Patent ID: 8757654

Claim:
An anti-theft device for use with a trailer hitch regardless of whether the trailer hitch is attached or unattached to a towing vehicle ball, the ball having a shank portion connected to a towing vehicle and a spherical upper portion located over the shank portion, the spherical upper portion being larger in width than the shank portion, the trailer hitch having a bottom lateral flanged edge, a bottom-opened ball socket and a ball locking mechanism, the device being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position, the device including: two complementary and substantially coplanar base plates, each base plate including: a front inner edge, the front inner edges of the two base plates being in engagement with one another when the device is in the closed position and being out of engagement with one another when the device is in the open position; a rear inner edge, the rear inner edges of the two base plates being in engagement with one another when the device is in the closed position and being out of engagement with one another when the device is in the open position; and an intermediate inner edge located between the corresponding front and rear inner edges, the intermediate inner edges of the two base plates being spaced apart from one another and forming an intervening opening when the device is in the closed position, the opening being smaller in width than the spherical upper portion of the ball and larger in width than the shank portion of the ball; two mutually-facing rim members, one for each base plate, each rim member being rigidly connected to and projecting above an outer side edge of the corresponding base plate, the rim members defining an inner slotted space receiving corresponding right and left portions of the lateral flanged edge when the device is in the closed position on the trailer hitch, the rim members having mating front ends that are pivotally connected together by a front hinge; and two anchoring members, one for each base plate, each anchoring member being rigidly connected to and downwardly projecting at a rear end of the corresponding base plate.