Fifth wheel coupler assembly

Claim 1

A FIFTH WHEEL HAVING A TOP PLATE WITH A REAR OPENING FORMED BY DIVERGENT LEG PORTIONS, SAID OPENING TERMINATING IN A LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED MEDIAL SLOT FOR RECEIVING A VEHICLE KINGPIN, A LOCKING AND LATCHING MECHANISM COMPRISING, A COUPLER JAW PIVOTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID MEDIAL SLOT BENEATH SAID TOP PLATE AND SWINGABLE ACROSS THE REAR OF SAID SLOT AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A VEHICLE KINGPIN IN COUPLED POSITION, A LOCKING SURFACE ON THE REAR OF SAID COUPLER JAW, A GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED LOCKING BAR, SAID LOCKING BAR PIVOTED BENEATH SAID TOP PLATE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID MEDIAL SLOT FROM SAID COUPLER JAW, AN ARCUATE LOCKING SURFACE OF SAID LOCKING BAR FOR ENGAGING THE LOCKING SURFACE OF SAID COUPLER JAW, THE ARC OF SAID ARCUATE LOCKING SURFACE CENTERED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE PIVOT POINT OF SAID LOCKING BAR, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID LOCKING BAR TO ENGAGE SAID COUPLER JAW, MEANS FOR DISENGAGING SAID LOCKING BAR FROM SAID COUPLER JAW, LOCK LATCH BARS, SAID LATCH BARS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID MEDIAL SLOT AS SAID LOCK BAR, MEANS ON SAID LATCH BARS SELECTIVELY TO RETAIN SAID LOCK BAR DISENGAGED FROM SAID COUPLER JAW, MEANS ON SAID COUPLER JAW TO DISENGAGE ONE SAID LATCH BAR FROM SAID LOCK BAR WHEN SAID COUPLER JAW IS ROTATED FROM COUPLED TO RECEIVING POSITION, AND MEANS ON SAID OTHER LATCH BAR TO DISENGAGE IT FROM SAID LOCK BAR BY ENTRY OF A KINGPIN IN COUPLED POSITION.