Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2003-07-01
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C033S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585281
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicles and trailers and more specifically it relates to a vehicle alignment system for properly aligning a vehicle with respect to a trailer without requiring the vehicle operator to leave the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Examples of patented devices which are related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,352 to Mills; U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,554 to Law et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,788 to Suter; U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,176 to Sand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,056 to Christensen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,162 to Bohnet; U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,944 to Massie; U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,136 to Heinecke; U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,448 to Cross; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,902 to Potts.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for properly aligning a vehicle with respect to a trailer without requiring the vehicle operator to leave the vehicle. Conventional devices are not easy to utilize and tend to be cumbersome.
In these respects, the vehicle alignment system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of properly aligning a vehicle with respect to a trailer without requiring the vehicle operator to leave the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of vehicle accessories now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new vehicle alignment system construction wherein the same can be utilized for properly aligning a vehicle with respect to a trailer without requiring the vehicle operator to leave the vehicle.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new vehicle alignment system that has many of the advantages of the vehicle accessories mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new vehicle alignment system which is not anticipated; rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art vehicle accessories, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a first telescoping rod having a first base attachable to a hitch of a trailer, and a pair of telescoping rods extending from a cross member with a center magnet attached thereto for attaching to a ball. An upper member extends between the pair of telescoping rods for indicating when the ball and the hitch are properly aligned. An indicator ball is preferably attached to a distal end of each of the telescoping rods for increasing the visual indication.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle alignment system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a vehicle alignment system for properly aligning a vehicle with respect to a trailer without requiring the vehicle operator to leave the vehicle.
Another object is to provide a vehicle alignment system that reduces the amount of time required to attach a trailer.
An additional object is to provide a vehicle alignment system that reduces injury to a vehicle operator by eliminating the need to leave the vehicle during the alignment of the vehicle with respect to a trailer.
A further object is to provide a vehicle alignment system that may be utilized upon various types of trailers and vehicles.
Another object is to provide a vehicle alignment system that may be utilized upon different trailers.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3015162 (1962-01-01), Bohnet
patent: 4012056 (1977-03-01), Christensen
patent: 4666176 (1987-05-01), Sand
patent: 4708359 (1987-11-01), Davenport
patent: 4723788 (1988-02-01), Suter
patent: 4961590 (1990-10-01), Davenport
patent: 5269554 (1993-12-01), Law et al.
patent: 5558352 (1996-09-01), Mills
patent: 5596944 (1997-01-01), Massie
patent: 6042136 (2000-03-01), Heinecke
patent: 6209902 (2001-04-01), Potts
patent: 6273448 (2001-08-01), Cross
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