Patent ID: 7338064

Claim:
A pivotal fold away trailer hitch mount which comprises: a) a mounting plate for securing to an underside of a frame of a motor vehicle, and adjacent to a bumper of the motor vehicle; b) a hitch assembly; c) means for pivotally connecting an inner end of said hitch assembly to a bottom surface of said mounting plate, so that said hitch assembly will swing from a towing position extending outwardly from the bumper of the motor vehicle to a stowed position extending under the frame of the motor vehicle away from the bumper; d) means for retaining said hitch assembly in the towing position; e) means for holding said hitch assembly in the stowed position; wherein said hitch assembly comprises: f) a hollow receiver arm; g) a shaft telescopically inserted within said hollow receiver arm; h) means for securing said shaft within said hollow receiver arm; wherein said securing means comprises: i) said hollow receiver arm of said hitch assembly having a pair of coaxially aligned bores near an outer end; j) said shaft of said hitch assembly having a transverse bore therethrough; k) a retainer pin having a transverse hole through a first end and a pull handle on a second end of said retainer pin, wherein said retainer pin extends through said coaxially aligned bores in said hollow receiver arm and said transverse bore in said shaft, with said first end of said retainer pin extending outwardly therefrom; and l) a linchpin inserted through said transverse hole in said first end of said retainer pin, to prevent accidental removal of said retainer pin; wherein said pivotally connecting means comprises: m) a bracket assembly affixed to said bottom surface of said mounting plate; n) a hinge assembly coupled between an inner end of said hollow receiver arm of said hitch assembly and near a rear end of said bracket assembly; wherein said bracket assembly comprises a pair of L-shaped members, in which each said L-shaped member includes a first flange and a second flange, wherein said first flanges of said pair of L-shaped members are affixed to said bottom surface of said mounting plate, with said second flanges of said pair of L-shaped members spaced apart and facing each other; wherein said hinge assembly comprises: o) said second flanges of said pair of L-shaped members of said bracket assembly, each having a coaxially aligned pivot aperture near a rear end; p) a hinge sleeve attached to said inner end of said hollow receiver arm of said hitch assembly; and q) a cylindrical pivot member inserted through said hinge sleeve, with each end of said cylindrical pivot member attached to one said coaxially aligned pivot aperture in each said second flange of said pair of L-shaped members, thereby allowing said hinge sleeve to pivot on said cylindrical pivot member.