Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1990-06-06
1992-11-10
Culbreth, Eric D.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
2804051, 280511, 280512, 403316, B60D 106
Patent
active
051618150
ABSTRACT:
A self aligning trailer hitch, used by a driver alone without creating any personal lifting force, to couple and decouple a towing vehicle and a trailer, has a multiple piece assembly of a socket for securement to a towing vehicle, having a rotatable claw, which has a spherical recessed surface adapted to receive a portion of a lower ball of a vertical dual ball assembly, which is secured to a towed vehicle. Upon hitching the vehicles together, the rotatable claw contacts the lower ball, when this socket is moving horizontally, during movement of a towing vehicle toward the towed vehicle, causing the lower ball to be repositioned upwardly and over center, while being guided in a vertical plane, and then held in the radially upwardly repositioned spherical recessed surface of the rotatable claw. A three dimensional ramp guides the lower ball to fully contact the spherical recessed surface of the rotatable claw. This ramp has an entry ramp portion, respective left and right side portions, which commence widely spaced to create a wide mouth entrance, and thereafter converge to a narrow throat exit, and also respective left and right integral curved transition portions, located between the entry ramp portion and the respective side portions, having a radii of these curved transition portions. Another spherical recessed surface, located on the multiple piece socket assembly, receives a portion of a lower ball stopping it, and contributing to the holding thereof. A lock keeps the rotatable claw in this lower ball holding position. This self aligning trailer hitch may include a load equalizer assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3521908 (1970-07-01), Carter
patent: 3588145 (1971-06-01), Thompson
patent: 3679243 (1972-07-01), Hamerl
patent: 3801133 (1974-04-01), Thompson
patent: 3879062 (1975-04-01), Miller
patent: 4778196 (1988-10-01), Spoliansky
patent: 4792151 (1988-12-01), Feld
Culbreth Eric D.
Mattern Jr. Roy E.
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