Tooling and method for galvanizing kingpin coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019299727-A1
Application number	US-201815944119-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A king pin coupler assembly of a fifth wheel coupling. A coupler plate has a king pin aperture therein. A king pin is positioned to extend axially through the king pin aperture of the coupler plate. The king pin has a first portion with a neck for engaging a fifth wheel of the fifth wheel coupling, the first portion extending to a first side of the coupler plate. The king pin has a second portion on a second side of the coupler plate and welded to the coupler plate. A shielding apparatus is secured to one or both of the king pin and the coupler plate. The shielding apparatus includes a cover sealed to the first side of the coupler plate. The cover extends over the first portion of the king pin to shield the first portion of the king pin during liquid immersion of the king pin coupler assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A king pin coupler assembly of a fifth wheel coupling, the king pin coupler assembly comprising:
a coupler plate having a king pin aperture therein; a king pin positioned to extend axially through the king pin aperture of the coupler plate, the king pin having a first portion with a neck adapted to engage a fifth wheel of the fifth wheel coupling, the first portion extending to a first side of the coupler plate, the king pin having a second portion on a second side of the coupler plate and welded to the coupler plate; a shielding apparatus secured to one or both of the king pin and the coupler plate, the shielding apparatus including a cover sealed to the first side of the coupler plate, wherein the cover extends over the first portion of the king pin to shield the first portion of the king pin during liquid immersion of the king pin coupler assembly.

2 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the cover is sealed to the first side of the coupler plate, and an interior of the cover is vented to atmosphere through a vent structure coupled therewith.

3 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 2 , wherein the vent structure is coupled with a second end of the cover opposite the first end.

4 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 3 , wherein the vent structure includes a hollow conduit extending from a banjo plate that is axially stacked on the second end of the cover and secured in place by a vented bolt having an axial bore and at least one cross-bore.

5 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the king pin coupler assembly has a hot dip galvanized coating extending up to an interface where the cover is sealed to the first side of the coupler plate.

6 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is sealed to the first side of the coupler plate with a gasket positioned therebetween.

7 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 6 , wherein the gasket is formed of graphite.

8 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes an end cap portion at an axial end of the cover that is opposite an axial end sealed to the coupler plate, the end cap portion having a non-circular outer profile when viewed axially.

9 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shielding apparatus includes a lock plate shaped to conform to the first portion of the king pin and prevent axial removal therefrom.

10 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 9 , wherein the lock plate includes a threaded apertures, and wherein the shielding apparatus includes a fastener extending through an end cap portion of the cover and into engagement with the threaded aperture.

11 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 10 , wherein the shielding apparatus includes an anti-rotation interface defined between the cover and the lock plate to restrain rotation of the lock plate by holding the cover as the fastener is installed into the threaded aperture.

12 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the cover is at least partially filled with a heat absorbing liquid.

13 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the king pin is at least partially covered with a thermally insulating ceramic coating.

14 . The king pin coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is formed of a metal having a protective coating or surface treatment.

15 . A method of manufacturing a king pin coupler assembly of a trailer, the method comprising:
providing a coupler plate having a king pin aperture therein; positioning a king pin within the king pin aperture so that a first portion of the king pin having a neck extends to a first side of the coupler plate and a second portion of the king pin extends to a second side of the coupler plate; welding the king pin to the coupler plate to fix the king pin in position within the king pin aperture; applying a shielding apparatus to cover the first portion of the king pin; immersing the coupler plate, with the king pin welded thereto and shielded by the shielding apparatus, into a hot dip galvanizing bath; and removing the coupler plate from the hot dip galvanizing bath, and removing the shielding apparatus.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first side of the coupler plate, the second side of the coupler plate, the second portion of the king pin, and an exterior of the shielding apparatus are all exposed to the hot dip galvanizing bath, and the first portion of the king pin is entirely shielded from the hot dip galvanizing bath by the shielding apparatus.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising at least partially covering the second portion of the king pin with a thermally insulating ceramic coating.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising sealing a first end of the cover to the first side of the coupler plate, and venting an interior of the cover to atmosphere.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first end of the cover is sealed to the first side of the coupler plate by compressing a gasket therebetween.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising securing the cover to the king pin through a retaining structure, the securing including sliding at least one component onto the king pin along a direction transverse to an axial direction of the king pin and securing at least one fastener.

21 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising at least partially filling an interior of the cover with a heat absorbing liquid.

22 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising securing the cover in position over the king pin by directly engaging the coupler plate with a retaining structure, and maintaining a spacing between the retaining structure and the king pin.

Assignees

• Sti Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Fenton Gary Lynn
• Kinsman Matthew Simon

Classifications

• B62D53/08 Primary

  Fifth wheel traction couplings {(tractors for handling trailers in terminals B62D49/007)} · CPC title

• B62D53/0842 Primary

  King pins · CPC title

• B60D1/605

  Protection caps · CPC title

• B60D1/015 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic