Patent ID: 7052032

Claim:
In a trailer hitch apparatus for mounting on a towing vehicle to be coupled to a vehicle to be towed, a combination recessed storage and pivoting hook up receiver and ball mount assembly comprising: a first frame member adapted to be mounted to the lower rear frame of a towing vehicle having upper and lower surfaces; a bottom plate fixed to said frame member; a top plate fixed to said frame member spaced apart from said bottom plate; a hollow tubular hitch receiver member pivotally mounted between said bottom and top plates and having open front and rear ends; said tubular hitch member being mounted so as to be pivotable through substantially one hundred eighty degrees from left side to right side of the towing vehicle; a ball mount member having front and rear ends, telescopically mounted in said tubular hitch receiver member and having a body portion longer than the length of said receiver member and a hitch ball mounted on the rear end thereof; said ball mount member and receiver member each having cooperating latching means for securing said ball mount member in a selected position in said receiver member; towing index means and stowing index means mounted between said top and bottom plates; and index receiving means formed on the front end of said ball mount member opposite said hitch ball end adapted to selectively cooperatively engage with said towing or stowing index means; whereby in the unlatched condition said ball mount member may be rotated left to right and telescoped in and out of said receiver member to facilitate attaching to the vehicle to be towed and then secured either in towing or stowing condition by actuation of said ball mount member and receiver member latching means.