Fifth wheel for railway trailer hitch including a one-way gate

A railway trailer hitch comprising:

• a vertical strut and a diagonal strut supporting a trailer hitch head including a pair of jaws in said head which engage the kingpin of a trailer to hold the kingpin in place;
• said jaws held in closed position by a locking member which is biased to an engaged position with said jaws by at least one stiff spring;
• a head linkage adapted to engage the locking member to move the locking member to open position against the bias of said stiff spring;
• a one-way kingpin gate located in the front portion of said head;
• said head linkage adapted to engage a gate actuator which engages said one-way gate and pivots the same to open position allowing exit of the kingpin;
• said head linkage being automatically activated by a bumper bar linkage in said hitch.

A trailer hitch head comprising:

• a pair of jaws pivotably mounted and movable between a closed position holding in place a kingpin of a highway trailer and an open position allowing said kingpin to exit;
• said jaws including laterally spaced rear slots which are engaged by a generally horizontally moving locking member to hold said jaws in said closed position;
• resilient means biasing said locking member into engagement with said jaws;
• said locking member being movable longitudinally of said jaws to a position out of engagement with said jaws which allows said jaws to assume said open position and said kingpin to exit;
• means for maintaining said locking member out of engagement with said jaws;
• said jaws further comprising rear locking lugs which are engaged by said locking member in an intermediate position to hold said jaws in a full open position upon release of said means for maintaining said locking member out of engagement with said jaws.

A railway trailer hitch comprising:

• a vertical strut and a diagonal strut supporting a trailer hitch head including a pair of jaws in said head which engage the kingpin of a trailer to hold the kingpin in place;
• said jaws held in closed position by a locking member which is biased to an engaged position with said jaws by at least one stiff spring;
• a head linkage adapted to engage the locking member to move the locking member to open position against the bias of said stiff spring;
• a one-way kingpin gate located in the front portion of the fifth wheel;
• said head linkage adapted to engage a gate actuator which engages said one-way gate and pivots the same to open position allowing exit of the kingpin;
• said head linkage being automatically activated by a bumper bar linkage located in said tractor operated hitch;
• said head linkage comprising at least one enlongated cam having a cam surface which engages said gate actuator to move said gate actuator longitudinally and into engagement with said gate to pivot said gate to open position;
• said head linkage further including a generally vertically extending finger adapter to engage said locking member to move the same to open position to allow said jaws to open.