Trailer hitch

Claim 2

In a detachable hitch between a lead towing vehicle and a towed trailer: a. a lead vehicle having a substantially vertical hitch pin mounted thereon, b. a trailer having a coupling means thereon engageable with said verticalpin on said lead vehicle, c. ground engaging means, for elevating and lowering said trailer with respect to said hitch pin for the purpose of hitching and unhitching said trailer from said towing vehicle, d. means mounting said coupling means on said trailer for swinging movement about a transverse axis thereacross, e. other means mounting said coupling means on said trailer for rotary movement about a longitudinal axis of said trailer, f. an equalizer means attached to said coupling and engaging said trailer when in towed position on said lead vehicle, g. and equalizer stressing means on said trailer for placing said equalizer means under stress when said trailer is being towed.

Claim 3

The device in claim 1 wherein: said means for elevating is a jack and said jack has a portion engageable with said equalizer means to provide the stress whereby said jack is the equalizer stressing means said jack being operable in one direction to engage the ground and lift the end of said trailer from the ground and operable in another direction to lower said end of the trailer towards the ground for hitching and unhitching purposes and to engage said equalizer member and stress same about its fixed end.

Claim 4

The device in claim 1 wherein said equalizer means is a memBer having one end attached to the coupling and the other end extending therefrom and engageable with said jack.

Claim 5

The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling means is a collar, said vertical pin having a support surface therewith on which said collar rests, and means for holding said collar in place.

Claim 6

The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said respective means and other means for mounting said coupling means for respective swinging and rotary movements comprises a longitudinal shaft on said trailer end, and a transverse pivot pin through said longitudinal shaft engaged by said collar.

Claim 7

The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said lead vehicle has a support surface thereon adjacent said pin, said collar on said trailer having a pair of equalizer members attached thereto said spaced from one another, said equalizer members extending from said collar and being engageable with said jack on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 8

The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said respective means and other means for mounting said coupling means for respective swinging and rotary movements comprises a rearward projecting portion thereon, there being a longitudinal pivot shaft mounted on said trailer, a transverse pivot pin connecting said pivot shaft to said collar.

Claim 9

The device claimed in claim 1, wherein: said coupling means is a collar having a transverse pin thereon which is the means for mounting same for swinging movement, said pin being mounted on a longitudinal shaft which is the means for mounting for rotary movement.

Claim 10

The device in claim 7 wherein said equalizer means comprising at least one equalizer member having one end attached to said coupling and the other end spaced therefrom.

Claim 11

The device in claim 8 wherein said equalizer member stressing means is a jack which is the same means for raising and lowering said trailer whereby when said trailer is lowered into position and said jack is operated to stress said equalizer.

Claim 12

In a trailer hitch for detachably connecting a lead vehicle such as an automobile to a trailer such as a boat trailer or house trailer: a. an adjustable drawbar on said lead vehicle having a support portion thereon to support the front end of the trailer, b. a vertical pin fixed on said support on said drawbar and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, c. a trailer having a trailer frame with a forward end thereon, d. a jack having operative control means thereon and being supported on said trailer behind said forward end for jacking said trailer against a fixed point on the ground, said jack including a vertically movable jack shaft having a lower end thereon, e. a coupler collar having a socket therein positionable on said vertical pin on said lead vehicle by elevating said collar sufficiently to align said pin beneath said socket by elevating said trailer end by means of said jack operating against a fixed point on the ground, and then lowering said socket into position over said pin whereby said front end of said trailer rests on the drawbar, f. means mounting said collar for rotational movement about a longitudinal centerline on said trailer and means also mounting said collar for swinging motion on the front end of said trailer about a substantially transverse pivot point, g. an equalizer member extending fron and attached to said collar and thereby being mounted for motion in all directions the same as said collar, said equalizer enxteding rearwardly beneath said trailer frame and to a position adjacent said jack for selective engagement therewith to be stressed thereby.

Claim 13

In a trailer hitch for detachably connecting a lead vehicle such as an automobile to a trailer such as a boat trailer or house trailer: a. an adjustable drawbar on said lead vehicle having a support portion thereon to support the front end of the trailer, b. a vertical pin fixed on said support on said drawbar and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, c. a trailer having a trailer frame with a forward end thereon, d. a jack having operative control means thereon and being supported on said trailer behind said forward end for jacking said trailer against a fixed point on the ground, said jack including a vertically movable jack shaft having a lower end thereon, e. a coupler collar having a socket therein positionable on said vertical pin on said lead vehicle by elevating said collar sufficiently to align said pin beneath said socket by elevating said trailer end by means of said jack operating against a fixed point on the ground, and then lowering said socket into position over said pin whereby said front end of said trailer rests on the drawbar, f. means mounting said collar for rotational movement about a longitudinal centerline on said trailer and means also mounting said collar for swinging motion on the front end of said trailer about a substantially transverse pivot point, g. an equalizer member extending fron and attached to said collar and thereby being mounted for motion in all directions the same as said collar, said equalizer enxteding rearwardly beneath said trailer frame and to a position adjacent said jack for selective engagement therewith to be stressed thereby.