Abstract:
A Gooseneck Trailer Lock that obstructs a trailer hitch coupling mechanism and prevents the attachment to the ball of a towing vehicle. The locking device is inserted into the coupling mechanism, the slide of the coupling mechanism is moved to the closed position causing the top portion of the lock to engage the ½ inch lip on the inside of the mechanism while the body of the lock remains in the 2{fraction (5/16)} inch opening of the slide mechanism, the non-drillable barrel lock is locked and the key removed. The entire coupling mechanism is filled, preventing the insertion of the towing ball, thus preventing an unattached trailer from being attached to an unauthorized vehicle. The locking device is simple, durable, effective, and easy to use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE INDEX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Gooseneck trailers attached to towing vehicles are commonly used to transport machinery, livestock, and other goods as well as recreational vehicles. When the trailer is separated from the towing vehicle the trailer and its goods are subject to theft by the unauthorized coupling to a towing vehicle. Gooseneck trailer hitches are of a limited variety, frequently being of standard type or shapes. Examples are kingpin hitches which consist of cylindrical posts containing circumferential recesses and fit into matching openings mounted on the towing vehicle; and gooseneck hitches. The typical or standard gooseneck hitch consists of a coupler attached to the lower end of a generally vertical post, the upper end is either attached to the trailer or to a horizontal beam which is attached to the trailer. The trailer hitch coupler at the lower end of the post connects with a protruding device on the towing vehicle. The coupler itself consists of different shapes and configurations but generally has a fixed plate attached to the vertical post and a moveable plate that is offset to reduce the diameter of the opening when closed, to lock around the ball (protruding device) on the towing vehicle. Both the fixed plate and the moveable plate have a 2{fraction (5/16)}″ diameter hole that aligns when the coupler is in the receiving or unlocked position and the ball (protruding device) on the towing vehicle has a maximum 2{fraction (5/16)}″ diameter that fits in the receptacle formed by the coupler. When the coupler is moved to the closed or locked position the diameter of the hole in the coupler is reduced by at least ½″ effectively securing or locking the ball (protruding devise) of the towing vehicle with the coupler. 
     There is a need for a durable, inexpensive, simply operated, effective hitch lock for trailers with gooseneck hitches. Locking devices for king-pin or ball and socket hitches cannot be used on gooseneck couplers, because such locking devices will not fit around or be attachable to the coupler of a gooseneck hitch. The gooseneck trailer hitch lock should completely fill the coupler cavity to obstruct the coupler and prevent the undesired coupling with a towing vehicle. Such locking device should further contain a secure internal means to prevent its undesired removal from the coupler. 
     The prior art has been principally directed toward locking devices for gooseneck trailer hitch couplers that surround the coupler, obstruct the insertion of the towing ball, and utilize either a built-in lock or an external padlock; a devise that is inserted into the coupler opening but is secured by an external device that fits over the coupler locking arm and utilizes a padlock; and devices that fill the coupler with a ball that is attached to a telescoping pole that is attached to the forward end of the trailer with a padlock. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,545 issued Oct.26, 1993 to Wheeler for Gooseneck trailer hitch locking device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,316 issued Jun. 21, 1994 to Wheeler for Anti-theft coupler device, and U.S. Pat. No. D402,602 issued Dec. 15, 1998 to Niswanger for Universal Gooseneck Trailer Lock are of the type that surround the coupler. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,871 issued May 7, 1996 to Johnson for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Locking Device is of the type that is inserted into the coupler but locks externally to the coupler locking arm and is secured with a padlock. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,030 issued May 28, 1996 to Muldoon is the telescoping pole type. 
     All of the above inventions and patents show a vulnerability either with multiple parts that are easily misplaced and difficult to assemble, padlocks and chains which are easily cut with bolt cutters, massive devices that are hard to store when not in use, or failure to obstruct the coupler opening and the coupler movement itself. 
     Therefore, it is apparent that a need still exists for a simple, easy to use unitary device that obstructs the gooseneck coupler opening while preventing the movement of the coupler mechanism utilizing a secure internal locking device that prevents the gooseneck trailer from being attached to a towing vehicle and unauthorized use. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The locking device disclosed and claimed is for use with a trailer gooseneck, the trailer gooseneck having a post with a upper and lower ends, the upper end being attached to a trailer and the lower end being attached to a coupler, the coupler having a 2{fraction (5/16)}″ receptacle and being adapted for releasable attachment to a towing vehicle, said locking device comprising obstruction means for cooperation with the coupler to prevent undesired coupling of the coupler to the towing vehicle and securing means cooperating with said obstruction means to prevent undesired removal of said obstruction means from the coupler. 
     The anti-theft coupler device disclosed and claimed in one preferred form involves a single unit that is inserted into the coupler, just as the ball is inserted into the coupler, the coupler closing mechanism is activated to the closed position which causes the top portion of the lock to remain in place and the bottom portion of the lock travels with the slide mechanism. The barrel lock is locked and the invention is secured in the coupler. The lip of the coupler closing mechanism prevents the removal of the lock until unlocked. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a Gooseneck Trailer. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the towing ball used by a Gooseneck Trailer Hitch. 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the Gooseneck Trailer Coupler in the open position, ready to receive the towing ball. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the Gooseneck Trailer Coupler in the open position, ready to receive the towing ball. 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the Gooseneck Trailer Coupler in the closed or secured position. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the Gooseneck Trailer Coupler in the dosed position. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the invention in the closed position or ready to insert in the Gooseneck Trailer Hitch configuration. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the invention in the locked position. 
     FIG. 9 is a front view of the Gooseneck Trailer Coupler with the invention inserted and locked in the Coupler. 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the enclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. With the use of a metal turning lathe and a vertical milling machine as the primary shaping tools for the invention; it is constructed of metal (cold rolled steel, stainless steel, or aluminum alloy). 
     Referring to the drawings in more detail: 
     FIG. 1 generally shows a trailer  10  with a gooseneck trailer hitch  11  mounted on a front facing portion  12  of the trailer  10 , the front facing portion  12  being opposite a rear facing portion  13  of the trailer  10 . The front facing portion  12  of trailer  10  is connected to a towing or pull vehicle via gooseneck trailer hitch  11  and is the leading or forward aspect of trailer  10  when pulled in a forward direction by the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     The gooseneck trailer hitch  11  has a post  17  with an upper end  18 , an elbow  19 , a lower end  20 , a horizontal component  21 , and a vertical component  22 . The upper end  18  of post  12  is fixedly attached to front facing portion  12  of trailer  10 . The lower end  20  of post  17  is attached to a coupler  25 . The coupler  25  has a top portion  27  and a bottom portion  26 , the top portion  27  and the bottom portion  26  having the same directional orientations, respectively, as the front facing portion  12  and rear facing portion  13  of trailer  10 . 
     Attached to the front of the vertical post  20  is a locking device  37  that slides vertically through a sleeve  38  welded to the vertical post  20 . The locking device  37  passes through the hole  34  in the lower portion  26  and hole  35  in the upper portion  27  of the coupler  25  to lock or secure the gooseneck hitch to the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     FIG.  2 . discloses a typical towing ball  4  that is attached to the towing or pulling vehicle by the attachment stem  3  on the bottom of the ball  4 . The circumference at the largest portion of the ball  1  is 2{fraction (5/16)}″, while the neck of the ball  2  is approximately 1⅞″. When the coupler  25 -FIG. 1 is lowered on the ball  4 , the lower portion  26 -FIG. 1 of the coupler  25 -FIG. 1 is moved to the closed position, FIG. 5, the securing pin  37 -FIG. 5 is inserted in holes  34 -FIG.  5  and  35 -FIG. 5 which are aligned and the gooseneck hitch is secured to the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     FIG. 3 discloses the coupler  25  for the gooseneck trailer hitch  11  located at the bottom of the front vertical post  17  attached at the lower end  20 , in the open position or ready to accept the 2{fraction (5/16)}″ ball of the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     The top portion  27  of the coupler  25  is welded to the vertical post  20  and has a 2{fraction (5/16)}″ diameter circular hole  32  machined in the center. A concave ball receptacle  30  is machined in the bottom of the vertical post  20 . The bottom portion of the coupler  26  has a 2{fraction (5/16)}″ circular hole  31  machined in the center and is attached to the upper portion of the coupler  27  in the center rear by a bolt  39  that is welded to prevent removal. The bottom portion  26  of the coupler  25  and the top portion  27  of the coupler  25  have a circular hole in the front,  34  and  35  that when coupler  25  is in the closed position align allowing a pin  37  to lock them in this position, FIG. 5 to keep the coupler  25  attached to the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     FIG. 4 discloses a bottom view of the coupler assembly  25  as depicted in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 discloses the coupler  25  for the gooseneck trailer hitch  11  located at the bottom of the front vertical post  17  attached at the lower end  20 , in the closed position or locked position around the 2{fraction (5/16)}″ ball  4  of the towing or pulling vehicle. 
     The lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  is swiveled to the locked or secure position aligning the securing pin holes  34  and  35 , and the locking pin  37  is lowered through the sleeve  38  and into the holes  34  and  35  locking the coupler  25  around the towing ball  4 . The diameter of the center hole  31  in the lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  remains 2{fraction (5/16)}″ and the diameter of the center hole  32  and the upper portion  27  of the coupler  25  remains 2{fraction (5/16)}″ but the resultant configuration of the cavity in the coupler  25  leaves a semi-circular ledge  33  between the upper portion  27  and the lower portion  26  of the coupler  25 . 
     FIG. 6 discloses a bottom view of the coupler assembly depicted in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 discloses an external view of the invention  40  showing the sliding top portion  43 , the lock body portion  41 , and the barrel lock  42 , in the closed or ready to insert into the coupler  25 . 
     FIG. 8 discloses an external view of the invention  40  showing the sliding top portion  43 , the lock body portion  41 , and the barrel lock  42 , in the locked position. 
     FIG. 9 discloses the coupler  25  for the gooseneck trailer hitch  11 , with the invention  40  inserted in the coupler  25  in the closed or locked position FIG.  5 . The body  41  of the invention  40  fits securely in the lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  with the sliding top  43  of the invention  40  securely fitting in the machined recess  30  of the vertical post. The sliding top  43  of the invention  40  overlaps the lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  preventing the removal of the invention  40  from the coupler  40 . The same principle that prevents the towing ball  4  from being expelled from a locked or secured coupler  25  applies to the invention  40 . 
     FIG. 10 discloses an exploded view of the invention  40 . The sliding top  43  has a radius machined to fit the socket  30  machined into the vertical post  20 . A slot  51  is machined in the bottom of the sliding top  43  to accept the top of the slider  59 . A tapped hole  52  accepts the socket head screw  60 . 
     The intermediary piece  53  has a sliding surface  70  that mates with the bottom sliding surface  71  of the sliding top  43 . A circumferental edge  56  is machined around the intermediary piece  53  that fits the lower portion  26  hole of the coupler  25 . The bottom of the intermediary piece  53  is machined to accept the circumference  61  of the bottom piece  41 . A sliding grove  55  is machined through the intermediate piece  53  to accept the upper portion  72  of the slider  59 . Two holes  54  are tapped to accept the socket head screws  67 . 
     The slider  59  is machined to allow the top portion  72  to fit through the sliding grove  55  of the intermediary piece  53  while the bottom part  73  of the slider  59  comes to rest on the underside  57  of the intermediary piece  53 . A through-hole  58  is drilled and countersunk to accept socket head screw  60  which fits the threaded hole  52  in the top piece. The offset machining  74  of the slider  59  allows the sliding top  43  to mate with the sliding surface  70  of the intermediary piece  53  in the unlocked or insertion position, FIG.  7 . 
     The bottom portion  41  has a ridge  61  machined around the top to fit into  57  of the intermediary piece  53 . Two holes  62  are through-drilled and countersunk to accept the socket head screws  67  which fit into the threaded hole  54  in the intermediary piece  53 . A hole  63  is machined through the center of the bottom piece  41  and is countersunk  64  on the bottom to accept the locking mechanism  42  and a nut  65  is installed to secure the locking mechanism  42  in the bottom portion  41 . 
     ASSEMBLY: The top portion  43  is mated with the intermediary piece  53  at the sliding surfaces  71  and  70 , The slider  59  is inserted through the sliding slot  55  in the intermediary piece  53  into the slot  51  on the bottom of the top piece  43  and the socket head screw  60  is inserted through the countersunk hole  58  in the slider  59  and screwed into the threaded hole  52  in the top piece  43 . The grove  61  on the top of the bottom portion  41  is mated with the bottom of the assembled top  43  and intermediary  53  portions with the holes  62  in the bottom portion  41  aligned with the threaded holes  54  in the assembled section and the socket head screws  68  inserted and attached. The plugs  68  are inserted into the countersunk holes  62  of the bottom portion  41  and welded in place. 
     OPERATION: To Lock: The assembled invention  40 -FIG. 7 is inserted into the hole  31 -FIG. 3 in the coupler  25  as far as it will go due to the ridge  61 -FIG.  10 . The lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  is moved to the locked or secured position FIG. 5; the invention  40  is in a configuration at this point as depicted in FIG.  8 . The barrel lock  42 -FIG. 7 key is turned 90 degrees which moves locking tang  66 -FIG. 10 90 degrees placing the locking tang  66  behind the slider  59 -FIG. 10 preventing the slider  59 -FIG.  10  and thus the top portion  43  from moving; the key is removed from the barrel lock  42  and the invention  40  is secured in the coupler  25  until unlocked. 
     TO UNLOCK: Insert the key into the barrel lock  42 -FIG.  10  and turn 90 degrees which moves the locking tang  66 -FIG. 10 90 degrees. Open the lower portion  26  of the coupler  25  which moves the top section  42  of the invention  40  in alignment with the bottom portion  41  and the invention  40  can be removed from the coupler  25 . 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claim.