Convertible towing device

A convertible towing device for use with a towing vehicle equipped with a trailer connector and a trailer having a tongue with a conventional trailer hitch includes a base section connectable to the trailer and a pivot section pivotable on the base section between a rearward position toward the trailer and a forward position toward the towing vehicle and connectable to the towing vehicle in the forward position. The pivot section is adjustably positionable in pre-selected forward positions and is provided with a connector plate having a king pin for connection to a fifth wheel type connector on the towing vehicle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to towing devices for use with a towing 
vehicle and a trailer, and more particularly to a new and improved towing 
device for use with a towing vehicle having a trailer connector such as a 
fifth wheel and a trailer such as a dolly having a tongue with a 
conventional trailer hitch. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Various types of towing devices for connecting a trailer to a towing 
vehicle have been used in the past. For example, the towing vehicle may be 
equipped with a conventional ball type hitch attached at or under the rear 
of the towing vehicle, to which a conventional trailer hitch fixed on the 
end of a tongue extending from the front of the trailer can be connected 
for towing. Alternatively, a towing vehicle such as a pick-up truck may be 
equipped with a connector disposed in the bed of truck, to which a 
goose-neck type tongue extending up from the front of the trailer and then 
down into the bed of the truck can be connected by means of a 
corresponding connector for towing. 
A third type of towing device is found in over-the-road type tractors 
equipped with a fifth wheel type connector mounted on a frame above or 
forward of the rear wheels of the tractor. However, such tractors are 
specifically designed for towing over-the-road type trailers having a 
corresponding connector plate disposed in the front of the trailer with a 
king pin connectable to the fifth wheel of the tractor and cannot be used 
with a trailer such as a dolly having a conventional trailer hitch. While 
towing devices have been proposed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,853, 
for converting a trailer having a conventional trailer hitch to a 
goose-neck type tongue for use with a pick-up truck, such devices cannot 
be used with an over-the-road type tractor having a fifth wheel type 
trailer connector. 
There is a current need to provide a towing device for use with a towing 
vehicle having a trailer connector such as a fifth wheel trailer connector 
mounted on a frame above or forward of the rear wheels of the towing 
vehicle and with a trailer such as a dolly having a conventional trailer 
hitch. 
The present invention addresses that need and further provides a towing 
device which can be quickly and easily converted back and forth for use 
with a towing vehicle having a fifth wheel trailer connector and a towing 
vehicle having a conventional trailer hitch. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described 
subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved 
convertible towing device for use with a towing vehicle having a trailer 
connector and a trailer such as a dolly having a tongue which has all of, 
and more than, the advantages of prior art towing devices and none of the 
disadvantages. 
To attain this purpose, a representative embodiment of the present 
invention is illustrated in the drawings. The towing device of the present 
invention makes use of a base section connectable to a trailer and a pivot 
section pivotable on the base section between a rearward position toward 
the trailer and a forward position toward the towing vehicle and 
connectable to the towing vehicle in the forward position. When pivoted to 
the rearward position, the pivot section rests on and is partly supported 
by either the base section or a forward part of the trailer, and a portion 
of the trailer tongue carrying, for example, a conventional trailer hitch 
extends forward of the base section toward the towing vehicle and can be 
connected to a towing vehicle having a corresponding conventional trailer 
hitch, without removal of the towing device of the present invention. 
The pivot section has a rear end which is pivoted on a pivot pin mounted on 
the base section and a front end which is pivotable in an arc over the 
pivot pin. In order to accommodate, for example, variations in the 
difference between the height of the trailer tongue and the towing vehicle 
connector, the pivot section is also adjustably positionable in 
pre-selected forward positions for connection to the towing vehicle by 
means of a locking plate associated with the pivot pin, and a locking pin. 
The pivot section is provided with a hole, the locking plate has a 
plurality of holes corresponding to the preselected forward positions of 
the pivot section, and the locking pin is insertable through the hole of 
the pivot section and into one of the pre-positioned holes of the locking 
plate. The pivot section is connectable to the towing vehicle in one of 
the pre-selected forward positions of the pivot section by means of a 
connector plate disposed on the pivot section. For connection to a fifth 
wheel type connector of a towing vehicle, the connector plate is provided 
with a king pin receivable by the fifth wheel connector. 
Preferably, the base section includes a substantially horizontally disposed 
structure and a substantially vertically disposed upstanding structure, 
and the pivot pin and associated locking plate are disposed on the 
vertically disposed upstanding structure. For connecting the base section 
to the trailer, the base section is provided with a front bracket and a 
rear bracket which cooperatively receive the trailer tongue. The front and 
rear brackets may each be provided with holes, and the trailer tongue may 
be provided with corresponding holes, for receiving fasteners such as 
bolts to secure the respective brackets to the tongue. 
The pivot section may include a pair of spaced apart pivot section side 
members, each having a front end to which the connector plate is fixed, 
and each having a rear end. Further, a pair of the pivot pins and a pair 
of the associated locking plates may be provided, with the pivot section 
side member rear ends pivoted on respective of the pivot pins. Likewise, 
the base section horizontally disposed structure may include a pair of 
spaced apart base section horizontal side members, each having a front end 
and a rear end, and a rear cross member connecting the horizontal side 
member rear ends, with the rear bracket fixed to the rear cross member. 
The base section upstanding section may include a pair of spaced apart 
vertical side members, each having a bottom end connected to respective of 
the horizontal side member front ends, and each having a top end on which 
respective of the pivot pins and associated locking plates are positioned. 
The base section upstanding section may also include a front cross member 
connecting the vertical side members, with the front bracket fixed to the 
front cross member. 
This outline focusses on the more important features of the invention in 
order that a detailed description which follows may be better understood 
and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better 
appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention 
that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter 
of the claims appended hereto. It is to be understood that the invention 
is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to 
the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description 
and drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and being carried out in various ways. 
It is to be further understood that the phraseology and terminology 
employed herein are for the purpose of description and are not to be 
regarded as limiting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the 
conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as 
a basis for designing the structures, methods and systems for carrying out 
the several purposes of the present invention. The claims are regarded as 
including such equivalent constructions so long as they do not depart from 
the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
From the foregoing, it is apparent that an object of the present invention 
is to provide a new and improved towing device for use with a towing 
vehicle having a trailer connector such as a fifth wheel trailer connector 
mounted on a frame above or forward of the rear wheels of the towing 
vehicle and with a trailer such as a dolly having a conventional trailer 
hitch. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a towing device 
which can be quickly and easily converted back and forth for use with a 
towing vehicle having a fifth wheel trailer connector and a towing vehicle 
having a conventional trailer hitch. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved design of a convertible towing device that is more reliable, 
functional and safe to use and maintain and less expensive than those 
presently available. 
These, together with other objects of the present invention, along with the 
various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed 
out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages, and the specific objectives attained by its uses, reference 
should be made to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of 
reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, the towing device of the present invention, 
shown generally as 10 in FIG. 1, has a base section, shown generally as 12 
in FIG. 3, connectable to a trailer 14 and a pivot section, shown 
generally as 16 in FIG. 3, pivotable on base section 12 between a rearward 
position toward trailer 14 as shown in FIG. 3 and a forward position 
toward a towing vehicle 16 and connectable to towing vehicle 18 in the 
forward position as shown in FIG. 1. When pivoted to the rearward 
position, pivot section 16 rests on and is partly supported by either base 
section 12 or a forward part of trailer 14 as shown in FIG. 3, and a 
forward part of trailer tongue 20 carrying a conventional trailer hitch 22 
extends forward of base section 12 and can be connected to a towing 
vehicle having a corresponding conventional trailer hitch (not shown) 
without removal of the towing device of the present invention. 
Pivot section 16 has a rear end 24 which is pivoted on a pivot pin 26 
mounted on base section 12 and a front end 27 which is pivotable in an arc 
in arrow direction "A," as shown in FIG. 3, over pivot pin 26. In order to 
accommodate, for example, variations in the difference between the height 
of the trailer tongue 20 and the towing vehicle connector 28 as shown in 
FIG. 1, pivot section 16 is adjustably positionable in pre-selected 
forward positions for connection to towing vehicle 18 by means of a 
locking plate 30 associated with pivot pin 26, and a locking pin 32. Pivot 
section 16 is provided with a hole, locking plate 30 has a plurality of 
pre-positioned holes 34 corresponding to the pre-selected forward 
positions of pivot section 16, and locking pin 32 is insertable through 
the hole of pivot section 16 and into one of 19 pre-positioned holes 34 of 
locking plate 30. Pivot section 16 is connectable to towing vehicle 18 by 
means of a connector plate 36 disposed on pivot section 16. For connection 
to trailer connector 28, connector plate 36 is provided with a king pin 38 
as shown in FIG. 3 which is receivable by trailer connector 28. 
Base section 12 includes a substantially horizontally disposed structure 40 
and a substantially vertically disposed upstanding structure 42, as shown 
in FIGS. 1 and 3, and pivot pin 26 and associated locking plate 30 are 
disposed on vertically disposed upstanding structure 42. For connecting 
base section 12 to trailer 14, base section 12 is provided with a front 
bracket 44 and a rear bracket 46 for cooperatively receiving trailer 
tongue 20 as shown in FIG. 2. Front and rear brackets 44, 46 are provided 
with holes, and trailer tongue 20 is provided with corresponding holes, 
for receiving fasteners such as bolts to secure the respective brackets 
44, 46 to trailer tongue 20. 
Pivot section 16 includes a pair of spaced apart pivot side section members 
48, each having a front end 50 to which connector plate 36 is fixed. 
Preferably, a pair of pivot pins 26 and a pair of associated locking 
plates 30 are provided, as shown in FIG. 2, with pivot section side member 
rear ends 24 pivoted on respective pivot pins 26. Referring to FIG. 4, 
pivot side section members 48 may include telescoping portions 49, 
enabling lengthening or shortening of pivot side section members 48 by 
extending or retracting telescoping portion 49 to accommodate variations 
in dimensions and configuration of towing vehicle 16 relative to trailer 
tongue 20. Telescoping portions 49 are extendable in increments 
corresponding to positions of holes 17 formed in telescoping portions 49 
for receiving a pin 47 through a corresponding hole formed in each of 
pivot side section members 48. Base section horizontally disposed 
structure 40 includes a pair of spaced apart base section horizontal side 
members 52, each having a front end 54 and a rear end 56, and a rear cross 
member 58 connecting horizontal side member rear ends 56, with rear 
bracket 46 fixed to rear cross member 58. 
Base section upstanding section 42 includes a pair of spaced apart vertical 
side members 60, each having a bottom end 62 connected to respective 
horizontal side member front ends 54, and each having a top end 64 on 
which respective pivot pins 26 and associated locking plates 30 are 
positioned. Base section 12 also includes a front cross member 66 
connecting vertical side members 60, with front bracket 44 fixed to front 
cross member 66. 
Obviously, any number of materials may be used to form the: device of the 
present invention and its components described herein, and success has 
been experienced by use of metal, including angle iron for certain of the 
component parts, but other materials may be utilized with equal success. 
With respect to the descriptions set forth above, optimum dimensional 
relationship for the parts of the invention (to include variations in 
size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly 
and use) are deemed readily apparent and obvious to those skilled in the 
art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings 
and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed herein. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to 
those skilled in the art, it is not intended to limit the invention to the 
exact construction and operation shown and described, and all suitable 
modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended 
claims are deemed within the present inventive concept.