Patent ID: 7651113

Claim:
A fifth wheel hitch having a hitch plate with a rear opening throat area for receiving a trailer kingpin, and a locking mechanism for retaining said kingpin within said throat area, said locking mechanism comprising: a jaw assembly for enclosing around the rear portion of said kingpin received within said throat area comprising: a cam arm having a longitudinal leg transitioning to a transverse leg and pivotally attached by one end of the longitudinal leg to the underside of the hitch plate adjacent the throat area and operable for allowing the transverse leg to swing across the throat, said transverse leg terminating with an unattached end having an inward curving extension; a bumper arm pivotally attached at one end to said cam arm, said bumper arm being configured with first and second finger members extending rearward from an end opposing said attached bumper end; a sliding jaw member slidably mounted to an inner portion of said cam arm and biased toward said inward curving extension, said sliding jaw member having a recess shaped to receive a kingpin shank; a secondary lock member pivotally mounted at a point intermediate first and second ends of said secondary lock member to a rear portion of said cam arm, said secondary lock member having first attachment point disposed rearward from the center of said lock member; a first tension member having a first end attached to said jaw assembly at a point proximal to said unattached end of said cam arm and a second end attached to an outward portion of said hitch underside; a detent extending from a rear portion of the throat area for engaging said second end of said secondary lock member and preventing outward movement thereof.