US 4,903,978 A · Self aligning trailer hitch

Abstract

A towing vehicle hitch assembly is pivotally mounted on a back plate and support element welded to a hitch bracket attached to the towing vehicle. The hitch assembly has a release arm maintaining a bottom plate with side guide plates integral thereto in an inclined position over a ball mounted on a post to the support element. There are a pair of pivoting release plates centered in the bottom plate. A corresponding hitch roller assembly is mounted to the tongue of a trailer with a ball socket at its distal end. The roller assembly has either ball bearings or rollers attached to its forward end. As the towing vehicle moves toward the trailer, the trailer's hitch assembly trips the release arm and stops at the forward edge of the towing vehicle hitch assembly. This places the socket above the ball and as it engages it falls by gravity over the ball.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In a self aligning trailer hitch assembly for use with a towing vehicle having a ball member mounted on a rear end of the towing vehicle and a frame device having a ball socket mounted on a tongue of a towed trailer, the improvement comprising:

(a) a first hitch assembly frame pivotally mounted on a hitch bracket extending laterally from the rear of the towing vehicle, the first hitch assembly having a back plate vertically mounted over the hitch bracket, a release arm pivotally mounted at a first end to the back plate and at a second end holding a front edge of a flat plate having side guide plates integral thereto, in an upward inclined position, the flat plate having a pair of pivoting release doors between the guide plates,
(b) a second hitch assembly frame mounted over a ball socket located at a distal end of a trailer tongue, the second hitch assembly frame having multiple rolling members on a front surface engaging the flat plate and the guide plates upon moving the towing vehicle and its first hitch assembly to engage the second hitch assembly,
(c) the second hitch assembly frame engaging and tripping the second end of the release arm to allow the flat plate to fall over the ball and actuate the pair of pivoting release doors so that the ball protrudes through the release doors and allows the socket to fall by gravity over the ball to engage the trailer to the towed vehicle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Self aligning trailer hitch

Life of this patent

Self aligning trailer hitch

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7