Cushioned adjustable swing hitch for vehicle

Claim 2

A hitch for vehicles, comprising: a. a housing having a pair of similar parallel plate members and a closed portion and mountable under the rear bumper of a vehicle, b. bar means hitching means mounted within said housing and having a bar member with an elongated opening therein mounted about a floating member pivotally connected to and between said plate members, said bar member movable to a radial position limited to the length of said opening and from the pivotal connection of said floating member, movable rearwardly of the outer edge of said plate members to a storage position within said housing wherein a portion of said bar member is contained within said closed portion of said housing, c. means pivotally, extendably and translatably mounting said hitching means on said housing, d. resilient means urged locking means mounted with said housing and with said vehicle bumper constructed and adapted to lock said hitching means against rotation and extension, e. resilient cushion means with said bar member to receive said locking means, and f. resilient means ejecting means mounted within said closed portion of said housing constructed and adapted to force said bar member from said closed portion of said housing and from said storage position, said hitch for vehicles adapted to be mounted on the rear of a vehicle, said hitching means translatably positionable on said housing to a fixed position and said hitching means rotatably extendable and translatably extendable from said housing and couplable with a trailing vehicle or the like, and retractable to said storage position.

Claim 3

A hitch for vehicles as described in claim 1, wherein: a. said bar means is movable laterally within said housing to a second fixed position for offset coupling with a trailing vehiCle, and b. said hitching means is movable to said storage position having said resilient ejecting means compressed within said closed portion of said housing and without any portion of said hitching means extending rearwardly of said housing so that the vehicle can be pushed from the rear if desired.

Claim 4

The hitch for vehicles as described in claim 2, wherein: a. said locking means has a resiliently urged pin member mountable above said rear bumper, extendable through an aperture in said bumper, and through a locking pin aperture in said housing to engage said resilient cushion means, and b. said locking means has a locking pin holding means pivotally mounted between said plate members and resiliently urged to cover and hold said locking pin member above the space between said plate members when said hitching means is extended from said housing.

Claim 5

A hitch for vehicles, comprising: a. mounting means mountable on a vehicle, b. hitching means, c. means to pivotally, extendably and translatably mount said hitching means on said mounting means, d. resilient means urged locking means mounted on said vehicle and mounted with said mounting means, constructed and adapted to lock said hitching means against rotation and extension, e. said hitching means is a bar means mounted within said housing, f. said mounting means include a pair of similar parallel plate members joined on a side portion forming a partial enclosure, g. said mounting means has a bar means ejector means mounted within said enclosure, constructed and adapted to force said bar means out of said enclosure from a storage position, h. said mounting means is mounted on the vehicle so that said hitching bar means is horizontally extendable therefrom, i. said hitching bar means has an elongated bar-like member extending substantially the length of said housing, j. said means to pivotally, extendably and translatably mount said hitching means is an elongated slot-like aperture therethrough and substantially the length thereof said hitching bar means having a floating member therein pivotally attached to said housing between said plate member adapted to be positionable at one end of said slot by a portion of said resilient urged locking means having a leaf spring member attached at one end to an inner side of said slot compressibly positioned in the center of said slot and adapted to be compressed at the free end thereof to provide movement of said floating member through said slot, and k. said hitching bar member has a cushion means on the extendable end thereof engagable with said rotation locking means in operation to absorb shock loading forces imparted said hitching bar member when in use.

Claim 6

A hitch for vehicles, comprising: a. mounting means mountable on a vehicle, b. hitching means, c. means to pivotally, extendably and translatably mount said hitching means on said mounting means, d. resilient means urged locking means mounted on said vehicle and mounted with said mounting means, constructed and adapted to lock said hitching means against rotation and extension, e. said hitching means is a bar means mounted within said housing, f. said mounting means include a pair of similar parallel plate members joined on a side portion forming a partial enclosure, g. said mounting means has a bar means ejector means mounted within said enclosure, constructed and adapted to force said bar means out of said enclosure from a storage position, h. said mounting means is mounted on the vehicle so that said hitching bar means is horizontally extendable therefrom, i. said hitching bar means has an elongated bar-like member extending substantially the length of said housing, j. said means to pivotally, extendably and translatably mount said hitching means is an elongated slot-like aperture therethrough and substantially the length thereof said hitching bar means having a floating member therein pivotally attached to said housing between said plate member adapted to be positionable at one end of said slot by a portion of said resilient urged locking means having a leaf spring member attached at one end to an inner side of said slot compressibly positioned in the center of said slot and adapted to be compressed at the free end thereof to provide movement of said floating member through said slot, and k. said hitching bar member has a cushion means on the extendable end thereof engagable with said rotation locking means in operation to absorb shock loading forces imparted said hitching bar member when in use.

Claim 7

A hitch for vehicles as described in claim 4, wherein: a. said housing has a stop member therebetween said plate members positioned so as to be adapted to prevent said bar member from rotating over the center of rotation about said floating member, b. said rotation locking means has a spring urged locking pin member normally extended with the end portion thereof extendable through a locking pin aperture in said plate members engagable with said cushion means, c. said spring urged locking pin member is retractable from said normally extended position to engage said rotation locking means by finger pressure, d. said cushion means has an aperture therethrough to receive said locking pin member end portion in said normally extended position with said bar member in a normal use position, and e. said bar member has a hitch connecting aperture through the end portion thereof exposed when in said normal use position, said hitch connecting aperture is constructed and adapted to receive said locking pin member when said hitch is in said storage position.

Claim 8

A hitch for vehicles as described in claim 5, wherein: a. said housing has a plurality of apertures therethrough said plate members adapted to be used to mount same with said veHicle, b. one of said plate members of said housing has an enlarged aperture therethrough adapted to provide finger access to said extension lock means for compressing said leaf spring member at the floating member end portion thereof, and c. said rotation locking means has a spring urged locking pin holding member pivotally mounted between said plates, urged by said spring to a normal position covering said locking pin aperture in said plate member when said hitching bar member is in a swung-out position and moved to a pivoted retracted position by contacting the outer end portion of said hitching bar member when same is in said normal use position, or said storage position.

Claim 9

A hitch means for vehicles as described in claim 6, wherein: a. said cushion means has said resilient member removably mounted with said hitching bar member, and b. said resilient member has a lined aperture therethrough same for the receipt of said locking pin member.