Trailer hitching machine
OwnerMichael S Rebick, Ivan Lopesinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A trailer hitching machine including a trailer hitch with a ratcheting pulley system, and support plates cooperating in mechanical linkage to provide a hitch ball with additional rearward extension and sideways sweep.
Claims18
An extendable trailer hitching machine for coupling a trailer to the back of a towing vehicle and for towing the trailer, said trailer hitching machine comprising a means of anchoring to the back of the towing vehicle a means of pulleying the trailer, and a pivot plate in cooperating relationship extendable rearward from the anchoring means and supporting a pulley post and a hitch ball yoked to the pulleying means and engaged with the trailer, the anchoring means comprising an anchor plate having a forward end affixed to the towing vehicle, and a rearward portion supporting the pulleying means, the pulleying means comprising:
- (a) a pulley wheel having an axle anchored to the anchor plate,
- (b) an anchor post anchored to the anchor plate,
- (c) an elongate pulling member having a first end affixed to the axle and a second end affixed to the anchor post, an intermediate portion of the pulling member looping rearward around the pulley post anchored to the pivot plate, and
- (d) a fixed pivot-point relationship with the anchoring means,
- whereupon actuating the pulleying means pulls the trailer hitching machine from a configuration wherein the hitch ball is extended rearward, to a retracted configuration with the hitch ball closer to the towing vehicle for towing the trailer.
An extendable trailer hitching machine for coupling a trailer to the back of a towing vehicle, said trailer hitching machine comprising:
- (a) an anchor plate having one end for affixing to the towing vehicle, and a rearward portion supporting:
- (1) a pulley gearwheel having an axle anchored to the anchor plate, and having gear teeth;
- (2) an axially rotating crank shaft comprising a cogwheel having cogs meshing with the gear teeth during the axial rotation, the crank shaft including an end defining a mortise sized to accept insertion of an insertion end of a crank handle for actuating the axial rotation;
- (3) a pawl for cooperating engagement with the cogs for restraining rotation of the cogwheel;
- (4) an anchor post anchored to the anchor plate;
- and
- (5) a pulley strap having a first end affixed to the gearwheel axle and a second end affixed to the anchor post;
- (b) a fulcrum plate extending rearward from the anchor plate and comprising a fixed end rotatably attached to the anchor plate by a fulcrum hingepin, and an arcing end arcing rearward as the fixed end rotates around the fulcrum hingepin, the arcing end supporting a pivot plate hingepin;
- and
- (c) a pivot plate pivotable rearward of the fulcrum plate and comprising a sweep end supporting a hitch ball, a pivoting end pivotally attached to the pivot plate hingepin, and a pulley post, the pulley strap having an intermediate portion slidably looped rearward around the pulley post.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.