Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-09
2001-01-16
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S504000, C280S491500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173984
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
My invention relates to a hitch for installation on a towing vehicle, and more particularly to a novel, improved tubular hitch apparatus which may be attached to a vehicle.
BACKGROUND
It is often desirable to tow trailers, such as boat trailers, horse trailers, utility trailers, or other equipment, behind a motor vehicle. Typically, a pickup truck on which a reawardly extending camper has been installed is utilized as the towing vehicle. In such situations, the extension of the camper beyond the bumper location of the vehicle is problematic for installation of a hitch. Typically, towing hitches that have been employed in such applications have been designed so that attachment between the hitch and the bumper, or between the hitch and the camper, has been necessary. However, the cost of such trailer hitches, and the additional complexity in hooking up such hitches, adds undesirably to the cost and complexity of providing hitches to consumers, particularly when the vehicle cannot be easily examined. Consequently, it has been impossible to provide such prior art hitches via mail order.
I am aware of various attempts in which an effort has been made to provide an improved towing hitch. Most hitches previously employed for such applications have been relatively weak with respect to resistance to lateral movement, and with respect maximum hitch loading. Or, in designs which have attempted to provide resistance to lateral movement, such as is shown by Sorensen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,562, issued May 13, 1980 for a Trailer Hitch, the necessity for and extra costs of the attachment of struts or support bars arises. Consequently, prior art hitches have considerable shortcomings since they require various fastening devices, or the use of repositioning and latching or various other adjustable parts. Thus, the advantages of my simple, high strength dual tubular tow bar insert design, and the avoidance of lateral struts, or mounting brackets, are important and self-evident.
OBJECTS, ADVANTAGES, AND NOVEL FEATURES
I have now invented, and disclose herein, an improved design for trailer hitch which does not have the above-discussed drawbacks common to those somewhat similar products heretofore designed or used of which I am aware. Unlike the earlier designs which had attempted to provide strengthening struts and attachment parts to stabilize and control use forces in the hitch design, my hitch is adaptable to being affixed at the rear of a towing vehicle with a simple pair of mounting frame brackets, without resort to various struts or other attachment parts. Further, it is simple, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and otherwise superior to those designs heretofore used or proposed. In addition, it provides a significant, additional measure of safety for a towing hitch, due to its relatively high strength structural design.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent to the reader that one important and primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel trailer hitch apparatus which simplifies the installation of the hitch, and which improves the simplicity and safety of towing, eliminating reliance on extraneous attachable struts, brackets, or other parts.
Other important but more specific objects of the invention reside in the provision of a trailer hitch as described herein which:
can be manufactured in a simple, straightforward manner of commonly available materials;
in conjunction with the preceding object, have the advantage that it can be easily and quickly installed by a user, unlike most if not all somewhat similar conventional trailer hitches;
which in a relatively inexpensive manner can enhance safety in towing.
Other important objects, features, and additional advantages of my invention will become apparent to the reader from the foregoing and the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed description and discussion proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have now invented and disclose herein a novel trailer hitch design. The apparatus is especially useful for towing trailers behind vehicles having campers with an extended overhang, without the necessity of providing various staybars, struts, or hanger brackets, or other extension devices as have been utilized previously. My trailer hitch includes a main frame having a transversely extending tubular structural member. The transverse structural member extends between a first end and a second end (left end and right end), and, using the same orientation for reference as would be used in a towing vehicle, has a front, a rear, a bottom, and a top. A first tubular receiving member is provided having a forward end affixed to the rear of the transversely extending tubular structural member. The first tubular receiving member extends rearwardly along a central axis to a first mouth portion. A second tubular receiving member is mounted below the first tubular receiving member. The second tubular receiving member has a forward end, and extends rearwardly along a central axis to a second mouth portion. The second tubular member also has an upper forward portion which is affixed to the bottom of the transversely extending tubular structural member. A structurally strengthening bottom plate is provided to strengthen the joint between the second tubular receiving member and the transverse tubular structural member. The bottom plate has a base portion with an upper surface, and an upwardly extending forward portion. The upwardly extending forward portion of the bottom plate is affixed to the front of the transverse structural member, as well as to the forward end of the second tubular hitch receiver. A pair of opposing frame mounts are provided to attach the hitch to a towing vehicle. One of the frame mounts is affixed proximate to the first end of the transverse structural member, and another one of the frame mounts is affixed proximate the second end of the transverse structural member. This high strength frame mounts and hitch frame can be utilized as the sole attachment structure affixing the hitch to a vehicle. A first tubular tow bar insert and a second tubular tow bar insert are provided. The first tubular tow bar insert is removeably engageable and snugly interfitting for sliding insertion into said first tubular receiving member. The first tubular tow bar insert further includes a rearwardly extending hitch receiving portion. To join the first and second tubular tow bar inserts, at least two downwardly extending generally U-shaped mounting brackets are provided. The downwardly extending mounting brackets are laterally straddling the second tubular tow bar insert, and fasteners are utilized to securely affix the second tubular tow bar insert to the first tubular tow bar insert to provide a unitary, singularly acting structural member. For additional strength, a pair of stiffening angle gussets are provided. One of the stiffening angle gussets is affixed proximate the first end of the transverse structural member between a first one of the frame mounts and the transverse structural member. A second one of the stiffening angle gussets is affixed proximate the second end of the transverse structural member between a second one of the frame mounts and the transverse structural member, so as to strengthen the overall structure said frame.
My novel trailer hitch provides a simple, secure device for towing trailers behind trucks having extended campers thereon. The design provides a significant improvement by reducing complexity and installation details when compared to previous designs known to me for such trailer hitches.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2176878 (1939-10-01), Arehart
patent: 2320046 (1943-05-01), Notar
patent: 2554711 (1951-05-01), Lowman
patent: 3428336 (1969-02-01), Thurman
patent: 3462173 (1969-08-01), Bock
patent: 3490788 (1970-01-01), Mann
patent: 3578358 (1971-05-01), Reynolds
patent: 3730556 (1973-05-01), Aldape et al.
patent: 3768837 (1973-10-01), Reese
patent: 4050714 (1977-09-01), Epp
patent: 4202562 (1980-05-01), Sorenson
pate
Goodloe, Jr. R. Reams
Johnson Brian L.
Kay Jack
Lerner Avraham H.
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