| 摘要 |
The invention is an aligning apparatus which can be removably mounted to or built as an integral part of a towable trailer tongue for vertically aligning the inverted socket of the tongue with the mating ball which is conventionally mounted in cantilevered fashion on the rear end of the towing vehicle. The aligning apparatus includes a horizontally-lying V-shaped guide member having the open end of the V facing the drawbar in the operative position. The V-shaped guide member is positioned relative to the socket such that when the socket is at such a height so as to allow the socket to be positioned above the ball, the vertical center of the legs, the height of each leg constituting a camming surface, is at the height of the drawbar. This tongue height is achieved by use of a standard jack mechanism or pin-height adjustable vertical support pole on the trailer tongue. As the towing vehicle is backed up toward the trailer, if the ball is not aligned with the inverted socket, the drawbar will contact the camming surface of one leg of the V and shift the trailer tongue laterally to vertically align the socket with the ball. After alignment of socket with ball, the apparatus is either pivoted from the trailer tongue or removed to a stowed position so as to not interfere with the rear end of the towing vehicle during towing of the trailer around corners.
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