Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-18
2004-09-21
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793235
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A “Microfiche Appendix”
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a guide for guiding a gooseneck trailer hitch onto a hitch ball.
2. Description of Related Art
It is a difficult task to connect a pickup truck or other towing vehicle to the hitch of any trailer, most specifically when connecting to the hitch of a gooseneck trailer. The ball mount for use with a gooseneck trailer is mounted centrally in the bed of a pickup truck causing the driver of the truck to be unable to clearly view the ball mount or the trailer hitch in regard to connecting the two for towing purposes. The additional size of modern pickup trucks, along with the extra cab length now common, only adds to this difficulty. Furthermore, due to the substantial size and weight of most gooseneck type trailers with a large percentage of their weight on the tongue, it is extremely important that the ball mount and the trailer hitch be exactly aligned since it is very difficult to move the trailer laterally, forward or rearward for any adjustment.
This being said, the products and prior art solutions presented for the solution of this problem all fall short in one or more areas. They are either too complicated, too costly to produce, too heavy or too bulky to easily store. An optimal solution will avoid all of these problems, i.e., it must be simple to use by anyone on any truck or any gooseneck type trailer; it must be inexpensive to produce, manufacture, and distribute; it must be lightweight and conveniently stored. Examples of prior art are set out below.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,052 an optically guided trailer hitching system employs light beams of different colors to aid a user in putting a trailer hitch onto a hitch ball. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,847 a mirror mounted upon a post attached to the trailer is employed to to aid a user in putting a trailer hitch onto a hitch ball. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,318 B1 a funnel shaped guide is used to guide the trailer hitch onto the hitch ball. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,795 a transmitter unit employing electronic circuitry and left and right indicators is used to guide a trailer hitch to a position over a ball. None of these patents, however, whether taken alone or in proper combination, show the trailer hitch guide of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A hitch guide is described for use in guiding the hitch ball mounted in the bed of a pickup truck into alignment with the gooseneck trailer hitch. The hitch guide is temporarily mounted, by means of a magnetic attachment, on the side rails of the bed of the pickup truck and comprises a nylon strap holding the ball mount guide marker in a manner so that the marker may be adjustably positioned along the strap, means for tightening the strap, and end pieces attached to the ends of the strap which are positioned above each wheel well and adjusted laterally along the length of the bed rails so that the guide marker will just physically touch the vertical post of the gooseneck trailer hitch when it is directly above the ball mount in the bed of the pickup truck. Once the trailer guide is properly aligned, the position of the ends of the guide may be marked on the inside of the bed rail with indelible ink so as to allow the exact re-placement of the trailer hitch guide whenever one is ready to connect the pickup truck to a gooseneck trailer hitch.
It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved hitch guide.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch guide for use in guiding the hitch ball mounted in the bed of a pickup truck into alignment with a gooseneck trailer hitch.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch guide which may be easily mounted on a pickup truck without modification thereof.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch guide which is easily and readily viewed from the cab or driver's position of a truck without assistance from another person and without other external aids.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch guide which is conveniently stored so as to make it more accessible and agreeable for use.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch guide which is economical to produce.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5961263 (1999-10-01), Nunez
patent: 6089590 (2000-07-01), Bowers
patent: 6655887 (2003-12-01), McDonald
patent: 2002/0100175 (2002-08-01), King
Maxwell Bobby
Maxwell Robert
Baird Gordon E.
Morris Lesley D.
Yeagley Daniel
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