Trailer hitch
OwnerJohn E. Hall, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved hitch for connecting a trailer to the rear axle of a towing vehicle includes an elongated resilient steel drawbar having opposite end sections, an intermediate section offset from at least one of the opposite end sections and an inclined bend section integrally connecting the intermediate section to the at least one opposite end section. The drawbar is solid and rectangular in cross section. A clamp rigidly and removably clamps one end of the drawbar to the tongue of a trailer with the greatest cross sectional dimension of the drawbar substantially horizontal and with the lesser cross sectional dimension substantially vertical. A pivotal support for the other end of the drawbar is mounted on the rear axle of the towing vehicle with a pivot pin extending vertically through the drawbar behind and adjacent to the center of the axle.
Claims18
An improved trailer hitch for connecting a trailer to the rear end of a towing vehicle, for travel over highways at usual highway speeds, said trailer having a forwardly extending tongue rigid with said trailer and said towing vehicle having an elongated transverse rear axle housing with rear wheels mounted at opposite ends of said rear axle housing comprising
- an elongated resilient steel drawbar having opposite end sections, an intermediate section offset from at least one of said opposite end sections and at least one inclined bend section integrally connecting said at least one opposite end section to said intermediate section.
- said drawbar having a substantially uniform rectangular cross section throughout its length with a width substantially greater than its thickness so that the drawbar has substantially greater rigidity in the direction of its width than in the direction of its thickness and has greater resilience in the direction of its thickness than in the direction of its width, said at least one inclined bend section giving said drawbar resilient longitudinal flexibility,
- said at least one inclined bend section forming an obtuse angle with said intermediate section and with the respective opposite end section to which it is connected,
- means for rigidly and removably connecting one end section of said drawbar to the tongue of the trailer with the width of said drawbar extending in a substantially horizontal direction and with its thickness extending in a substantially vertical direction, and
- means for pivotally supporting the other end section of said drawbar at a position behind and adjacent to the center of the rear axle housing of the towing vehicle.
An improved trailer hitch for connecting a trailer to the rear end of a towing vehicle said trailer having a forwardly extending tongue rigid with the trailer and said towing vehicle having a rear axle, comprising
- an elongated resilient steel drawbar having opposite end sections, an intermediate section offset from said opposite end sections and inclined bend sections integrally connecting said opposite end sections to said intermediate section,
- said drawbar having a substantially uniform rectangular cross section throughout its length with a width substantially greater than its thickness so that the drawbar has substantially greater rigidity in the direction of its width than in the direction of its thickness and has greater resilience in the direction of its thickness than in the direction of its width, said inclined bend sections giving said drawbar resilient longitudinal flexibility,
- said opposite end sections being substantially coplanar and said intermediate section being offset in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said opposite end sections, each of said inclined bend sections forming an obtuse angle with said intermediate section and with the respective opposite end section to which the bend section is connected,
- means for rigidly and removably connecting one end section of said drawbar to the tongue of the trailer with the width of said drawbar extending in a substantially horizontal direction and with its thickness extending in a substantially vertical direction, and
- means for pivotally supporting the other end section of said drawbar at a position behind and adjacent to the center of the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
The combination comprising a trailer having a forwardly extending tongue rigid with the trailer, a towing vehicle having a rear axle and an improved trailer hitch connecting the tongue of said trailer to the rear axle of said towing vehicle, said improved hitch comprising
- an elongated resilient steel drawbar having opposite end sections, an intermediate section offset from said opposite end sections and inclined bend sections integrally connecting said opposite end sections to said intermediate section,
- said drawbar having a substantially uniform rectangular cross section throughout its length with a width substantially greater than its thickness so that the drawbar has substantially greater rigidity in the direction of its width than in the direction of its thickness and has greater resilience in the direction of its thickness than in the direction of its width, said inclined bend sections giving said drawbar resilient longitudinal flexibility,
- said opposite end sections being substantially coplanar and said intermediate section being offset in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said opposite end sections, each of said inclined bend sections forming an obtuse angle with said intermediate section and with the respective opposite end section to which the bend section is connected,
- means for rigidly and removably connecting one end section of said drawbar to the tongue of the trailer with the width of said drawbar extending in a substantially horizontal direction and with its thickness extending in a substantially vertical direction, and
- means mounted on the rear axle of said towing vehicle for pivotally supporting the other end section of said drawbar at a position behind and adjacent to the center of the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
The combination comprising a trailer having a forwardly extending tongue rigid with the trailer, a towing vehicle for travel over highways at usual highway speeds having a rear axle housing and wheels mounted at opposite ends of the rear axle housing, and an improved hitch connecting the tongue of said trailer to the rear axle housing of said towing vehicle, said improved hitch comprising
- an elongated resilient steel drawbar having opposite end sections, an intermediate section offset from at least one of said opposite end sections and at least one inclined bend section integrally connecting said at least one opposite end section to said intermediate section,
- said drawbar having a substantially uniform rectangular cross section throughout its length with a width substantially greater than its thickness so that the drawbar has substantially greater rigidity in the direction of its width than in the direction of its thickness and has greater resilience in the direction of its thickness than in the direction of its width, said at least one inclined bend section giving said drawbar resilient longitudinal flexibility,
- said at least one inclined bend section forming an obtuse angle with said intermediate section and with the respective opposite end section to which it is connected,
- means for rigidly and removably connecting one end section of said drawbar to the tongue of the trailer with the width of said drawbar extending in a substantially horizontal direction and with its thickness extending in a substantially vertical direction and
- means for pivotally supporting the other end section of said drawbar at a position behind and adjacent to the center of the rear axle housing of the towing vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.