Articulated hitch coupler

摘要

An articulated coupler permits vertical displacement of a towed vehicle relative to a towing vehicle while preventing lateral or horizontal displacement of the towed vehicle relative to the towing vehicle. Multiple linkage arms provide coupling for special configuration towed vehicles such as short wheel-mounted lifts that experience torsional forces due to the presence and absence of loads on the lift.

主权项

1. An articulated hitch coupler comprising:
a vehicle channel secured to a towing vehicle hitching structure, the vehicle channel comprising an upper vehicle channel bushing and a lower vehicle channel bushing mounted in the vehicle channel; a trailer channel configured to be secured to a towed vehicle, the trailer channel comprising an upper trailer channel bushing and a lower trailer channel bushing mounted in the trailer channel; coupling means for coupling the towing vehicle unit to the towed vehicle unit, the coupling means comprising a plurality of linkage arms pivotably coupling the upper and lower vehicle channel bushings to the upper and lower trailer channel bushings, the plurality of linkage arms comprising:
a first upper linkage arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the upper vehicle channel bushing and having a second end pivotably coupled to the upper trailer channel bushing;a first lower linkage arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the lower vehicle channel bushing and having a second end pivotably coupled to the lower trailer channel bushing;a second upper linkage arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the upper vehicle channel bushing and having a second end pivotably coupled to the upper trailer channel bushing; anda second lower linkage arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the lower vehicle channel bushing and having a second end pivotably coupled to the lower trailer channel bushing;wherein the first and second upper linkage arms are mounted on opposing external sides of the trailer channel and opposing external sides of the vehicle channel;further wherein the first and second lower linkage arms are mounted on opposing external sides of the trailer channel and opposing external sides of the vehicle channel;further wherein the first and second upper arms are parallel to one another; further wherein the first and second lower arms are parallel to one another; andfurther wherein the first upper arm is parallel to the first lower arm;further wherein the coupling means is configured to permit vertical displacement of the trailer channel relative to the vehicle channel and further wherein the coupling means is configured to prevent lateral angular displacement of the trailer channel relative to the vehicle channel; and a biasing element mounted to the coupler and configured to resist vertical displacement of the trailer channel relative to the vehicle channel.