A ball socket assembly having a ball received in a socket member to swivel relative to the latter with the ball initially inserted into a first end portion of an elongated slot in the socket member and then shifted to the second end portion of the slot. A flange is formed on the socket member at the opening of the slot generally around the second end portion thereof to retain the ball in the socket member and a wedge is slidable in the socket member across the first end of the slot to assume an active position in which it holds the ball in the second end portion of the slot. A lip on the wedge engages the ball and holds the wedge in the active position.

A trailer hitch is provided where a longitudinally moveable rectangular cap is slidably mounted on a rectangular (square in some instances) pipe used as a trailer hitch tongue mounting within its lead end a trailer hitch ball socket member welded in place in the pipe with the socket opening therein facing downwardly. The rectangular cap is provided with an enlarged opening in the bottom thereof that with the cap slid forwardly to an open position that permits passage of a trailer hitch ball through the enlarged opening into and removal from the socket opening in the trailer hitch ball socket member. The rectangular cap has a narrow opening extension from the enlarged opening such that when the cap is slid back the opening extension while large enough to accommodate the shank of the trailer hitch ball is narrow enough to capture the trailer hitch ball locking it in place in the ball socket opening. An eccentric cam structure rotatably mounted in the pipe has opposite side end cams received in opposite side rectangular openings in the cap and includes a cam movement arm that is lockable in a cap closed position.

A ball joint type trailer hitch which comprises a ball assembly and a ball receiving assembly comprising a body forming a ball receiving end having formed therein a generally spherical cavity truncated at the bottom thereby forming a passage for the shaft when the ball is in the cavity, a ball insertion and removal opening intersecting the cavity thereby forming a passage between the opening and the cavity for permitting the ball to be inserted into the opening and moved distally into the cavity, ball locking means supported in the passage for selective movement from an unlocked position adjacent the proximate end of the body to a locked position in engagement with the ball in the cavity, and means for selectively fixing the ball locking means in engagement with the ball.

A ball clamp trailer coupler for engaging a standard vehicle hitch ball includes a coupler housing wherein a forward coupler socket is defined, and a ball clamp which is movably situated within the coupler housing rearwardly of the coupler socket. The clamp has a clamping face which faces the coupler socket, and the clamping face slopes downwardly as it extends forwardly to conclude at a frontwardly-protruding lower clamping face edge. The clamp also includes a ramp face which slopes downwardly and rearwardly from the lower clamping face edge. When the coupler is lowered onto a hitch ball with the coupler located too far forwardly, i.e., so that the hitch ball is situated beneath the clamp, the hitch ball will contact the ramp face to push the clamp rearwardly out of the coupler socket rather than into the coupler socket (as will occur where the ramp face is not present). The coupler socket is thereby left unobstructed by the clamp, allowing easier insertion of the hitch ball prior to tightening the clamp to engage the hitch ball within the coupler socket.

Variations of a tow coupling system are disclosed. In one variation, a coupler guide having at least one side panel configured to guide a coupler to a desired position with respect to a ball of a tow vehicle, also includes a top panel, rear panel, or intermediate panel. In one variation, the tow coupling system includes a coupler guide having at least one side panel which is configured such that a bottom side thereof will be positioned above an operatively connected ball. In one variation, the tow system includes an apparatus for operatively connecting a coupler to a ball of a tow vehicle, including a rod which is operatively connected to both the coupler and a vertical adjustment device which acts upon the rod to raise and lower the coupler. A tow coupling kit including both a coupler guide and an apparatus for connecting to a ball of a tow vehicle is also disclosed, as is a method of manufacturing a tow coupling system.