STABILIZED TOWING VEHICLE AND TRAILER COMBINATION AND INTERCONNECTING HITCH

• US 3,756,624 A
• Filed: 01/10/1972
• Issued: 09/04/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harry L. Taylor
• Original Assignee: Harry L. Taylor
• Inventors: Taylor, Harry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friaglia, Leo
• Application Number:
  US05/216,551
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 280/423R 296/23R,23MC
• US Class Current: 280/423.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/488 mounted directly to the chassis of the towing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/32 comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping, or like vehicles tents or canopies, in general E04H15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/901 Adaptation of nonspecialized vehicles to semitrailer tractors

Abstract

A towing vehicle and trailer combination in which the effect each vehicle has on the other is minimized even at high speeds. The trailer has a primary, rear body section and a secondary, front body section which forms a nose that extends forwardly from the primary section. A clearance cavity for the rear portion of the vehicle (assuming normal towing in the forward direction) is defined beneath the nose in front of the primary section. A ball and socket hitch connects the forward end of the nose to the top of the towing vehicle at its front to rear and lateral center, thereby equalizing the hitch weight on the wheels of the vehicle. The trailer has its weight distributed in the primary and secondary sections to locate the center of gravity of the entire trailer forwardly of the center of the primary section. The trailer wheels are disposed substantially at the center of gravity, with the result that the distance between the trailer axle or axles and the rear axle of the towing vehicle is materially shortened and is approximately equal to the wheel base of the vehicle. The hitch is secured to the vehicle top by a unitary, rigid, rectangular baseplate overlying the top. The baseplate has an elevated central portion on which the hitch ball is mounted, and is of a shallow, generally frusto-pyramidal configuration to present four downwardly sloping surfaces radiating from the central portion and facing in forward, rearward, and lateral directions respectively.

Claims

1. Hitch structure for connecting the tongue of a trailer to the top of a towing vehicle, said structure comprising:

a unitary, rigid baseplate adapted to overlie said top of the vehicle and extend thereacross from side to side. said baseplate having an elevated central portion and presenting downwardly sloping surfaces radiating from said central portion and facing in generally forward, rearward, and lateral directions, said baseplate having opposed side margins adapted for disposition adjacent the edges of said top at the sides thereof;

meanS secured to said side margins for attaching said baseplate to said vehicle; and

a hitch component mounted on said central portion and adapted to be releasably connected with a mating hitch part carried by said tongue.

2. Hitch structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said baseplate is rectangular and presents a shallow, generally frusto-pyramidal configuration, there being four of said surfaces facing in said forward, rearward, and lateral directions respectively.

3. Hitch structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said attaching means comprises irregularly shaped plate members projecting outwardly and downwardly from said side margins and configured to extend over said edges of the top into engagement with the body of the vehicle therebeneath, and a plurality of fasteners for securing said members to said body.

4. A stabilized towing vehicle and trailer combination comprisiNg:

a wheeled towing vehicle having front and rear axles;

a trailer provided with a primary, rear body section having a top and a bottom, a secondary, front body section spaced above the plane of said bottom and integral with the top portion of said primary section, and ground-engaging wheel units supporting said trailer and having a center axis extending transversely thereof, said secondary section presenting a forwardly extending nose defining a cavity therebeneath in front of said primary section into which the rear portion of said vehicle normally extends;

ball and socket hitch means interconnecting the forward end of said nose and said vehicle, and constituting the sole connection between said vehicle and said trailer;

said vehicle having a top presenting a zone thereon approximately midway front to rear and side to side, and structure securing said hitch means to said vehicle at said zone to substantially equalize the forces applied to the wheels of the vehicle, said structure attaching said hitch means to said vehicle top for 360* angular movement of the vehicle with respect to the trailer, said trailer having its weight distributed in said primary and secondary sections to locate the center of gravity of the entire trailer forwardly of the center of said primary section, said wheel units being disposed substantially at said center of gravity to cause the distance between said center axis of the wheel units and the rear axle of said vehicles to be no greater than approximately equal to the wheel base of the vehicle, said structure including a unitary, rigid baseplate overlying said top of the vehicle at said zone and extending thereacross from side to side, said baseplate having an elevated central portion and presenting downwardly sloping surfaces radiating from said central portion and facing in forward, rearward, and lateral directions, said hitch means having a pair of releasably interconnected components, one of said components being mounted on said central portion of the baseplate.

5. Hitch structure for connecting the tongue of a trailer to a towing vehicle having a top with side edges and doors with top edges, said structure comprising:

a rigid baseplate adapted to overlie said vehicle top and extend laterally thereacross, said baseplate having an elevated central portion and opposed side margins adapted for disposition adjacent said side edges, means secured to said side margins for attaching said baseplate to said vehicle, said baseplate attaching means comprising a structural member sloping outwardly and downwardly and inwardly for disposition between said top side edges and said door top edges, means associated with said structural member for securing same to said vehicle between said top side edges and said door top edges, and a hitch component mounted on said central portion and adapted to be releasably connected with a mating hitch part carried by said tongue.

6. Hitch structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein said baseplate presents downwardly sloping surfaces radiating from said central portion and facing in generally forward, rearward and lateral directions.

7. Hitch structure as claim in claim 6, wherein said baseplate is rectangular and presents a shallow, generally frustopyramidal configuration.

8. Hitch structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the portion of said structural member which slopes inwardly is generally of zig-zag shape.

9. Hitch structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means for securing said structural member to said vehicle are screw fasteners.