Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2001-06-26
DePumpo, Daniel G. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S491500, C280S504000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250664
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in bumper hitch apparatus used primarily for smaller or light trucks, such as pick-up trucks. In particular, the improvements relate to extendable cushion hitches of the kind disclosed in Antic U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,881, issued Jul. 14, 1964; Dietrich, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,465, issued May 5, 1981; and Dietrich, Sr., et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,475, issued Aug. 9, 1983.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The type of small truck cushion hitch disclosed in the above patents has remained popular with purchasers and owners of small trucks, primarily pick-up trucks. The primary feature of this type of hitch is that the drawbar may be released from its locked position, and slid rearwardly and moved laterally to align the hitch member of the truck with the hitch member on the tongue of a trailer. After the hitch members are connected and the releases returned to their locked positions, the truck may be moved rearwardly and then forwardly to lock the drawbar of the hitch. During road travel, the drawbar member is spring-cushioned in the locked position, thereby providing a smoother ride and less load variation (i.e., shock load) on the transmission of the truck.
For the first few decades of its usage, the type of extendable cushion hitch with which the present invention is concerned was mounted to the truck frame using side brackets in a position immediately below the frame of the truck. In this case, the truck bumper was removed, and a replacement bumper, typically of universal application, was supplied as an integral unit with the hitch assembly.
With the proliferation of different sizes and styles of pick-up trucks, and the increasing number of domestic and foreign manufacturers of pick-up trucks for the U.S. market, and with the increasing sophistication of manufacturing techniques for increasing the strength of light truck vehicles, the frame configurations for light trucks have increased substantially. To have a uniquely designed cushion bumper hitch and mounting for each model of truck for every truck manufacturer would be prohibitive, particularly when it is realized that these types of products are not distributed directly from the manufacturer, but rather, they are distributed through dealers. Each dealer would have to stock an inordinately large number of hitch assemblies, each dedicated to one or a few truck models.
Moreover, manufacturers of small trucks, in an effort to increase their marketability to a larger number of customers, have adopted automotive styling features for the trucks. One such feature is the use of a rear bumper which is styled to match the truck and to curve around the rear corners. Further, bumpers of many such trucks are painted to match the color of the truck, as with passenger automobiles.
These automotive developments have created a number of problems for light truck owners desiring a heavy duty spring cushion bumper hitch. The first is that the bumper formerly sold with extendable cushion hitches does not match the color of the truck, and it is not styled in a rounded automotive design. Current purchasers of light trucks do not want to have their styled rear bumpers removed and replaced by a bumper which does not match the design and color of the truck they purchase.
If it is desired to place the bumper hitch beneath the original bumper of the truck, another mounting problem arises—namely, that by suspending the hitch assembly at a greater distance beneath the truck frame, greater forces are generated in the brackets which attach the hitch assembly frames to the truck frame since the hitch assembly is suspended beneath the frame at a greater distance than with bumper hitches which replace the rear bumper. This greater distance creates greater bending forces under load conditions on the brackets which attach the cushion bumper assembly to the vehicle frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a mounting structure for a conventional truck cushion hitch assembly in which the hitch assembly is mounted to the frame of the truck at a position below the original bumper of the truck by a weldment called a carrier frame. This permits the owner to retain the original bumper and avoids the cost of a replacement bumper.
Moreover, the present invention permits the manufacturer to make a standard or truly universal cushion hitch assembly which is used for all truck models. That is, there is no need to provide separate cushion hitch assemblies just to accommodate variations in truck frame configurations. The carrier frame is adapted to fit a large number of different truck frames so that only the standard hitch assembly and a few models of carrier frame need be stocked by the dealer.
The carrier frame includes first mounting brackets which are connected to the frame of the spring cushion hitch assembly, and second mounting brackets which are located, sized and spaced to connect to the frame of a number of truck frame configurations. The mounting brackets of the carrier frame are welded to a transverse structural member located above the hitch assembly and beneath the truck assembly to provide a solid, rigid mounting frame which is designed to withstand the increased lateral or torsion forces accompanying the mounting of the hitch assembly below the bumper of the truck.
Moreover, because each of the carrier frames themselves are of a “universal&rlarr2; nature, though not necessarily accommodating all truck frames because of the large number of truck frame configurations, only a limited number of mounting frames are required to be inventoried by a dealer. In other words, the dealer has in inventory, a larger number of identical cushion hitch assemblies, and a smaller number of seven separate carrier frames to accommodate up to sixteen different sizes and configurations of truck frames. Each carrier frame is then adapted to mount the hitch assembly to a large number of truck frame configurations. If new truck frame configurations are introduced, or if the existing ones are modified, only the carrier frame need be modified. The cushion hitch assembly remains the same. This saves cost for the manufacturer and reduces the time to design a model capable of accommodating the new truck frame configuration.
In summary, the present invention solves these two existing problems in that: (1) the cushion hitch assembly may be mounted beneath the truck bumper, leaving the original bumper in place and obviating the former need to purchase a replacement bumper; and (2) the same hitch assembly is adapted to a large number of truck frame configurations.
Each carrier frame includes a weldment of a transverse load-resisting bar and associated mounting brackets for receiving the hitch assembly and for mounting it to the truck frame. In a first illustrated embodiment of the invention, the mounting brackets of the carrier frame have sufficient length in the longitudinal direction (that is, in the fore-to-aft direction of the vehicle) that the forward mounting brackets are not required. Additional bracing brackets, adapted for mounting the forward end of the hitch assembly to a forward location on the truck frame may be provided if the application requires it, as in the second disclosed embodiment.
In the third illustrated embodiment, the carrier frame is adapted to a truck frame which is comparatively wide. In this embodiment, two separate transverse structural frame members are included in the mounting frame, one in a forward position, and one in a rearward position. The mounting brackets for the hitch assembly are separate and spaced at a narrower lateral spacing, and the mounting brackets for the truck frame are spaced at a wider lateral spacing to accommodate the additional width that is needed. Again, the transverse members and the mounting brackets are welded into a rigid carrier frame.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of three different embodiments, accompanied by the accompanying drawing
DePumpo Daniel G.
Emrich & -Dithmar
United Truck Parts LLC
LandOfFree
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