The present invention relates to gooseneck ball hitches. Removable gooseneck hitch balls are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,016,898 and 6,969,090, both incorporated by reference. In general, the gooseneck hitch ball is purchased with a base or shank which matches and mates with the specific shape of the socket of the hitch: CURT Manufacturing of Eau Claire, Wisconsin has for several years sold a line of removable gooseneck hitches with a socket and base/shank which are circular in horizontal cross-section, secured with two pins through the base/shank, whereas B&W Trailer Hitches of Humboldt, Kansas has for several years sold a line of removable gooseneck hitches with a socket and base/shank which is square in horizontal cross-section, secured with a single pin through the base/shank.
More recently, improvements have been devised which allow relative movement between a hitch ball and its base/shank, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,192,408, incorporated by reference. The hitches of U.S. Pat. No. 11,192,408 include a compressible insert placed within the structure to compressibly resist the relative movement.
Separately, various pickup truck manufacturers (referred to as “original equipment manufacturers” or OEMs) have begun incorporating “puck” type socket receiver openings exposed in spaced locations in their pick-up truck bed. These include GM, FORD, RAM (FCA) and NISSAN. Examples of existing “puck” type sockets include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2012/0031940 and 2013/0113181 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,065,766, 7,988,176, 7,988,177, 8,215,658, 8,360,458, 8,414,009, each incorporated by reference. The most common puck socket design involves a generally rectangular or oblong slot which can receive the head of a T-bolt. The sockets are located in the pickup truck bed, generally flush with the face of the truck bed. The sockets are used when the hitch or other device is installed, but the truck bed with its sockets is generally flat so as to be used without interference when the hitch or other device is absent. To use the socket, the T-bolt is inserted vertically (head down) into the socket and then rotated 90° so the long part of the T-bolt head is under the narrower flats of the socket. In one existing socket design, the slot is about one inch wide and about 1.63 inches long, with curved ends so the entire slot fits within a 1.63 inch diameter circle.
In general, the OEMs have made no attempt (or, if any attempt has been made, it has be unsuccessful) to standardize their puck-type receiver openings. When OEMs provide a socket for receiving a removable gooseneck hitch ball, the socket is generally positioned over the rear axle centered in the pickup truck bed.
Mounting systems which work for one OEM's truck beds may not work for another OEM's truck beds. Aftermarket mounting system suppliers must keep separate inventories for each manufacturer. Ordering of aftermarket mounting systems is more complicated and confusing for customers than it needs to be. If the user switches makes of pick up trucks, their previously purchased aftermarket mounting system will often not work with their new pick up truck.
Further, OEM puck systems may place the central socket too far forward in the truck bed for some trailers, particularly for short-bed trucks. This offset problem is shown relative to
While aftermarket hitch manufacturers have previously marketed offset goose balls which allow the gooseneck ball axis to be located behind the socket axis, the OEM puck systems may not facilitate securing a gooseneck hitch ball against rotational motion in the same way as aftermarket gooseneck hitch balls, preventing the use of a “traditional” aftermarket offset goose ball in an OEM gooseball socket. Aftermarket offset gooseballs typically prevent rotation either via pins that extend through the offset gooseball shank or via shank geometry. On the other hand, OEM goose balls may use ball bearings as extension structures to retain the goose ball in the gooseball receiver socket, wherein the gooseball sits on top of a cylinder and the ball bearings are received in a half round circumferential groove down in the cylinder. The ball bearings allow free ball rotation in the cylinder, and OEM goose balls currently have no way of stopping ball rotation. Better offset gooseneck hitch solutions are needed.
The present invention is an offset gooseneck ball hitch for use with OEM gooseneck sockets and OEM puck systems. The offset gooseneck ball hitch has a shank which mates into the OEM socket. A frame connection structure is used, connected into at least one and more preferably two anchor points of the OEM puck system, which anchors the offset gooseneck ball hitch against rotation about the gooseball socket axis. Preferred embodiments of the present invention use two transversely spaced puck anchor locations to secure the frame connection structure, with a longitudinally-running center support of the frame connection structure connected to an offset body for the gooseneck ball, with the offset body having a shank secured into the central gooseball socket of the OEM system.
While the above-identified drawing figures set forth preferred embodiments, other embodiments of the present invention are also contemplated, some of which are noted in the discussion. In all cases, this disclosure presents the illustrated embodiments of the present invention by way of representation and not limitation. Numerous other minor modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this invention.
The components of a first preferred embodiment kit 10 are shown in
Each of the arm assemblies 20 includes an L-bracket arm 32, 34 (also referred to as angle bars) with a T-bolt foot anchor 36 on its outer end. The T-bolt foot anchor 36 can mate into one of the OEM puck sockets 38. In use, the two L-bracket arms 32, 34 overlap one another. The overlapping arrangement alleviates some binding possibility or adjustment difficulty of the width between the two T-bolt feet 36, as well as reduces cost. To facilitate overlapping, the L-shape of one of the L-bracket arms (in the preferred embodiment, the driver side L-bracket arm 32) is wider than the other, so it will sit on top of the other L-bracket arm 34 with both L-bracket arms 32, 34 sitting on the truck bed.
The offset body 14 mates with the frame connection structure 18 so as to allow the distance and/or orientation of the shank 16 relative to the anchors 36 to be adjusted, thereby allowing the offset gooseneck ball 12 to be secured into at least two different puck spacings relative to the vertical gooseneck socket 40. In this embodiment, the mating arrangement includes two linear grooves 60 on the rearward end of the offset body 14. The two linear grooves 60 preferably terminate without extending across the shank 16, thereby preserving strength in the shank 16 against bendage or breaking.
As better shown in
Adjacent the two grooves 60, the offset body 14 includes two transverse through-holes 66. The longitudinal extension weldments 22, 24 include bolt slots 68 at an elevation and orientation which correspond with the two through-holes 66. The bolt slots 68 allow longitudinal flexibility between the offset body 14 and the selected longitudinal extension weldment 22 or 24. For instance, the preferred bolt slots 68 extend longitudinally for about 3¼ inches (83 mm), giving about 1.6 inches (40 mm) of longitudinal flexibility when attaching the offset body 14 to either of the extension weldments 22, 24. Longer bolt slots are particularly beneficial if OEMs in the future change their puck spacing slightly in the longitudinal direction. After the longitudinal placement of the offset body 14 is selected by sliding one of the two extension weldments 22, 24 to the appropriate longitudinal position, a pair of bolts 28 and nuts are used through the bolt slots 68 and through-holes 66 to fix the offset body 14 against sliding relative to the selected extension weldment 22 or 24. Alternative embodiments include different numbers of bolts/bolt holes other than two or including threads on the bolt holes 66 instead of using nuts.
In the preferred embodiment, the selected (long or short) extension weldment 22 or 24 extends rearwardly from the offset body 14, such that the central open ended slot 62 is at the front side of the extension weldment 22 or 24. The rear side of the extension weldment 22, 24 includes an attachment plate 70 with two bolt holes 72. In an alternative embodiment, the bolts 30 and the bolt holes 72 are replaced with threaded studs (not shown) that are welded to the attachment plate as part of the extension weldment.
In side view, the attachment plate 70 preferably sits at an angle θ relative to the longitudinal central axis 74 of the extension weldment 22, 24. In the preferred embodiment as called out in
The arm assemblies 20 are better shown in
The preferred embodiments shown in the figures position a series of bolt holes 78 through the L-bracket arms 32, 34 and only two bolt holes 72 through the attachment plate 70, with the two L-bracket arms 32, 34 being simultaneously bolted both to each other and to the attachment plate 70 of the extension weldments 22, 24. An alternative embodiment uses a longer attachment plate (not shown) with one or more series of bolt holes through the longer attachment plate, and uses shorter L-bracket arms with only one or two bolts holes (or threaded studs) through each L-bracket arm. In such an alternative embodiment, the L-bracket arms never directly contact each other, but are only secured relative to each other through their respective connections to the longer attachment plate of the extension weldment. For instance, the longer attachment plate can include two vertically spaced series of ten bolt holes, with two vertically spaced bolt holes corresponding to each of the ten socket positions 38 shown in
At the outside end of each arm assembly 20, an anchor structure 36 allows attachment into a puck socket 38. The preferred anchors 36, best shown in
In the preferred embodiment, each L-bracket arm weldment 32, 34 includes a tab 96 with a cotter pin hole 98, and the anchor handle 80 includes a tab opening 100 sized and positioned to correspond to the tab 96. Once the T-bolt head 92 is pivoted into the secured orientation, the tab 96 extends through the tab opening 100, and a cotter pin 102 is inserted by the user into the cotter pin hole 98 to prevent the anchor handle 80 from unintentionally pivoting out of the secured orientation.
An alternative embodiment fixes the T-bolt relative (fixed T-bolt not shown) to its L-bracket arm weldment 32, 34. During assembly of the alternative L-bracket arms to the pickup truck, each alternative L-bracket arm is first positioned so it extends longitudinally so the T-bolt head 92 can drop into the puck socket 38. Then the two fixed-bolt L-bracket arms are pivoted 90° to their transverse and/or overlapping position, pivoting the T-bolt head 92 within the puck socket 38 at the same time. However, the fixed T-bolt embodiment would require different arm weldments for RAM pucks as compared to other OEMs.
In the preferred embodiment, each L-bracket arm weldment 32, 34 also includes a safety chain loop 104. The safety chain loop 104 is preferably provided on a sloped portion of the plate used to define the opening 90 and the anchor axis 106.
In the preferred embodiment, the extension weldments 22, 24 and the L-bracket arm weldments 32, 34 are formed from Q235 plate steel. For instance, the central portion of the extension weldments 22, 24 can be stamped and bent from 6 mm plate material, the attachment plates 70 can be stamped from 10 mm plate material, and each of the L-bracket arm weldments 32, 34 can be stamped, bent and/or welded from 5 mm thick plate material.
In contrast to the two (short and long) longitudinal extensions 22, 24 of the embodiment 10 shown in
The retention shaft 51 is mounted on a lifting detent handle 54′ which allows raising of the retention shaft 51 by the user. As best shown in
Another alternative embodiment (not shown) functions similarly to the embodiment of
With the tubular telescoping cross arms 32′, 34′, another alternative embodiment has only one of the T-bolt anchors rotatable relative to its cross arm, with the other T-bolt anchor being fixed relative to its cross arm. This attachment method involves lowering the fixed T-bolt down into its puck 38 and then rotating the entire cross arm 90° so the T-bolt holds the cross arm down into the puck 38. The other (rotatable) T-bolt 82 is then dropped down into its puck 38 and rotated 90° by the user turning its handle to hold the telescoping cross-arm assembly fully into the two pucks 38. The extension arm 22′ is inserted through the offset body 14′ and the combination 14′/22′ is placed with the offset body 14′ in the central socket 40 and bolted to the cross arm assembly 32′/34′. With one of the T-bolts being fixed relative to its cross arm 32′ or 34′, the cross arms assembly 32′/34′ will not come loose from the pucks 38 even if the rotatable T-bolt 82 vibrates 90° to a release position. Such a frame connection structure thus cannot be removed from the socket 40 and pucks 38 without unbolting of the extension arm 22′ from the cross arm assembly 32′/34′.
Another alternative embodiment includes a tubular portion (not shown) to replace the attachment plate 70, 70′ as part of the longitudinal extension weldment 22, 24, 22′. The two cross-arms 32/34 or 32′/34′ are assembled to extend through the tubular portion of the longitudinal extension weldment. Thus, when inserting or removing the gooseneck ball 12 from the truck bed, the user need not use any tools such as a wrench to bolt or unbolt the extension tube 22, 24, 22′ from the cross arms 32/34 or 32′/34′. Instead, the user merely first pulls the lynch pins 102 and rotates the two T-bolts 82 90° to a release position, and then moves the retention handle 54, 54′ so the retention balls 48 are retractable.
While the preferred embodiments all attach into two puck socket locations 38 both either in front of or behind the gooseball socket 40, other arrangements are also possible. Some alternative embodiments can use a frame connection structure (not shown) which only is anchored into a single puck socket 38. When anchoring into a single puck socket 38, there is preferably structure that allows adjustment of the offset direction relative to the frame connection structure. Other alternative embodiments can use a frame connection structure (not shown) which anchors into one puck socket 38 in front of the gooseball socket 40 and into one puck socket 38 behind the gooseball socket 40. However, the preferred embodiments are generally laterally symmetrical, leading to more balanced support for the ball 12.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, all of the dimensions and materials, unless included in the claims, are exemplary only.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/425,452 entitled OFFSET GOOSENECK BALL HITCH filed Nov. 15, 2022, incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63425452 | Nov 2022 | US |