Patent ID: 7416204

Claim:
A mounting assembly for mounting a trailer to a tractor comprising: a fifth wheel hitch comprising a hitch plate, at least one back rib, a peripheral flange, a main rib, skirts and at least two pairs of mounting ribs; the hitch plate defines a tapered mouth and throat for receiving a kingpin, the hitch plate having a bottom face; the at least one back rib extends from the bottom face of the hitch plate; the peripheral flange extends from a periphery of the bottom face of the hitch plate and is connected to ends of the at least one back rib; the main rib extends from the bottom face of the hitch plate between the at least one back rib and a portion of the peripheral flange, the main rib being connected to ends of the peripheral flange; the skirts extend from the hitch plate adjacent the at least one back rib; and the at least two pairs of mounting ribs are located interior of the peripheral flange and the at least one back rib, with each pair of mounting ribs including aligned apertures for accepting a mounting pin therein; and mounting brackets, the mounting brackets being inserted into a space between each pair of mounting ribs and configured to accept the mounting pin to connect the fifth wheel hitch to the mounting brackets; and a one-piece integral rear tractor portion including a horizontal support surface having the mounting brackets connected thereto and structural side frame sections supporting the horizontal support surface, the structural side frame sections including axle supporting components for connecting a tractor axle to the integral rear tractor portion.