High-load drawbar eye

• US 7,618,052 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scharmüller, Josef
• Original Assignee: Scharmüller, Josef
• Inventors: Scharmüller, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stabley; Michael R
• Application Number:
  US10/595,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20070138764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 280/511, 280/513
• US Class Current: 280/513
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/065 characterised by the hitch mechanism

Abstract

A high-load drawbar eye (1) with a hitch socket (2) which is open about the rim for receiving a matching hitch ball (7), a hitch arm (3) and a hitch flange (4), includes a hold-down device (5) which cooperates with the hitch socket (2), for realizing a compact hitch connection with a hitch apparatus having a hitch ball.

Claims

1. A high-load drawbar eye, comprising:

a hitch flange for attachment to a towed vehicle;

a hitch socket constructed to receive a matching hitch ball and having an open rim and defining a center axis, said hitch socket being substantially hemispherical in shape and defining a greatest diameter;

a substantially semicircular collar formed along the open rim and having a diameter smaller than a greatest diameter of the hitch socket and further including two end sections, each end section having a recess formed therein;

a hitch arm defining a longitudinal axis and connecting the hitch socket to the hitch flange; and

a hold-down device movably attached to the hitch arm for movement along the longitudinal axis and including a semicircular fork engaging with the hitch socket, said semicircular fork having two end sections each end section having a projection formed thereon, with each projection interlocking with a corresponding opposing recess in the semicircular collar when the hitch ball is in engagement with the hitch socket.

2. The drawbar eye of claim 1, wherein the center axis and the longitudinal axis extend at an angle ranging between approximately 50°

and approximately 80°

relative to one another.

3. The drawbar eye of claim 2, wherein the angle ranges between 60°

and 70°

.

4. The drawbar eye of claim 1, wherein, as viewed in operating position, the hold-down device is movably supported on a bottom side of the hitch arm.

5. The drawbar eye of claim 1, further comprising an actuating apparatus for operating the hold-down device.

6. The drawbar eye of claim 5, wherein the actuating apparatus includes a toggle joint.

7. The drawbar eye of claim 5, wherein the actuating apparatus includes an eccentric lever.

8. The drawbar eye of claim 5, wherein the actuating apparatus includes a manual lever.

9. The drawbar eye of claim 5, wherein the actuating apparatus includes a pneumatically or hydraulically operated cylinder.

10. The drawbar eye of claim 1, wherein the hitch ball has a diameter and includes a portion which is constructed for reception by the hitch socket and the hold-down device, said portion being greater in size than a hemisphere sized to correspond to the diameter of the hitch ball, thereby realizing a substantially flat support area of the portion of the hitch ball by the hitch socket and the hold-down device.