Apparatus for facilitating trailer hitch element alignment

• US 4,905,376 A
• Filed: 10/24/1988
• Issued: 03/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rodger P. Neeley
• Original Assignee: Rodger P. Neeley
• Inventors: Neeley, Rodger P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haroian, Harry N.
• Application Number:
  US07/261,086
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 33/264, 280/477, 350/604, 350/606, 350/632, 350/624, 116/28
• US Class Current: 33/264
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1824 Manual alignment

Abstract

A hitch viewing mirror assembly detachably mounts directly to the tow vehicle, either a special tail-gate clamping means for a pick-up truck or a magnetic mount for a passenger car, thus the tow view operator may view the two vehicle hitch member and the trailer hitch member while operating the tow vehicle during the coupling process thereby providing a particularly effective method of aligning the position of the hitch members.

Claims

1. A device which detachably mounts to a tow vehicle for visually aligning the hitch members of a tow vehicle and trailer during the coupling process comprising:

a convex mirror;

a U-shaped bracket having spaced apart legs extending away from a centrally disposed bight portion and terminating in parallel free ends thereby forming an unobstructed region therebetween;

tow vehicle mounting means respectively attached to each of said free ends of said U-shaped bracket for mounting said free ends to a tow vehicle; and

an elongated upstanding displacement member fastened to said mirror at one end thereof in a ball and socket joint and connected at another end thereof to said centrally disposed bight portion, said elongated upstanding first displacement member providing a vertical displacement to place said convex mirroring in view of a driver of said tow vehicle and further providing a horizontal displacement to place said convex mirror in a region overlying said unobstructed region of said U-shaped bracket.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, said tow vehicle mounting means comprising spring clamps formed with hand grips and coated to prevent said spring clamps from damaging paint on said tow vehicle.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, said tow vehicle mounting means comprising spring clamps, said spring clamps comprising:

a pair of clamping elements each having an upwardly extending section, a downwardly extending section and pivotal connection sections extending normally from said upwardly and downwardly extending sections, respective pivotal connection sections of said clamping elements overlapping for facilitating the joining of said pair of clamping elements;

a pivot rod placed through said pivotal connection sections for fastening said pair of clamping elements together and providing a means for pivotally displacing said clamping elements about an axis of said pivot rod;

a torsion spring located about said pivot rod to provide means for normally forcing the downwardly extending sections of said clamping elements together for gripping said tow vehicle.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, said tow vehicle mounting means comprising magnetic mounting members for magnetically clamping an adjoining metal surface of a tow vehicle.

5. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said tow vehicle mounting means comprise magnetic mounting members respectively disposed on each of said free ends, said magnetic mounting members each have an upstanding boss forming a pivot bracket attached to said free ends thereby providing a pivotally adjustable hinged connection of said magnetic mounting members to said U-shaped bracket.

6. A device which detachably mounts to a tow vehicle for visually aligning hitch members of a tow vehicle and trailer during the coupling process comprising:

a convex mirror;

a horizontal displacement bracket having a first transverse centrally disposed section, angular sections and proceeding at an obtuse angle from respective ends of said transverse centrally disposed section, and end sections proceeding respectively from each of said angular section and aligned perpendicularly with respect to said transverse centrally disposed sections, said end sections forming parallel free ends having an unobstructed region therebetween;

tow vehicle mounting means respectively attached to each of said free ends of said U-shaped bracket for mounting said free ends to a tow vehicle;

an elongated upstanding displacement member fastened to said mirror at one end thereof in a ball and socket joint and connected at another end thereof to said transverse centrally disposed section, said elongated upstanding first displacement member providing a vertical displacement to place said convex mirror in view of a driver of said tow vehicle and further providing a horizontal displacement to place said convex mirror in view of a driver of said tow vehicle and further providing a horizontal displacement to place said convex mirror in a region overlying said unobstructed region of said U-shaped bracket.