| 摘要 |
<p>A fifth wheel hitch (10) has a fifth wheel hitch plate (12) with a bifurcated rear portion defining a kingpin-receiving mouth (16), throat (18) and latch, an upper surface and an upstanding peripheral rim (12') defining a pocket (12'') over substantially all of the hitch plate (12), a plurality of lubricious polymeric pads (30,32) filling the pocket (12''), specially configurated to interfit and form a bearing surface over substantially all of the hitch plate (12), the pads (30,32) each comprising a steel underlayer (40) having a bottom surface on the hitch plate and having a top surface, and a lubricious polymeric overlayer (42) bonded on the top surface of the steel underlayer (40) and extending above the rim. The hitch plate (12) has a pattern of a plurality of vertical, fastener-receiving orifices (24) extending therethrough, a plurality of threaded studs (44) having upper ends stud welded to the steel underlayer (40) bottom surface, positioned to correspond to the pattern of orifices (24) in the hitch plate (12) and having lower ends extending down through the orifices (24), and a plurality of fastener nuts (48) on the lower ends of the studs (44) for securing the pads (30,32) to the hitch plate (12). The configurated pads (30,32) are preferably in a group of three, with two of them (30) being mirror images of each other on opposite sides of the hitch, or in a group of six, with four of them (130a,b 131a,b) being mirror images of each other on the same side and on opposite sides of the hitch (10), and the remaining two (132a,b) being mirror images of each other. <IMAGE></p> |
