Patent ID: 6581951
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A connector apparatus for detachably, attaching a trailing vehicle to a towing vehicle, comprising:a base structure having a top, and front and rear portions; a kingpin-receiving plate having a front side and a back side, attached with respect to the top of the base structure and pivotable with respect thereto about a substantially horizontal cross-axis; a front bottom deck with an upper surface, attached with respect to the front side of the base structure; a rear bottom deck with an upper surface, attached with respect to the rear side of the base structure; a front top deck with a lower surface, rigidly attached with respect to the front side of the kingpin-receiving plate thereby defining a gap of a distance between the upper surface of the front bottom deck and the lower surface of the front top deck; a rear top deck with a lower surface, rigidly attached with respect to the rear side of the kingpin-receiving plate thereby defining a gap of a distance between the upper surface of the rear bottom deck and the lower surface of the rear top deck; and at least one resilient, variable-volume forward motion-dampening device between the upper surface of the front bottom deck and the lower surface of the front top deck whereby a change in the distance between the upper surface of the front bottom deck and the lower surface of the front top deck is resisted; at least one resilient, variable-volume rearward motion-dampening device between the upper surface of the rear bottom deck and the lower surface of the rear top deck whereby a change in the distance between the upper surface of the rear bottom deck and the lower surface of the rear top deck is resisted; and at least one regulated volume-adjusting device attached with respect to the motion-dampening devices to selectively and independently adjust, and then maintain, the volumes of the at least one rearward motion-dampening device and the at least one forward motion-dampening device.