Abstract:
An assembly provides for a ball mount, a hitch ball and means for securing the hitch ball to the ball mount. It also provides means for preventing rotation of the hitch ball during attachment of the hitch ball to the ball mount. This rotation-preventing means comprises a geometrically-profiled aspect of both the ball mount and the hitch ball such that the relative position of the two elements is maintained during attachment of the hitch ball to the ball mount as well as when the hitch ball is removed from the ball mount.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to hitch assemblies that are used for connecting a towed vehicle, such as a trailer, to a towing vehicle. More specifically, it relates to a ball mount and hitch ball assembly that is attachable to the hitch receiver of the towing vehicle, the ball mount and hitch ball assembly being configured to prevent rotation of the hitch ball when the hitch ball is being attached to, or removed from, the ball mount. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Hitch assemblies are well known in the art. Such assemblies are used with towing vehicles, such as cars and trucks, to allow them to pull towed vehicles, such as boat trailers, pop-up campers and the like, behind them. In one very common assembly, the towing vehicle is fitted with a hitch assembly having a tow hitch, which is a square-shaped hollow receiver tube mounted to the chassis of a towing vehicle at the rear of the vehicle. A portion of a ball mount is then inserted into the hollow of the receiver tube with the remaining portion of the ball mount extending rearwardly of the towing vehicle. That is, the ball mount includes a bar that fits into the receiver that is attached to the vehicle and is secured to the receiver by pinning it. The ball mount includes a hitch ball that is attached to it and the bar of the ball mount my drop down to get the ball closer to the ground so that the towed vehicle, or trailer, will ride level. 
         [0003]    The towed vehicle, or trailer, is then fitted with a device that is used to secure the trailer to the towing vehicle. This is known as the trailer “tongue” or trailer “coupler” which captures the hitch ball and secures the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle. This forms an effective “ball and socket” connection to allow for relative movement between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle, or trailer, while towing over a road surface. 
         [0004]    In the hitch assembly described above, the hitch ball is typically removably attached to the ball mount. In this type of assembly, the hitch ball includes an integrally-formed ball that extends above the ball mount, a flange of some sort disposed immediately below the ball, a shank that extends through an aperture defined within the ball mount, and a threaded shank portion that extends below the ball mount. The threaded shank portion is used to secure the hitch ball to the ball mount by means of a like-threaded fastener, such as a hex nut. 
         [0005]    The hitch ball of this type of assembly is usually attached to the ball mount by using a wrench or other tool to rotate the fastener about the threaded shank portion of the hitch ball. This can and does result in the hitch ball being rotated as well with the net effect that the combined fastener and hitch ball are simply rotated together within the aperture of the ball mount and the fastener is not advanced along the threaded shank. To properly secure the fastener and hitch ball to the ball mount, the hitch ball must be prevented from rotating within the ball mount aperture. This can be accomplished by using two wrenches or tools, whereby one is used to hold the hitch ball in position and the other is used to rotate the fastener and advance it along the threaded shank. This is awkward and potentially unsafe. 
         [0006]    Certain “anti-rotation” configurations have been devised and are also known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,098 to Milazzo discloses and claims a non-rotating hitch ball wherein a plate and stud attachment is used in conjunction with a bore that lies adjacent the drawbar passageway. In U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/0040623 by Krespach et al., a shaped recess is defined about the hitch ball mounting aperture and a like-shaped shank is configured as part of the hitch ball. In the experience of this inventor, such designs require additional parts, additional machining and, in the case of the recessed-aperture configuration, do not work quite as well as intended. That is, once the fastener is sufficiently rotated downwardly along the threaded hitch ball shank, the hitch ball flange may be easily displaced from the recess that it is intended to be seating within. Once displaced, the flange and recess combination will continue to be ineffective in preventing rotation of the hitch ball whenever any slight upward force is exerted on the hitch ball, which will cause the flange to “unseat” from the recess. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In the view of this inventor, what is needed is a ball mount and hitch ball assembly that can be used whereby rotation of the hitch ball within the aperture of the ball mount is prevented during attachment of the hitch ball to the ball mount and during the full rotational movement of the fastener along the threaded hitch ball shank. What is also needed is such a ball mount and hitch ball assembly that can also allow for use of hitch balls having round, threaded shanks of current manufacture. 
         [0008]    The present invention provides such an assembly that, when used properly, prevents rotation of the hitch ball during assembly. The assembly of the present invention provides for a ball mount, a hitch ball and means for removably attaching the hitch ball to the ball mount. It also provides means for preventing rotation of the hitch ball during attachment of the hitch ball to the ball mount. This rotation-preventing means comprises a geometrically-profiled aspect of both the ball mount and the hitch ball such that the relative position of the two elements is maintained during attachment of the hitch ball to the ball mount as well as when the hitch ball is removed from the ball mount. 
         [0009]    The foregoing and other features of the assembly of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a right side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the ball mount and hitch ball assembly that is constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an expanded bottom, left side and front perspective view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged and partially sectioned top plan view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 1  and taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a further enlarged and partially sectioned right side elevational view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 1  and taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numbered elements correspond to like elements throughout,  FIG. 1  is a side elevational view showing the ball mount and hitch ball assembly, generally identified  10 , constructed in accordance with the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that the assembly  10  comprises several component parts. The primary parts are the hitch ball  20  and the hitch ball mount  30 . The assembly  10  also comprises means for removably attaching the hitch ball  20  to the ball mount  30 . 
         [0015]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , it will be seen that the hitch ball  20  is attachable to the ball mount  30  when it is necessary to use the hitch ball  20  to attach a suitable trailer hitch (not shown) to it. The ball mount  30  includes a rearwardly-extending (that is, extending “rearward” relative to the towing vehicle) flat portion  32  and a forwardly-extending, square-profiled portion  36 , the forwardly-extending portion  36  being adapted to be received within a hollow hitch receiver  2  (shown in phantom view in  FIG. 1 ) of the conventional two inch (2″) square type that is mounted to many towing vehicles of current construction. It is to be understood, however, that the assembly  10  of the present invention is not limited to that specific type of towing arrangement and that the assembly  10  could, with modification from that illustrated in  FIG. 1 , be utilized with other towing arrangements of current manufacture. In particular, the assembly  10  could be configured to comply with the common SAE classes I, II, III and IV for various loads, as well as for metric dimensioning and ISO compliance in countries of operation other than the United States. 
         [0016]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that the hitch ball  20  is comprised of the upper ball portion  21 , an upper shank portion  22 , a circumferential flange  24  and a lower shank portion  26 . The upper ball portion  21 , the shank portions  24 ,  26  and the flange  24  are preferably integrally-formed as a single unit. The lower shank portion  26  is further comprised of a geometrically-profiled portion  27  and a round-profiled threaded portion  28 . The geometrically-profiled portion  27  of the lower shank portion  26  is of a length that corresponds substantially to, but slightly shy of, the thickness of the flat portion  32  of the ball mount  30 . The reason for this will be apparent later in this detailed description. In the assembly  10  of the present invention, the geometrically-profiled portion  27  is square-shaped. As such, the square-profiled portion  27  is defined by four side walls  29  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    The ball mount  30  in the assembly  10  of the present invention further includes the rearwardly-extending flat portion  32  having a thickness that is defined by an upper surface  34  and a bottom surface  35 . The flat portion also has a geometrically-profiled aperture  37  that extends from the upper surface  34  of the flat portion  32  and all of the way through to the bottom surface  35  of the flat portion  32 . In the assembly  10  of the present invention, the geometrically-profiled aperture  37  is square-shaped and is defined by four side walls  39 . 
         [0018]    The assembly  10  of the present invention further includes a ring-shaped split washer  40 , also commonly known as a “lock washer.” This split washer  40  further defines a centrally-disposed aperture  42 . 
         [0019]    Finally, the assembly  10  further includes a fastener  50  which, in the preferred embodiment, is a hexagonally-shaped nut  50  having a threaded aperture  52  centrally-disposed within it. The threads  54  of the aperture  52  of the nut  50  are functionally adapted to match the threads  25  of the threaded portion  28  of the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20  such that the nut  50  may be threadably mounted onto, and rotatably advanced along, the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20 . 
         [0020]    In application, the user would first position the hitch ball  20  above the rearwardly-extending portion  32  of the ball mount  30  such that the lower shank  26  is aligned with the aperture  37  of the ball mount  30 . The hitch ball  20  would then be lowered to the point that the threaded portion  28  of the lower shank  26  extends through the ball mount aperture  37 . The user would then continue to lower the hitch ball  20  to the point that sidewalls  29  of the square-profiled portion  27  of the lower shank  26  would be aligned generally with the side walls  39  of the ball mount aperture  37 . Like the adage that “you can&#39;t put a square peg in a round hole,” the adjacent alignment of the respective side walls  29 ,  39  must be accomplished in order to further insert the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20  fully into the ball mount aperture  37 . See  FIG. 3  in this regard. 
         [0021]    Once the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20  is properly aligned and fully inserted, the hitch ball  20  and the ball mount  30  will be in a relative position as is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . In this position, it is to be noted that the flange  24  of the hitch ball  20  will rest upon the top surface  34  of the ball mount  30  to prevent the hitch ball  20  from being further lowered through the ball mount  30 . This ensures that the ball portion  21  of the hitch ball  20  will extend substantially upwardly from the ball mount  30 . In this position, it will also be seen that the bottom-most portion of the square-profiled portion  27  is just shy of the bottom surface  35  of the ball mount  30  by a dimension  4 . See  FIG. 4  in particular. This small dimension  4  is, in the preferred embodiment, necessary to make sure that the square-profiled portion  27  does not interfere with the proper seating of the washer  40  and otherwise prevent the washer  40  from being positioned immediately adjacent the bottom surface  35  of the ball mount  30 . At this point, the washer  40  and the threaded hex nut  50  may be inserted over the threaded portion  28  of the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20 . The nut  50  is then tightened as the washer  40  engages the bottom surface  35  of the ball mount  30  and is captured between that surface  35  and the nut  50 . Of significant note is the fact that this tightening can be accomplished with the use of a single fastening device, such as a wrench (not shown), as rotation of the hitch ball  20  within the ball mount aperture  37  is completely prevented in the assembly  10  of the present invention. 
         [0022]    In the assembly  10  of the present invention, it should also be noted that a hitch ball of other manufacture (not shown) having a conventional one inch (1″) round shank could also be utilized with the ball mount  30  of the present invention. Thus, in the assembly  10  of the present invention, one can “put a round peg in a square hole.” That is, while the hitch ball  20  of the present invention includes the square-profiled lower shank portion  27 , it is to be noted that the square faces  29  of this portion  27  are approximately one inch (1″) to a side and closely approximate the one inch (1″) threaded portion  28  of the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20 . This feature makes the assembly  10  of the present invention uniquely versatile in the art as well as easy to use. 
         [0023]    Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details disclosed and described herein. Most notably would be the concept that the through-aperture  37  of the ball mount  30  be configured in a different geometrical shape and that the otherwise square-profiled portion  27  of the lower shank  26  of the hitch ball  20  be like configured in that different geometrical shape. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept, although this inventor believes that the square-profiled aperture  37  and the square-profiled shank portion  27  is easiest to manufacture and most compatible with other hitch balls of current manufacture.