Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080315557 | Apparatus and methods for remotely controlling fifth wheel hitch assembly - Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments for fifth wheel hitch assemblies are described herein. In one embodiment, a remotely controlled fifth wheel hitch assembly comprises a mounting rail, a head assembly, a locking arm, an actuation mechanism, and a remote control device. The mounting rail is coupled to a towing vehicle and the head assembly is slidably coupled to the mounting rail. The head assembly is capable of securing a trailer to the towing vehicle. The locking arm includes a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the head assembly is statically secured to the mounting rail. The actuation mechanism is coupled to the locking arm to move the locking arm between the locked and unlocked positions. The remote control device is coupled to the actuation mechanism such that the remote control initiates the actuation mechanism to move the locking arm between the locked and unlocked positions. | 12-25-2008 |
20100096834 | REMOVABLE SAFETY CHAIN TIE DOWN APPARATUS - A tie down apparatus that may be utilized for securing an item, such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used with a hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus may include a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member. The receiving member may include an opening located there through. The tie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie down member may be capable of being located and rotated within the receiving member. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one leg capable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member may engage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, thereby trapping the item within the tie down apparatus. | 04-22-2010 |
20100109285 | UNDERBED HITCH MOUNTING SYSTEM - An underbed hitch mounting system is described. The mounting system may be utilized for towing vehicles wherein the mounting system may selectively accommodate either a fifth wheel hitch or a gooseneck hitch. The mounting system may include at least one rail capable of being connected to a vehicle frame, wherein the rail includes at least one socket. The socket may be engaged with a receiving member, wherein the receiving member may be engaged with a leg of a fifth wheel hitch. A mid rail may be connected to the rails and may include a hitch ball socket that is capable of engagement with a hitch. | 05-06-2010 |
20100127479 | Adjustable hitch assembly - The present invention is directed to an adjustable hitch assembly for coupling a towed vehicle with a towing vehicle. An embodiment of the adjustable hitch assembly may include a base member, a ball support member, and a hitch ball member. The base member may include a connecting portion and a shank member, wherein the shank member may extends perpendicularly away from the connecting portion. The ball support member may include a support rod extending perpendicularly away from the shank member. The ball support member may also include an opening there though that may be attached to the shank member. The hitch ball member may be attached to the support rod, wherein the hitch ball member may have at least one accessory aperture. The connecting portion may be attached to the towing vehicle and the hitch ball member may be attached to the towed vehicle. | 05-27-2010 |
20100140899 | COUPLER ASSEMBLY - The present application describes a gooseneck coupler assembly that may include a gooseneck trailer pivot, an extension arm, and a pivot retention mechanism having a ball socket. The ball socket may engage with a hitch ball located on a towing vehicle. The gooseneck trailer pivot may be mounted on a towed vehicle or trailer and be capable of pivoting about a vertical axis relative to the trailer. During engagement, the ball socket and the extension arm may provide tilt capability but thereby prevent any rotational movement relative to the hitch ball. However, the gooseneck coupler assembly may still be able to tilt fore-and-aft or side-to-side relative to the hitch ball. Therefore, the only pivotal movement relative to a vertical axis would be permitted at the gooseneck trailer pivot. | 06-10-2010 |
20100237587 | FIFTH WHEEL HITCH - The present application describes apparatus for attaching or securing a fifth wheel hitch to a bed of a towing vehicle. The fifth wheel hitch may be arranged to be secured to a hitch ball, such as a gooseneck hitch ball. The fifth wheel hitch may include a chamber for accepting a hitch ball, a locking pin for securing the hitch ball in the chamber, and a handle for selectively securing and releasing the hitch ball. The locking pin may be biased towards a position for securing the hitch ball in the chamber. A damper may be included to dampen impact forces transferred from the trailer to the towing vehicle through the fifth wheel hitch. The fifth wheel hitch may include support members having wear strips that may rest on the surface of the towing vehicle bed. | 09-23-2010 |
20120018977 | FIFTH WHEEL HITCH SKID PLATE COVER - A fifth wheel hitch may include a skid plate having a plurality of recesses, and a skid plate cover secured to the skid plate. The skid plate cover may also include a plurality of projections, where the projections engage with the recesses of the skid plate. | 01-26-2012 |
20120018978 | FIFTH WHEEL HITCH RETENTION SYSTEM - A fifth wheel hitch may include a skid plate, and a retention system that is supported by the skid plate. The retention system is also operable to receive a coupling member of a towed vehicle to retain the coupling member within the retention system, where engagement of the coupling member with the retention system selectively positions the retention system in a locked and closed position. | 01-26-2012 |
20120018979 | FIFTH WHEEL HITCH ISOLATION SYSTEM - A fifth wheel hitch may include at least one support frame capable of engaging with a towing vehicle. The fifth wheel hitch may further include a cross-member attached to the support frame and an isolation system operatively coupled with the cross-member. The isolation system may include a beam engaged with the cross-member about a first axis, where rotation of the beam about the first axis is dampened via a cross-member isolator. The isolation system may also include a skid plate engaged with the beam about a second axis, where rotation of the skid plate about the second axis is dampened via a wing isolator. | 01-26-2012 |
20120145851 | ADAPTER FOR UNDER BED HITCH MOUNTING SYSTEM - An adapter for mounting an accessory to a fixed feature positioned below a load bed of a vehicle is described. The adapter may include a mounting member, an aperture positioned on the mounting member, and a locking member capable of being inserted through the aperture, where the locking member is capable of selectively engaging the fixed feature. The adapter may also include at least one rail attached to the mounting member, and an accessory securing member positioned on the rail, the accessory securing member capable of selectively engaging an accessory. | 06-14-2012 |
20120274048 | REMOVABLE SAFETY CHAIN TIE DOWN APPARATUS - A tie down apparatus that may be utilized for securing an item, such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used with a hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus may include a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member. The receiving member may include an opening located there through. The tie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie down member may be capable of being located and rotated within the receiving member. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one leg capable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member may engage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, thereby trapping the item within the tie down apparatus. | 11-01-2012 |
20130113180 | INTEGRALLY FORMED GOOSENECK HITCH ASSEMBLY - A gooseneck hitch attachable to a cross member secured to a frame below a load bed of a vehicle, the cross member having a width is shown and described. The gooseneck hitch may include a beam selectively attachable to the cross member below the load bed and a rail monolithically formed with the beam and extending from the beam. The gooseneck hitch may also include a receptacle monolithically formed with the rail, where the receptacle is capable of selectively securing a hitch ball. | 05-09-2013 |
20130113181 | REMOVABLE SECURING CHAIN ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY - A securing chain attachment assembly is shown and described. The securing chain attachment assembly may include an attachment body selectively and rotatably securable to a towing vehicle, the attachment body rotatable along a first plane. The securing chain attachment assembly may also include a securement member attached to the attachment body, the securement member capable of having selectively secured thereto a securement chain, where the chain attachment member is pivotal along a second plane, the second plane generally parallel to the first plane. | 05-09-2013 |
20130127137 | INTERCHANGEABLE HITCH BALL ASSEMBLY - A hitch ball assembly generally includes a ball member and a body connected to the ball member. A passageway extends longitudinally within the body and at least one locking member may be in communication with the passageway to lock the hitch ball in place. An elongated member within the passageway is biased to engage the locking member. The body further includes an opening arranged transverse to the passageway. A release mechanism is positioned within an opening in the body transverse to the passageway. The release member is in communication with the elongated member to move the elongated member between a locked position and an unlocked position. | 05-23-2013 |
20130175786 | PIN BOX ASSEMBLY WITH GOOSENECK COUPLER - A pin box assembly with gooseneck coupler for coupling a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle is described. The pin box assembly may include a first member capable of being secured to a towed vehicle and a second member pivotally coupled to the first member about an axis of rotation relative to the first member. The pin box assembly may further include a gooseneck ball coupler coupled to the second member, and a suspension system coupled to at least one of the first and second members, the suspension system damping motion between the first and second members. | 07-11-2013 |
20130187362 | UNDERBED HITCH MOUNTING SYSTEM - An underbed hitch mounting system is described. The mounting system may be utilized for towing vehicles wherein the mounting system may selectively accommodate either a fifth wheel hitch or a gooseneck hitch. The mounting system may include at least one rail capable of being connected to a vehicle frame, wherein the rail includes at least one socket. The socket may be engaged with a receiving member, wherein the receiving member may be engaged with a leg of a fifth wheel hitch. A mid rail may be connected to the rails and may include a hitch ball socket that is capable of engagement with a hitch. | 07-25-2013 |
20130193671 | REMOVABLE SAFETY CHAIN TIE DOWN APPARATUS - A tie down apparatus that may be utilized for securing an item, such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used with a hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus may include a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member. The receiving member may include an opening located there through. The tie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie down member may be capable of being located and rotated within the receiving member. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one leg capable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member may engage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, thereby trapping the item within the tie down apparatus. | 08-01-2013 |
20130307248 | UNDER BED HITCH MOUNTING SYSTEM - A hitch mounting system capable of attaching to a vehicle, where, the vehicle includes a frame and a load bed is disclosed. The hitch mounting system may include at least one rail, the rail being a generally continuous member, where the rail includes at least one end portion, and where the end portion is deformed in a shape capable of attaching to the frame of the vehicle. The hitch mounting system may also include at least one mounting aperture located in the rail, the mounting aperture capable of having secured thereto an accessory. | 11-21-2013 |
20140110918 | OVERLOAD INDICATOR - An overload indicator is shown and described. The overload indicator may include a compression ring located between a portion of a hitch and a hitch ball, the compression ring calibrated to withstand up to a selected vertical force limit. The compression ring collapsing or flattening when applied with a force equal to or greater than the selected vertical force limit. | 04-24-2014 |
20140263512 | CARGO ACCESSORY MATCHING SYSTEM - A cargo accessory system is shown and described. The cargo accessory system may include a hitch mounting member, and a cargo accessory carrier attached to the hitch mounting member, where the cargo accessory carrier is configured to carry cargo. The cargo accessory system may also include a visual indicator incorporated with the cargo accessory carrier. The visual indicator may include a compatibility indicator identifying at least one hitch receiver to which the hitch member is capable of attaching, and a weight capacity identifying a load capacity of the cargo accessory carrier when the hitch mounting member is attached to the at least one hitch receiver. | 09-18-2014 |
20140265240 | WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A weight distribution system is shown and described. The weight distribution system may include a spring arm configured to be operatively engaged between plate members of a ball mount, and a pin member inserted into the spring arm, the pin member configured to secure the spring arm with the ball mount. The weight distribution system may also include an attachment mechanism configured to selectively place the spring arm in mechanical communication with a towed vehicle. | 09-18-2014 |
20140265245 | REMOVABLE GOOSENECK HITCH SAFETY CHAIN BRACKET - A safety chain bracket assembly is shown and described. The safety chain bracket may include a tubular sleeve adapted to attach with a hitch socket of a towing hitch, the tubular sleeve including an aperture configured to receive a hitch ball, and a bracket body engaged with the tubular sleeve, where pivoting the bracket body selectively locks the bracket body with the tubular sleeve. The safety chain bracket may also include at least one wing member extending from the bracket body, the wing member configured to operably receive a safety chain. | 09-18-2014 |