Trailer hitch guide

Claim 2

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; means for demountably fixing the V-shaped element to the towing vehicle, said means being relatively below the position of the hitch ball; and support means attached to the V-shaped element and adapted to rest against a relatively rigid generally vertical portion of the towing vehicle relatively above the position of the hitch ball to limit movement of the V-shaped element when intersected by the leading end of the trailer tongue and transmit the force of such intersection directly to the towing vehicle.

Claim 3

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; means for demountably fixing the V-shaped element to the towing vehicle, said means being relatively below the position of the hitch ball; and support means attached to the V-shaped element and adapted to rest against a relatively rigid generally vertical portion of the towing vehicle relatively above the position of the hitch ball to limit movement of the V-shaped element when intersected by the leading end of the trailer tongue and transmit the force of such intersection directly to the towing vehicle.

Claim 4

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; means for demountably fixing the V-shaped element to the towing vehicle, said means being relatively below the position of the hitch ball; and support means attached to the V-shaped element and adapted to rest against a relatively rigid generally vertical portion of the towing vehicle relatively above the position of the hitch ball to limit movement of the V-shaped element when intersected by the leading end of the trailer tongue and transmit the force of such intersection directly to the towing vehicle.

Claim 5

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the hitch ball on the towing vehicle has a depending support strut, and wherein the means for fixing the V-shaped element to the towing vehicle includes a chain adapted to at least partially circumscribed the support strut so that the V-shaped element can easily be demounted from the towing vehicle.

Claim 6

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the support means comprises a transversely mounted bar adapted to rest against the license plate of the towing vehicle and prevent yawing movement of the V-shaped element.

Claim 7

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the support means comprises a pair of transversely spaced generally vertical bars adapted to rest against the bumper of the towing vehicle and prevent yawing movement of the V-shaped element.

Claim 8

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the bumper of the towing vehicle has a generally flat portion including a rearwardly directed lip, and wherein the means for demountably fixing the V-shaped element to the towing vehicle comprises a pair of slots at the outer extremities of the V-shaped element adapted to engage the rearwardly projecting lip of the bumper to prevent yawing movement of the V-shaped element, and wherein the support means comprises a pad on the outer surface of the base of the V-shAped element.

Claim 9

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; a vertical support member projecting downwardly from the base of the V-shaped element, the lower end of said support member adapted to overlie the hitch bar; a flexible tension member at the lower end of the support member adapted to partially circumscribe the support strut of the hitch ball to demountably fix the V-shaped element in position relatively below the hitch ball; a pair of arms attachable to respective outer extremities of the V-shaped elements in either of two positions, one said position having the arms extend relatively forwardly with respect to the towing vehicle and the other position having the arms extending vertically with respect to the towing vehicle; and a transverse bar attachable to the free ends of the arms when said arms are in the first position, whereby the transverse bar is abutable against the license plate of the vehicle when the arms are in the first position and the arms are abutable against the bumper of the towing vehicle when said arms are in the second position to adapt the apparatus to different towing configurations.

Claim 10

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; a vertical support member projecting downwardly from the base of the V-shaped element, the lower end of said support member adapted to overlie the hitch bar; a flexible tension member at the lower end of the support member adapted to partially circumscribe the support strut of the hitch ball to demountably fix the V-shaped element in position relatively below the hitch ball; a pair of arms attachable to respective outer extremities of the V-shaped elements in either of two positions, one said position having the arms extend relatively forwardly with respect to the towing vehicle and the other position having the arms extending vertically with respect to the towing vehicle; and a transverse bar attachable to the free ends of the arms when said arms are in the first position, whereby the transverse bar is abutable against the license plate of the vehicle when the arms are in the first position and the arms are abutable against the bumper of the towing vehicle when said arms are in the second position to adapt the apparatus to different towing configurations.

Claim 11

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle having a bumper including a generally flat portion having a rearwardly directed lip, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball, the outer extremities of said V-shaped element having respective slots forwardly directed with respect to the towing vehicle and adapted to engage the rearwardly projecting lip of the bumper; and a pad on the outer surface of the base of the V-shaped element adapted to abut the generally vertical portion of the bumper to fix the V-shaped element in position when intersected by the leading end of the trailer tongue.

Claim 12

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle having a bumper including a generally flat portion having a rearwardly directed lip, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved toward the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball, the outer extremities of said V-shaped element having respective slots forwardly directed with respect to the towing vehicle and adapted to engage the rearwardly projecting lip of the bumper; and a pad on the outer surface of the base of the V-shaped element adapted to abut the generally vertical portion of the bumper to fix the V-shaped element in position when intersected by the leading end of the trailer tongue.

Claim 13

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved towards the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; a vertical support member projecting downwardly from the base of the V-shaped element, the lower end of said support member adapted to overlie the hitch bar so that the principal weight of the V-shaped element is borne by the hitch bar; support means at the base of the V-shaped element and adapted to rest against a relatively rigid generally vertical portion of the towing vehicle relatively above the position of the hitch ball, the V-shaped element biased against the vertical portion of the towing vehicle to maintain the V-shaped element in position.

Claim 14

Apparatus for guiding the leading end of a trailer tongue into engagement with a mating hitch ball of an automobile or other towing vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a rearwardly opening V-shaped element superimposed over and around the hitch ball on the towing vehicle and adapted to intersect the leading end of the trailer tongue when the towing vehicle is moved towards the trailer to guide the leading end of the tongue into position over the hitch ball; a vertical support member projecting downwardly from the base of the V-shaped element, the lower end of said support member adapted to overlie the hitch bar so that the principal weight of the V-shaped element is borne by the hitch bar; support means at the base of the V-shaped element and adapted to rest against a relatively rigid generally vertical portion of the towing vehicle relatively above the position of the hitch ball, the V-shaped element biased against the vertical portion of the towing vehicle to maintain the V-shaped element in position.