Easy alignment trailer hitch

• US 6,863,294 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brent Bonham
• Original Assignee: Brent Bonham
• Inventors: Bonham, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US10/764,875
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 280/491.5, 280/478.1, 280/479.2, 280/479.3
• US Class Current: 280/479.2
• 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 1/40 involving a temporarily extensible or alignable member B60D1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/52 removably mounted B60D1/56 takes precedence

Abstract

An easy alignment trailer hitch comprising a conventional hitch insert to be attached to a towing vehicle and aligned holes through sidewalls thereof; an insert assembly having spaced apart slide plates connected at one end to an end plate to be inserted into the bore of the receiver, a slide block between the slide plates is attached to the receiver and means for releasably locking the slide plates to the slide block when the insert assembly is fully inserted into the receiver.

Claims

1. An easy alignment trailer hitch comprising

a receiver for attachment to a tow vehicle, said receiver having a bore there into, spaced apart sidewalls and aligned holes through sidewalls;

an insert assembly including spaced apart slide plates, an end plate connecting said slide plates at one end of said insert assembly, a ball receiving plate interconnecting the other ends of the slide plates, a slide block positioned between said slide plates, means for securing said slide block to said retainer when said insert assembly is inserted into said receiver;

means releasably connecting said slide plates to said slide block when said slide plates are fully inserted into said receiver, at least a portion of the slide plates having a narrowed width that is less than the width of the bore of the receiver; and

a ball secured to said ball receiving plate.

2. An easy alignment trailer hitch as in claim 1, wherein

the means for securing the slide block to the receiver is a securement pin inserted through aligned holes in the receiver and slide block when the insert assembly is inserted into the receiver.

3. An easy alignment trailer hitch as in claim 2, wherein the means releasably connecting the slide plates to the slide block includes a locking pin inserted through aligned holes in the slide plates and the slide block when said slide plates are fully inserted into said receiver.

4. An easy aligned trailer hitch as in claim 3, wherein

the slide block has a width to fit closely into the bore of the receiver.

5. An easy alignment trailer hitch as in claim 4, wherein

the narrowed portions of the lengths of the slide plates extend to the end of the slide block where the insert assembly is fully withdrawn from the receiver to shoulder connected to wider portions of said slide plates that fit closely into the bore of the receiver.

6. An easy alignment trailer hitch as in claim 5, wherein the shoulders are curved.

7. An insert assembly for an easy alignment trailer hitch comprising

a pair of spaced apart slide plates each connected at one end to an end plate and at the other end to a ball receiving plate;

a slide block between said slide plates;

means connecting said slide block to a hitch receiver carried by a tow vehicle; and

means to releasably lock said slide plates and said slide block together when said ball receiving plate is moved to be adjacent to said slide block.

8. An insert assembly as in claim 7, wherein at least portions of the lengths of the slide plates are narrower at the ends of the slide plates having the end plate connected thereto and are wider adjacent the ends having the ball receiving plates secured thereto and with shoulders interconnecting said narrower and said wider portions of the slide plates.

9. An insert as claim 8, wherein the shoulders are curved.