Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-05
2001-11-13
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S415100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315316
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to improvements in trailer hitches, and more specifically to a portable ball hitch assembly.
BACKGROUND ART
There are numerous styles of conventional hitch attachments on the current market for towing vehicles where attempts have been made to design a hitch capable of accommodating differently sized hitch balls. Most of these hitches, however, include disadvantages.
A cluster-type hitch is depicted in Riddle U.S. Pat. 2,911,233 issued Nov. 3, 1959. The Riddle device includes a plate carried by an upstanding sleeve and having a plurality of various sized ball connectors disposed on the outer face. This structure, however, has many disadvantages based on numerous weak points in the construction of the device. For example, relatively great loads or stresses are placed on a hitch of this type at the juncture between the upstanding sleeve and the brackets securing the device to the vehicle which can cause device failure at the weak points resulting in the hitch collapsing or failing to function properly.
A Multiple Connection Trailer Hitch apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,279 to Dirck issued Jun. 26, 1984. The Dirck device includes a rotatable plate member and has at least two connection members of varying diametric sizes secured to a safety bumper of a vehicle. The plate is connected with the bumper by a sleeve and bolt arrangement whereby a locking pin is removed for permitting rotation of the plate to the desired position. The Dirck apparatus, however, also has disadvantages because of its inability to accommodate more than two hitch balls (See
FIG. 5
) at anyone time due to its small plate diameter. Secondly, the Dirck structure uses two plates on top of one another; and then when using ball type hitches, the balls must be welded onto the top plate preventing the use of the stronger standard-type ball and threaded stem assembly. This type of hitch further restricts the use of a standard pin-type hitch connection. A further problem with the Dirck apparatus is that the plates are bolted through the center. Therefore, when a large load is placed upon the hitch there is a tendency for the hitch to torque about the center bolt.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of known designs for multiple ball trailer hitch connections, the present invention has been developed to alleviate these drawbacks and provide further benefits to the user. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention in its several disclosed embodiments alleviates the drawbacks described above with respect to conventionally designed multiple connection trailer hitches and incorporates several additionally beneficial features. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a portable ball hitch assembly capable of having as many as, or more than four differently sized connection points to assist standard vehicles by allowing for more variety and a closer fit depending on the size of the connection member chosen. Secondly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple ball hitch capable of accepting standard bolts of various-sized hitch connection members, as well as the hitch being able to utilize a standard hitch pin for releasable connection to the towing vehicle. The preceding objects are accomplished by providing a portable ball hitch assembly. The beneficial effects described above apply generally to the exemplary devices and mechanisms disclosed herein of the portable ball hitch assembly. The specific structures through which these benefits are delivered will be described in detail hereinbelow.
In at least one embodiment, the present invention takes the form of a hitch mount assembly that has an elongate support member with a longitudinal axis for parallel orientation with a longitudinal axis of a towing vehicle. The elongate support member includes a connective end that is adapted to be coupled to a receiver on a towing vehicle and a table support end that is oppositely located from the connective end. A turntable is rotatably coupled to the elongate support member at the table support end by a rotation facilitating mounting. A plurality of hitch ball assemblies are mounted to the turntable and each hitch ball assembly has a ball portion positioned above the turntable, a post portion that extends through the turntable through a ball mounting aperture in the turntable, and a threaded end of the post portion which extends below the turntable. A spacing member is interposed between the turntable and the elongate support member. The spacing member is configured to establish a clearance space between a lower surface of the turntable and an upper surface of the elongate support member. This space must be adequate to accommodate rotational travel of the threaded ends of the post portions between the lower surface of the turntable and the upper surface of the elongate support member. So that the distance across this clearance space is as short as possible, the height of the space is only slightly greater than the length of the extending threaded end of the post portion below the lower surface of the turntable. In this manner, the clearance space is minimized thereby also minimizing a length of a moment arm measured between the turntable and the elongate support member. This is important because it minimizes any twisting effect experienced in the hitch mount assembly by the forward force of the towing vehicle and the backward drag of the trailer being towed. The rotation facilitating mounting is adapted to accommodate 360 degree rotation of the turntable relative to the elongate support member when the plurality of hitch ball assemblies are mounted thereupon.
In one embodiment, the elongate support additionally includes an intermediate portion located between the connective end and the table support end thereof. The intermediate portion is configured to lower the table support end below the connective end. This enables proper positioning of the plurality of ball assemblies for trailer tongue connections thereto when the receiver on the towing vehicle upon which the hitch mount assembly is installed is at an above-standard height above ground. An example of such a situation is a jacked-up pick-up truck pulling a standardly configured boat trailer.
From a visual perspective, the connective end, the table support end and the intermediate portion together form a substantially Z-shaped elongate support member. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate portion of the elongate support member is oriented at substantially right angles to the connective end and to the table support end. As a result, the intermediate portion of the elongate support member is oriented substantially upright when the hitch mount assembly is properly installed upon a towing vehicle. In the interest of inexpensive manufacture, the connective end, the table support end and the intermediate portion may be constructed from sections of square-shaped tubular steel or solid steel bar that are welded together.
As illustrated, a preferred embodiment of the invention specifies that the plurality of hitch ball assemblies number at least four, and further, the plurality of hitch ball assemblies are diametrically and equally spaced upon the turntable. Each ball portion of the plurality of hitch ball assemblies is differently sized thereby providing a selection of ball sizes to a user for accommodating differently configured trailer connections. Still further, each hitch ball assembly is secured to the turntable by a threaded nut screwably engaged upon the threaded end of the post portion and tightened up against the lower surface of the turntable.
For use, the connective end of the elongate support is configured for insertable reception into a complementarily shaped receiver mounted on a towing vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, an insertable portion of the connective end of the
Cuff Michael
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Olszewski Robert P.
LandOfFree
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