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The kingpin, also king-pin, king pin and k pin ,^[1][2] is the main pivot in the steering mechanism of a car or other vehicle.

The term is also used to refer to part of a fifth wheel coupling apparatus.

History[edit]

Originally, with the 'turntable' steering of horse-drawn wagons, this was a single pin on which the moveable axle was pivoted beneath the wagon's frame. This located the axle from side to side, but the weight of the wagon was carried on a circular wooden ring turntable surrounding this. Similar centre pivot steering was used by steam traction engines, the kingpin being mounted on the 'perch bracket' beneath the boiler. Some early cars also used centre pivot steering, although it became apparent that it was unsuitable for their increasing speeds.

Ackermann steering separates the steering movement into two pivots, one near the hub of each front wheel. The beam axle between them remains fixed relative to the chassis, linked by the suspension. Ackermann steering has the two advantages that it reduces tyre scrub, the need to drag tyres sideways across their tread when turning the steering, and also it reduced bump steer, suspension and road bumps tending to upset the steering direction. The kingpins were now fixed to the axle ends and the hub carriers pivoted upon them. Most commonly the centre of the kingpin was fixed in the axle and the hub carrier was forked to fit over this, but some vehicles, including the Ford Model T illustrated, used a forked axle and a kingpin fixed into a single piece carrier. Kingpins were always clamped in the centre and the swivel bearings at the ends, to increase the lever arm and so reduce the bearing load.

Independent front suspension developed through the 1930s, for high-performance cars at least, often using double wishbone suspension. This performance also encouraged the reduction of unsprung weight. Rather than using separate pivots for both the up-and-down motion of the suspension and the steering swivel, the use of a spherical ball joint that could move in two degrees of freedom allowed the same joint to carry out both functions. The hub carrier extended vertically to span the ends of both wishbones, with a ball joint at each end. In the 1950s and 1960s, such independent suspension became commonplace through light cars in all price ranges. Although the kingpin was no longer an identifiable physical component, suspension geometry was still designed in terms of a virtual kingpin along a line between the ball joint centres.

Although they are largely obsolete, kingpin suspensions have the advantage of being able to carry much heavier weights,^[dubious] which is why they are still featured on some heavy trucks. Dana produced the kingpin version of the D60 axle until 1991. (The functionally analogous, similar looking and very robust joint between the chassis and boom on a backhoe is however referred to as a king post.)

The nipple at the front of a semi-trailer to connect to a fifth wheel coupling on a tractor unit is also known as a kingpin, which usage is analogous to the original horse-drawn wagon and traction engine steering use.^[1]

Kingpin inclination[edit]

While no current-era automobile front suspension incorporates a physical kingpin, the axis defined by the steering knuckle pivot points acts a 'virtual kingpin' about which the wheel turns. This virtual kingpin is inclined toward the centerline of the vehicle at an angle called the kingpin angle. Virtual or physical, the kingpin angle may also be referred to by its acronym KPA, kingpin inclination (KPI), or steering axis inclination (SAI), and remains a fundamental vehicle design parameter. On most modern designs, the kingpin angle is set relative to the vertical, as viewed from the front or back of the vehicle, and it is not adjustable, changing only if the wheel spindle or steering knuckles are bent.^{[citation needed]}

The kingpin angle has an important effect on steering, making it tend to return to the straight ahead or centre position because the straight ahead position is where the suspended body of the vehicle is at its lowest point. Thus, the weight of the vehicle tends to rotate the wheel about the kingpin back to this position. The kingpin inclination also contributes to the scrub radius of the steered wheel, the distance between the centre of the tyre contact patch and where the kingpin axis intersects the ground. If these points coincide, the scrub radius is zero.

As a biological metaphor[edit]

Zoologist Nicholas Humphrey introduced his 1976 paper 'The Social Functions of Intellect' with the following anecdote:

Henry Ford, it is said, commissioned a survey of the carscrap-yards of America to find out if there were parts of theModel T Ford which never failed. His inspectors came backwith reports of almost every kind of failure: axles, brakes,pistons – all were liable to go wrong. But they drew attentionto one notable exception, the kingpins of the scrapped carsinvariably had years of life left in them. With ruthless logicFord concluded that the kingpins on the Model T were toogood for their job and ordered that in future they should bemade to an inferior specification.^[3]

Humphrey used the metaphor to introduce the idea of the efficiency of resource allocation by natural selection ('Nature is surely at least as careful an economist as Henry Ford'). The metaphor has been cited by several prominent science writers including Richard Dawkins,^[4]John Barrow,^[5] and Jared Diamond.^[6] Biologists Robert A. Laird and Thomas N. Sherratt have questioned both the truth of the story and the utility of the metaphor, pointing out that evolution of multicomponent systems need not result in identical component failure rates.^[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abOxford English Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. 1989. king-pin: that which holds together any complex system or arrangement. 1958 Engineering 28 Feb. 265/3 Another remarkable feature of the design is a front suspension which uses telescopic dampers as the king pins and steering swivels.
2. ^'Random House Dictionary: kingpin'. Random House, Inc. 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
3. ^Humphrey, Nicholas K. (1976), 'The Social Function of Intellect'(PDF), in Bateson, P. P. G.; Hinde, Robert A. (eds.), Growing points in ethology: based on a conference sponsored by St. John's College and King's College, Cambridge, CambridgeUP, p. 303, ISBN9780521290869, OCLC2562833, reproduced in Humphrey, N. 1983. Consciousness regained: chapters in the development of mind. Oxford Univ. Press.
4. ^Dawkins, Richard (1995), River Out of Eden: a Darwinian view of life, Science Masters Series, Basic Books, ISBN9780465069903, OCLC31376584
5. ^Barrow, John D. (1995), The artful universe : the cosmic source of human creativity, Back Bay Books, ISBN9780316082426, OCLC35767760
6. ^Diamond, Jared M. (1997), Why Is Sex Fun? : the evolution of human sexuality, HarperCollins, ISBN9780465031276, OCLC35750426
7. ^Laird, R. A.; Sherratt, T. N. (2010). 'The economics of evolution: Henry Ford and the Model T'. Oikos. 119: 3. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17613.x.

We are getting some really good looks at the California condor egg in Redwood Queen’s nest tree in Big Sur, California. This is the same tree that Red Wood Queen raised Pasquale and Iniko with her long time mate, King Pin. Symbol port devices driver download for windows 10. King Pin is believed to have perished in the Dolan Fire in 2020.

Redwood Queen 190 and Phoenix 477 have been taking turns incubating the egg. We will be looking for a hatch in four days time – on April 24.

Did you know that on Easter Sunday in 1987 the last living California condor was captured and taken into captivity? Today, thirty-four years later condors are being released and living in the wild again. After the fire in 2020, there are 9 missing condor including Redwood Queen’s old mate, King Pin. There are 90 California condors living in Central California and 507 in total. Those numbers show the success of the captive breeding programme that Ventana Wildlife Society and the USFWS undertook three decades ago. Seeing Redwood Queen who was born in captivity lay another egg in her burnout Redwood Tree just puts a smile on your face!

Everything seems to be fine on The Landings Savannah Osprey Nest. The two little ones are growing and had crops this morning. As everyone knows, I am hoping that the third egg is not viable. These two are great and mom and dad can handle them easily.

The three little Peregrine Falcon eyasses of Annie and Grinnell’s are just adorable. They are growing and getting feisty. Grinnell has been very busy catching the local pigeons and turning them into raptors. Everything is fine on this nest. Watch for the hatching of the fourth egg tomorrow!

Open wide! Peregrin falcons make a ‘clicking’ sound alerting the eyases that it is time to open wide and eat.

The sun is going down on Loch Arkaig and, as yet, there is no news of Aila returning.

All of the nests in the UK that have eggs on them are doing great. NC0 is incubating at Loch of the Lowes – what a gorgeous place for a nest! Just like that of Annie and Grinnell who are in the penthouse of the Campanile at Berkeley.

Over in Wales at the Dyfi Nest, Idris is showing off his amazing fishing skills to Telyn (Blue 3J). Wow. Apparently, Monty, Idris’s predecessor was also good at catching two fish at the same time. It’s great. Idris and Telyn can have dinner together!

Tiny Tot is enjoying the view and his nice full stomach from the feeding this morning. Or in my world, I am not going to start to worry about him again for another day or so – Tiny Tot is a miracle!

King Pins International Truck

There he is looking out at the traffic below. His tail is coming in nicely.

Have a terrific day everyone. Take care, stay safe!

King Pin Suspension

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union in Dunedin, Florida, UC Berkeley Falcon Cam, Cornell Bird and Skidiway Audubon Savannah Osprey Nest, Woodland Trust and People’s Postcode Lottery, Dyfi Nature Reserve, Scottish Wildlife Trust, and Ventana Wildlife Society and Explore.org.