A spherical coupling that utilizes a ball structure attached to one part to be coupled, and a socket structure that attaches to the other part to be coupled. One embodiment of the improvement structure disclosed utilizes a front opening housing having a stationary cam therein and a rotating outer shell that engages the ball and causes it to seat in the socket upon rotation of the outer shell. Upon completion of the engagement, the outer shell is locked in a holding position.
Presented is a trailer hitch assembly for use in connecting a trailer tongue to a conventional ball-type trailer hitch, including a socket member to grasp the trailer hitch ball while permitting pivotal movement of the trailer hitch assembly on the ball, and a sleeve mechanism for locking the trailer hitch assembly to prevent release of the trailer hitch ball by the trailer hitch assembly when the trailer hitch assembly is pivotally attached to a towing tractor, and which locks the trailer hitch assembly in a closed condition when the trailer is left unattended and disengaged from a tractor.
An articulated boat trailer for transporting small boats to and from launching sites. After the boat is launched, the trailer can be folded up onto the rear of the towing automobile without having to remove it from the hitch. Thus, the towing automobile and trailer, can be parked in a normal parking space.
A trailer aligning and hitching apparatus (10) for towing vehicles (100) and a trailer having a tongue (14) wherein the apparatus (10) includes: a ball equipped hitch unit (11) associated with the trailer tongue (14); and, a base unit (12) associated with the rear of a towing vehicle (100); wherein the base unit (12) includes a base housing member (17) having an enlarged housing cavity (22) that extends through the face (21) and the top (20) of the housing member (17) whereby a ball element (15) will enter the housing member (17) through the face opening a shaft element (16) attached to the ball element (15) will pass through both the face and the top openings in the housing member (17) such that the ball element (15) will be held captive in the housing member (17) when a slidable lock bar member (31) is inserted through the housing member (17).
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 mounting bracket comprises a base and an attachment device for loosely attaching the bracket to a support wherein the bracket is allowed to move relative to the support.
