A fifth wheel turntable lubrication device

Abstract

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.

Claims

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

2. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein the casing are made from elastic and flexible material.

3. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing are made from natural, artificial or a combination of natural and artificial materials.

4. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 3, wherein the casing are preferably made from artificial collagen.

5. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises at least one fraction zone which will burst at a predetermined pressure, thereby allowing a controllable distribution of the lubricating grease.

6. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein the lubricating grease is a semi solid lubricant grease possessing a high initial viscosity.

7. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the lubrication device is formable by deformation and/or compression.

8. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication device is formable so as being able to adapt to a shape and fit within a grease pit situated on the base plate.

9. The turntable lubrication device according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication device comprises a plurality of interconnected sub-sections arranged in succession.

10. A method of manufacture a fifth wheel turntable lubrication device according to claim 1 wherein the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a tube-like elongate casing made from an elastic and flexible material, the casing comprises a sealed end and an open end, b) threading the open end and the subsequent casing body onto a grease supply nozzle until the nozzle is adjacent to the sealed end, c) adding lubrication grease from the nozzle and into the casing by pressing the lubricating grease into the casing sealing at least one section of the lubricating grease by sealing a cross sectional section of the casing.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sealing of at least one section is by twisting, knot or by welding.

Description

[0057] The description above, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0058] FIG. 1 Shows a towing vehicle and a trailer with a fifth-wheel coupling.

[0059] FIG. 2 Shows a turntable of a fifth wheel according to the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 3 Shows a lubrication device according to the present invention comprising a casing and lubrication grease contained within the casing.

[0061] FIG. 4 Shows a fifth wheel turntable comprising a base plate and an upper plate, wherein the lubrication device is positioned on the mating surface of the base plate.

[0062] FIG. 5 a), b) and c) Shows the plastically formable property of the lubrication device.

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a towing vehicle and a semi-trailer. The towing vehicle is arranged with a fifth wheel for receiving a kingpin 24 mounted on a trailer. The fifth-wheel coupling 20 comprises a base plate 21 and an upper plate 22 and provides a link between the semi-trailer and the towing truck. The base plate 21 is situated on the towing vehicle while the upper plate 22 with a kingpin 24 is situated on an underside of the semi-trailer.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a turntable of a fifth wheel coupling 20. The fifth-wheel coupling 20 provides the link between a semi-trailer and the towing vehicle, truck, tractor unit, leading trailer or dolly. The coupling consists of a kingpin 24, a steel pin 24 mounted on an upper plate (not shown) on the front of the semi-trailer, and a horseshoe-shaped coupling device called a fifth wheel 21 (base plate) on the rear of the towing vehicle. The fifth wheel turntable comprises a base plate 21 (also called a fifth wheel) with a grease pit 23 arranged as an elongate groove on the surface of the base plate 21. The elongate groove 23 or grease pit 23 can have different shape and size according to the different turntables on different vehicles.

[0065] The base plate 21 comprises a recess 25 for introduction of a corresponding kingpin 24 located on the upper plate 22 of a trailer.

[0066] According to the invention, a lubrication device 10 (shown in FIG. 3), which has a sausage-like shape, is placed on the base plate 21 and formable to adapt to the shape of the grease pit 23 so that it lays stable and will not move or fall out from the plate during operation. The lubrication device 10 are ruptured under pressure when the upper plate 22 is being arranged on top of the base plate 21, and wherein the lubrication grease 12 stored inside the lubrication device 10 will be distributed in the mating surface between the base plate 21 and the upper plate 22.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows a lubrication device 10 according to the present invention, where the device 10 comprises a lubrication grease 12 stored and sealed inside an elastic and flexible casing 11. The lubrication device 10 comprises at least one section of sealed lubrication grease 12, each section having an elongate shape with a generally circular cross section.

[0068] The casing 11 may have a sleeve-like shape and be made from natural or artificial material, with similarities to regular food sausages. The casing 11 defines the material that encloses the filling of the sausage. Casings are made from different materials which can be divided into two categories of materials, natural and artificial. Artificial casings, such as collagen, cellulose, plastic, and extruded casings. Natural sausage casings are made from the sub-mucosa, a layer of the intestine that consists mainly of naturally occurring collagen. This should not be confused with collagen casings, which are artificially processed from collagen derived from the skins of cattle.

[0069] The lubrication grease 12 has a high viscosity which provides a flexible and comfortable liquid, easy to form to any shape, in any desired length and easy to divide into sections. The lubrication device 10 may comprise of a plurality of individual sealed sub-section arranged in succession, easy to separate by a scissor or knife.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a lubrication device 10 according to the present invention, positioned on the mating surface of a base plate 21. The device 10 is shaped such that it substantially follows a circumferential shape of the base plate 21. This advantageous embodiment ensures that one single lubrication device 10 covers a large area of the base plate 21, such that when the upper plate 22 is disposed on top of the base plate 21, the casing 11 of the lubrication device 10 will rupture due to the pressure of the upper plate 22, and wherein the lubrication grease 12 is distributed between the sliding mating surfaces of the base plate 21 and the upper plate 22. If more lubrication grease 12 are needed, two or more lubrication devices 10 can be used.

[0071] FIG. 5 a)-c) shows the plastically formable property of the lubrication device 10. FIG. 5 a) shows the device 10 as it may appear after production. The device 10 displays a longitudinal (snake-like) shape and has a substantially annular cross-sectional shape. According to the invention, the device 10 can also be manufactured in other appropriate cross-sectional shapes. As illustrated below, it can also de deformed into other appropriate shapes.

[0072] FIG. 5 b) shows that the device 10 are formable by applying a force. According to the invention the lubrication device 10 can be compressed, stretched and bended such that it obtains a different shape. Advantageously, the device 10 obtains and maintains its deformed shape even after the force applied has been removed. The FIG. 5 b) shows the deformation force in form of a left hand compressing a section of the device 10 and a right hand bending the device 10, resulting in a deformed shape of the lubrication device 10.

[0073] FIG. 5 c) illustrates that when the hand force acting on the lubrication device 10 has been removed, the device 10 obtains and maintains its deformed shape.

[0074] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous arrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements.