Patent ID: 7547035

Claim:
A coupling apparatus for a tractive vehicle, comprising: a frame element for securement to the tractive vehicle, said frame element having a guide, a coupling ball screwed to the frame element for receiving a drawbar eye, a carriage element displaceably held in the guide for movement from an opened position to a coupled position, said carriage element holding the drawbar eye when assuming the coupled position, and to release the drawbar eye when assuming the opened position, wherein the carriage element operates as guiding element for the drawbar eye, with the movement of the carriage element being realized in a direction substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the drawbar eye, a retaining element integrally connected with the carriage element which holds the drawbar eye against the coupling ball, an actuating apparatus connected to at least one of the frame element and a tractive vehicle for implementing the movement of the carriage element, an actuating element connected with the actuating apparatus and connected with the carriage element in an at least partly movable way in the direction of movement of the carriage element, and a self-locking lever element to act together with at least one member selected from the group consisting of the carriage element and the actuating element, wherein the lever element is connected with the member by means of brackets, with each said bracket comprising at least one oblong hole.