Abstract:
A mechanism for ensuring that a trailer is properly attached to a trailer hitch on the back of a vehicle. The mechanism ensures that the trailer tongue on the trailer is properly and securely mounted on the metal ball on the trailer hitch on the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns that of a new and improved mechanism for ensuring that a trailer is properly attached to a trailer hitch on the back of a vehicle. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,318, issued to Folkins, discloses a trailer hitch sight assembly using a slotted bar and support to assist in the vertical alignment of the vehicles. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,481, issued to Garrison, discloses a device to allow a user to easily hitch one vehicle to the tongue and a horizontal bar with a v-shaped guide. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,902, issued to Potts, discloses a vehicle hitch and trailer alignment system comprised of a projecting device mounted to a support pole attached to a hitch ball for lining up with a target on the trailer tongue. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,966, issued to Lowell, Jr., discloses a means for allowing a driver to vertically align a vehicle with a trailer to allow for them to be interconnected using a tubular attachment with a horizontal indicator. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,448 issued to Cross, discloses a device for assisting a user in aligning a trailer hitch and tongue, comprised of a set of locator posts, one having a light source. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns that of a new and improved mechanism for ensuring that a trailer is properly attached to a trailer hitch on the back of a vehicle. The mechanism ensures that the trailer tongue on the trailer is properly and securely mounted on the metal ball on the trailer hitch on the vehicle. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of a trailer hitch attaching mechanism that the detailed description thereof that 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 trailer hitch attaching mechanism that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the trailer hitch attaching mechanism in detail, it is to be understood that the trailer hitch attaching mechanism is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The trailer hitch attaching mechanism is capable of other embodiments and being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present trailer hitch attaching mechanism. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch attaching mechanism which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch attaching mechanism which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch attaching mechanism which is of durable and reliable construction. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch attaching mechanism which is economically affordable and available for relevant market segment of the purchasing public. 
   Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a close-up side view of the first pole that is attached to the trailer hitch on the back of a vehicle. 
       FIG. 2  shows a close-up side view of the second pole that is attached to the trailer hitch on the front of a trailer. 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the two poles as they appear before the ball on the vehicle trailer hitch and the trailer tongue are attached. 
       FIG. 4  shows a side view of the two poles as they appear after the ball on the vehicle trailer hitch and the trailer tongue are attached. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  shows a close-up side view of the first pole  2  that is attached to the trailer hitch  4  on the back of a vehicle  6 . First pole  2  has two ends, a top end and a bottom end, and is attached to the trailer hitch  4  immediately in front of the ball  8  that is used to attach to trailers. 
   First pole  2  itself is mounted on a magnet  10 , with the magnet  10  actually being attached to the trailer hitch  4 . First pole  2  is threadably attached to the top of the magnet  10 , which has a small connector  14  on top of it to show the presence of the threads  17 . The bottom end of the first pole  2  is threadably attached to these threads  17 . 
   First pole  2  also has a pair of guides  16  and  18  that are attached near the top end of the first pole  2 . These guides  16  and  18  are parallel to one another and have the same length. Each guide  16  and  18  has a plurality of holes  20  in it set up in a cylindrical manner, with each hole on guide  16  lining up with a hole on guide  18 . A three-inch long pin  22  can be then inserted through one hole on guide  16  and one hole on guide  18  when needed. 
     FIG. 2  shows a close-up side view of the second pole  26  that is attached to the trailer hitch  28  on the front of a trailer  30 . Second pole  26  has two ends, a top end and a bottom end, and is attached to the trailer hitch  28  immediately on top of the trailer tongue  40  that is used to place on top of the ball  8  when the trailer  30  is properly attached to the vehicle  6 . 
   Second pole  26  itself is mounted on a magnet  32 , with the magnet  32  actually being attached to the trailer hitch  28 . Second pole  26  is threadably attached to the top of the magnet  32 , which has a small connector  34  on top of it to allow for the presence of the threads  36 . The bottom end of the second pole  26  is threadably attached to these threads  36 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a side view of the two poles  2  and  26  as they appear before the ball  8  on the vehicle trailer hitch  4  and the trailer tongue  40  are attached, while  FIG. 4  shows a side view of the two poles  2  and  26  as they appear after the ball  8  on the vehicle trailer hitch  4  and the trailer tongue  40  are attached. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  demonstrate how the present invention is used to properly ensure that the ball  8  on the vehicle trailer hitch  4  and the trailer tongue  40  are properly connected to one another once the trailer is finally attached to the vehicle. First, an individual would want to place the trailer tongue  40  right next to the ball  8  and visually “match up” the proper height of the ball  8 . Then, the individual would make the sure the bottom ends of the two poles  2  and  26  are matched up. If they are not, then an individual can adjust one or two of them upward or downward, as needed, until the bottom end of each of the poles  2  and  26  matches in a manner parallel to the ground surface. 
   Next, an individual would lift the trailer tongue  40  up, move the trailer tongue  40  over the location of the ball  8 , and then lower the trailer tongue  40 . The individual would keep lowering the trailer tongue  40  down until it completely covers the ball  8 . However, many times when it “appears” that a trailer tongue  40  and a ball  8  are properly attached, they are not. The presence of the poles  2  and  26 , however, will ensure that an individual is aware as to whether the trailer tongue  40  is in fact properly mounted on the ball  8 . 
   Once the trailer tongue  40  is properly mounted on the ball  8 , as measured by observing the bottom end of the poles  2  and  26 , then an individual can install the various safety mechanisms to make sure the trailer tongue  40  is properly mounted on the ball  8 . Also, the pole  26 , now in between the guides  16  and  18  as shown in  FIG. 4 , can be secured in place through the use of pin  22 , which can be then inserted through one hole on guide  16  and one hole on guide  18 . Pin  22  provides yet another safety mechanism for maintaining a proper connection between the vehicle  6  and the trailer  30 .