1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fifth wheel safety devices and more particularly pertains to a new fifth wheel coupling safety system for indicating when a king pin is properly locked into a fifth wheel assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fifth wheel safety devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, fifth wheel safety devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art fifth wheel safety devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,552; U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,400; U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,264; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,600; U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,633; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,401.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new fifth wheel coupling safety system. The inventive device includes a fifth wheel assembly having a slot for receiving a king pin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for coupling the king pin to the fifth wheel assembly. The locking mechanism has a locking jaw adapted for coupling the king pin to the fifth wheel assembly, and a pull handle for positioning the locking jaw between locked and unlocked positions. The locking jaw couples the king pin to the fifth wheel assembly when in the locked position and permits separation of the king pin from the fifth wheel assembly when in the unlocked position. The pull handle is positionable between a locking position and an unlocking position. The pull handle positions the locking jaw in the locked position when the pull handle is in the locking position and the pull handle positions the locking jaw in the unlocked position when the pull handle is in the unlocking position. A detector is provided for detecting when the pull handle is properly positioned in the locking position when a king pin of a trailer is inserted into the slot of the fifth wheel assembly. An indicator electrically connected to the detector is also provided for indicating to a user the pull handle is properly positioned in the locking position when a king pin of a trailer is inserted into the slot of the fifth wheel assembly.
In these respects, the fifth wheel coupling safety system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of indicating when a king pin is properly locked into a fifth wheel assembly.