Trailer hitch step
OwnerTimothy G. Willisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A step assembly (10) including a top step plate (12) for mounting to a ball mount tongue (32), and clamped thereto by means of a pair of adjustable clamp plates (14) releasably secured to top plate (12) by four carriage bolt assemblies (20). Top plate (12) includes a central channel (29) that allows top plate (12) to straddle tongue (32) and clamp plates (14) include step-downs (46, 48, 50), which engage the side edges of tongue (32) and thereby securely clamp top plate (12) to the tongue.
Claims10
A step assembly for a trailer hitch assembly having an outwardly projecting tongue having side edges, comprising:
- an elongated, laterally extending step plate having sufficient length to provide a step surface on both sides of the tongue when secured thereto,
- a pair of movable clamp plates for securing to the underside of the step plate, one on each side of the tongue, and adapted to clamp to side edges of the tongue, and
- means for securing the clamp plates to the step plate in a manner engaging the clamp plates with the side edges of the tongue and thereby firmly securing the step plate to the tongue in a manner capable of supporting the weight of a person stepping on the step surface of the step plate without support from the trailer hitch assembly remote from the tongue.
A step assembly for attachment to a trailer hitch having an outwardly projecting tongue having side edges, comprising:
- an elongated, laterally extending step plate having sufficient length to provide a step surface on both sides of the tongue when secured thereto,
- a bottom plate adapted to secure to the step plate in a tight fitting manner, and
- means for securing the bottom plate to the step plate in a manner engaging the bottom plate with the side edges of the tongue and thereby firmly securing the step plate to the tongue in a manner capable of supporting the weight of a person stepping on the step plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.