Patent ID: 8146939

Claim:
A fifth wheel apparatus for detachably coupling a trailing vehicle to a towing vehicle, comprising: an equalizer bridge supported on a towing vehicle and pivotable about a roll axis that extends in a direction of towing motion of the towing vehicle and that is vertically fixed relative to the towing vehicle, the equalizer bridge including first and second arms that extend laterally from respective first and second sides of the roll axis; a fifth wheel head attached to the equalizer bridge for movement therewith about the roll axis, the fifth wheel head pivotable relative to the equalizer bridge about a pitch axis transverse to the roll axis; and a first damping element operably interposed between the towing vehicle and a distal end region of the first arm and a second damping element operably interposed between the towing vehicle and a distal end region of the second arm, and when the trailing vehicle is attached to the fifth wheel head, the first and second damping elements resist rolling movement of the trailing vehicle about the roll axis during travel over uneven roads.