Patent ID: 7931291

Claim:
A fifth wheel hitch comprising: a. a hitch plate having a load surface and an underside and including an aperture defined within said load surface and a chassis supporting said hitch plate from said underside, said chassis defining a box open to said aperture; b. a mounting plate insertable into said aperture and removably attachable within said box, said mounting plate formed with a u-shaped throat dimensioned to receive a trailer kingpin having a closed end and an open end defined by first and second extensions, said mounting plate having a top surface configured to be co-planar with said load surface when seated within said box, and a bottom surface configured with a planar mounting area bounded by a curved wall located roughly midway along said first and second extensions, and including a stop extending away from said bottom surface adjacent said throat; c. a locking mechanism for retaining said kingpin against said closed end of said throat comprising: i. a cam arm having a longitudinal leg transitioning to a transverse leg and pivotally attached by an attached end of said longitudinal leg to the bottom surface of said mounting plate and operable for allowing said transverse leg to be moved across the throat, said transverse leg terminating with a free end; ii. a bumper arm pivotally attached at one end to said longitudinal leg and having a free end with first and second finger members defining a space therebetween for engaging said stop; iii. a sliding jaw member slidably mounted to a portion of said transverse leg opposing said closed end of said throat and biased toward said free end of said transverse leg, said sliding jaw member having a recess shaped to snugly retain the kingpin against said closed end; iv. a secondary lock member pivotally mounted to a said transverse leg at an intermediate point along said lock member, said lock member having an end proximate said free end of said transverse leg, and a latch end distal therefrom; v. a tension member attached between said bumper arm and said secondary lock such that said bumper arm and said proximate end of said secondary lock are biased to rotate toward each other; d. a second tension member having a first end attached to said free end of said cam arm and a second end attached to an outward portion of said hitch plate underside; and e. a detent extending from a corner of said box for engaging said latch end of said secondary lock member.