Trailer hitch guidance system
First Claim
1. ) A device useful for coupling a motorized vehicle to a trailer which comprises a receiving portion comprising:
- a) a floor portion having;
i) a trailer-receiving edge;
ii) a second edge; and
iii) a third edge, b) a first wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said second edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion;
c) a second wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension, and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said third edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion; and
d) a hole disposed in said floor portion, wherein said hole is adapted to receive a trailer ball.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided herein is a system for enabling quick and easy coupling of a motorized vehicle to a trailer or other load that is intended to be pulled or pushed by the motorized vehicle. A system of the invention first provides for gender modification of the trailer to be towed from being female in character, to being male in character. A receiving fixture is configured so as to guide the ball portion of the male-rendered trailer into a receiving hole disposed on the receiving fixture in a locking arrangement which provides increased flexibility in the linkage formed by the elements of this invention, with reduced binding on the hardware during a towing operation. A system according to the invention readily permits a single operator to quickly couple a vehicle to a trailer without additional assistance.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. ) A device useful for coupling a motorized vehicle to a trailer which comprises a receiving portion comprising:
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a) a floor portion having;
i) a trailer-receiving edge;
ii) a second edge; and
iii) a third edge, b) a first wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said second edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion;
c) a second wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension, and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said third edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion; and
d) a hole disposed in said floor portion, wherein said hole is adapted to receive a trailer ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. ) A device useful for altering the gender of a trailer hitch, which device comprises:
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a) a first ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a first bore hole having an inner wall and extending at least partially therethrough, said first bore including threads on its inner wall;
b) a second ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a second bore hole having an inner wall and extending at least partially therethrough, said second bore including threads on its inner wall;
c) a rod having a first end which includes threads on its outer surface and a second end which includes threads on its outer surface, and an outer diameter;
d) a strike plate, comprising a substantially planar sheet metal, further comprising a hole disposed through its entirety having a diameter that is large enough to enable said rod to pass therethrough; and
e) a nut having a threaded bore capable of cooperative disposition on said rod, wherein said first ball portion is disposed on said first end of said rod and wherein said second ball portion is disposed on said second end of said rod by cooperation of the threads disposed on the rod ends and threads disposed within the bores within said ball portions, said strike plate being disposed on said rod at a location between said first ball portion and said second ball portion, and wherein said nut is disposed on said rod at a location between either of said ball portions and said strike plate. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. ) A motorized vehicle comprising a device useful for coupling a motorized vehicle to a trailer which comprises a receiving portion comprising:
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a) a floor portion having;
i) a trailer-receiving edge;
ii) a second edge; and
iii) a third edge, b) a first wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said second edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion;
c) a second wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension, and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said third edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion; and
d) a hole disposed in said floor portion, wherein said hole is adapted to receive a trailer ball, said receiving portion being attached to the rear of said motorized vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. ) A device useful for altering the gender of a trailer hitch, which device comprises:
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a) a first ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a first diameter, said first ball further comprising a first linear stud having a threaded exterior portion, which first stud extends outwardly from a point inside said first ball, and which first stud includes a free end;
b) a second ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a second diameter, said second ball further comprising a second linear stud having a threaded exterior portion, which second stud extends outwardly from a point inside said second ball, and which second stud includes a free end;
c) a substantially planar plate portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of holes disposed therethrough, wherein said plurality of holes are of a smaller diameter than the diameter of said ball portions;
d) a linear channel, having a substantially u-shaped cross section and including a floor portion and two leg portions, said channel portion comprising two holes disposed through its floor portion, wherein said two holes are sufficiently spaced from one another to correspond to the distance between two of said plurality of holes on said plate portion, said floor portion of said channel being in substantial contact with the lower surface of said plate portion, with said first linear stud of said first ball portion passing through a one of said holes in said plate portion and a first hole in the floor portion of said channel, and with said second linear stud of said second ball portion passing through another of said holes through said plate portion and a second hole in the floor portion of said channel, such that said first ball portion is disposed above the upper surface of said plate portion and such that said second ball portion is disposed beneath the lower surface of said plate portion, with the first ball portion being secured in position by means of a fastening means disposed on said free end of said first linear stud, and with the second ball portion being secured in position by means of a fastening means disposed on said free end of said second linear stud. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. ) A system for enabling easy coupling of a motorized vehicle to a trailer which comprises:
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I.) a gender-modified trailer, comprising a conventional trailer having a “
female”
ball-receiving socket, which further comprises a device useful for altering the gender of a trailer hitch, which device comprises;
a) a first ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a first diameter, said first ball further comprising a first linear stud having a threaded exterior portion, which first stud extends outwardly from a point inside said first ball, and which first stud includes a free end;
b) a second ball portion existing substantially in the shape of a sphere and having a second diameter, said second ball further comprising a second linear stud having a threaded exterior portion, which second stud extends outwardly from a point inside said second ball, and which second stud includes a free end;
c) a substantially planar plate portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of holes disposed therethrough, wherein said plurality of holes are of a smaller diameter than the diameter of said ball portions;
d) a linear channel, having a substantially u-shaped cross section and including a floor portion and two leg portions, said channel portion comprising two holes disposed through its floor portion, wherein said two holes are sufficiently spaced from one another to correspond to the distance between two of said plurality of holes on said plate portion, said floor portion of said channel being in substantial contact with the lower surface of said plate portion, with said first linear stud of said first ball portion passing through a one of said holes in said plate portion and a first hole in the floor portion of said channel, and with said second linear stud of said second ball portion passing through another of said holes through said plate portion and a second hole in the floor portion of said channel, such that said first ball portion is disposed above the upper surface of said plate portion and such that said second ball portion is disposed beneath the lower surface of said plate portion, with the first ball portion being secured in position by means of a fastening means disposed on said free end of said first linear stud, and with the second ball portion being secured in position by means of a fastening means disposed on said free end of said second linear stud, wherein either of said first ball portion or said second ball portion is disposed in said ball-receiving socket; and
II.) a motorized vehicle comprising a coupling device useful for coupling a motorized vehicle to a trailer which comprises a receiving portion comprising;
a) a floor portion having;
i) a trailer-receiving edge;
ii) a second edge; and
iii) a third edge, b) a first wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said second edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion;
c) a second wall portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a height dimension, and being disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said third edge of said floor portion, and extending substantially perpendicularly upwards from said floor portion; and
d) a hole disposed in said floor portion, wherein said hole is adapted to receive a trailer ball, wherein said coupling device is attached to the rear of said motorized vehicle, and wherein said second ball portion disposed beneath the lower surface of said plate portion on said gender-modified trailer is located within said hole disposed in said floor portion of said coupling device.
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Specification