Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Patent
1986-03-17
1986-12-09
Love, John J.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
280507, 280511, 340 52R, B60D 112
Patent
active
046276335
ABSTRACT:
A hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus, being applied to a trailer hitch ball member, includes a plunger rod reciprocally mounted vertically through the ball member. The rod is longer than the ball member, allowing the rod to extend either above or below opposite upper and lower ends of the ball member. The rod is composed of electrically nonconductive material capable of being trimmed to a length which will exceed the ball member height at least by a desired amount. An electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power includes an operator signaling device and a pair of contacts. One contact is carried by a lower end of the rod and the other contact is defined on the lower end of the ball member, which preferably is composed of electrically conductive material. A resiliently stretchable band interconnects the rod and the ball member so as to bias the rod upwardly with its upper end extending above the ball member and the one contact electrically engaged with the other contact causing activation of the operator signaling device. Upon seating of the trailer hitch socket member on the ball member, the stretchable band yields to permit the rod to move downwardly, displacing the one contact below the other contact and deactivating the operator signaling device. However, the signaling device will reactivate whenever the socket member uncouples from the ball member sufficiently to allow the rod to return upwardly and the contacts to again electrically engage one another.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2797406 (1957-06-01), Tanis et al.
patent: 3047839 (1962-07-01), Brown et al.
patent: 3479057 (1969-11-01), Miller
patent: 3710370 (1973-01-01), Quilici et al.
patent: 3792563 (1974-11-01), Ellis et al.
Gehman Roland P.
Martin Raymond G.
Flanagan John R.
Love John J.
McGiehan Donn
MGS, Inc.
Swartz Michael R.
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