US289767A - And caleb r - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

'T. EVANS.

FIFTH WHEEL. No. 289,767; Patented Dec. 4, 1883.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS EVANS, OF GRAVESEND, ASSIGN OR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM H. ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, AND CALEB R. TURNER, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,767, dated December 4, 188

Application filed April 26, 1883.

I all whom it nut concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS Evans, of Gravesend, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fifth-Wheel for Wagons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation, showing my new and improved fifth-wheel applied to a platform spring-wagon. Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of the fifth-wheel removed from the wagon, and Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional elevation taken on the line a: x of Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to reduce the friction of fifth-wheels to as great a degree as possible, and for that purpose I employ the means hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, the wagon-box A and the running-gear B, consisting of the wheels, axles, springs, &c., may be of any approved construction.

0 is the upper portion of the fifth-wheel, which isattached to the box A in the same manner that the upper portions of the ordinary fifth-wheels are attached; and D is the lower portion of the fifth-wheel, which is attached upon the cross-pieces ca of the runninggear in the ordinary or in any approved manner. The upper portion, 0, is a circular channel-plate used in an inverted position, and is by preference cast of malleable iron or steel, with the central downwardly-projecting wearing-surface, b, that runs upon the anti-friction rollers E, and this portion 0 is made of a width between its flanges 0 0 to properly fit over and inclose the upper edges of the flanges d d of the lower portion, D, which portion D is also a circular channel-plate, used with the (No model.)

flanges d d, upright, and corresponding in size with the upper portion, 0. This portion D is also by preference cast of malleable iron or steel, and 'ithas the central depression, 12, formed in it, which corresponds with the wearing-surface b of the upper portion, 0, for the anti-friction rollers E to run in. The friction- 5o rollers E are'journaled in the side rims, ff, of the circular skeleton frame F, which frame fits in the lower portion, D, 'of the fifth-wheel, as shown clearly in the drawings, and the rollers E are made slightly conical or tapering from their outer ends inward, so that they will roll freely between the circular upper and lower portions, 0 D, without canting or cramping, as they would be liable to do if made of like diameter throughout. Constructed in this manner, it will be seen the anti-friction Wheels are applied to the fifth-wheel in apracti cal manner, and that they reduce the friction between the upper and lower parts of the fifthwheel, and therefore not only render it more durable, but make the turning of the wagon much easier for the team. I

Although I have shown and described in invention as applied to platform spring-wagons, it is obvious that it may be applied with equal facility to other forms of wagons and not depart from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A fifth-wheel formed of two circular channel-plates, O D, provided with interlapping flanges 0 d and the corresponding central depression and wearing-surface b b, in combination with the circular skeleton frame F and the conical rollers E, journaled in the rims f of 80 said frame, as shown and described.

THOMAS EVANS.

Witnesses HENRY L. GOODWIN, EDwD. M. CLARK.

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