Locks – Portable
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-25
2003-06-17
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3629)
Locks
Portable
C280S507000, C070S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578392
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer hitch locks and more particularly pertains to a new hitch lock for inhibiting the theft of a trailer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trailer hitch locks is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,679 describes a device for preventing access to a trailer coupler to prevent a thief from hooking the trailer coupler up to be towed away. Another type of trailer hitch lock is U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,720 having a loss-prevention device that extends through a hole of a lunette eye to prevent access to the hole of the lunette eye by a thief. U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,143 has a device reliably applied to the forward towing hook of a trailer type road vehicle to prevent unauthorized access to the forward to hook. U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,005 has a pair of flat circular plates couplable to the ring of a trailer hitch tongue to prevent unauthorized access to the ring of the trailer hitch tongue. U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,575 has a lock apparatus that is secured through the ring of a trailer hitch tongue to prevent unauthorized access to the ring of the trailer hitch tongue. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 312,958 shows a lunette trailer hitch anti-theft device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a new hitch lock that inhibits access to the aperture of a trailer hitch to inhibit theft of a trailer.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new hitch lock that has no moving parts to wear out after repeated use.
To this end, the present invention generally comprises a base member having a base plate. The base plate is designed for abutting a bottom of the trailer hitch. The base member has a rod portion. The rod portion is coupled to the base plate whereby the rod portion is designed for extending through an aperture of the trailer hitch when the base plate abuts the bottom of the trailer hitch. A top plate has a receiving bore. The receiving bore slidably receives the rod portion of the base member. The top plate is designed for abutting a top of the trailer hitch when the receiving bore receives the rod portion of the base member and the base plate abuts the bottom of the trailer hitch. A locking member is selectively couplable to the rod portion of the base member. The locking member is for securing the top plate to the base member whereby the base member and the top plate are designed for being secured to the trailer hitch to prevent theft of the trailer.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3844143 (1974-10-01), Hudson
patent: 4186575 (1980-02-01), Bulle
patent: 4376544 (1983-03-01), Sette et al.
patent: 4380160 (1983-04-01), Hoffman
patent: 4440005 (1984-04-01), Bulle
patent: 4480450 (1984-11-01), Brown
patent: D312958 (1990-12-01), Aguilar
patent: 5332251 (1994-07-01), Farquhar
patent: 5343720 (1994-09-01), Slater
patent: 5873271 (1999-02-01), Smith
patent: 5937679 (1999-08-01), Villalon
patent: 6467317 (2002-10-01), Hillabush et al.
Bowman Howard
Bowman Victor
Knight Anthony
Walsh John B.
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