Anti-sway trailer hitch

An anti-sway trailer hitch (10) for articulately connecting a towing vehicle (12) having a frame (16) and a towed vehicle (14), wherein the forward end of the towed vehicle (14) includes a tongue or frame structure (28) that extends forward and includes a trailer socket coupler (30), said anti-sway trailer hitch comprising:

• a hitch beam (32) extending transversely at the rear of the towing vehicle and rigidly affixed to the frame (16), said hitch beam having a hitch ball (34), a left end (32a) having a first integral pivot point (33a), and a right end (32b) having a second integral pivot point (33b);
• an intermediate bar (35) having a forward end (35a) and a rearward end (35b) and a hitch ball socket (38) at said forward end for connection to said hitch ball (34) for universal pivot connection with said hitch ball;
• a first control rod (44a) having a forward end and a rear end, and a second control rod (44b) having a forward end and a rear end, one each connected to said left and rights ends of said hitch beam by a universal, detachable connection (46), each of said control rods having a forward end (45a) and a rear end (45b);
• a control beam (60) having a left end (60a) with a left integral pivot point (61a), a right end (60b) with a right integral pivot point (61b), and a central portion (60c), said control beam connected to said rear end (45b) of said control rods (44) by universal detachable connections (62);
• a trailer coupler (64) having a forward end (64a) and a rearward end (64b), said trailer coupler pivotally connected to said intermediate bar (35) and to said central portion (60c) of said control beam (60) by a pivotal connecting beam (66), wherein said trailer coupler extends forward and rearward of said control beam, and wherein said rearward end of said trailer coupler is provided with a trailer hitch ball (68) engaged by said trailer socket coupler (30).

A hitch assembly for articulately connecting a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle, comprising:

• a hitch beam for attachment to the towing vehicle, said hitch beam having a hitch ball;
• a control beam having a left end with a left integral pivot point, a right end with a right integral pivot point, and a central portion;
• an intermediate bar having a forward end and a rearward end and a hitch ball socket at said forward end for connection to said hitch ball for universal pivot connection with said hitch ball;
• a pair of compressible and extendable control rods with said intermediate bar interposed between, each of said control rods having a forward end pivotally connected to said hitch beam, and a rear end pivotally connected to said control beam;
• a trailer coupler having a forward end and a rearward end, said trailer coupler pivotally connected to said intermediate bar and to said central portion of said control beam by a pivotal connecting beam, wherein said trailer coupler extends forward and rearward of said control beam, and wherein said rearward end of said trailer coupler is provided with a trailer hitch ball engaged by a trailer socket coupler;
• wherein when said towing vehicle turns, said pair of control rods compress and extend oppositely, and said control beam, said intermediate bar, and said pivotal connecting beam cooperatively pivot to moderate and decrease the effect of the turning motion of the towing vehicle on the towed vehicle.

A trailer hitch assembly for articulately connecting a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, comprising:

• a hitch beam extending laterally and rigidly at the rear of a towing vehicle and having a central portion and outer ends;
• a hitch ball centrally located on said hitch beam;
• a hitch bar having a forward end and a rearward end, and a hitch ball socket at said forward end thereof universally pivotally connected to said hitch ball on said hitch beam;
• a pair of telescopic spring biased control rods universally to outer end portions of said hitch beam, said control rods having forward and rearward ends;
• a control beam interconnecting said rearward ends of said control rods, said control beam having a central portion and outer ends;
• and
• a trailer coupler pivotally connected to a central portion of said hitch beam, said trailer coupler including a trailer hitch ball for universal pivotal connection with the towed vehicle, said trailer coupler having a forward end connected to said hitch bar by a pivotal connection at a forward end of said trailer coupler and by a longitudinally movable pivotal connection intermediate the pivotal connection with the hitch bar and the pivotal connection with the control beam, said control beam being oriented in parallel relation to the hitch beam when the vehicles are moving in a straight line path, said control beam in response to pivotal movement of the hitch beam to shift the articulate connection between the trailer coupler and hitch bar laterally in a direction inwardly of the radius of hitch balls when a towing vehicle is steered in a path.

In combination, a towing vehicle, a towed vehicle and a hitch assembly articulately interconnecting the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, said towing vehicle including a hitch ball fixedly mounted on a rearward end portion thereof, a hitch bar connected to said hitch ball for universal pivotal movement relative thereto and extending rearwardly therefrom, said towed vehicle including a rigid forwardly extending tongue having a hitch ball socket mounted thereon, said hitch assembly including a longitudinally extending coupler having a rearward end portion and a forward end portion, said rearward end portion of said coupler having a hitch ball fixedly mounted thereon and connected to said hitch socket on said tongue on the towed vehicle for universal pivotal movement relative thereto, said forward end portion of said coupler overlapping a rearward end portion of said hitch bar, a pivotal connection between said rearward end portion of said hitch bar and said forward end portion of said coupler for relative movement about a generally vertical axis and articulately interconnecting the towing vehicle and towed vehicle, and a linkage system interconnecting the towed vehicle and said rearward end portion of said hitch bar to control relative pivotal movement between said rearward end portion of said hitch bar and said forward end portion of said coupler about the vertical axis of said pivotal connection lateral directions during relative pivotal movement between the towing vehicle and towed vehicle.