A fifth wheel cover assembly includes a fifth wheel that is mounted to a semi tractor. A cover is slidably positioned over the fifth wheel and the cover is structured to conform to the shape of the fifth wheel. A pair of springs is each of the springs is coupled between the cover and a connection point on the semi tractor to bias the cover into a covering position having the cover completely covering the fifth wheel. The cover is slidable into an exposing position having the cover being displaced from the fifth wheel. A brace is attached to the cover and the brace is strategically positioned such that the king pin of the trailer abuts the brace and urges the cover into the exposing positioned when the semi trailer is attached to the fifth wheel.

A hitch assembly, including a first frame for being attached to a tow vehicle and a second frame for being attached to a trailer. The second frame is movably engaged with the first frame and is adapted for fore and aft movement relative to the first frame along a plurality of ball bearings.

A turntable lubrication device for lubricating sliding mating surfaces of a base plate and an upper plate, the device comprising; a casing, and a lubricating grease contained and sealed within the casing, which lubrication device is intended to be manually positioned on the mating surface of the base plate and ruptured under pressure of the upper plate when the upper plate is positioned on top of the base plate, thereby allowing the grease to be distributed between the mating surfaces. The lubrication device is elongated and plastically formable, thus allowing the device to be shaped and curved so that it substantially follows a circumferential shape of the base plate such that the grease is evenly distributed over the sliding mating surfaces.

A fifth wheel for locking to a kingpin of a towed trailer includes an operating arm pivotable into and between a locked position for locking the kingpin in the fifth wheel and an unlocked position in which the kingpin can be removed from or inserted into the fifth wheel and a housing coupled to the operating arm. A pull handle is slidable in the housing into and between an extended position in which the pull handle extends from the housing and a retracted position in which the pull handle is retracted into the housing. A spring in the housing biases the pull handle towards the retracted position. When the operating arm is pivoted into the locked position the pull handle is forced into the extended position, and after the operating arm is pivoted to the unlocked position the pull handle moves to the retracted position.

A breakaway fifth wheel coupling may couple a semi-tractor to a semi-trailer. In one embodiment, a breakaway fifth wheel coupling may include a top plate, a bottom brace, and a release mechanism that releasably attaches the top plate to the bottom brace. When a rollover event is detected, the release mechanism may allow the top plate to release from the bottom brace, thereby allowing the semi-tractor to separate from the semi-trailer. The fifth wheel coupling may include a pair of pivot rails that promote consistent decoupling of the top plate from the bottom brace. The breakaway fifth wheel coupling may reduce the likelihood of the semi-tractor participating in a rollover accident.

A vehicle coupling, and a method for the manufacture thereof, having a coupling body (1) and at least one structural element (2) placed thereon wherein the structural element (2) is force fit to the coupling body (1) using a bulk plastic material (3).

A fifth wheel hitch assembly includes a fifth wheel hitch plate having a body portion and a pair of extensions extending outwardly from the body portion, wherein the extensions cooperate to form a throat therebetween, a locking arrangement moveable between an unlocked position where a kingpin may be moved into and out of the throat, and a locked position where the kingpin is prevented from being removed from within the throat, and a sensor arrangement that includes at least one sensor located within at least one component of the locking arrangement, wherein the at least one sensor includes an accelerometer configured to sense vibrational movement of the at least one component of the locking arrangement.

The invention concerns a lubricating system for a fifth-wheel traction coupling of a towing vehicle, comprising a coupling plate, the upper side of which has at least one grease discharge aperture which is connected to a lubricating device via a supply line fixed to the coupling plate. The invention addresses the problem of developing a lubricating system for towing vehicles which permits automatic lubrication irrespective of whether a central lubricating system is provided. The invention solves the problem using a lubricating system in which the lubricating device is associated with the fifth-wheel traction coupling and is arranged directly on the fifth-wheel traction coupling or in the vicinity of the fifth-wheel traction coupling.

A fifth wheel hitch may include at least one support frame capable of engaging with a towing vehicle. The fifth wheel hitch may further include a cross-member attached to the support frame and an isolation system operatively coupled with the cross-member. The isolation system may include a beam engaged with the cross-member about a first axis, where rotation of the beam about the first axis is dampened via a cross-member isolator. The isolation system may also include a skid plate engaged with the beam about a second axis, where rotation of the skid plate about the second axis is dampened via a wing isolator.

A metal matrix composite article is described that includes a metal component, a ceramic component, and a lubricious component. The metal matrix composite article has a first surface and a second surface. The lubricious component is present in an amount that is highest at the first surface and is lowest at the second surface. The ceramic component is present in an amount that is highest at the first surface and is lowest at the second surface. The metal component is present in an amount that is highest at the second surface and is lowest at the first surface. In some cases, the metal matrix composite article is a wear plate for a fifth wheel hitch.