Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hitching a trailer to a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a physically easy and non-frustrating method of hitching a trailer to a vehicle, especially when the vehicle and trailer tongue are not aligned.
2. Prior Art
Hitching a trailer to a vehicle can be difficult to impossible for many people, especially the handicapped, or elderly. Several hundred pounds of tongue weight is not uncommon, and this tongue weight, though necessary, is detrimental to the desire to own or use trailers, especially among boaters, campers, travelers, and business personnel.
A number of trailer hitching related patents have been issued - proving the need for a reasonable solution to a long standing problem.
Putnam, Jr. and Malone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,272; Elkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,667; Woods and Peski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,939; Mangus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,122, and DeVorak, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,632, Belcher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,899 are examples of commendable solutions for trailer hitching problems. However, this new separative trailer tongue hitching method device, which will pull, lift, align and couple a trailer tongue to the hauling vehicle, will prove to be a more reasonable solution to trailer hitching problems.
It will be nice to have an easy to manage trailer -- perhaps a larger trailer.
Also, it will prove difficult to design a comparable device at a lower cost than the hereinafter presented.
Summary of the Invention
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device that is safe and will ease the burden of hitching a trailer to a vehicle.
It is also an object of the present invention to eliminate having to park a vehicle such that the vehicle is aligned with a trailer hitch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be installed on most trailers.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that is unique and will make ownership of a trailer pleasurable.
Yet another object of the present invention is the use of a miniature powerful winch, the use of such a winch being possible because of the relative short length of cable required by this device.
Yet an even further object of the present invention is to provide a device that drags a trailer into the coupled, ready to be towed by a transporting vehicle, position.
The foregoing objects can be accomplished by providing a separative trailer tongue. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a first assembly comprising a housing, integral with a coupler and handle, is coupled to a vehicle. The now coupled assembly is several feet removed from the second assembly of the separative tongue. The first assembly coupled at the vehicle is supported at a near horizontal position by means of a ball fastening, nut like, lug and brace arrangement. The brace, a component of the first assembly housing, is maintained in a locked position such that the forward concave end thereof is abutting the lug. Cabling is extended from pulleys within the first assembly to the second assembly. The end of the extended cable is attached through a hole at the forward tapered end of a slide rod. The standing portion of the cable now enters an adjacent slide rod hole, passes through a longitudinal channel of the slide rod and to a winch via a pulley. Second assembly bifurcated bars sandwich and are integral with two longitudinally spaced-apart blocks. The blocks have longitudinally aligned apertures wherein the mentioned slide rod is slidingly captured. Winching of the cable pulls the slide rod into alignment and contact with a first assembly rod stop. Continued winching forces the bifurcated bars to enter the first assembly housing. The slide rod is being forced rearward as the bars enter the housing. The bars, entering the housing, fork all housing internal components, and via contact with a lever, disengage the mentioned brace from the lug. Upon inserting a safety pin, the trailer is ready to be transported.
Brief Description of the Drawings
This invention, the preferred mode of use and further objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the separative trailer tongue wherein the first assembly is coupled to a towing vehicle and the second assembly, being combined with a trailer tongue and trailer, is several feet removed therefrom.
FIG. 2 depicts a view similar to FIG. 1 in which first and second assemblies are somewhat drawn closer via understood winching means.
FIG. 3 depicts a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the two assemblies have been drawn into contact.
FIG. 4 depicts a view similar to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 in which the assemblies are united.
FIG. 5 depicts a top view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 6 depicts a sectional cut-away side view of components of the separative trailer tongue as the components are partially united.
FIG. 7 depicts a sectional cut-away side view showing aligned components of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG. 7 and shows more details of the alignment of the components of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 10.
FIG. 10 depicts a sectional cut-away side view of the separative trailer tongue components in a separated state.
FIG. 11 is a view of the first assembly taken on the line 11--11 of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 depicts a cut-away side view of a miniature winch within the trailer tongue of the separative trailer tongue.
FIG. 13 depicts a cut-away side view of a winch secured at the top surface of a separative trailer tongue.
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 15--15 of FIG. 15.
FIG. 15 depicts a cut-away sectional side view of the first assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 16 depicts a side view of safety pin locking means for the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 15 showing the first assembly in the coupled and braced position.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention
Referring to the various figures of the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, FIGS. 1-4 generally show the separative trailer tongue hitching method during various stages of a trailer hitching operation. As best shown in FIGS. 1-3, 9-10, 15 and 17, the separative trailer tongue hitching method device comprises two assemblies and a special elongated cylindrical lug 38 providing inner threaded nut like means for fastening a conventional hitching ball to a towing vehicle ball mount, FIGS. 15 and 17. The first assembly has an elongated square tubular housing 6 integral with a conventional coupler 39, with other components of the assembly to be hereinafter described. The second assembly has bifurcated parallel laterally spaced-apart bars 8,9, with other components thereof also to be hereinafter described. The bars 8,9 are to be received into the housing 6 for the purpose of uniting the second assembly with the first.
Viewing FIGS. 15 and 17, the first assembly comprises the mentioned coupler 39 and housing 6, and also a handy handle 3, a bracket 46, a spring 47 retracted sliding brace 45, a V-shaped pivotal contact lever 62, and a pulley support frame 15.
Referring to FIGS. 5-11, 15 and 17, the frame 15 is laterally centered within and at the rear most end of the housing 6 being fastened therewithin with machine bolts 25, 26, 26' which enter drill holes through the housing 6 and screw into inner threaded receiving holes located at the upper and lower surfaces of the frame 15. The frame 15 supports a rotatingly secured horizontal pulley 14 and two rotatingly secured rearward directed vertical pulleys 12,13, plus the stop 17.
Viewing FIG. 7, the horizontal pulley shaft 28 is secured within the frame 15 by the drift pin 29 which is forcefully inserted into aligned apertures which pass through the frame 15 and the near lower end of the shaft 28. The horizontal pulley 14 is now laterally and vertically centered at a somewhat rearward location within the housing 6.
Viewing FIGS. 10 and 11, the two vertical pulleys 12,13 sandwich a somewhat rearward portion of the pulley support frame 15, share a common shaft 33 which passes through a lateral drill hole through the sandwiched portion of the frame 15, and are secured upon the extended portions of the common shaft 33 by Truarc snap rings 32,32' which are attached where the ends of the shaft 33 slightly protrude at the open faced sides of the pulleys 12,13. The pulleys 12,13 are aligned such that a cable trained about the horizontal pulley 14 will also train upon the vertical pulleys 12,13. The grooved rims of the pulleys 12,13 slightly protrude from within the open rear end of the housing 6.
The stop 17 is fastened upon the upper rear surface of the frame 15 using countersunk, slotted, flat head stove bolts 16,16' which enter tapered drill holes through the stop 17 and screw into inner threaded receiving holes located at the upper rear surface of the frame 15. The semicircle cable guide notches 59,60 located at the bottom edge of the stop 17 will maintain the lay of a cable within the upper grooved ridges of the vertical pulleys 12,13. Viewing FIGS. 14,15,17, the bracket 46 is laterally centered and fastened at the forward most inner lower surface of the housing 6 with machine bolts 50,50' which enter drill holes through the housing 6 and screw into inner threaded receiving holes located at the underside of the bracket 46. The brace 45 is slidingly captured within a longitudinal lower channel 61 of the bracket 46 and upon the inner lower surface of the housing 6. The brace 45 has a slightly angled upper surface catch lip 52 which will lock with the also slightly angled upper forward surface 53 of the bracket 46 lower channel 61. The brace must be pulled against spring 47 tension to accomplish the locking of the brace 45 with the bracket 46, the handy brace stud 40 providing gripping means for pulling upon the brace 45. The brace 45 retracting spring 47 will maintain this locked condition. The spring 47 is attached between tac welded tabs 48,49 attached at the lower forward surface of the frame 15 and the rear upper surface of the brace 45.
The forward most end 41 of the brace 45 has a concave shape for surroundingly engaging and abutting the mentioned lug 38. The brace 45 is bent and shaped to facilitate having the end 41 thereof properly mated with the lug 38.
The V-shaped pivotal contact lever 62 is secured between the vertical supports 44,44' by having the shaft 43 rigidly secured within the support apertures, the shaft 43 being forcefully inserted therewithin resulting in compression type holding means upon the same. The lever 62 has a contact rod 54 welded at the forward end of the upper leg 42 thereof such that the rod 54 is laterally positioned and forming a cross tee with the leg 42. The lower leg has the forward undersurface 51 thereof resting upon the upper surface of the brace 45 Viewing FIGS. 1,2,3 and 17, coupling the first assembly to a vehicle and having the concave end 41 of the locked brace 45 surroundingly abutting the lug 38 will maintain the assembly in a near horizontal position sloping slightly downward from the vehicle 1. In this position the assembly is pivotal in the near horizontal plane and will support enormous downward directed forces. The hitching ball, ball mount and lug 38 will withstand the torque forces hereinafter better understood.
Viewing FIGS. 5-10, the second assembly comprises the mentioned bifurcated parallel laterally spaced-apart bars 8,9 and, also, the pull/lift/align slide rod 26, the blocks 10,11, the cable 7, the pulley 21 and winching means.
The bars 8,9, having beveled forward most ends 63,63', sandwich and are integral with two longitudinally spaced-apart symmetrical, welded in place blocks 11,10. The blocks 11,10 have rectangular apertures such that the elongated somewhat rectangular shaped pull/lift/align slide rod 26 is slidingly disposed through the apertures. The forward most end of the slide rod 26 is somewhat tapered. The angular shaped protruding stop 19 welded upon the upper rear most end surface of the rod 26 limits the forward motion of the rod 26 as the protruding stop abuts the rear surface of the rear most block such that when the rod 26 is extended to the maximum forward position the forward most tapered end of the rod will slightly protrude beyond the forward most beveled ends 63,63' of the bars 8,9.
The end of a flexible cable 7 enters the forward most tapered end of the rod 26 via a longitudinal drill hole and terminates within a holding channel 30 milled into the far side of the rod 26. As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 a compression fitting 31 lugged onto the end of the cable secures the cable within the channel. The end of the cable is now attached at the forward most tapered end of the rod 26. The cable 7 now extends to the first assembly housing 6 and, being necessarily mentioned again, trains about the horizontal pulley 14 and upon the vertical pulleys 12,13. The flexible cable 7 standing end returns through an aperture, the aperture being another longitudinal drill hole at the forward most tapered end of the rod 26 and extends through another milled channel 27 along the near side of the slide rod 26. This second channel 27 extends to the rear most end of the slide rod 26. The cable 7 now extends from the channel 27 to hereinafter described winching means. It is important to notice that the drill holes 36,36' are laterally spaced apart and taken together appear centered when looking into the fore end of the second assembly. It is important to notice that the drill holes 36,36' are inwardly beveled to prevent fraying of the cable 7.
Viewing FIG. 13, a winch 35 secured external of the space between the bars, or upon the upper surface of the separative trailer tongue, will have the cable 7 trained about the cable guide pulley 21.
Viewing FIGS. 5 and 6, the cable guide pulley 21 is located such that there is space for the rod 26 to retract, the cable guide pulley 21 also serving as a rod 26 stop. The cable guide 23 prevents the cable 7 from inadvertently disengaging from the cable guide pulley 21. The pulley shaft 24 is secured using Truarc snap rings 20,20' which are installed near the ends of the shaft 24 and at the outboard sides of the bars 8,9. The spacer 22 permits a degree of lateral motion of the cable guide pulley 21 upon the shaft 24 to facilitate alignment of the cable 7 with a tongue upper surface mounted winch 35 (FIG. 13).
Viewing FIG. 12, a miniature winch 34 is depicted as being secured within the trailer tongue and between the bars 8,9, the bars extending rearward beyond the rear most block 10 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The use of a miniature winch is possible because of the short length of cable 7 required for this device A person skilled in the art would be able to accomplish this innovation.
Viewing FIG. 1, after backing and parking the towing vehicle 1 such that the hitching ball is somewhat near the pivotal jack wheel 5 supported separative trailer tongue hitching device the first assembly is manually separated from the second assembly and coupled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 17.
Viewing FIGS. 2,3,7 and 8, upon winching, the second assembly slide rod 26 is pulled, lifted and aligned until the forward most tapered end thereof abuts the forward surface of the first assembly stop 17. At this time the rotation of the first assembly pulleys will cease. None the less, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, continued winching causes the bifurcated bars 8,9 to be forcefully, wedgingly received within the housing 6, forking internal components thereof, except the contact rod 54 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The slide rod 26, overcoming all friction with the blocks 10,11, is forced rearward as the bars 8,9 are received in the housing 6.
Prior to complete registration of the bars 8,9 with the housing 6, the contact rod 54 is pushed by the forward edges 63,63' of the bars 8,9, causing slight pivotation of the V-shaped lever 62, causing the lower leg under surface 51 resting upon the brace 45 to push the brace 45 causing the catch lip 52 to unlock from the bracket 46 lower channel forward surface 53 unlocking the brace 45 which now retracts under spring 47 tension resulting in the brace 45 forward most concave end 41 clearing the lug 38.
Viewing FIG. 16, the housing 6 has apertures in it aligned with apertures in the bifurcated bars and a locking pin 56 is removably receivable within the aligned apertures. The locking pin 56 is attached to a link 57 which in turn is secured to the housing 6 to prevent the locking pin from inadvertently becoming separated from the housing 6.
Viewing FIG. 1, the conventional pivotal jack wheel 5 provides low friction conveyor means and tongue 4 height adjustments to facilitate necessary movements of the separative trailer tongue and an attached trailer 2 during hitching operations.
Unhitching the trailer is accomplished by using the jack wheel to lift the trailer tongue separating the coupler component from the vehicle ball component.
It is important to know that the hauling vehicle hitching ball, or the like, does not have to be aligned with this invention prior to hitching operations.
For reasons of clarity within this specification it is necessary to show a conventional trailer tongue and trailer combined with the invention.
A person skilled in the art could fabricate and install other than the shown conventional ball and coupler components, provide an adjustably fastened bracket 45, and shape the brace 45 such that the device could function with other than the shown conventional coupling means.
A person skilled in the art could fabricate and install the necessary components of this invention on existing trailer tongues. For instance, a sleeve could be used to combine the first and second assemblies with a conventional trailer tongue should direct welding, or fastening means, be undesirable.
A winch could be mounted anywhere on the trailer by using pulley and cabling arrangements to suit.
Type winches used with this device can include manual, electrical, remote controlled, or combinations of the mentioned.
"The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by the detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto".