US Patent 8701247 Hinge pin with lubrication channel

A hinge pin includes a shaft defining a clearance surface and joined at one end to a head. A channel between the head and the clearance surface is configured to provide a lubricant path between the head and the clearance surface. In one embodiment, the head has an annular outer portion and a concave central portion, and the channel is provided by a radial slot extending from the central portion through the annular outer portion, and a contiguous axial slot extending downward from the radial slot to the clearance surface. The central portion of the head is configured to receive a small volume of lubricant, while the channel provides a path that allows the lubricant to flow from the head to the clearance surface of the shaft.