King-pin lock structure and operating mechanism

Claim 1

IN A FIFTH WHEEL FOR SEMI-TRAILERS AND THE LIKE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL OPENING FOR RECEIVING A KING-PIN ON A COMPLEMENTARY FIFTH WHEEL, IMPROVED KING-PIN LOCK STRUCTURE AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR COMPRISING, A FIRST JAW ON SAID FIFTH WHEEL POSITIONED TO RECEIVE A KING-PIN ENTERING SAID OPENING, A SECOND JAW MOUNTED ON SAID FIFTH WHEEL FOR SWINGING BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION DISPLACED FROM SAID OPENING AND A CLOSED POSITION WITHIN SAID OPENING WHEREIN IT COOPERATES WITH SAID FIRST JAW TO LOCKINGLY ENGAGE A KING-PIN, A FINGER MOUNTED TO SWING WITH SAID SECOND JAW AND PROJECTING INTO SAID OPENING FOR ENGAGEMENT BY A KING-PIN WHEN SAID SECOND JAW IS IN SAID OPEN POSITION SAID FINGER BEING MOVABLE RESPONSIVE TO FORCE EXERTED THEREON IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION BY A KING-PIN MOVING LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID OPENING TOWARD SAID FIRST JAW, SAID FINGER BEING OPERABLE RESPONSIVE TO KING-PIN-INDUCED MOVEMENT THEREOF TO SWING SAID SECOND JAW TO SAID CLOSED POSITION, SAID FINGER BEING POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT BY A KINGPIN ENTERING SAID OPENING ADJACENT SAID FIRST JAW IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SAID FINGER RESPONSIVE TO ENGAGEMENT THEREOF BY A KINGPIN IN SAID LATERAL DIRECTION PROVIDING AN OBSTRUCTION TO CLOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND JAW, WHEREBY TO PREVENT FALSE LOCKING OF SAID JAWS, AND RELEASABLE LOCK MEANS OPERABLE RESPONSIVE TO ATTAINMENT OF CLOSED RELATION OF SAID JAWS TO A KINGPIN TO SECURE SAID JAWS IN SAID CLOSED RELATION, SAID SECOND JAW AND FINGER BEING SEPARATE ELEMENTS, SPRING MEANS BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FINGER AND JAW THROUGH WHICH SAID FINGER SWINGS SAID SECOND JAW TO CLOSED RELATION, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING YIELDABLE TO FACILITATE DIFFERENTIAL TERMINAL CLOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID FINGER AND SECOND JAW SO THAT SAID SECOND JAW LOCKS EFFECTIVELY RELATIVE TO KING-PINS OF VARYING INDIVIDUAL CHARATERISTICS.