Abstract:
A trailer hitch system for equalizing trailer loads and reducing trailer sway. The trailer hitch system may include spring bars that may be attached to a hitch head using a trunnion style connection. The spring bars may be attached to the trailer using rigid brackets that reduce swinging of the spring bars. The rigid brackets having a plurality of contact points may include an upward extending portion for attaching to the trailer tongue, and a lateral extending portion for receiving the spring bars thereupon.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/503,563, filed Jun. 30, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, including but not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, the incorporation by reference being made with the following exception: In the event that any portion of the above-referenced application is inconsistent with this application, this application supercedes said above-referenced provisional application. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    1. The Field of the Invention. 
         [0004]    The present disclosure relates generally to trailer hitch systems, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a bracket system for trailer hitch systems for reducing trailer sway and/or equalizing the weight of the trailer. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0006]    Various different types of trailer hitches are known in the art for attaching trailers to towing vehicles. One of the most common types of towing systems utilizes a ball hitch. Typical ball hitches have a generally spherical shaped ball with a stem or threaded rod extending from a base of the ball. The threaded rod may be configured to engage a hitch head mounted on the towing vehicle using a threaded receiver or ball hitch fitting. A trailer coupling member, positioned on a front of the trailer tongue, may engage the ball hitch in a loose friction fit, and may be secured to the ball in preparation for towing. An example is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0007]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a side view is shown of a towing vehicle  10  towing a trailer  12  with a trailer hitch  14 . It will be understood that the towing vehicle  10  may be any variety of vehicle known in the art, such as a truck, tractor or car, or any other variety of on-road or off-road vehicle, for example. Likewise, the principles of the present disclosure may be utilized with any variety of trailer  12  known in the art, such as camping trailers, boat trailers or cargo trailers, for example. 
         [0008]    As is known in the art, the load from the trailer  12  may force the rear end of the towing vehicle  10  down and raise the front end of the towing vehicle  10  and thereby hitches may drag on the ground. Load equalizing systems, as discussed more fully below, have been used to distribute the load created by the trailer  12  on the towing vehicle  10  to thereby make the trailer  12  and towing vehicle  10  more level. 
         [0009]    One of the biggest safety concerns with towing trailers is that the trailers may sway, leading to loss of control of the towing vehicle. A number of factors may contribute to sway, including: side winds, passing vehicles, quick lane changes, uneven roads and sudden stops. Some trailer hitches may not handle these situations well and may often exacerbate the sway problem making driving even more stressful and difficult. 
         [0010]    Another common problem encountered when towing a trailer is “highway hop,” or the bouncing that often happens to trailers on uneven roadways. This problem may be caused by uneven weight distribution. With ordinary ball-type hitches, most of the trailer tongue weight may be carried on the back axle of the tow vehicle. This may raise the front end of the tow vehicle. The uneven distribution of weight may make steering control more difficult, especially during emergency situations. Weight distribution allows a trailer and tow vehicle to be level. Risks associated with driving a trailer without a weight distribution hitch may include loss of steering control, braking difficulties, and hitch dragging. 
         [0011]    Some hitches include load equalizing systems utilizing spring arms or bars to distribute loads and allow the towing vehicle and trailer to remain level. One end of the spring arms may be attached under the ball hitch and hitch head. The spring arms may extend from the hitch head towards the trailer, and may be joined to the trailer tongue using chains and/or brackets. The end of the spring arms opposite the hitch head may be lifted or loaded to place an upward force on the hitch head to thereby equalize the load exerted on the trailer hitch. Various mechanisms are known for use in association with a trailer hitch to reduce side sway of the trailer as well as to equalize loads. Some prior art embodiments of the brackets for joining the spring bars to the trailer tongue have been formed as rigid members. 
         [0012]    The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view of tow vehicle towing a trailer using a prior art trailer hitch; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a view of a bracket assembly mounted to a frame of a trailer; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a bracket assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a view of a bracket assembly mounted to a frame of a trailer; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a view of a bracket assembly mounted to a frame of a trailer; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a view of a bracket assembly; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a view of a bracket assembly; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a view of a outer plate. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed. 
         [0023]    Before the present structures and methods for providing a sway control hitch are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 
         [0024]    The publications and other reference materials referred to herein to describe the background of the disclosure, and to provide additional detail regarding its practice, are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, with the following exception: In the event that any portion of said reference materials is inconsistent with this application, this application supercedes said reference materials. The reference materials discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as a suggestion or admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior disclosure, or to distinguish the present disclosure from the subject matter disclosed in the reference materials. 
         [0025]    It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, as used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. 
         [0026]    Applicants have discovered a trailer hitching system having a spring bar support member that may be installed onto one or more mounting studs that extend outwardly from an attachment member attached to a frame member of a trailer tongue. The attachment member may be secured to the frame member of the trailer tongue using a clamp-type mounting assembly. The spring bar support member may include a plurality of openings for selectively engaging the free ends of the one or more mounting studs to thereby provide a variable height adjustment feature. The one or more studs may each include a male threaded portion for receiving a threaded nut to thereby secure the spring bar support member to the attachment member. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure, which shows an enlarged view of a hitch  14  on a break-away view of a trailer  12 , the trailer  12  typically includes a trailer tongue  16  extending at a forward end of the trailer  12 . The trailer tongue  16  may comprise a frame member  17 . A coupler  18  typically will be located on an end of the tongue  16  for receiving a ball  20  of the hitch  14 , in a manner known in the art. The ball  20  typically will be disposed on a hitch head  22  which typically will be attached to the tow vehicle  10  through a connector  24 . A spring bar  26  typically will be joined to the hitch head  22  at one end, and to the frame member  17  of the trailer tongue  16  at an opposing end portion using a bracket  28 . Typically, two spring bars  26  will be used, one on each side of the trailer tongue  16 . 
         [0028]    The spring bars  26  may be configured to provide an upward force on the hitch head  22  to equalize the distribution of the load and allow the towing vehicle  10  and trailer  12  to be more level. The spring bars  26  may also be beneficial for reducing sway of the trailer  12 . 
         [0029]    A sway hitch control bracket assembly  100  may be attached to the frame member  17  of the trailer tongue  16 . The assembly  100  may provide support for a terminal end  30  spring bar  26 . 
         [0030]    It will be appreciated that a pair of bracket assemblies  100  may be utilized on the trailer tongue  16 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an exploded view of the bracket assembly  100 . The assembly  100  may comprise a nut  102  and a lock washer  104  that is installed onto bolt  118 . 
         [0032]    The assembly  100  may comprise a nut  106  and a lock washer  108  that is installed onto bolt  120 . The shafts of the bolts  118  and  120  may extend through an inner plate  110  and an outer plate  116 . Bolts or studs  112  and  114  may extend through holes  136  in the outer plate  116 . 
         [0033]    An L-shaped bracket  122  may be mounted onto bolts  112  and  114 . In particular, the bolts  112  and  114  may extend through holes  134  formed in the L-shaped bracket  122 . Nuts  124  and  126  may secure the L-shaped bracket  122  onto the bolts  112  and  114 , respectively. The height of the L-shaped bracket  122  with respect to outer plate  116  may be selectively varied by inserting the bolts  112  and  114  into different ones of the holes  134 . 
         [0034]    The L-shaped bracket  122  may include a vertical portion  122   a  and a horizontal portion  122   b . The horizontal portion  122   b  may include a top surface  122   c  that is configured and adapted for receiving and supporting a terminal end of a spring bar. The horizontal portion  122   b  may further comprise a hole  132  configured and adapted for receiving an L-shaped pin  128 . The L-shaped pin  128  may lock a spring bar onto the L-shaped bracket  122 . A pin  130  may be inserted into a hole  144  formed in the L-shaped pin  128  for securing the L-shaped pin  128  in the hole  132 . 
         [0035]    An outer surface  116   a  of the outer plate  116  may include a recessed portion  138  for receiving a head  118   a  of the bolt  118 . The recessed portion  138  may include a hole (not visible) for allowing passage of the shaft of the bolt  118  into a hole  146  in the inner plate  110 . The recessed portion  138  may be configured and adapted to prevent rotation of the head  118   a  of the bolt  118  during installation of the nut  102  and the lock washer  104  onto the bolt  118 . 
         [0036]    The outer plate  116  may include a recessed portion  140  for receiving a head  120   a  of the bolt  120 . The recessed portion  140  may be elongated in the vertical direction such that bolt  120  may selectively engage any one of the holes  142  formed in the inner plate  110 . The recessed portion  140  may include holes (not visible) corresponding in number and location to the holes  142  of the inner plate  110 . The recessed portion  140  may be configured and adapted to prevent rotation of the head  120   a  of the bolt  120  during installation of the nut  106  and the lock washer  108  onto the bolt  120 . 
         [0037]    As perhaps best seen in  FIG. 7 , an inner side  116   b  of the outer plate  116  may include a recess  150 . The recess may be configured and adapted for receiving a head  112   a  of the bolt  112  and a head  114   a  of the bolt  114 . It will be appreciated that sidewalls of the recess  150  may engage heads  112   a  and  114   a  to prevent rotation of the bolts  112  and  114 , respectively, as nuts  102  and  106  are installed onto the bolts  112  and  114 , respectively. When installed, the frame  17  of the trailer tongue  16  (see  FIG. 2 ) prevents bolts  112  and  114  from exiting the holes  136  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0038]      FIGS. 4-8  depict embodiments of the present disclosure, where like reference numerals depict like components. 
         [0039]    According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for coupling a trailer tongue to a vehicle, the trailer tongue having a frame member, may comprise: 
         [0040]    a hitch; 
         [0041]    a spring bar extending from the hitch; 
         [0042]    an outer member having a inner side and an outer side; 
         [0043]    a recess formed in the inner side of the outer member, said recess having a sidewall; 
         [0044]    a hole extending from said inner side to said outer side of said outer member, said hole located in the recess; 
         [0045]    a stud installed in said hole and extending outwardly from the outer side of the outer member and terminating at a free end, said stud having a head; 
         [0046]    a mounting assembly for securing the outer member to the frame member of the trailer tongue such that the at least one stud extends away from the frame member; and 
         [0047]    a support member having a surface adapted to support the spring bar; 
         [0048]    wherein the support member comprises a plurality of openings for selectively engaging the free end of the at least one stud to thereby provide a variable height adjustment for the support member; 
         [0049]    wherein said sidewall of said recess engages said head of the stud to thereby impede rotation of the stud. 
         [0050]    It will be understood that the structures disclosed herein may be manufactured using techniques and equipment known to those skilled in the art. For example, the components of the trailer hitch system may be formed using molding, casting, or milling techniques known to those skilled in the art. Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provided by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a feature of the present disclosure to provide a trailer hitch system that is relatively simple in design and manufacture. Another feature of the present disclosure is to provide such a trailer hitch system that reduces trailer sway and equalizes loads. It is a further feature of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide a trailer hitch system having brackets with a plurality of fastening points for improved wear characteristics. It is an additional feature of the present disclosure to provide a trailer hitch system having an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
         [0051]    In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0052]    It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.