Trailer hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus

Claim 2

A hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus for use with a ball member of a trailer hitch, comprising: (a) a plunger rod reciprocally mountable through said ball member and being longer than the height of said ball member such that one or the other opposite ends of said rod will extend beyond one or the other opposite ends of said ball member; (b) an electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and including operator signaling means and a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by one end of said rod and the other contact being defined on one end of said ball member; and (c) flexble means interconnectible to said rod and said ball member so as to bias said rod to an extended position wherein its other end extends beyond the other end of said ball member and said one contact on its one end is disposed in electrical engagement with said other contact on said one end of said ball member causing activation of said signaling means, said flexible means being yieldable so as to permit movement of said rod toward and retention thereof at a retracted position upon engagement and movement of its other end due to seating of a trailer hitch socket member on said other end of said ball member, said movement of said rod causing displacement and electrical disengagement of said one contact from said other contact and deactivation of said signaling means, whereby said signaling means is activated whenever the trailer hitch socket member is uncoupled from said ball member sufficiently to allow movement of said rod to its extended position, whereas said signaling means is deactivated whenever said socket member is coupled to said ball member sufficiently to retain said rod away from its extended position.

Claim 3

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said ball member is composed of electrically conductive material.

Claim 4

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said plunger rod is composed of electrically nonconductive material.

Claim 5

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said plunger rod is composed of a material capable of being trimmed to shorten said rod to a desired length which will exceed the height of said ball member by at least a desired amount.

Claim 6

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible means is in the form of a band of resiliently stretchible material attached to said ball member and stretched away therefrom and about said one end of said rod.

Claim 7

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said one end of said rod is in the form of an enlarged head and the remainder of said rod is in the form of an elongated stem having said head attached thereon, said head being of a larger diametric size than said stem of said rod.

Claim 8

The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said one contact is in the form of an annular ring of electrically conductive material surrounding and seated on said enlarged head of said rod.

Claim 9

The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said other contact is in the form of a shank on said ball member by which said ball member is mountable on a towing vehicle attachment plate.

Claim 10

The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said flexible means is in the form of a band of resiliently stretchible material having an opening defined therein for receiving said ball member shank with portions of said band surrounding said opening capable of being attached to said ball member and said attachment plate on which said ball member is mountable.

Claim 11

A hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus for use with a ball member of a trailer hitch, comprising: (a) a plunger rod reciprocally mountable through a central bore formed vertically in said ball member and being longer than the height of said ball member such that the lower or upper ends of said rod will extend beyond the lower or upper ends of said ball member; (b) an electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and including operator signaling means and a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said lower end of said rod and the other contact being defined on said lower end of said ball member; and (c) flexible means interconnectible to said rod and said ball member so as to bias said rod to an upwardly extended position wherein its upper end extends upwardly beyond the upper end of said ball member and said one contact on its lower end is disposed in electrical engagement with said other contact on said lower end of said ball member causing activation of said signaling means, said flexible means being yieldable so as to permit movement of said rod downwardly toward and retention thereof at a retracted position upon depression of its upper end due to seating of a trailer hitch socket member on said upper end of said ball member, said downward movement of said rod causing displacement and electrical disengagement of said one contact downwardly from said other contact and deactivation of said signaling means, whereby said signaling means is activated whenever the trailer hitch socket member is uncoupled from said ball member sufficiently to allow movement of said rod upwardly to its extended position, whereas said signaling means is deactivated whenever said socket member is coupled to said ball member sufficiently to retain said rod away from its extended position.

Claim 12

A hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus for use with a ball member of a trailer hitch, comprising: (a) a plunger rod reciprocally mountable through a central bore formed vertically in said ball member and being longer than the height of said ball member such that the lower or upper ends of said rod will extend beyond the lower or upper ends of said ball member; (b) an electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and including operator signaling means and a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said lower end of said rod and the other contact being defined on said lower end of said ball member; and (c) flexible means interconnectible to said rod and said ball member so as to bias said rod to an upwardly extended position wherein its upper end extends upwardly beyond the upper end of said ball member and said one contact on its lower end is disposed in electrical engagement with said other contact on said lower end of said ball member causing activation of said signaling means, said flexible means being yieldable so as to permit movement of said rod downwardly toward and retention thereof at a retracted position upon depression of its upper end due to seating of a trailer hitch socket member on said upper end of said ball member, said downward movement of said rod causing displacement and electrical disengagement of said one contact downwardly from said other contact and deactivation of said signaling means, whereby said signaling means is activated whenever the trailer hitch socket member is uncoupled from said ball member sufficiently to allow movement of said rod upwardly to its extended position, whereas said signaling means is deactivated whenever said socket member is coupled to said ball member sufficiently to retain said rod away from its extended position.

Claim 13

The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein: said ball member is composed of electrically conductive material; and said plunger rod is composed of electrically nonconductive material.

Claim 14

The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said plunger rod is composed of a plastic material capable of being trimmed to shorten said rod to a desired length which will exceed the height of said ball member by at least a desired amount.

Claim 15

The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein: said lower end of said rod is in the form of an enlarged head and the remainder of said rod is in the form of an elongated stem having said head attached thereon, said head being of a larger diametric size than said stem of said rod; said one contact is in the form of an annular ring of electrically conductive material surrounding and seated on said enlarged head of said rod; said other contact is in the form of a threaded shank defined on said lower end of said ball member by which said ball member is mountable on a towing vehicle attachment plate; and said resiliently flexible means is in the form of a band of stretchible material having an opening defined therein for receiving said shank of said ball member with portions of said band surrounding said opening capable of being attached to said ball member and said attachment plate on which said ball member is mountable, said band of material being stretched to extend about said enlarged head of said rod at another portion thereof opposite said opening defined in said band.

Claim 16

In combination with a ball member of a trailer hitch mountable to a towing vehicle and for receiving a socket member mounted to a towed trailer, said ball member having opposite upper and lower ends, a hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus comprising: (a) a plunger rod mounted for reciprocable movement through a central bore formed vertically in said ball member and being longer than the height of said ball member such that the lower or upper ends of said rod will extend beyond the lower or upper ends of said ball member; (b) an electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and including operator signaling means and a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said lower end of said rod and the other contact being defined on said lower end of said ball member; and (c) flexible means interconnecting said rod and said ball member so as to bias said rod to an upwardly extended position wherein its upper end extends upwardly beyond the upper end of said ball member and said one contact on its lower end is disposed in electrical engagement with said other contact on said lower end of said ball member causing activation of said signaling means, said flexible means being yieldable so as to permit movement of said rod downwardly toward and retention thereof at a retracted position upon depression of its upper end due to seating of a trailer hitch socket member on said upper end of said ball member, said downward movement of said rod causing displacement and electrical disengagement of said one contact downwardly from said other contact and deactivation of said signaling means, whereby said signaling means is activated whenever the trailer hitch socket member is uncoupled from said ball member sufficiently to allow movement of said rod upwardly to its extended position, whereas said signaling means is deactivated whenever said socket member is coupled to said ball member sufficiently to retain said rod away from its extended position.

Claim 17

In combination with a ball member of a trailer hitch mountable to a towing vehicle and for receiving a socket member mounted to a towed trailer, said ball member having opposite upper and lower ends, a hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus comprising: (a) a plunger rod mounted for reciprocable movement through a central bore formed vertically in said ball member and being longer than the height of said ball member such that the lower or upper ends of said rod will extend beyond the lower or upper ends of said ball member; (b) an electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and including operator signaling means and a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said lower end of said rod and the other contact being defined on said lower end of said ball member; and (c) flexible means interconnecting said rod and said ball member so as to bias said rod to an upwardly extended position wherein its upper end extends upwardly beyond the upper end of said ball member and said one contact on its lower end is disposed in electrical engagement with said other contact on said lower end of said ball member causing activation of said signaling means, said flexible means being yieldable so as to permit movement of said rod downwardly toward and retention thereof at a retracted position upon depression of its upper end due to seating of a trailer hitch socket member on said upper end of said ball member, said downward movement of said rod causing displacement and electrical disengagement of said one contact downwardly from said other contact and deactivation of said signaling means, whereby said signaling means is activated whenever the trailer hitch socket member is uncoupled from said ball member sufficiently to allow movement of said rod upwardly to its extended position, whereas said signaling means is deactivated whenever said socket member is coupled to said ball member sufficiently to retain said rod away from its extended position.

Claim 18

The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein: said ball member is composed of electrically conductive material; and said plunger rod is composed of electrically nonconductive material.

Claim 19

The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said plunger rod is composed of a plastic material capable of being trimmed to shorten said rod to a desired length which will exceed the height of said ball member by at least a desired amount.

Claim 20

The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein: said lower end of said rod is in the form of an enlarged head and the remainder of said rod is in the form of an elongated stem having said head attached thereon, said head being of a larger diametric size than said stem of said rod; said one contact is in the form of an annular ring of electrically conductive material surrounding and seated on said enlarged head of said rod; said other contact is in the form of a threaded shank defined on said lower end of said ball member by which said ball member is mountable on a towing vehicle attachment plate; and said resiliently flexible means is in the form of a band of stretchible material having an opening defined therein for receiving said shank of said ball member with portions of said band surrounding said opening capable of being attached to said ball member and said attachment plate on which said ball member is mountable, said band of material being stretched about said enlarged head of said rod at another portion thereof opposite said opening defined in said band.