WO1996028312A1

WO1996028312A1 - Apparatus for and method of securing trailed vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO1996028312A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000136
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Scott Hopgood
Original assignee: International Ideas Factory Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1995-03-13
Filing date: 1996-03-13
Publication date: 1996-09-19
Also published as: AUPN163495A0

Abstract

Securing apparatus (10) is provided for inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly. The securing apparatus (10) comprises a housing assembly (11, 12) having an upper portion which is adapted to accommodate the leading portion of a hitch assembly (39) which encompasses the towing ball (23) and location means which locates with towing ball (23) and/or tow bar (20) such that separation of the housing assembly (11, 12) from the towing bar (20) is prevented.

Description

"APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF SECURING TRAILED VEHICLES" This invention relates to apparatus for and method of inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly.

Trailed vehicles adapted to be trailed by a passenger vehicles and the like are prone to unauthorised use, including theft. This is due in part to the ease of which such trailed vehicles may be coupled to any towing vehicle provided with a suitable towing ball and towed away. This is particularly so when trailed vehicles are parked with the hitch assembly positioned for ready access to a towing vehicle.

Hitched trailed vehicles are also subject to unauthorised use due to the ease of unhitching the trailer from the towing vehicle and reconnecting it to a further vehicle. The use of safety chains does not significantly deter such actions such chains are not provided for the purpose of preventing theft and are normally looped over a connecting horn on the towing vehicle to form a quick connection fail safe thereto. In order to increase the security of such fail safe connections, the safety chain may be padlocked to a towing vehicle. However the length of free chain necessary to accommodate articulation between the vehicles facilitates ready access thereto by bolt cutters and the like and thus does not provide a significant deterrent to persons equipped with basic tools.

The present aims to alleviate at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide apparatus for and methods of securing trailed vehicles which will be reliable and efficient in use. With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a method of inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly, the method including:- providing securing apparatus having a housing assembly adapted to accommodate a leading portion of the hitch assembly; providing said securing apparatus with location means which locates with the towing means engaged with said hitch assembly such that separation of the housing assembly from the towing means is prevented; providing said securing apparatus with locking means for preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means; arranging the securing apparatus about the hitch assembly and the engaged towing means such that the housing assembly accommodates the leading portion of the hitch assembly and said location means locates with the towing means, and engaging said locking means thereby preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means. In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in securing apparatus for inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle of the type adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly, said securing apparatus including:- a housing assembly having an upper portion adapted to accommodate a leading portion of a hitch assembly and location means which locates positively with towing means engaged with said hitch assembly, and locking means for preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means.

Preferably the securing apparatus is suitable for carrying out the abovedescribed method. It is also preferred that the upper portion extends about a leading portion of the hitch assembly which encompasses the towing ball. However the hitch assembly could provide a dedicated complementary spigot member adapted to cooperate with the upper portion of the housing assembly for retaining the hitch assembly on the towing means. Furthermore, the location means may be provided to locate about a towing ball per se or with a

S assembly of a towing ball mounted on a drawbar of a towing vehicle.

The housing assembly may be a one-piece housing which may be pivotally mounted to or about a tow bar for movement to its engaged position at which the housing closely accommodates the leading end portion of the hitch assembly. In such arrangement the locating means may engage with a portion of the ball stem or mounting when pivoted to its engaged position or it may be positively located relative to the towing ball by being pivotally connected to the tow bar. The locking means may include a lock plunger co-operable with said towing ball or its bar for preventing pivotal movement of the housing assembly from its engaged position.

Preferably however the housing assembly is a two-part housing having housing parts which interlock in the engaged position or which pivot to the engaged position at which the leading end portion of the hitch assembly and the towing ball are effectively captured between the housing parts in a manner which precludes proper access to the towing ball or its securing means and which precludes separation of the hitch assembly and the towing ball and/or tow bar. For this purpose the housing parts may be pivoted about an upper or lower pivot having a longitudinal axis or about an upstanding axis such that the housing parts may be engaged about or disengaged from the opposite sides of the articulated linkage formed by a tow bar and coupled hitch assembly. In such embodiment it is preferred that the locking means be a padlock at the base of the housing assembly and located between opposed side walls which prevent ready access to the hasp and/or locking mechanism. It is also preferred that the padlock be partially concealed by the opposed side walls and that the side walls be maintained in abutting relationship by engagement of the padlock such that they will form a restraint against pivotal separation of the housing parts in the event that the pivot connection therebetween is

SUBSTITUTESHEET Rue 2 destroyed, further deterring unauthorised use of the trailed vehicle. Alternatively the locking means may comprise a lock of the type having a barrel and a pin which may be extended from the barrel. The barrel may be located on one housing part and the pin may be extendable to engage with a member on the other housing part when the housing parts are brought together.

Preferably the upper rear portion of the engaged housing assembly is open to enable the leading end portion of the hitch assembly to enter the housing assembly and the lower front portion of the engaged housing assembly is open to enable the tow bar which supports the tow ball to extend forwardly thereof. It is also preferred that the opening to the upper rear portion of the engaged housing assembly is sufficiently wide and has sufficient vertical clearance with respect to the encompassed leading end to permit limited pivotal movement of the hitch assembly relative to the housing assembly for accommodating normal articulated movement during travelling. However if desired this pivotal movement may be restricted and further pivotal movement may be provided between the housing assembly and the encompassed tow bar mounting for the towing ball.

In a preferred embodiment the housing assembly provides a locating aperture which engages snugly about and locates the housing assembly for pivotal movement about the base flange of the towing ball. The housing assembly preferably further includes a lower socket which is substantially co¬ axial with the locating aperture for receiving the lower end of the threaded towing ball mounting shaft and which provides axial location for the housing assembly and a restraint against substantial pivotal lateral movement of the housing assembly. The axial location of the housing assembly also provides a safety feature in that it prevents upward dislocation of the hitch from the towing ball while in motion.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26^. The housing assembly may further include capture means for capturing a towing ball independent of a tow bar such that a hitch assembly may be secured with a towing ball therein to prevent its connection to a further tow bar mounted towing ball.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will hereinafter be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and wherein:-

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the securing apparatus in its operative securing position;

FIG. 2 is a view of the two part securing apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 with the housing parts pivoted to a separated position;

FIG. 3 is a rear end view of the securing apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the securing apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an underside view of the securing apparatus;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of one housing portion; FIG. 7 shows a towing ball secured in a freestanding towing hitch;

FIG. 8 illustrates the means whereby the securing apparatus may capture a towing ball;

FIG. 9 illustrates the towing ball per se adapted for capture by the securing apparatus;

FIG. 10 illustrates a further adaption for the present invention, and

FIG. 11 illustrates a further embodiment incorporating an alternate locking arrangement. Referring initially to Figs. 1 to 6, it will be seen that the securing apparatus 10 is a two part housing having right and left hand housing parts 11 and 12 pivotally coupled together by a pin hinge 13 having an axis which extends horizontally and longitudinally with respect to the tow bar. The housing parts 11 and 12 are substantially identical mirror images of one another which close together and abut in a plane through the centre line 14 to form an upper housing portion 15 which is open at the rear and a lower housing portion 16 which is open at the front. Each housing part has a base wall 18 which is adapted to rest upon the tow bar 20 and which is provided with a semi-circular cut-out 21 which engages closely about the base flange 22 of the towing ball 23.

A lower wall 25 of each housing part is spaced beneath the respective base wall 18 a sufficient distance to enable the threaded stem 26 of the towing ball to be accommodated between the walls 18 and 25. A peripheral flange 27 extends upwardly from the lower wall 25 to form a socket 28 which is concentric with the axis of the semi-circular cut-out 21. Side walls 30 extend from the upper housing portion 15 beyond the base wall 18 and bottom wall 25 to provide a rigid enclosure which accommodates the leading end portion 40 of a towing hitch 39, only a portion of which is shown, with a small clearance, indicated by dimension C, between the returned wall portion 41 of the upper housing portion 15 and the upper face 42 of the hitch 39. This clearance enables the connected hitch to articulate about a horizontal axis for passage of coupled vehicles across crests and valleys.

The trailing edges 44 of the side walls 30 are cut-away at the upper housing portion 15 as illustrated to provide clearance for articulation of the towing hitch about the vertical axis of the towing ball to a limited extent of about 10" either side of a straight ahead position.

The side wall portions 45 between the base wall 18 and the lower wall 25 are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the supporting tow bar such that the housing 10 may pivot to a limit extent about a vertical axis. For this purpose the securing apparatus 10 is located for such pivotal motion by an upper bearing formed by engagement of the aperture 21 extending about the circular base flange 27 of the towing ball and by a lower location formed by engagement of the lower end of the stem 26 loosely in the socket 28. This pivotal motion extends the limits of pivotal movement of the hitch 39 relative to the tow bar 20 both in the left and right direction and rocking forward and rearward so that the access opening to the upper housing portion 15 may be limited to maintain a secure capture of towing hitches which may be utilised on a trailed vehicle. If desired the base of the socket 28 may be open to permit a long stem to pass therethrough. In such instances a further nut may be engaged on the stem to limit upward movement.

The lower extensions 50 of the side walls 30 support opposed apertured lugs 51 and 52 which are offset on the respective housings 15 and 16 so that they close across one another to bring the respective hasp apertures 53 into register with one another whereby the housing parts 15 and 16 may be locked together by inserting the hasp 54 of a padlock 39 through the aligned apertures 53. When a padlock is so secured, the hasp 54 and upper portion of the padlock body is located between the lower side wall extensions 50. This arrangement enables the housing parts 11 and 12 to be locked together by a padlock 54 in such manner that a bolt cutter or the like cannot be easily inserted into the space between the side walls 50 to sever its hasp 54. In use, after a towing hitch 39 has been connected to a towing ball 23 the housing parts 11/12 may be pivoted about their upper pivot 13 to spaced apart positions at which they may be located over the opposite side portions of the towing hitch 39 and the trailing end portion 19 of the tow bar 20 which supports the towing ball 23. The part recesses 21 and the socket parts 28 are then engaged about the base flange 22 and with the stem 26 so as to positively locate the securing apparatus 10 about the ball and tow bar whereby the upper housing portions 15 extend about a sufficient portion of the leading end portion 40 of the hitch 39 to prevent its removal from the towing ball 23. The housing portions 15 and 16 may then be locked together by engaging the hasp of a padlock through the registering apertures 53. Thus removal of the securing apparatus is prevented and can be achieved only by unlocking of the padlock or by breaking the apparatus which is suitably formed of steel for maximum strength and toughness, the side wall extensions 50 preventing access by a bolt cutter to the padlock hasp 54.

The side walls 45 are also provided with upper and lower recesses 46/47 which may accommodate the end portions 43 of adapter plates 48 supported in spaced apart positions on the threaded stem 26 of a tow ball 23, as illustrated in Fig. 9, so that the housing parts in the closed position may capture the tow ball and secure it within a hitch 60 as illustrated in Fig. 8. Again a padlock 39 may be used to lock the housing parts 15 and 16 together and thus prevent unauthorised coupling of the trailed vehicle supporting the hitch 60 to a towing vehicle.

Thus it will be seen that the securing apparatus of the present invention may be used to capture the hitch assembly in its engaged position about a tow bar assembly whereby the trailer coupled thereby is prevented from being removed from an authorised vehicle or which may be used to captured a towing ball in a freestanding hitch to prevent the hitch being engaged with the tow bar assembly of an unauthorised vehicle.

As illustrated in Fig. 10 two flat disc halves 65 and 66 may be secured about the stem of an European style towing ball to adapt it for use with the present invention. The materials used in the invention are suitably cast steel for the two halves of the securing apparatus 10 with a stainless steel pin acting as a pivoting pin for the pin hinge 13. Stainless steel washers are positioned between the hinge sections to preclude the entry of a cutting device separating the two halves at this point. The hinge consists of a central boss 55 on one part 12 supported between spaced bosses 56 on the other part 11, with the pin aperture being drilled from the front of the housings to half way into the back boss thus creating a blind hole. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 11 the lower parts of the housing are truncated and one housing part 12 is provided with a key operated plunger lock 70 having an extendable pin 71 which may extend into an apertured block 72. The other housing part 11' includes an apertured lug 73 which when the housing parts 11' and 12' are brought together locates between the plunger lock 70 and block 72 to receive the pin of the lock 70 when it is extended, the outer end of the pin 71 extending into and being supported by the block 72. It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

1. A method of inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly, the method including:- providing securing apparatus having a housing assembly adapted to accommodate a leading portion of the hitch assembly; providing said securing apparatus with location means which locates with the towing means engaged with said hitch assembly such that separation of the housing assembly from the towing means is prevented; providing said securing apparatus with locking means for preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means; arranging the securing apparatus about the hitch assembly and engaged complementary towing means such that the housing assembly accommodates the leading portion of the hitch assembly and said location means locates with the towing means, and engaging said locking means thereby preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means.

2. Securing apparatus for use in the method defined in claim 1, including:- a housing assembly adapted to accommodate a leading portion of a hitch assembly; location means which locates with towing means engaged with said hitch assembly such that separation of the housing assembly from the towing means is prevented, and locking means for preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means.

3. Securing apparatus for inhibiting unauthorised trailing of a vehicle of the type adapted to be trailed from a ball hitch assembly, said securing apparatus including:- a housing assembly having an upper portion adapted to accommodate a leading portion of a hitch assembly and location means which locates positively with towing means engaged with said hitch assembly, and locking means for preventing dislocation of said location means from said towing means.

4. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said location means locates about the towing ball of ball type towing means.

5. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or claim 4, wherein said housing assembly is a two-part housing having housing parts which pivot laterally with respect to one another to and from their operative positions at which the leading end portion of the hitch assembly and the towing ball are effectively captured between the housing parts.

6. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein upper and lower recesses in both said housing parts locate about vertically spaced parts of the towing ball.

7. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said locking means is a padlock engageable with respective locking lugs at the base of the housing assembly.

8. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said locking lugs are offset laterally and extend laterally from a respective outer side wall of each housing part.

9. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim ny one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the upper rear portion of the said housing assembly is open to enable the leading end portion of a hitch assembly to enter the housing assembly and the lower front portion of the housing assembly is open to enable the tow bar which supports the towing ball to extend forwardly therefrom.

10. Securing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.