Patent GB-422122-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in, or relating to, road-vehicles of the tractor-railer type
IPC: B62D53/08
Filed: 1933-06-29
Abstract: 422,122. Tractor-trailer combinations. BROCKHOUSE, J. T., Victoria Works, Hill Top, and DEAR, A. T. C., 6, Coles Lane, both in West Bromwich. June 29,1933, No. 18459. [Class 79 (iii)] In road-vehicles of the tractor-trailer type in which articulated towing connection between the tractor and the trailer is made by a turntable coupling comprising two superimposed and pivotally connected wheel-plates, and in which the under wheel-plate is attached to the top of a rocking carriage trunnionmounted on the rear of the tractor chassis whilst the upper plate is fixed under the front of the trailer chassis, the connection between the plates being made by a king pin adapted to pass through the upper plate and to be locked in pivotal engagement with the tractor wheel plate, means are provided whereby the operator can, without leaving the driving cab, release the trailer from the tractor, lower bogie wheels carried by the trailer to support the front end thereof, apply parking brakes to the trailer, and disconnect the leads supplying current to the trailer lamp. The reverse of these processes can be effected by simply backing the tractor on to the trailer. Fig. 2 shows the tractor b approaching, or leaving, the trailer d. The tractor wheel-plate a is trunnioned at a<1> and the trailer wheel-plate c is hinged at f the king-pin e passing through the plate c, and being received by a gap a<2>, Fig. 4, in the plate a. A groove in the pin e is engaged by a pivoted hook g drawn by a spring g<2> normally to close the inner end of the gap a<2>, a cam face g<4> being provided on the hook to enable the pin e to snap past. A pivoted detent h keeps the hook closed, and the detent has a cam h<5> whereby it is pushed aside by the entering pin prior to the pin meeting the cam g<4>. The pin e is released by a cabin-controlled rod &c. g<6> which acts through links h<1>, h<2>, h<3>, first to remove the detent h and then to rotate the hook g to clear the passage out to the gap a<2>. An extension g<5> is provided on the hook to enable the pin to effect closure of the hook should the spring g<2> fail. The bogie wheels f are carried by a linkage f<1>, f<2> and are moved by a link f<5> on the free end of the plate c, thus being raised or lowered by the rising or falling of the plate c, the gravity action being assisted by a spring if necessary. The connecting links at the bottom of the links f<1>, f<2> are provided with a stop and are so proportioned that the wheels f cannot be raised by backward pressure directly thereon. The parking brakes are actuated by rods &c. f<9>, f<11> from the links f<2>, a slot and spring connection f<12> being provided to ensure that the brakes are always on when the wheels f are on the ground. A hand-lever i serves to release the brakes when the detached trailer is to be moved. The running brake system for the trailer includes a plunger e<1> passing through the pin e, and the trailer lighting system has a lead j<1> threaded through this plunger and having its trailer plug and socket forward end carried by an arm j<9> mounted on the pin e and spring-biassed to lie normally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The tractor plug-socket coupling has a horizontal web with a V-shaped gate which engages the trailer arm j<9>.