Trailer hitch guide

• US 6,234,510 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2000
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jet Texas Oil, LLC
• Original Assignee: Victoria Varley
• Inventors: Hammons, Johnny M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DePumpo, Daniel G.
• Application Number:
  US09/501,980
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 280/477, 280/495, 280/504, 280/508, 280/511
• US Class Current: 280/477
• 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 1/363 Hitch guiding or catching elements, e.g. V-shaped plates partially surrounding a coupling member for guiding the other coupling member
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/52 removably mounted B60D1/56 takes precedence

Abstract

The trailer hitch guide includes a V-shaped fence removably attached to a base plate, the base plate being attached to a tow bar by a ball hitch. The V-shaped fence formed by a pair of plates defining a dihedral angle. The fence is temporarily and removably attached to the base plate by a pair of studs extending from the bottom edges of the fence plates. The base plate has a pair of elongated cylindrical tubes which define sockets into which the fence studs may be inserted. In a first embodiment, the base plate has a U-shaped member attached to the sides of the base plate with the crossbar in a plane vertically below the base plate, defining a rectangular collar in conjunction with the base plate having a perimeter slightly larger than the tow bar so that the collar slides over and encircles the tow bar. The elongated cylindrical tubes are attached to the sides of the U-shaped member. The collar prevents the guide from yawing around the base plate or rocking forwards and backwards as the socket on the trailer tongue pushes against the fence. In a second embodiment, the base plate is a flat plate having a notch defined in its back edge adapted for receiving the trailer hitch, the two elongated tubes depending from the bottom surface of the base plate. The fence is removed from the base plate after connection of the trailer hitch to allow unrestricted rotation of the hitch.

Claims

1. A trailer hitch guide for guiding a socket mounted on a trailer tongue into alignment with a ball hitch attached to a tow bar on a towing vehicle, the guide comprising:

a) a base plate having a hole defined therein, the hole being adapted for receiving a stud depending from a ball hitch, the base plate being adapted for attachment to a towing vehicle by clamping the base plate between the ball hitch and a towing bar;

b) a pair of elongated, hollow cylindrical tubes fixedly attached to said base plate; and

c) a V-shaped fence, the fence being formed by two plates joined at a line to define a dihedral angle, each plate having a stud depending from a bottom edge of the plate, the fence being slidably and removably mounted on said base plate by inserting the studs into said cylindrical tubes, the vertex of the V-shaped fence pointing towards a front of the towing vehicle and a ball hitch being disposed between the plates adjacent the vertex of the dihedral angle formed by said plates when the V-shaped fence is mounted on said base plate; and

wherein said base plate further comprises a U-shaped member fixedly attached to a pair of opposing sides of said base plate, the U-shaped member having a crossbar connecting a pair of side plates at opposite ends of the crossbar, said base plate and the U-shaped member defining a rectangular collar, said base plate being adapted for attachment to the towing vehicle by sliding said collar onto the tow bar and fastening said base plate to the tow bar; and

wherein said cylindrical tubes are fixedly attached to the side plates of said U-shaped member, said cylindrical tubes having a top rim substantially coplanar with a top surface of said base plate so that a socket of a trailer tongue may rotate freely about a ball hitch when said fence is removed from said base plate.

2. The trailer hitch guide according to claim 1, wherein said base plate further comprises a substantially flat, rectangular plate having a front edge, a rear edge, two opposing side edges, a top surface and a bottom surface, the rear edge having a rectangular notch defined therein by a left leg and a right leg on opposite side of the notch, the notch being adapted for receiving a tow bar of a towing vehicle, the left leg and the right leg preventing rotation of said base plate about the tow bar.

3. The trailer hitch guide according to claim 2, wherein said elongated cylindrical tubes depend from the bottom surface of said base plate, said cylindrical tubes being concentric with a pair of holes defined through said base plate.

4. The trailer hitch guide according to claim 2, wherein the hole defined in said base plate is elongated in a direction extending from the front to the back of said base plate so that the position of said base plate on the tow bar may be adjusted forward and backward.