Patent ID: 6231064
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
An automotive tractor unit for use in a rigidly-coupled tractor/semi-trailer combination comprising:a long wheel base tractor with a tractor chassis having front and rear ends, a steering wheel assembly and driver's cab at the front end and a drive wheel assembly at the rear end;the tractor when in the combination being employed with an associated semi-trailer that has front and rear ends and has a king pin at its front end and at least one pair of running wheels at its rear end;means mounting a fifth wheel assembly on the tractor chassis for extended longitudinal movement between a semi-trailer receiving position close to the rear end of the tractor chassis and a semi-trailer mounting position close to the rear of the driver's cab;said extended longitudinal movement being such that in the semi-trailer receiving position the fifth wheel assembly can be coupled with and released from the semi-trailer king pin, and in the semi-trailer mounting position the semi-trailer is mounted on the tractor chassis with the fifth wheel assembly and the king pin coupled together and with the running wheels of the semi-trailer adjacent to the tractor drive wheel assembly; andthe tractor chassis having thereon connecting means for cooperation with connecting means on the associated semi-trailer chassis when the semi-trailer is mounted on the tractor chassis, the connecting means permitting pitching between the tractor chassis and the semi-trailer chassis while preventing yaw between them.