Swing away hitch assembly for a trailer and method of manufacturing same

• US 5,503,423 A
• Filed: 06/14/1994
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bank Of America NA (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tracker Marine LP
• Inventors: Anderson, Walford A., Roberts, Derek C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HURLEY, KEVIN
• Application Number:
  US08/259,626
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 280/491.3, 280/491.1, 280/491.4, 280/478.1, 280/477, 280/479.2, 280/479.3
• US Class Current: 280/491.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/40 involving a temporarily extensible or alignable member B60D1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/44 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/54 collapsible or retractable when not in use, e.g. hide-away hitches B60D1/52 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a swing away hitch for a trailer and method of making same. The hitch is intended to allow the trailer to be parked in a building only slightly longer than the boat itself. Boat trailer hitches extend beyond the bow of the boat by some distance, and thus these trailers require a shed longer than the actual boat. To correct this problem, a swing away hitch is installed proximate the boat. According to the present method, the tubular hitch is sandwiched between top and bottom plates. Holes through the hitch and the plates are aligned with one another and a tubular casing is inserted through the holes. Thereafter, the ends of the tubular casings are "swedged" or expanded by pressing bullet shaped pins into opposite ends of the casings. The swedging effect securely fastens the components. Finally, pins are inserted through the casings to mount the swing away hitch on the trailer.

Claims

1. A trailer hitch comprising:

a base member, having a rear end adapted to be secured to a trailer and a front end projecting forward with respect to said trailer;

a pivoting arm, having a front end adapted to be secured to a hitch and having at least two holes therethrough;

at least one support plate for supporting said pivoting arm relative to said base member, said support plate having at least two holes therethrough aligning with said holes in the pivoting arm;

at least one securing sleeve, extending through said holes in said pivoting arm and said support plate, for securing said support plate to said pivoting arm;

pivoting means for pivotally securing said base member to said pivoting arm; and

positioning means for fastening said pivoting arm in a towing position and a storage position.

2. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said second support means includes top and bottom inner support plates located proximate said rear end of said pivoting arm and secured to top and bottom surfaces of said pivoting arm, said top and bottom support plates having said at least two holes therethrough which are aligned with said holes in said pivoting arm.

3. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said securing means includes tubular sleeves, each of which extends through one of said holes in said second support means and said pivoting arm, said tubular sleeves having flared outer ends that fixably engage, and retain, said second support means in an abutting relation with said pivoting arm.

4. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said first support means includes top and bottom outer support plates located proximate, and secured to, said front end of said base member, said top and bottom outer support plates extending beyond said front end of said base member to receive said pivoting arm.

5. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said first and second support means include inner and outer support plates affixed to top and bottom surfaces of said pivoting arm and said base member, respectively, said inner and outer plates sliding against one another when said pivoting arm is rotating from said towing position to said storage position.

6. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said pivoting arm and said first and second support means include front and back holes having centers aligned along a longitudinal axis thereof.

7. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said securing means includes tubular sleeves and said second support means includes top and bottom inner plates secured to top and bottom surfaces of said pivoting arm by said tubular sleeves extending through said holes.

8. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said pivoting and positioning means include pivot and positioning pins, respectively, and wherein said at least two holes, through said support means and said pivoting arm, includes front and back holes which receive said positioning and pivot pins, respectively.

9. A trailer hitch according to claim 8, wherein a distance between a center of said back hole and an outer edge of said front hole is equal to, or greater, than half a width of said pivoting arm to enable said positioning pin to be inserted after said pivoting arm is rotated to said storage position.

10. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, further comprising a non-friction anti-wear plate located between, and securely fastened to one of, said first and second support means.

11. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said pivoting arm includes side walls having notches in rear ends thereof to prevent said side walls from interfering with a brake line, extending through said base member and said pivoting arm, when said pivoting arm is located in a storage position.

12. A trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting arm is affixed at an angle perpendicular to the base member when fastened in the storage position.

13. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch, comprising the steps of:

securing first support plates to a front end of a base member, said base member having a rear end adapted to be secured to a trailer;

providing at least two holes within a pivoting arm, proximate its rear end, said pivoting arm having a front end adapted to be secured to a hitch;

providing an equal number of holes in said first support plates and in second support plates;

aligning said second support plates with respect to said pivoting arm such that corresponding holes in said second support plate and said pivoting arm align with one another;

inserting sleeves through said holes in said second support plates and said holes in said pivoting arm;

flaring outer ends of said sleeves to affix said second support plates to said pivoting arm;

aligning said first and second plates; and

inserting a pivot pin into a corresponding one of said holes.

14. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, further comprising the step of providing a chamfered edge about said holes and along one side of said second support plates to provide a tapered surface for receiving said flared edges of said sleeves.

15. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, said holes said first support plates are aligned along a longitudinal axis of said base member and said holes in said second support plates and said pivoting arm are aligned along a longitudinal axis of said pivoting arm.

16. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, wherein said first and second support plates and said pivoting arm include front and back holes aligned along a longitudinal axis of said hitch.

17. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 16, further comprising the step of spacing said front and back holes apart by a distance equal to, or greater than, half a width of said pivoting arm to enable a positioning pin to be inserted in one of said holes when rotated to a storage position.

18. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, further comprising the step of securing an anti-wear non-friction layer of material to an inside surface of one of the first and second support plates. 18.

19. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, further comprising the step of forming notches in rear ends of side walls of said pivoting arm.

20. A method of manufacturing a trailer hitch according to claim 13, further comprising the step of welding the second support plates to said pivoting arm.

21. A swing away hitch assembly comprising:

a base member having a rear end adapted to be secured to a trailer and a front end projecting forward with respect to said trailer,

a pivoting arm having a front end adapted to be secured to a hitch;

top and bottom outer support plates affixed to one of said base member and said pivot arm;

top and bottom inner support plates affixed to an opposite one of said base member and said pivot arm, said opposite one of said base member and said pivoting arm and said inner and outer support plates having at least front and back holes therethrough aligned with another;

said inner support plates being received between said outer support plates and slidable engaging one another along an arcuate path having a center at said back hole;

securing means, extending through said holes in said inner plates and through a center of said opposite one of said base member and said pivoting arm, for securing said second support means to said opposite one of said base member and said pivoting arm; and

pivoting means for pivotally securing said base member to said pivoting arm; and

positioning means for fastening said pivoting arm in a towing position and a storage position.

22. A trailer hitch comprising:

a base member, having a rear end adapted to be secured to a trailer and a front end projecting forward with respect to said trailer;

a pivoting arm, having a front end adapted to be secured to a hitch and having holes therethrough;

first and second support means for supporting said pivoting arm relative to said base member, each of said first and second support means having corresponding holes therethrough aligned with said holes through said pivoting arm, said first and second support means slidably engaging one another along an arcuate path about a center of one of said holes, said first and second support means including front and 14 back holes having centers aligned along a longitudinal axis thereof;

securing means, extending through said holes in said pivoting arm and said second support means, for securing said 18 second support means to said pivoting arm; and

means for pivotally securing said base member to said pivoting arm to enable said pivoting arm to rotate between a towing position and a storage position and for affixing said pivoting arm in said towing and storage positions.

23. A trailer hitch comprising:

a base member adapted to be secured to a trailer;

a pivoting arm adapted to be secured to a hitch;

at least one inner support plate and at least one outer support plate, mounted to said pivoting arm and said base member, for supporting said pivoting arm relative to said base member, said inner support plate and said pivoting arm each having at least one hole extending therethrough and aligned with one another;

means, within said at least one hole in said pivoting arm and said at least one hole in said inner support plate, for securing said inner support plate to said pivoting arm;

means for pivotally securing said base member to said pivoting arm; and

means for fastening said pivoting arm in one of a towing position and a storage position.

24. A method of manufacturing a hitch, comprising the steps of:

forming a pivoting arm with at least one hole therethrough, said pivoting arm adapted to be secured to a hitch;

aligning at least one support place, having at least one hole therein, with said pivoting arm such that corresponding holes in said support plate and said pivoting arm align with one another;

inserting a sleeve into said aligned holes in said support plate and said pivoting arm;

rigidly affixing said support plate to said pivoting arm with the sleeve; and

pivotally attaching said support plate to a base.