Patents by Inventor Rainer Spitz

Rainer Spitz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7874569
    Abstract: A displacement device for a fifth wheel traction coupling with two base bars and a fifth wheel traction coupling supporting top part which includes two bearing chocks which are slidingly fixed to the base bars and telescoping in a locked position thereof into each base bar by means locking elements with the aid of a rack rail. The known per se sliding devices are expensive due to the production of the base bars, since the rack rails are provided with a toothed profile prior to be welded. A low-cost sliding device is producible in a simple manner. For this purpose, at least one base bar is provided with spaced rest windows on the axial extension thereof for receiving the locking elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Schmidt, Rainer Spitz, José Algüera
  • Publication number: 20090230655
    Abstract: A displacement device for a fifth wheel traction coupling with two base bars and a fifth wheel traction coupling supporting top part which includes two bearing chocks which are slidingly fixed to the base bars and telescoping in a locked position thereof into each base bar by means locking elements with the aid of a rack rail. The known per se sliding devices are expensive due to the production of the base bars, since the rack rails are provided with a toothed profile prior to be welded. A low-cost sliding device is producible in a simple manner. For this purpose, at least one base bar is provided with spaced rest windows on the axial extension thereof for receiving the locking elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: JOST-WERKE GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Schmidt, Rainer Spitz, Jose Algüera
  • Patent number: 6623024
    Abstract: Fifth wheel couplings are used to form an articulated connection between a fifth wheel tractor and a semitrailer. They usually have a fifth wheel coupling plate which is fixed on the fifth wheel tractor by bearing elements (5, 10) and which has a V-shaped recess (2) with a central cavity (3) and a lock for receiving and locking in a kingpin which is mounted on the semitrailer in the middle of an upper plate in such a way that it is fixed. The fifth wheel coupling plate also has an anti-attrition sliding layer (4a, b) on the side facing the upper plate. The inventive fifth wheel coupling plate consists of two separate components which can be mechanically interconnected, i.e. an upper bearing component (12a) which interacts with the upper plate and which is provided with the sliding layer (4a, b), and a lower supporting component (1b) on which the central recess (3) is provided with the engaging lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Jost-Werke AG
    Inventors: José Manuel Alguera Gallego, Stefan Koetter, Rainer Spitz
  • Patent number: 6592140
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sliding device for a fifth wheel. The aim of the invention is to reduce the overall weight of the system consisting of vehicle frame/slide system and also to simplify its assembly. To this end, the base frame is provided with two longitudinally extending angular profiles that are linked with each other by means of two detachable and slidably mounted tie-bars. Every angular profile comprises retaining means that interact with second retaining means of the upper part in such a manner that the upper part can be displaced relative to the base frame in the longitudinal and the transverse direction. The invention device does not require an auxiliary frame that is conventionally used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: José Manuel Alguera Gallego, Rainer Spitz
  • Patent number: 6371504
    Abstract: Fifth wheels are used to establish an articulated connection between a truck tractor and a semi-trailer. They consist of a plate (1) which is attached to the truck tractor and generally has at least one arched slideway lining (4a,4b) acting as a bearing surface and fitting into corresponding recesses of the fifth wheel plate (1) where it is fastened. According to the invention, fastening is provided in the form of a positive fit connection, whereby the lower part of the slideway lining (4a,b) and the upper part of the plate (1) have joining elements (6,8) to ensure a rotationally locked positive fit, thus enabling thermal dilation to occur in the fifth wheel plate (1). Preferably, the positive fitting joining elements for the lower side of the slideway lining (4a,b) are configured as ribs (6) extending radially outwards from a virtual center point (7) and the positive fitting joining elements for the upper side of the fifth wheel plate (1) are configured as complementary grooves (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: José Manuel Alguera Gallego, Frieder Mathis, Wolfgang Pohl, Martin Schneider, Rainer Spitz
  • Patent number: 6279938
    Abstract: A vehicle frame which enables a lowering of the saddle coupling with improved stability for this, and recesses at the upper side of the lengthwise girders of the vehicle frame extending across the entire width of the frame are proposed. The saddle coupling is fastenably secured to the lengthwise girders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignees: Jost Werke AG, Daimler Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Koetter, Rainer Spitz, José Manuel Algüera Gallego, Siegfried Emmann, Wolfgang Seidl, Wolf-Rüdiger Barz
  • Patent number: 6182996
    Abstract: A fifth wheel is described with a coupling plate having elements for fastening to the vehicle frame. It is supposed to facilitate the mounting on the vehicle frame, while it should be possible to equalize manufacturing tolerances of the frame in simple fashion. The fastening elements attach to pivot pins, which are detachably arranged on the fifth wheel and project outward to the side beyond the coupling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH & Co., KG.
    Inventors: Stefan Koetter, Wolfgang Pohl, Rainer Spitz, Josè Manuel Algëera Gallego
  • Patent number: 5137301
    Abstract: A landing gear for semitrailers has a leg the upper end of which is connected with the semitrailer and the lower end of which is connected with a ground contacting member by a load transmitting device which can turn relative to the leg about a horizontal axis back and forth to opposite sides of a neutral portion and has a part cylindrical shell which can roll on a skid between two upstranding sidewalls of the ground contacting member. The axial ends of the shell are connected with end walls which are inwardly adjacent the sidewalls and carry followers serving to track V-shaped cam slots in the adjacent sidewalls. The load transmitting device is biased to the neutral position by two leaf springs which are located at opposite sides of the pivot axis for the load transmitting device and each of which is separably connected to the leg as well as to the skid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Muller, Rainer Spitz, Hans Dreyer