Trailer vehicle anti-theft plug assembly

Claim 1

An anti-theft combination for use on a trailer type vehicle having a pulled portion of a trailer hitch permanently secured thereto, said pulled portion being of the type wherein a socket is defined by a continuous wall that removably engages a ball on the pulling portion of said hitch, said combination comprising: a. a rigid plug that substantially fills said socket, which plug has a longitudinally extending cavity formed therein that is in communication with two coaxially aligned, oppositely Extending transverse bores formed in said plug, said plug having a flat horizontal lower end that is disposed a predetermined distance below said socket when said plug is disposed therein; b. two pins slidably mounted in said bores, which pins are capable of occupying first positions in which said pins are disposed within said plug, with said pins being adapted to occupy second positions in which said pins have end portions thereof projecting outwardly from said plug into two transversely aligned openings in said wall defining said socket; c. spring means that at all times tend to maintain said pins in said first position; d. lock means in said cavity that partially fill the same and are capable of occupying first and second positions, which lock means when in said first position allows said pins to remain in said first position, and said lock means when in said second position moves said pins to said second position to hold said plug in said socket to prevent said ball from being inserted thereinto; e. first means for operating said lock to selectively move the same to either said first or said second position, with said lock when in said first position permitting said plug, pin, spring means, and lock means to be removed as an integral unit from said socket; f. second means for removably holding said lock means in said cavity, with said second means being so located that said lock means cannot be removed from said plug when said plug is disposed in said socket and said lock means and pins are in said second position; and g. third disposable means for aligning a rotating drill to permit said openings to be formed in said continuous wall of said socket in transverse alignment with said pins when said plug is disposed in said socket said third means including: 1. two legs that extend on opposite sides of said continuous wall, which legs have axially aligned transverse openings formed therein through which said drill may pass to form said openings in said continuous wall; 2. a web that connects said legs; and 3. a protuberance on said web that extends upwardly in said cavity when said web is in contact with said lower end of said plug to center said third means relative to said socket.