Trailor hitch

• US 5,290,057 A
• Filed: 12/10/1990
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexander M. Pellerito
• Original Assignee: Alexander M. Pellerito
• Inventors: Pellerito, Alexander M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US07/626,681
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 280/511, 280/506, 280/507, 280/491.5
• US Class Current: 280/507
• 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 1/60 Covers, caps or guards , e.g. comprising anti-theft devices

Abstract

An improved ball and socket-type coupling adapted to provide a tamperproof coupling between a tow arm of a towed vehicle and a support member of a towing vehicle, the socket thereof having a dome shaped portion adapted to embrace the ball in a conventional manner, said ball being connected to said support member by a bolt means, said bolt means having an upper non-threaded shank, a lower non-threaded shank, an intermediate threaded portion, and a bolt head connected to said lower shank remote from said intermediate threaded portion, said upper shank defining a transverse aperture therethrough passing through the axis of rotation of said bolt, a nut means having threads corresponding with said intermediate threaded portion of said bolt adapted to mesh therewith so as to sandwich said support member between said bolt head and said nut means, said ball defining a partially hollow interior opening downwardly, said ball further defining a transverse aperture therethrough intersecting said hollow interior at a right angle, said transverse aperture of said ball adapted to align coaxially with the transverse aperture of said upper shank to form a keyway, and pin means adapted to be placed through said keyway to prevent movement of said ball relative to said upper shank.

Claims

1. An improved ball and socket coupling adapted to provide a tamperproof coupling between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle, the coupling comprising:

a support member said support member having a bore extending therethrough;

a ball;

a bolt means connecting said ball to said support member, said bolt means having an upper non-threaded shank and a lower non-threaded shank and an intermediate threaded portion, said bolt means having a bolt head non-removably connected to said lower shank remote from said intermediate threaded portion, said upper shank having an aperture extending therethrough transverse to a longitudinal axis of said bolt means;

a nut means separate from said ball, said nut means having threads corresponding with said intermediate threaded portion of said bolt means for meshing with said intermediate threaded portion so as to sandwich said support member between said bolt head and said nut means, said ball having a partially hollow interior opening on a surface facing said support member, said ball further defining a transverse aperture therethrough intersecting said hollow interior at a right angle, said transverse aperture of said ball aligned coaxially with said aperture of said upper shank so as to form a keyway; and

pin means extending through said keyway to prevent movement of said ball relative to said upper shank.

2. The ball and socket coupling of claim 1, wherein said ball is generally spherically shaped.

3. The ball and socket coupling of claim 2, wherein the lower shank of said bolt means is disposed through an aperture extending through said support member generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of said support member.

4. An apparatus for joining a socket member of towed vehicle to a towing vehicle comprising:

a support member connected to the towing vehicle, said support member having a bore extending transversely therethrough;

a ball means defining a hollow inner cavity opening on a surface facing said support member, said ball means having a transverse aperture extending through said inner cavity of a right angle;

an elongated bolt member having a non-threaded upper shank portion and an intermediate threaded portion and a lower non-threaded shank portion, said inner cavity positioned on said non-threaded upper shank portion;

said lower shank portion being connected to a head remote from said threaded portion, said bolt member extending through said bore in said support member;

an internally threaded intermediate member separate from said ball means, said intermediate member threaded upon said intermediate threaded portion of said bolt member, said intermediate member sandwiched between said ball means and said support member;

a bore formed in said upper shank of said bolt member and aligned coaxially with said transverse aperture of said ball means; and

a retaining pin extending through said bore and said transverse aperture of said ball means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said retaining pin has an elongate axis disposed in a generally horizontal plane.

6. A theft proof coupling of the ball and socket variety adapted to join a towing and a towed vehicle, wherein the coupling is comprised of:

a support member;

a bolt having an upper shank defining a transverse bore therethrough, said bolt having an intermediate threaded portion, said bolt having a head remote from said upper shank, said head bearing against a bottom surface of support member;

a locking element threadedly engaging said intermediate threaded portion and bearing against an upper surface of said support member, said bolt extending through said support member, said threaded intermediate portion and said upper shank extending above said upper surface of said support member;

a ball means having a partially hollow inner cavity, said inner cavity having an opening facing said support member, said inner cavity shaped to correspond generally to said upper shank, said ball means positioned upon said upper shank, said ball means having an aperture extending therethrough and aligned coaxially with said bore in said upper shank to thereby form a keyway;

a retaining pin extending through said keyway.

7. The theft proof coupling of claim 6, wherein said ball means abuts said locking element.

8. The theft proof coupling of claim 7, wherein said locking element is an internally threaded nut having tool engaging means associated therewith for rotating said locking means into a tightened position relative to said support member.

9. The theft proof coupling of claim 6, wherein said retaining pin is a cylindrical elongated member having means to retain said retaining pin means in position within said keyway against unwanted removal thereof from said keyway.