Abstract:
A multi-use trailer hitch configured to allow a single hitch to be used for multiple trailer couplers. The hitch includes a ball and pin member attached to the yoke so that the hitch can couple with a Lunette eye ring coupler and a ball hitch coupler. The ball and pin member is designed to fit on the yoke and be easily secured with a retainer pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to trailer hitches capable of coupling with multiple types of trailer connectors. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The typical farm hitch is a single purpose hitch that allows a trailer to be coupled to a towing vehicle for transportation and use. Many varieties of connection exist and require separate coupling structures. Two common coupling structures are the ball hitch and the Lunette eye ring hitch. A ball hitch includes a shank and a ball where the trailer coupler may rest and be secured to the hitch. The Lunette eye ring hitch includes a ring connector on the trailer that inserts into a collar. A pin runs through the ring to secure the trailer to the vehicle. With various possible couplings, it is desirable to have a hitch capable of connecting with many of the common couplings so that users are not required to have multiple hitches available. While other multi-use trailer hitches exist, there is a continuing need for improved multi-use trailer hitches. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment a multi-use trailer hitch includes a yoke with two flanges opposing each other. Each flange may have a hole aligned with the hole in the other flange. The hitch also includes a ball and pin member having a trailer ball, a ring coupler pin and a plate. The plate includes two ears on opposite sides of the plate and each ear includes a retainer pin opening. The ring coupler pin may fit into the yoke flange holes. The ball and pin member may be secured to the yoke with a retainer pin running through the openings in the plate ears and between the two yoke flanges. 
     In another embodiment a multi-use trailer hitch assembly includes a drawbar that connects to the towing vehicle, an adjustable yoke assembly, and a ball and pin member. The drawbar includes a horizontal shank and a vertical shank connected together. The horizontal shank provides a connection to the towing vehicle and the vertical shank includes at least one set of holes allowing a yoke to attach to the vertical shank, but may include more holes to allow the user to adjust the height of the hitch. The adjustable yoke assembly includes a yoke and a bracket. The yoke includes two flanges, one flange including a hole. The bracket includes two arms spaced apart to be received by the vertical shank. Each arm has at least one hole for connecting to the vertical shank, but may have more holes for more stable connections. The ball and pin member includes a plate, a trailer ball, and a ring coupler pin assembled together. The ball and pin member is passed through the flange hole and secured to the yoke with a retainer pin extending from each side of the plate and between the yoke flanges. The adjustable yoke assembly is connected to the vertical shank with locking pins passing through the holes in the bracket and the vertical shank. 
     In another embodiment a method of using a multi-use trailer hitch comprises the steps of: 
     (a) connecting a drawbar to the to the towing vehicle; 
     (b) attaching a yoke to the drawbar, the yoke including a first flange having a proximal hole and a second flange having a distal hole; 
     (c) placing a ring coupler between the yoke flanges; 
     (d) inserting a ball and pin member through the proximal hole, the ring coupler, and into the distal hole to connect the ring coupler to the yoke, the ball and pin member including a ball, a pin, and a cover including two opposing ears extending toward the second flange and each ear having a retainer pin opening; and 
     (e) securing the ball and pin member to the yoke by engaging the retainer pin openings with a retainer pin located between the first flange and the second flange. 
     In any of the above embodiments the plate may include a plate hole and the trailer ball and ring coupler pin may be integrally formed so that they are one piece, such as with a single piece casting. The trailer ball and ring coupler may then pass through the plate hole and the trailer ball may be welded to the plate to create the ball and pin member. 
     In any of the above embodiments the retainer pin may be placed such that the retainer pin outer surface is no further than half the retainer pin diameter from the flange holding the ball and pin member. 
     In any of the above embodiments one of the flanges may also have a secondary trailer ball, possibly of a different size, attached to the flange. 
     In any of the above embodiments the yoke flanges and the yoke vertical wall may have a chamfered surface between the flanges and the vertical wall. 
     In any of the above embodiments the plate may have two ears opposing each other and free edges at any remaining sides to allow the plate to slide onto the flange. 
     In any of the above embodiments both flanges may include a hole for the ring coupler pin to pass through. 
     In any of the above embodiments the retainer pin may include a fastener to lock the retainer pin in place in relation to the yoke. 
     In any of the above embodiments the bracket connecting the yoke to the vertical shank may contain two holes in each arm. 
     In any of the above embodiments a reinforcing rib may be placed between the vertical shank and the horizontal shank. 
     Numerous objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily available to those skilled in the art upon the reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the multi-use trailer hitch of the present invention in relation to a towing vehicle and a trailer. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the multi-use trailer hitch of  FIG. 1 , showing the location of a Lunette ring in dashed lines. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the multi-use trailer hitch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the ball and pin member. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the ball and pin member of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the ball and pin member of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , a trailer hitch apparatus is shown and designated by the numeral  10 . The trailer hitch includes a drawbar  52  and an adjustable yoke assembly  54 . Drawbar  52  may be attached to the adjustable yoke assembly  54  to connect adjustable yoke assembly  54  to a towing vehicle  55 . Drawbar  52  includes a horizontal shank  56  and a vertical shank  58 . Horizontal shank  56  connects to a receiver  57  of towing vehicle  55 . Vertical shank  58  includes a plurality of bores  60  to allow adjustable yoke assembly  54  to connect to vertical shank  58 . A plurality of bores allow for added stability and height adjustment of adjustable yoke assembly  54 . A support rib  62  may also be placed between horizontal shank  56  and vertical shank  58  for added structural support. 
     Adjustable yoke assembly  54  may include a yoke  12  to attach the trailer hitch  10  to a trailer  11 , and a bracket  64  that connects adjustable yoke assembly  54  to vertical shank  58 . Yoke  12  may include two flanges,  14  and  16 , to provide the different hitch connectors. Flange  14  may have a proximal hole  18  to allow a ball and pin member  20  to pass through. Flange  16  may include a distal hole  22  aligned vertically with proximal hole  18 . 
     Yoke  12  may also include a secondary trailer ball  44  connected to flange  16 . Secondary trailer ball  44  may be a different size than trailer ball  26  to provide an additional hitch connector option. 
     Further, yoke  12  may include a vertical wall  48 . The connection between vertical wall  48  and flange  14  may also include a chamfer  46  between flange  14  and vertical wall  48 . The connection between vertical wall  48  and flange  16  may also include a chamfer  50  between flange  16  and vertical wall  48 . 
     As is best shown in  FIG. 3 , bracket  64  includes two parallel arms  66  and  68  spaced apart to receive vertical shank  58 . Arms  66  and  68  may each include a plurality of arm holes  70  for locking pins  72  to pass through. Locking pins  72  pass through arm holes  70  and bores  60  to connect adjustable yoke assembly  54  to drawbar  52 . 
     As seen best in  FIG. 6 , ball and pin member  20  may include a plate  24 , a trailer ball  26 , and a ring coupler pin  28 . Plate  24  may also be referred to as cover  24 . Plate  24  may have two ears,  30  and  32 , extending from two opposing sides of plate  24 . Each of the ears  30  and  32  may have a retainer pin opening, such as  34 , to allow a retainer pin  38 , also known as retainer  38 , to secure ball and pin member  20  to yoke  12 . Retainer pin openings  34  may also be called retainer openings  34 . Ring coupler pin  28  may also be called ring pin  28 . In one embodiment trailer ball  26 , and ring coupler pin  28  may be integrally formed together, such as by single piece casting. Plate  24  may further include a plate hole  40 , also known as cover hole  40 , for ring coupler pin  28  to pass through and trailer ball  26  may be welded to plate  24  as indicated at  25  in  FIG. 2 . Ball and pin member  20  may be secured to yoke  12  by inserting ring coupler pin  28  through proximal hole  18  such that plate  24  rests on top of flange  14  with ears  30  and  32  extending between flanges  14  and  16 . 
     Plate  24  may include two lateral sides  24   a  and  24   b , a tow side  24   c , and a trailer side  24   d . The tow side  24   c  of plate  24  is the side closest to towing vehicle  55  when ball and pin member  20  is attached to yoke  12 . The trailer side  24   d  is the side of plate  24  closest to trailer  11  when ball and pin member  20  is attached to yoke  12 . The two lateral sides  24   a  and  24   b  may have opposing ears  30  and  32 , respectively, extending from the sides while the tow side  24   c  and trailer side  24   d  may have free edges to allow plate  24  to fit flush onto flange  14 . Ears  30  and  32  may have retainer pin openings  34  positioned such that retainer pin  38  is closer to the tow side of plate  24  than to ring coupler pin  28 . 
     Retainer pin  38  may be inserted into retainer pin openings  34  to secure ball and pin member  20  to yoke  12 . A fastener  42  may secure retainer pin  38 . Ears  30  and  32  may extend past flange  14  such that retainer pin  38  may be secured in a position where the surface of retainer pin  38  is no further than half the retainer pin diameter from flange  14 . 
     A method of using multi-use trailer hitch  10  to connect to a Lunette eye ring  74  may generally be described as including the steps: 
     (a) connecting drawbar  52  to receiver  57  to connect the drawbar to towing vehicle  55 ; 
     (b) attaching yoke  12  to drawbar  52  with bracket  64 , which may include orienting yoke  12  such that proximal hole  18  and distal hole  22  are vertically aligned; 
     (c) placing Lunette eye ring  74  between flanges  14  and  16 ; 
     (d) inserting ball and pin member  20  through proximal hole  18 , Lunette eye ring  74 , and distal hole  22 ; and 
     (e) securing ball and pin member  20  to yoke  12  by inserting retainer pin  38  through retainer pin openings  34  and  36  positioned between flanges  14  and  16 . 
     Step (e) may further include securing retainer pin  38  at a position no further than half the retainer pin diameter from flange  14 . Retainer pin  38  may also be placed closer to yoke  12 &#39;s closed end than to ring coupler pin  28 . Both possibilities are used to more securely connect yoke  12  and ball and pin member  20 . 
     Therefore it can be seen that the methods and apparatus of the present invention achieve the goals mentioned and the goals inherent in the present invention. Though certain embodiments have been described in the present disclosure, there are other variations that will occur to those skilled in the art which are also encompassed in the present invention as defined by the appended claims.