Ball and socket

A duplex trailer hitch which provides a hook and a pivotable closure to receive a lunette, and a ball on the end of the end of the hook to receive a coupler.

A trailer hitch assembly including a tow-carrying upstanding ball and an adaptor removably mounted on the ball to increase the effective diameter of the ball. The socket of a coupler of a trailer is mounted over the adaptor.

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...     

A ball coupling includes a tractor drawbar mounted hitch ball, substantially englobed by a cap assembly which is slidable on the hitch ball. The cap assembly includes a cap having a frusto-conical surface which non-rotatably engages a frusto-conical through opening in an implement drawbar attached adapter....     

The invention comprises a front end loader having a disengagable drive in its gear box for free wheeling of the loader. The loader also has a towing arm mounted to its front for towing the loader on a roadway, with the wheels of the loader in free wheeling. The gear box is mounted directly in front of...     

A bicycle trailer for towing behind a bicycle includes a box-like chassis having a forward end with a tow bar extending forward therefrom for connecting by a universal adjustable hitch means to the saddle post of a bicycle and includes a pair of independent torsion bars for suspending or supporting wheels...     

An attachment for bicycles which allows a wheeled shopping cart to be towed behind a conventional bicycle with universal pivoting and turning means to take care of uneven terrain, cornering and other movements which a vehicle-towed device may be subject to.

The invention is a protector for a trailer hitch assembly having a trailer hitch ball supported on a trailer hitch neck. The protector includes an integral covering member having an outer covering member surface and an inner covering member surface. The inner covering member surface defines an internal...     

The present invention provides a towing device comprising a towball and latching means releaseably operable to, in use, secure the towball to the draw bar of a vehicle.

A standard ball and socket type of trailer hitch assembly is modified so as to provide means for automatically and positively locking the trailer hitch each time the trailer hitch ball is inserted into the trailer hitch socket. The socket receptacle of the trailer hitch is modified to receive a push...     

The invention includes a plate which is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the base of the trailer tongue in a substantially horizontal position. The plate has a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate slots therethrough in concentric relationship to the socket axis. The vehicle frame upon which a ball...     

An attachment bolt extends upwardly through a support member and threadedly engages the ball component of a coupling apparatus. A locking member extends downwardly through the ball component and cammingly engages the attachment bolt with the pitch different than the threaded engagement between the ball...     

A trailer coupling part which comprises a housing with a ball entry opening in the housing through which in use a towing ball is entered into the housing to complete the trailer coupling. A lever, provided with a handle, is pivotal in the housing between open and closed positions. A tongue, complementary...     

A quick release trailer and hitch apparatus has a container mounted on a pair of wheels with a pair of pull bars attached for being adjacent to the outer front corner regions of the container. The pull bars being gradually and continuously together with their remote ends attached to a connecting member....     

An oscilation absorbing device for use in trailer hitches includes a ball connected to a rear support which is joined to a tractor and a receptor chamber for receiving the ball. The receptor chamber is mounted on a trailer and arranged to turn around the ball. A cover plate encompasses the receptor chamber...     

A repair part for a small ball joint is provided in the form of a sleeve open at least at one end and having a flattened section extending from that one end toward its middle. A slot extends lengthwise of the flattened section and is open at the one end of said sleeve to embrace the shank of the ball...     

A cycle rack for a trailer hitch the construction being such as to easily mount and dismount the cycle rack at the same time allowing for the normal function of the trailer hitch.

The ball element of a ball type trailer hitch is separated along a horizontal plane of bisection and into two substantially hollowed out ball halves. The threaded outer perimeter of a wheel type vertical load measuring transducer is threaded to the inside of the ball halves at the horizontal plane of...     

A golf club cart carrier supportable on a trailer hitch mounting bar, there being an upwardly sloping arm pivotally attached to the bar having at an outer end a vertical tubular socket adapted to mate with a tubular extension on the carrier.

A trailer coupler includes mounting wings which straddle and are welded to the outer sides of the webs of I-beams which form the A-frame tongue of the trailer. A tongue projects rearwardly from the coupler into the space between the webs and is welded to the inner sides of the webs to increase the load-carrying...     

An adaptor assembly for converting a pintle hook hitch to a ball-and-socket type is disclosed. The assembly comprises a cylindrical bar of sufficient length that is closely received through the eyelet of the pintle hook hitch and a base plate which is affixed along the length of the bar and extends directly...     

There is disclosed a new and improved swivel connector assembly for connecting a member to be pivoted to a pivot. The assembly includes just two components which may be readily assembled, a socketed assembly and a retaining sleeve. The socketed assembly has a forward portion including a socket forming...     

A trailer hitch guide is disclosed for guiding a ball, attached at the rear of an automobile or other towing vehicle, into a position of alignment directly under a socket on a trailer tongue of a trailer or other towed vehicle, the tongue being attached to the top surface of the trailer hitch guide....     

A trailer swivel hitch guide for attachment on a bumper of a vehicle and received around a trailer hitch ball secured to the bumper. The guide used for guiding the tongue of a trailer so the tongue is centered over the top of the ball when securing the trailer to the vehicle. The guide can then be released...     

Several embodiments of water cooled motorcycles incorporating an improved compact arrangement wherein the components do not interfere with each other or the rider's stance. In each embodiment the engine cooling system includes a heat exchanger that is positioned on one side of the frame adjacent the...     

A safety hitch for connecting a trailer to a towing vehicle, the safety hitch including a plate, that is connected between the trailer tongue and a hitch member mounted on the vehicle, to coact with the ball and socket connection between the trailer tongue and hitch member to prevent dislodgment of the...     

The interchangeable ball hitch connector apparatus of this invention includes a generally spherical ball connector adapted to engage a conventional ball hitch socket, a support base adapted for fastening on the tow bar of a vehicle for supporting the ball connector, and a spring-biased latch pin in the...     

A ball hitch apparatus is provided for connecting a towing and a towed vehicle. The hitch provides a durable, snug socket to ball connection which is capable of fast hookup without tools and is particularly useful with construction or farm machinery. The hitch includes a lever connected for pivoting...     

A multiple connection trailer hitch comprising a plate member rotatably secured to a safety bumper of a vehicle and having at least two connection members of varying diametric sizes secured thereto. In one position of the plate with respect to the bumper, one of the connection members is disposed in...     

The thrust coupling has a thrust frame which can be readily coupled to the underside of a vehicle. The thrust frame is pivotally mounted on a hitching device on the rear of the vehicle and is suspended at the front of the vehicle via chains. In addition, an adjustable guide rod is provided to effect...     

The hitch comprises a tow bar section, which is connected to the motorcycle, and a tongue section, which is connected to the trailer. The two sections are connected by a swivel which permits rotation therebetween about their common longitudinal axis. Between the tow bar and the tongue is connected a...     

An interchangeable trailer ball apparatus provides an elongated hollowed pin which is attached normally to the bumper or drawbar of a vehicle. The bumper provides an internal elongated longitudinal bore with a lateral bore intersecting the longitudinal bore at one end portion. Disposed within the lateral...     

A hay carrier includes two long bale engaging fingers extending from a flat base. The base is pivoted to a crossbar of a subframe. The subframe is transferrable between the bed of a pickup, and a trailer towed by a pickup or other towing vehicle. A winch on a winch bar of the subframe pivots a bale speared...     

A universal trailer hitch assembly provides a variety of trailer hitch pin configurations to be secured to a load bed of a pickup truck and includes an under load bed support frame secured to a reinforcing plate within the load bed. The support frame is bolted to the truck frame and has a locking hitch...     

A trailer support stand. The stand includes a base having a plurality of peripheral edges. A series of legs extend upwardly from the base and are connected at their upper ends to a generally flat plate. A ball is mounted in spaced relation above the plate and the peripheral edge of the plate extends...     

A trailer hitch adapted for attachment to a lunette coupler or a ball coupler comprises a pintle hook and a ball mounted on the hook and adapted to receive a ball coupler, and a closure pivotally mounted on the hook and pivotable between a closed position in engagement with the ball and an open position...     

A retractable hitch ball for "gooseneck" type trailers is housed as a self-contained unit beneath the bed of a towing truck such as a pick-up truck. A hydraulic cylinder controlled and operated from the cab of the truck moves an elevating block relative to a pivoted lifting plate which is biased downwardly...     

An upstanding support is provided and open at its lower end for snug downward telescoping over an upwardly projecting hitch ball supported from a hitch tongue of a width greater than the diameter of the ball. The lower end of the upstanding support is downwardly abuttable against the upwardly facing...     

A ball hitch connector (10) for use with a conventional ball hitch socket (21). A ball hitch connector (10) includes a spherical body or ball connector (12), a support base (14) for supporting the spherical body (12) on a tow bar (18) or the like, a fastener device (16) for securing the support base...     

A rectangular mounting plate is provided for mounting on the outer surface of a vehicle bumper in slightly spaced relation relative thereto and in the usual license plate mounting location. The mounting plate includes structure for supporting a license plate therefrom in position overlying the outerface...     

A hitch for connecting a trailer to a vehicle, especially a motorcycle or land-roving vehicle. The hitch comprises two couplings, including a conventional ball member adjacent one end, and a ball-bearing assembly located intermediate the ball member and the means for attaching the hitch to the vehicle....     

An automatic trailer hitch assembly mounts a shank unit on the trailer and a receiving unit on the towing vehicle. The shank unit provides an elongated shank member which mounts a trailer ball at one end coupled to a conventional trailer hitch ball socket housing secured to the trailer and at the opposite...     

A removable trailer hitch assembly for connecting a gooseneck trailer to a pickup truck is disclosed. The hitch assembly provides a base frame having a ball hitch mounted thereon and adapted to be positioned in the floor of the pickup truck box so the frame straddles both wheel wells and positions the...     

A flat bed vehicle has a king pin mounted in the flat bed for connection to a trailer to create a fifth wheel tractor-trailer combination. The king pin is vertically reciprocated above the flat bed and below the flat bed by a hand crank located at an outside edge of the flat bed. The king pin is held...     

A self-aligning ball and socket type hitch including an elevated ramp member pivotally attached to an extension member which in turn is slidably engaged with the base of the hitch so that the ramp member and extension may be readily removed once the ball and socket are engaged. The ramp member includes...     

An adjustable hitch assembly for attachment to motor vehicles has a front receiver tube mounted horizontally to the rear of vehicle with angle irons having their horizontal legs secured to the vehicle. The depending legs of the angles have holes therethrough which are aligned with a hole extending through...     

A trailer hitch for a vehicle comprises a support tube structure which is to be mounted to a vehicle and which removably carries a hitch ball bar. An engagement structure is provided which firmly locks the ball bar to the support tube structure with the aid of a safety bolt which is axially movably disposed...     

An articulated coupling having a center coupling and a plurality of side bearings or couplings coaxial along a lateral axis to facilitate yaw and pitch between two cars while restricting roll. The side bearings each have a cylindrical member on one car received in a cylindrical recess associated with...     

A jointed two bar for towing one vehicle by a second vehicle which incorporates joints in such a way as to allow folding and imprecise alignment during attachment, but a fail safe rigid structure for towing. A rotating cross bar joint on beams can be lifting out of the fixed towing position for storage...     

A towing hitch is disclosed which has a housing for receiving a tow bar such that said housing can be pivotally connected to said tow bar. A tongue is coupled to the housing for receiving a towing element. The housing has a pin which project into said tow bar and said pin has a resilient block mounted...     

A trailer hitch for connecting a trailer to a hitch ball on a towing vehicle. There are two converging sides arranged as a V which has an apex at the hitch ball receiving area. A top plate covers extends over most of the sides. There are a pair of holes in the sides which extend through the hitch ball...     

The purpose of this invention is to allow the lubrication of a ball and coupler while being attached together. Unity of a ball and coupler are essential to this invention. The size of ball is immaterial to the function of the design. Lubrication is accomplished through a system comprising of internal...     

A slidably positionable trailer hitch guide apparatus is set forth wherein a trailer hitch guide is formed with a plurality of vertically oriented flanges formed with a connecting plate overlying a slot formed in each vertical flange wherein the slots are aligned with one another and the plate is formed...     

An improved trailer hitch is disclosed for coupling a towing vehicle and a trailer. The invention is suitable for accommodating both ball and socket-type couplings and ring and pintle-type couplings. The integral body of the trailer hitch has the known elements of a rear mount for attaching the body...     

A self-centering hitch is set forth for securement of a trailer to an associated tow vehicle. The self-centering hitch includes a conventionally orthogonally oriented ball formed with an arcuate concave centering plate oriented rearwardly and integrally to a support securing said ball. Said centering...     

Presented is a trailer hitch apparatus or assembly that marries a spherical ball to a monolithic plug that may be detachably locked in a complementary socket fixed to a tractor vehicle. In another aspect of the invention, the spherical ball attached to the monolithic plug is permanently pivotally mounted...     

A trailer tongue alignment guide for centering the socket of a ball-type hitch above the ball as a vehicle is backed toward the trailer. A base plate having a flat bottom surface has a hole which is aligned with the hole in the vehicle draw bar so that the base plate is clamped between the ball and the...     

A trailer hitch ball assembly includes a vertical post for attachment to a vehicle drawbar. The post has a smooth cylindrical upper portion and a circumferential retainer groove for receiving and retaining a ball while permitting rotation of the ball. The ball includes a central bore which receives the...     

A towing vehicle hitch assembly is pivotally mounted on a back plate and support element welded to a hitch bracket attached to the towing vehicle. The hitch assembly has a release arm maintaining a bottom plate with side guide plates integral thereto in an inclined position over a ball mounted on a post...     

A towing device for vehicles comprises a transverse support, which is mounted at the rearward end and has a receiving part for the releasable holding of a ball neck with a coupling ball. An end part of the ball neck is inserted from below into the receiving part and is non-rotatably held by a locking...     

A load carrying apparatus that attaches to the trailer hitch or receiver of a vehicle that provides a secondary hitch or receiver on the apparatus to enable the towing vehicle to carry a load on the carrying apparatus while still being able to tow a trailer or boat-trailer or the like.

The present invention is a ball hitch connector for use with a conventional ball hitch socket. The ball hitch connector includes a spherical body having a polygonally shaped bore to receive a generally cylindrical stud, where the upper section of the stud has a polygonal shape complimentary to the bore...     

A tow bar assembly used to tow cars located on uneven terrain. The assembly uses two tow bars. One end of each tow bar is attached to a bumper housing. Each bumper housing is removably clamped to the bumper of a disabled vehicle by a chain which has one end secured to the undercarriage of the vehicle...     

An improved trailer hitch is disclosed for coupling a towing vehicle and a trailer. The invention is suitable for accommodating both ball and socket-type couplings and ring and pintle-type couplings. The integral body of the trailer hitch has the known elements of a rear mount for attaching the body...     

A hitch ball (20) with a mating first set of shells (25a and 25b) and optionally a second set of shells (27a and 27b) to increase the diameter of the ball to accommodate various sized hitch assemblies (11) are described. In a preferred form detents (25e and 25f) in the first set of shells are provided...     

A locking device at a trailer coupling, including a first part (1), which is adapted to be attachable to a towing vehicle, and a second part (2), which is adapted to be coupled to a trailed vehicle and to be releasably attachable to the first part (1). The first part (1) includes an opening (8), into...     

An improved trailer hitch assembly to be attached to a drawbar for towing a trailer, the assembly including an upright elongated hitch post threaded at the lower end by which it is attached to a drawbar, the upper end being of cylindrical external configuration and the post having a central passageway...     

The present invention provides a multiple ball trailer hitch comprising a bumper mount and a hitch plate provided with a plurality of different sized hitch balls. The hitch plate is settable on the bumper mount in a plurality of different hitch ball presenting positions according to desired hitch ball...     

A safety cable trailer coupler having a steel cable loop for encircling the shank of a ball hitch. The cable is fed through a slidable sleeve and the ends of the cable are pressed into a ferrule, and the ferrule may be bolted to a trailer tongue immediately behind the trailer coupler.

A ball and socket hitch between a towing vehicle and a towed trailer which is self-aligning and self-connecting. The hitch ball is provided with an underlying base supporting an upstanding housing having rearwardly diverging walls which guide the tongue on the towed vehicle to align the ball socket on...     

A tractor ball assembly to be mounted on the tongue at the rear end of the tractor having a plurality of balls to match the variously-sized sockets commonly used. The ball is mounted on a base which rests on the tractor tongue. Frusto-conical sections of identifical size and shape diamatrically opposed...     

A multiple hitch apparatus consisting of a drawbar plate and rotating plate mounted thereon, designed to accommodate various sized hitch balls, a pintle hook and an auxiliary hitching apparatus for connecting a motor vehicle to a load. This multiple hitch apparatus may be used with a variety of trucks...     

A device that facilitates the coupling of a trailer to a vehicle that tows the trailer. The device enables a single unaided individual to back a vehicle equipped with a hitch device of the type having a hitch ball into a trailer tongue coupling of the type having a socket that receives the hitch ball....     

A post and ball type hitch apparatus intended for use with a conventional hitch socket is disclosed. The apparatus includes a post formed of a generally elongate cylindrical member having a top portion, a central portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion of the post is adapted to attach to a bumper...     

An improved fastener is provided for mounting an object to a base, wherein the object has a threaded shaft extending through a hole in the base. The fastener includes a collar having a side wall, a first end with a threaded aperture for receipt on the shaft, and an open second end defining a cavity within...     

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...     

A trailer hitch coupling includes a spindle axially and rotatably movable in a coupling base. The spindle carries a plurality of trailer hitch balls and is rotatable in the base to present a selected one of the trailer hitch balls in towing relation to a trailer hitch. The spindle and base provide alignable...     

A clear bed gooseneck trailer hitch is provided. The trailer hitch is comprised of a wide metal plate, or disc, supported on a truck bed and having a standard long shank hitch ball fixedly connected perpendicularly therethrough. The threaded shaft of the shank hitch ball attaches to a threaded hole provided...     

A novel force measuring device of simple design is provided with complementary stop surfaces protecting the device against over-loading. Alternatively, overloading is prevented by duplicating the force measuring device with two portions operating in opposite directions of force application. Such force...     

An improved tow bar assembly used to tow cars or trailers located on uneven terrain. The assembly uses two tow bars. One end of each tow bar is attached to a bumper housing. Each bumper housing is removably clamped to the bumper of a disabled vehicle by a chain which has one end secured to the undercarriage...     

A locking mechanism for a trailer coupler such as a ball and socket coupler having a release handwheel. The locking mechanism includes a shelf which in one embodiment, surrounds the handwheel to prevent accidental or unauthorized rotation of the release handwheel. In other embodiments, the shelf covers...     

A plate member is formed of a generally triangular configuration, with a rear edge arranged for mounting to an associated vehicular bumper, including a central opening and spaced, longitudinally aligned slots positioned on opposed sides of the central opening for permitting lateral adjustment of the...     

A self aligning trailer hitch, used by a driver alone without creating any personal lifting force, to couple and decouple a towing vehicle and a trailer, has a multiple piece assembly of a socket for securement to a towing vehicle, having a rotatable claw, which has a spherical recessed surface adapted...     

A ball hitch assembly consisting of: a center pin mountable on a tow bar and having an axial extent; a hitch ball with a central opening mountable on the center pin; a cooperating locking pin and groove structure provided one on the center pin and the other on the hitch ball, with the groove having an...     

A hitch structure is arranged for securement in a stable relationship of a trailer in mounting the trailer and associated cargo to a horizontal support post to impart stability to the trailer organization during transport thereof.

An adaptor allows a trailer coupling designed to be used with an annular eye-type trailer drawbar to be quickly and easily changed into a standard ball-type coupling. The adaptor includes a crossbar that mates with the arcuate surface located at the inside bottom portion of the pintle. The adaptor includes...     

A trailer hitch comprising, a hitching ball for a vehicle having an annular groove below the ball, a hitching member for a trailer having a pair of spaced openings extending therethrough, an elongated U-bolt for passage through the openings and in the groove to retain the hitching member to the ball,...     

A trailer lock for preventing the use of a conventional trailer tongue hitch on an unattached trailer vehicle. The lock comprises a towing ball securely fastened to a chain which, in a preferred embodiment, is installed in the socket of a trailer tongue to prevent an unattached trailer from being attached...     

A fifth-wheel extension adapter is provided for coupling a fifth-wheel trailer to a ball hitch assembly which is mounted in the bed of a truck. The fifth-wheel extension adapter comprises generally an extension frame, a ball coupler assembly for releasably and rotatably connecting the extension frame...     

A trailer hitch assembly for installation to the frame or chassis of a pick-up truck and for use with a gooseneck trailer is herein provided, the trailer hitch assembly comprising a detachable ball hitch including a stem attached at one end thereof, a mounting frame which includes means for attaching...     

An adjustable ball hitch having a shank received in a towing bracket on a towing vehicle, a pair of horizontally spaced vertical support arms connected eccentrically with respect to the shank, a rotatable ball support consisting of a triangular yolk having a triangular opening therethrough and three...     

A trailer hitch guide with a first portion to be mounted on a tractor vehicle, and a second portion to be mounted on a trailer vehicle. The first portion having a guide telescopically mounted to the tractor such that it can be viewed by the tractor operator while the vehicle is in motion. The second...     

An improved ball and socket-type coupling adapted to provide a tamperproof coupling between a tow arm of a towed vehicle and a support member of a towing vehicle, the socket thereof having a dome shaped portion adapted to embrace the ball in a conventional manner, said ball being connected to said support...     

A golf car towing hitch system for towing a three or four wheeled golf car behind a passenger vehicle or light truck with the rear two wheels of the golf car elevated off of the ground. A hoist mounted on a rotable mast for lifting the rear of the golf car is included. Receiver or bar hitches may be...     

This trailer hitch uses a disk with ball connectors of varying sizes and an attachment hole on a circle near the circumference of the disk. Opposed horizontal upper and lower bars pivotally support a vertical shaft through the disk center. A number of locking holes on a circle near the center of the...     

An anti-theft coupler device obstructs a trailer hitch coupler to prevent undesired coupling to the tow ball of a towing vehicle. The device comprises a lock body cooperating with and obstructing front and rear facing portions of a trailer hitch coupler, a ball coupler having a resilient, smooth circular...     

A gooseneck hitch structure is arranged in accommodating a trailer with a conventional bumper hitch to a gooseneck type mount in a "fifth wheel" arrangement relative to an associated tow vehicle.

For use with a towing vehicle having a hitch ball on a rearwardly extending bar support, a V-shaped guide to facilitate hitching a trailer to the ball in which to position the guide to withstand hitching forces it is mounted vertical in the clearance between adjacent walls and has a notch in a lower...     

A trailer coupling including a housing, one wall of which forms a first part-spherical coupling surface, a movable coupling element which is movably mounted on the housing and which forms a second part-spherical coupling surface, a control lever pivotally mounted on the housing and operable by an operating...     

Nearly everyone who drives an automobile has experienced engine failure or other problems with the transmission, cooler lines, drive shaft, differential or electrical components or has run out of gas at one time or another. The disabled car is immobilized until the driver is fortunate enough to obtain...