Patent ID: 6659490
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A fifth wheel trailer hitch adaptor system for removably coupling a fifth wheel trailer to a vehicle, said system comprising:a vehicle having a bumper mounted thereon; a receiver secured to said bumper of said vehicle, said receiver being located below and adjacent to said bumper, said receiver having an aperture extending through said receiver; a fifth wheel trailer hitch member having a base portion; a connection bar secured to said base portion, said connection bar having a distal portion extending outwardly from said base portion, said distal portion being insertable through said aperture in said receiver, said distal portion having a hole extending through said distal portion; a pin member couplable to said distal portion through said hole whereby said connection bar is secured to said receiver; said aperture through said receiver being a central aperture; said receiver having a pair of outer apertures extending through said receiver substantially parallel to said central aperture, each of said apertures having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said apertures all lying in a common plane; said connection bar being a central connection bar; a pair of outer connection bars secured to said base portion, each of said outer connection bars having respective distal portions extending outwardly from said base portion parallel to said central connection bar, each said distal portions of said outer connection bars being insertable through an associated one of said outer apertures in said receiver, each said distal portions of said outer connection bars having a respective hole extending therethrough, each of said connection bars being elongate with a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said connection bars all lying in a common plane, said fifth wheel trailer hitch member being positioned above the common plane of said connection bars; a pair of outer pin members, each of said outer pin members being couplable to an associated one of said holes in said distal portions of said outer connection bars whereby said outer connection bars are secured to said receiver; said connection bar having a square cross-section taken transverse to a longitudinal axis of said connection bar; said aperture in said receiver having a complementary shape for snugly receiving said connection bar to minimize twisting of said connection bar in said aperture; said central connection bar being positioned such that a longitudinal axis of said central connection bar is aligned with a center of said fifth wheel trailer hitch member; each of said outer connection bars being positioned being symmetrically positioned about said longitudinal axis of said central connection bar.