceding wheeled axle assembly either for pivotal motion in the same or the reverse direction and at preselected amounts.

Claims

1. 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 rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, at least a pair of wheeled steerable axle assemblies supporting the trailer, means mounting the wheeled axle assemblies for controlled pivotal movement relative to the trailer main frame, a king pin carried at the forward end of the trailer and adapted to be received in the fifth wheel slot, a control plate mounted concentric to the king pin, a depending arm secured to the control plate eccentric to the king pin and adapted to be snugly received in the fifth wheel slot rearwardly of the king pin, a vertical shaft mounted to the trailer forward of the first of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies, a second control plate secured to the upper portion of the vertical shaft, a control arm secured to the lower end portion of the shaft for rotation therewith, a slide arrangement connecting the control arm to the first of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies, flexible draft members connecting the control plate and the second control plate to cause pivotal movement of the first of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies, a lever arm, means pivotally mounting to the trailer the lever arm intermediate its ends for movement about a vertical axis, slide means connecting the forward end of the lever arm to the rearward end of the first of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies and further slide means connecting the rearward end of the lever arm to the second of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 further including a transverse guideway secured to the trailer, slide means connecting the rearward end of the second of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies to a member mounted for transverse movement in said transverse guideway, and slide means connecting the forward end of a further wheeled axle assembly to said member mounted for transverse movement in said transverse guideway.

3. The assembly defined in claim 2 further including a second lever arm, means pivotally mounting to the trailer the second lever arm intermediate its ends for movement about a vertical axis, slide means connecting the forward end of the second lever arm to the rearward end of the further wheeled axle assembly and further slide means connecting the rearward end of the second lever arm to the forward end of another wheeled axle assembly.