Patent ID: 8152120

Claim:
A multipurpose support for a variety of attachments mountable to a tow ball of a vehicle comprising: a main body adapted to receive a variety of attachments; a coupling means for a quick release coupling of the main body to the tow ball of the vehicle, wherein the coupling means is moveable between a clamped position, in which position the tow ball can be secured by the coupling means to the main body, and an unclamped position, in which position the tow ball located in the coupling means is removeable from the coupling means, the coupling means comprising: a moveable clamping portion, and a fixed clamping portion, wherein in the unclamped position the moveable clamping portion and the fixed clamping portion are sufficiently spaced apart from each other to enable the tow ball to be inserted between the moveable clamping portion and fixed clamping portion, and in the clamped position the moveable clamping portion and the fixed clamping portion are coupled together to enable the tow ball to be secured in between the moveable clamping portion and fixed clamping portion; a lever for activation of the coupling means to move the coupling means between the clamped and the unclamped positions, the lever comprising: a handle, and a pair of side portions connected to the handle, the side portions being pivotably attached to either side of the fixed clamping portion of the coupling means, and whereupon movement of the coupling means between the unclamped and clamped positions causes longitudinal axes of the side portions to pivot from a location parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main body to a location perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main body; and a securing means attached to the side portions of the lever, and whereupon movement of the coupling means from the unclamped to the clamped position causes the securing means to pivot with the side portions of the lever and act on the moveable clamping portion to pivot the movable clamping portion towards the fixed clamping portion, the securing means comprising: a U shaped catch having a U shaped portion and two joining portions, wherein the U shaped portion surrounds the moveable clamping portion and the joining portions extend adjacent the sides of the fixed clamping portion to the side portions of the lever.