Patent ID: 7290974

Claim:
A mountable hitch apparatus for engaging a vehicle, the mountable hitch apparatus comprising: a mountable frame assembly for selectively engaging the vehicle; a load carrying device removably mountable on said frame assembly for containing material when said mountable frame assembly engages the vehicle; and a securing assembly selectively engaging said load carrying device, said securing assembly for coupling to the vehicle such that said securing assembly inhibits said load carrying device and said mountable frame assembly from inadvertently moving off of the vehicle when said load carrying device engages said securing assembly wherein said securing assembly is separate of said mountable frame assembly and is configured to be separately mountable on the vehicle of said mountable frame assembly; pivot actuation means for pivoting a portion of said load carrying device with respect to said mountable frame, said pivot actuation means being mounted on said portion of said load carrying means and being removably mounted on said securing assembly separate of said mountable frame; wherein said pivot actuation means comprises a ram and a pivot rod mounted on said ram towards one end of said ram; and wherein said securing assembly defines at least one receiving slot for removably receiving said pivot rod, said slot being elongate with a longitudinal axis, said securing assembly being configured such that said longitudinal axis of said receiving slot is inclined with respect to a frame rail of the vehicle when said securing assembly is engaged with the frame rail.