AU2007101067B4 - Dual Purpose Towing Coupling - Google Patents

Description

I

00 c- COUPLINGS 00 This invention relates to couplings for towed vehicles.

oo C- The invention has particular application to trailers, caravans, fertilizer spreaders and the like which could be effectively towed by motor cars, trucks, tractors or ride-on mowers, some of which may have a drawbar type towing coupling or a ball type boss of the type adapted to couple with a socket type hitch. However, the invention may have application to other types of vehicles and machinery in some circumstances.

In many farm and small acreage lots, a person may wish to tow a trailer or other vehicle by motor car on one day and by a ride-on mower or tractor on another day. Typically, the motor car will have a ball type towing boss mounted thereto for engagement by a complementary socket on the towed vehicle while the ride-on mower or tractor might have a drawbar which cannot be engaged by the socket type hitch of the towed vehicle. Thus, it is generally necessary to mount a ball type towing boss on the tractor drawbar or the ride-on mower drawbar to allow the towed vehicle to be towed thereby.

The present invention is aimed at providing a coupling for towed vehicles which allows them to be coupled to a towing vehicle having either a ball type coupling or a drawbar.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides broadly in a coupling for towed vehicles, including: a first part having a wall defining a substantially hemispherical socket with an opening adapted to receive therethrough a complementary ball type towing boss on a motor vehicle for engagement in said socket for side to side /ibur08100 00 -2and up and down pivoting movement relative thereto, and a Sfirst passage extending through said wall opposite said O0 opening whereby the axis of said passage passes through said 00 opening; and a second part spaced from said socket and having a second passage therethrough, said second part being operatively connected to said first part for movement from an operating position in which said second part obstructs said opening and said second passage aligns with said first passage to allow a towing pin to be passed therethrough to a non-operating position in which said second part is remote from said opening and allows entry of a towing boss therethrough into said socket.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a towed vehicle having a coupling including a first part with a wall defining a substantially hemispherical socket having an opening adapted to receive therethrough a complementary ball type towing boss on a motor vehicle for engagement in said socket for side to side and up and down pivoting movement relative thereto, and a first passage extending through said wall opposite said opening whereby the axis of said passage passes through said opening, the first part being mounted on an upper face of a frame member of the trailer, and a second part mounted to said member on a lower face and being spaced from said socket, said second part having a second passage therethrough and being operatively connected to said first part for movement from an operating position in which said second part obstructs said opening and said second passage aligns with said fir.3t passage to allow a towing pin to be passed therethrough to a nonoperating position in which said second part is remote from 00 <D 3- 3 said opening and allows entry of a towing boss therethrough Sinto said socket.

00 Preferably, the coupling includes a towing pin adapted to be pushed into said first passage and said second passage when said second part is in the operating position.

ID Suitably, such towing pin is attached to the first part by a chain or the like. Preferably, a spring is provided on the towing pin for the purpose of engaging the drawbar of the towing vehicle when in the operating position to inhibit rattling of the pin.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig.l is a perspective view of a coupling according to the invention attached to the pull of a farm trailer with the second part of the coupling in the operating position; Fig.2 is a perspective view of the coupling of Fig. 2 attached to the pull of the farm trailer with the second part of the coupling in the non-operating position; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling of Fig. 1 assembled but not attached to the farm trailer with the second part in the non-operating position.

The coupling 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 is connected to the pull 11 of a farm trailer and includes three main components, a first part 12, a second part 13 and a pin 14.

The first part is bolted to the pull by two spaced apart bolts 16 and 17 and the second part is pivotally mounted on the lower end of bolt 17 with a lock nut 18 securing it on the bolt which in turn is locked to the pull by a nut 19 (which cannot be seen in Fig.l but is shown in Fig. 3 in the assembly) holding the bolt to the pull.

00 -4c' The first part is a modified trailer hitch of a ball and socket type having a cast steel body 20 with a front portion 21 forming a socket 22 having a bottom opening 23 00 C1 adapted to receive a ball type towing boss for engagement in the socket. A securing tongue 24 is mounted in the cast steel body and adapted to move up and down within a bore \O O provided in the body by pulling the handle 26 up and to protrude into the socket when the handle is down so as to lock the hitch to the ball type boss in known nanner.

A passage 27 is provided in the body opening to the socket 22 and having an axis passing through the socket and substantially centrally of the opening 23 whereby pin 14 may be slidably mounted in the passage so as to extend through the socket as can be seen more clearly in Fic 1. Suitably, the second part 13 has a passage 32 therein which aligns with the passage 27 in the first part such that the pin 14 may pass through the socket and then through the second part whereby the trailer may be connected to a drawbar type connection on a truck, ride-on mower or motor vehicle as desired. Suitably, the pin is attached to the first part by a chain 33 or the like. Preferably, a spring 34 is provided on the towing pin for the purpose of engaging the drawbar of the towing vehicle when in the operating position so as to inhibit rattling of the pin during travel.

Advantageously, the second part is pivotally mounted to the trailer pull so that it can be moved from the operation position shown in Fig 1 to the non-operating position as shown in Fig 2. Suitably, a handle 36 is provided for that purpose. Once the second part is moved to the non-operating position, the trailer can be hitched to a ball type boss on a motor vehicle, tractor, ride on mower or the like. As can be seen in Fig 2, the pin can be mounted in the second part 00 0 D and retained therein by a safety clip 37. Thus, Sadvantageously, the coupling of the present invention 00 provides a choice of vehicle coupling to which it can be mounted without requiring anything to be removed from the vehicle or added to the trailer.

ND While the foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in many other forms and all such forms are deemed to fall within the broad CN 10 scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. A coupling for towed vehicles, including: a first part having a wall defining a substantially hemispherical socket with an opening adapted to receive therethrough a complementary ball type towing boss on a motor vehicle for engagement in said socket for side to side and up and down pivoting movement relative thereto, and a first passage extending through said wall opposite said opening whereby the axis of said passage passes through said opening; and a second part spaced from said socket and having a second passage therethrough, said second part being operatively connected to said first part for movement from an operating position in which said second Fart obstructs said opening and said second passage aligns with said first passage to allow a towing pin to be passed therethrough to a non-operating position in which said second part is remote from said opening and allows entry of a towing boss therethrough into said socket.

2. A coupling according to Claim 1, includingc a towing pin adapted to be pushed into said first passage anrid said second passage when said second part is in the operating position.

3. A coupling according to Claim 2 including a spring on the towing pin adapted to engage a drawbar of the towing vehicle when said second part is in the operating position.

4. A towed vehicle having a coupling including a first part with a wall defining a substantially hemispherical socket having an opening adapted to receive therethrough a 00 -7- 0 complementary ball type towing boss on a motor vehicle for Sengagement in said socket for side to side and up and down 00 pivoting movement relative thereto, and a first passage C extending through said wall opposite said opening whereby the axis of said passage passes through said opening, the \O first part being mounted on an upper face of a. frame member of the trailer, and a second part mounted to said member on a lower face and being spaced from said socket, said second part having a second passage therethrough and being 0 10 operatively connected to said first part for movement from an operating position in which said second part obstructs said opening and said second passage aligns with said first passage to allow a towing pin to be passed therethrough to a non-operating position in which said second part is remote from said opening and allows entry of a towing boss therethrough into said socket. A coupling as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.