Heavy equipment, trailers, vehicles, and other such items are often transported by being attached to a truck or other such vehicle by a trailer hitch and coupler connection. While the size and weight of such items make them less prone to conventional theft, the inclusion of a coupler assembled with or affixed to the item presents the risk of theft by individuals with a truck having a trailer hitch configured to connect with the coupler.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a lockout device for a trailer hitch coupler includes a bottom member and a ratchet body. The bottom member includes a body, a coupler blocking member extending from the body in a vertical direction for engagement with a trailer hitch coupler, and an extension extending from the body in the vertical direction. The ratchet body includes a housing defining a vertical bore sized to receive the extension, a locking mechanism disposed within the housing, and a lock interface assembled with the housing. The locking mechanism is configured to lockingly engage a recess in the extension when the extension is received in the bore. The lock interface is configured to move the locking mechanism from a locked condition to an unlocked condition to disengage the extension recess thereby permitting movement of the ratchet body in a direction away from the bottom member.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present application, a method of restricting access to a mounting socket of a trailer hitch coupler is described. In the exemplary method, a bottom member is provided, including a body with a coupler blocking member and an extension each extending from the body in a vertical direction. The bottom member is positioned with respect to the trailer hitch coupler such that the coupler blocking member engages the trailer hitch coupler. A ratchet body is provided, including a housing defining a vertical bore and a locking mechanism disposed within the housing. The extension is inserted into the vertical bore, and the ratchet body is positioned to engage an uppermost surface of the trailer hitch coupler. The locking mechanism is operated to lockingly engage a recess in the extension, thereby securing the ratchet body in engagement with the uppermost surface of the trailer hitch coupler to prevent disengagement of the coupler blocking member from the trailer hitch coupler.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present application, a method of securing a trailer hitch coupler to a ball mount is described. In the exemplary method, a bottom member is provided, including a body and an extension extending from the body in a vertical direction. The bottom member is positioned below the ball mount such that the extension extends in a vertical direction with respect to the ball mount. A ratchet body is provided, including a housing defining a vertical bore and a locking mechanism disposed within the housing. The extension is inserted into the vertical bore, and the ratchet body is positioned to engage an uppermost surface of the trailer hitch coupler. The locking mechanism is operated to lockingly engage a recess in the extension, thereby securing the ratchet body in engagement with the uppermost surface of the trailer hitch coupler to prevent disengagement of the ball mount from the trailer hitch coupler.
Features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the drawings, wherein:
This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments of the claimed invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning
The present application describes exemplary lockout devices configured to block access to a coupler configured to connect to or couple with a corresponding trailer hitch. Examples of conventional coupling connections include couplers for coupling with ball mount trailer hitches, and coupling pins (or king pin couplers) for coupling with “fifth wheel” trailer hitches. A lockout device may be configured to be lockingly secured over, around, and/or into a hitch-engaging portion of the coupler, to prevent coupling engagement of the coupler with a corresponding trailer hitch. When an authorized user desires to connect the coupler to a trailer hitch (for example, to transport the item to which the coupler is affixed), the user unlocks the lockout device, and moves the lockout device to an open or coupler receiving position and/or removes the lockout device from the coupler. Exemplary coupler lockout devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,686 to Koy, U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,121 to Wyers, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,919 to Kalous et al., the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
According to an exemplary aspect of the present application, a coupler lockout device for a trailer hitch includes a bottom member having a coupler blocking portion for engaging a coupling portion of a trailer hitch coupler (e.g., a ball-receiving socket of a trailer hitch coupler) to prevent hitch mounting of the trailer hitch coupler with a truck or other vehicle, and a ratchet body for assembly with a vertical extension of the bottom member and over the trailer hitch coupler to block removal of the bottom member from this coupling portion engaging position. The ratchet body includes a locking mechanism for lockingly securing the ratchet body with the bottom member.
In an exemplary embodiment, as schematically shown in
Because couplers (and corresponding trailer hitches) vary widely in size, shape, and type of coupling engagement, a coupler lockout device that provides a single lockout position or locking condition may be limited to use with a single type and size of coupler. A coupler lockout device may be configured to provide a plurality of lockout positions or locking conditions to accommodate multiple sizes and types of couplers. In the exemplary embodiment of
The exemplary bottom member 120 includes first and second upstanding bolts 127, 129 (or other such extensions) that extend in a vertical direction from the body 122 and are receivable in corresponding lock bores 131, 133 in a housing 132 of the ratchet body 130. In other embodiments, a different number of ratchet body engaging extensions may be used (e.g., one, or three or more). At least one of the upstanding bolts 127, 129 includes a series of locking recesses 126, 128 (e.g., notches, grooves) or other suitable latch points that are selectively positionable to engage a sliding latch 135 for locking retention of the ratchet body 130 on the bottom member 120. The housing 132 retains a key cylinder lock interface 139 that is operable, upon insertion of an authorized key (not shown) into a keyway 142a in an upper surface of the ratchet body housing 132, to release the ratchet body 130 from the upstanding bolts 127, 129. As schematically shown in phantom in
In the exemplary embodiment, user operation of the key cylinder lock interface 139 rotates an actuating cam 134, connected to the key cylinder lock 139, for example, by a tang 139a and recess 134a interlock (see
While a ratchet body housing for a coupler lockout device may be formed from any suitable component or components, in an exemplary embodiment, a ratchet body housing is formed from a stack of laminated plates secured together, for example, by rivets, bolts, or other such fasteners. The plates are provided with cutouts sized and positioned to receive lock components, including, for example, a key cylinder, locking levers (or other such locking mechanism components), and openings for receiving lockout plate extensions. In the illustrated embodiment, the ratchet body housing 132 includes a stack of twelve rectangular plates 132a-f, (although any suitable size, shape, and quantity of plates may be utilized) secured together by fasteners (not shown). The plates 132a-l, include openings 131a-l, 133a-l that together define the lock apertures 131, 133. Upper plates 132b-g include central openings 142b-g receiving and retaining the key cylinder lock 139, with a top plate 132a defining a keyway 142a. Central plates 132h-i include central openings 142h-i receiving and retaining the actuating cam 134. Lower plates 132j-k include elongated slots 142j-k, extending to openings 131j-k, 133j-k, in which the sliding latches 135 are received (captured between adjacent central and bottom plates 132i, 132l) and permitted to slide. Central plate 132i further includes flanged tabs 143 receivable in pockets 146 within the sliding latches 135 to guide the latches and to serve as bearing surfaces for the biasing springs 141.
As shown in
According to another aspect of the present application, a coupler lockout device may be provided with a detachable or removable coupler blocking member (e.g., a threaded assembly or other detachable arrangement), or may be provided without a coupler blocking member, such that the lockout device may be secured around a hitch mount (e.g., a ball mount) and coupler assembly, for example, to prevent unauthorized detachment of the coupler from the hitch mount.
While the lockout device components may be provided in any suitable material, a durable, weather resistant material, such as steel or stainless steel, may be desirable for outdoor applications and for tamper resistance.
While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/736,671, entitled “COUPLER LOCKOUT DEVICE” and filed Dec. 13, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61736671 | Dec 2012 | US |