Trailer to vehicle connecting system

The present invention is a system for hooking a trailer to a towing vehicle. The system has a winch attached to the trailer and a cable that wraps around the ball hitch and is attached to a plate on the trailer. By spacing the cable wide at the plate on the trailer and narrow at the ball of the hitch, the trailer is automatically adjusted to position the tongue of the trailer to center it on the ball hitch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system for connecting a trailer to a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to a cable and winch system that automatically guides a connector on a trailer to a hitch on a tow vehicle.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

Accessories that assist in the alignment of the mating parts on a trailer and a towing vehicle are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,925 to Richie discloses an accessory having a winch attached to the trailer with a cable that wraps around a pulley attached below the ball hitch on the vehicle and which cable also attaches to a frame member on the trailer.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,317 to Hilmer discloses an accessory for holding a trailer to a towing vehicle that has a winch attached to the trailer and a cable, which attaches to the towing vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,408 to Norton et al. discloses an accessory for hooking a trailer to a towing vehicle, which has a winch attached to the trailer and a cable, which wraps around a pulley below the winch and is attached to a cross frame member on the trailer.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,083 to Wilks discloses a winch attached to a trailer and a cable which wraps around a plurality of pulleys attached to the trailer, through the ball hitch and, attaches to a support for the hall hitch.

In the present invention an accessory for hooking a trailer to a towing vehicle has a winch attached to the trailer and a cable that wraps around the ball hitch and is attached to a side flange on the trailer, all as will be detailed in the specification that follows hereafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an accessory for hooking a trailer to a towing vehicle that has a winch attached to the trailer and a cable that wraps around the ball hitch and is attached to a side flange on the trailer. By spacing the cable wide at a plate on the trailer and narrow at the ball of the hitch, the trailer is automatically adjusted to position the tongue of the trailer to center it on the ball.

In general, the present invention is a hitch-aligning system that is sold as an aftermarket kit for boat trailers and the like. The hitch-aligning system is attachable to a trailer having a tongue with a forward end that includes a coupling for guiding the coupling to a towing vehicle's trailer hitch. The system is made up of an elongated plate having opposed ends and is transversely attachable to the trailer such that the plate ends are extendable outwardly from opposite sides of the trailer's tongue. The plate can be fastened securely to the trailer tongue using a plurality of U-bolts or by welded joints.

A cable winch is attachable adjacent one plate end and a cable attachment point is located at the other plate end. The cable winch can be of the mechanical or electrical type. The mechanical type winch is operated using a hand crank handle. The cable attachment point can be a hole in the plate or an attached eyelet sized to receive a cable connector such as a cable hook.

The system also includes a cable having one end connected to the winch and a second end that is releasibly attachable to the cable attachment point, whereby the cable attachment point and a cable tension point where the cable departs the winch are equidistantly separated from the trailer's centerline or tongue by a distance that is at least a multiple larger than the trailer coupling to cause a triangulating action that automatically aligns the trailer coupling with the towing vehicle's trailer hitch, whenever the cable is under tension between the winch and trailer hitch and between the trailer hitch and cable attachment point.

The hitch aligning system can further include a pulley rotatably coupled to a pulley housing having a releasable hitch attachment member for connecting the cable to the towing vehicle's hitch. The pulley is used to reduce the friction that would normally be encountered if the cable was simply looped around the neck of a towing vehicle's ball hitch. Preferably, the releasable hitch attachment member is a simple hook that can be hooked around the neck of a towing vehicle's ball hitch. In this case, the cable loops over the pulley instead of the ball neck of the trailer hitch. Other releasable hitch members such as a ring or static cable loop could also be used.

The invention can also be factory installed on a manufactured boat trailer. In this case, the invention is a trailer that is automatically guidable to a towing vehicle. The trailer is made up of a trailer frame with a longitudinal centerline. The frame includes a rearward section with wheels and a forward section having a forward extending tongue ending with a trailer hitch coupling. The tongue and coupling are aligned with the trailer's longitudinal centerline.

An elongated plate having opposed ends is secured transversely onto the trailer by at least one metallurgic weld. Alternately, as with the kit the plate could be attached using a plurality of U-bolts. In either case, the plate ends extend outwardly from opposite sides of the tongue.

A cable winch is attachable adjacent one plate end and a cable attachment point is included with the other plate end. The trailer also includes a cable having one end connected to the winch and a second end that is releasibly attachable to the cable attachment point whereby, the cable attachment point and a cable tension point where the cable departs the winch are equidistantly separated from the trailer's centerline by a distance that is at least a multiple larger than the trailer coupling to cause a triangulating action that automatically aligns the trailer's coupling with the towing vehicle's trailer hitch whenever the cable is under tension between the winch and trailer hitch, and the trailer hitch and the cable attachment point of the plate.

In operation, a towing vehicle is maneuvered towards a trailer to be hitched and is parked from the trailer within half the length of the trailer's cable. The cable is unwound from the winch and the connecting end of the cable is secured to the cable attachment point on the trailer's plate. Preferably, the pulley with releasable hitch attachment member is already engaged with the cable.

At this point the releasable hitch member is connected to the hitch of the towing vehicle and the cable is put under tension by operating the winch to wind in a portion of the cable. Once the cable is under tension the cable is continually wound onto the winch resulting in the pulley of the trailer towards the parked towing vehicle. Specifically, the winding of the cable onto the winch pulls the trailer's coupling directly towards the trailer hitch of the towing vehicle. Since the cable is connected at two points on the trailer that are transversely equidistant to the trailer tongue, the trailer connector on the end of the tongue is automatically pulled directly to the towing vehicle's trailer hitch whenever the apex of the cable is attached to the vehicle's trailer hitch.

Once the trailer coupling is drawn as close as possible to the towing vehicle's trailer hitch using the pulley with the releasable hitch attachment member, the winding of the cable is temporarily halted and some of the tension is released by unwinding a short length of cable from the winch. This is done to remove the releasable hitch attachment member from the towing vehicle's hitch. Since the coupling is above the hitch at this point, an individual can pull the trailer and coupling up to the connecting point to complete the hitching process.

Alternately the cable can be looped over the towing vehicle's hitch and a portion of the cable is rewound onto the winch until the coupling of the trailer is in alignment with the hitch of the towing vehicle. Once coupled, the tension on the cable can be released so that the cable loop can be withdrawn from the towing vehicle's hitch. The cable is then wound back onto the winch for storage where the cable will remain until it is needed to guide and connect the trailer at some future time.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for a new and improved system for securing a trailer to a towing vehicle.

Another object is to provide for a new and improved system for securing a trailer to a towing vehicle wherein one person may operate the system.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to readers from a consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, terms such as horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath, and the like, are used solely for the purpose of clarity in illustrating the invention, and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of the present invention before a ball hitch1is affixed to a towing vehicle3. A trailer having a coupling5mounted to it, which will mate with the ball1in the conventional manner. Only the mating ends of the towing vehicle and trailer are shown in this view. The conventional ball hitch1is fixed to the trailing end of the vehicle and the conventional mating coupling5, which is hollow and spherical in shape to fit over the hitch1, is fixed to an extension of the trailer. Also fixed to the trailer is a conventional hand operated winch9. A removable handle7(shown in dotted lines) is used to rotate the winch about a vertical axis. Wound around the winch is a steel cable11. When extended, the cable11extends from the winch9to the base of the hitch and around the hitch where it terminates at a cable hook13on the opposite side of the trailer.

The upper portion of the hitch1has a larger diameter than the lower base of the hitch1that the base sits on, and is connected to, an upward extension to the hitch extension14. At the meeting of the hitch lower base and the upward portion of extension14, the cable11goes around the intersection in what may be considered a retaining groove for the cable11. This retaining groove is joined to the base of the hitch1.

A plate15, made of one piece, extends laterally across the frame of the trailer. Mounted on one side and beneath the plate15is the hand-operated winch9. On the other side of the plate, opposite the winch, is a hole17or, alternately, an eyehook (not shown). The snap hook13on the end of cable11engages hole17. The plate15is firmly mounted over the existing frame of the trailer by bolts19. The plate15could also be welded to the trailer frame. At the lower end of the trailer is a conventional safety chain21fixed to the trailer at one end. A hook23, on the end of the chain21, can be attached to the towing vehicle with the chain extending between the trailer and the vehicle.

FIG. 2is a top view of the present invention just after the coupling5is mounted onto the ball hitch1of the towing vehicle3. The cable11from the winch9is more clearly shown in this view. Cable11extends around a bottom portion of the ball1in a retaining groove between where the upper portion of the hitch joins a lower upstanding supporting surface on the extension14. The groove formed where the members1(not visible) and the supporting surface of extention14meet is circular and insures that the cable11will not slip out of place as more tension is placed on the cable to draw the trailer closer to the towing vehicle3. The other, or free end of the cable, with hook13is secured into hole in the plate15.

FIG.3(a) is a partial perspective view of a universal trailer mount27that can be used with the present invention. The conventional mount27is typically found in boat trailers and forms the leading end where the trailer is mounted to the towing vehicle. Plate16, ofFIGS. 1and2, here shown in dotted line format, is secured to the mount27by bolts19, passing through holes29into plate15.

FIG.3(b) is a perspective view of the FIG.3(a) mount27taken from the front. The trailer mount27is formed of two substantially identical C-channels making up I-beam shaped frame members31joined along their lengths. The holes29, disclosed with respect to FIG.3(a), would go through the upper flange section with the retaining bolts19passing through plate15, through mount27and secured with retaining nuts (not shown).

FIG. 4is a perspective view of another type of universal trailer mount33that can be used with the present invention. This type of mount33is normally associated with a camper trailer. Three holes35are formed in the generally triangular shaped mount33permitting bolts, or other threaded fasteners, to be inserted through them and secured by retaining nuts to hold mount33to the plate15, here shown in dotted line format.

FIG. 5is a perspective view of another method of attaching plate15to a trailer. Two U-shaped bolts39extend under the member37and pass through holes29and plate15. Bolts39have threaded free ends41, which fit through holes29. Nuts43engage the ends41to hold plate15to the frame37.

It should be clear that the particular type of winch9that can be used may be a simple hand operated winch, a compound winch, or an electrical motor operated winch, depending on the particular load (trailer) to be pulled toward the towing vehicle. The cable11may be made of any strong material that can perform safely, such as a steel cable, a stainless steel cable, or plastic coated cable. Any type of trailer and towing vehicle combination with the requisite features may employ the principles of this invention.

In use, a single user would stop the towing vehicle approximately 3 or 4 feet from the trailer that is to be towed. Using such a stopping distance insures the trailer and towing vehicle will not hit. This spacing allows for some manipulation by the user of the trailer extension to insure its retaining coupling5will fit directly over the spherical shaped hitch1. If a lesser distance were used, there is a chance that the trailer would be out of alignment with the towing vehicle by a small amount. Next, the winch9is moved to an opened position allowing the cable11to be extended from the winch. The cable is placed around the base of the hitch1. The snap hook13is opened and snapped to a closed position on the hole or eye hook on the opposite side of plate15from the winch. If desired, the hole17(shown inFIG. 5) can be eliminated, and the hook13could simply be mounted in an eyehook fixed to the plate15at the same location.

Next, after locking the cable free end to the plate15, the winch is moved to a closed or pulling position. The winch is then activated to move the cable, which is then made taut. The coupling5, attached to the trailer, is pulled by the cable towards the vehicle and, due to the triangular configuration of the connecting, taut cable11, is guided into position directly over the ball1and then lowered down on the ball. The coupling may then be fastened onto the hitch in the usual manner. The safety hook23on the trailer is also fixed to a hole in the hitch. Following this, some slack is allowed in the cable11and the hook13is removed from the frame hole (or eye hook) and the cable11is rewound on the winch. The hook13can then be fixed to a hole in the frame and the winch is placed in a locked position.

By providing for a triangular configuration of the taut cable11relative to the hitch1, the position of the trailer will automatically be adjusted to be positioned over the coupling5. The arrangement of the cable from the winch to the ball1results in ½ the load on the cable relative to a single cable directly connected to the towing vehicle. This also provides for a mechanical advantage of 2 to 1.

FIGS. 6 and 7show an alternate embodiment of the hitch-aligning system of the present invention. The hitch-aligning system, generally50, is attachable to a trailer tongue52with a forward end that includes a coupling54for guiding said coupling to a towing vehicle's trailer hitch56. The hitch-aligning system comprises:

a) an elongated plate58having opposed ends, the plate being transversely attachable to trailer tongue52such that the plate ends are extendable outwardly from opposite sides of tongue52;

b) a cable winch60is attachable adjacent one plate end and a cable attachment point62is located on the other plate end;

c) a cable64having one end connected to said winch and a second end that is releasibly attachable to cable attachment point62, whereby cable attachment point62and a cable tension point66where the cable departs winch60are equidistantly separated from trailer tongue52by a distance that is at least a multiple larger than trailer coupling54; and

d) a pulley68rotatably coupled to a pulley housing70that includes a releasable hitch attachment member72for connecting cable64to the towing vehicle's hitch56to cause a triangulating action that automatically aligns trailer coupling54with the towing vehicle's trailer hitch56, whenever cable64is under tension between winch60and trailer hitch56and between trailer hitch56and cable attachment point62. The second end of cable64can be terminated with a hook74for making the second end of cable60releasibly attachable to cable attachment point62. A hand crank handle76is used to wind winch60.FIG. 6also shows at least one metallurgical weld77that can optionally be used to secure plate58to tongue52.

FIG. 7shows the invention in the form of a manufactured trailer80that is automatically guidable to a towing vehicle82. Trailer80comprises a trailer frame84with a longitudinal centerline86. The frame includes a rearward section88with wheels90and a forward section92that includes a forward extendable tongue94ending with a trailer hitch coupling96. Tongue94and coupling96are aligned with longitudinal centerline86. In operation, towing vehicle82is maneuvered towards a trailer to be hitched and is parked from trailer80within half the length of cable64. Cable64is unwound from winch60and the connecting end of cable64is secured to cable attachment point62on plate58. Cable64is engaged with pulley68and releasable hitch member72is connected to the hitch56. Cable64is put under tension by operating winch60to wind in a portion of cable64. Once cable64is under tension, cable64is continually wound onto winch60resulting in the pulling of the trailer80towards towing vehicle82. Specifically, the winding of cable64onto winch60pulls coupling54directly towards trailer hitch56even if the centerline86of trailer80is angularly offset from hitch56as shown in FIG.7.