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Inventors' corner
Page 22
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CM has been checking out two new products which have the potential to save life, limb — and money.
Anew invention from South Africa promises to remove the risks associated with clambering between cab and trailer to connect air lines.
Every year, drivers are killed or injured during trailer hitching manoeuvres. Kingpin Pneumatics' (KP) solution is an automatic pneumatic coupling system, which allows a trailer to be hitched or unhitched without the driver having to enter the danger zone.
The system was developed to overcome a risk not usually found in the UK: apparently it is relatively common in certain parts of South Africa for criminals to jump aboard moving trucks and cut the suzies, forcing the truck to a halt. Another benefit is the avoidance of downtime due to damaged suzies. Talking to repair technicians during CM'S recent breakdown response test we teal ned that this is near the top of the list of breakdown causes.
How it works
KP's automatic kingpin effectively works as a cross between a shuttle valve and quick release coupling. It comprises two halves, the upper being a replacement kingpin with a female receptor in the centre. Despite its tubular design it is claimed to be up to 80% stronger than a conventional pin, thanks to the use of higher grade steel.
The lower half is bolted beneath the centre of any conventional fifth wheel with four rubber cotton-reel mountings accommodating the necessary flexibility of alignment. When the kingpin is engaged in the fifth-wheel jaws in the usual way the central valve is pneumatically triggered into the kingpin. Compressed air for this trigger is stored in a small tank on the tractor chassis.
As the valve starts to move it is preceded by a quick 8bar blast of air to clear any dirt and grease from the connection. Once the valve is locked in place air flows from tractor to trailer through a series of annular grooves.
The quality of the 0-ring and mating surface material is such that more than 8,000 connecting/ disconnecting cycles are said to be possible without significant wear. Routine servicing, which basically comprises seal renewal, is recommended every 3,500 cycles.
Use in mixed fleets with conventional couplings is facilitated by plumbing-in suzies to the supply pipes and by isolating the automatic coupling with a single valve.
With the brake lines safely connected, the electrics still need to be hooked up, but KP sees this as a relatively easy problem to solve. It is working on two forms of multiplexing, using either a single hard-wired signalling cable or a short-range radio system.
The system is being evaluated by the Vehicle Certification Agency, after which it will go on sale, The cost has yet to be confirmed, but is likely to be in excess of i1,000 a vehicle. • • Contact Mike Holman on 01508 550616,