Richard O Chakroff

US Patent:

48711853, Oct 3, 1989

Filed:

May 2, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/189377

Inventors:

Richard O. Chakroff - Worthington OH
Christopher N. Chakroff - Columbus OH

Assignee:

Middleton Enterprises, Inc. - Worthington OH

International Classification:

B60D 106

US Classification:

280477

Abstract:

A trailer tongue alignment guide for centering the socket of a ball-type hitch above the ball as a vehicle is backed toward the trailer. A base plate having a flat bottom surface has a hole which is aligned with the hole in the vehicle draw bar so that the base plate is clamped between the ball and the draw bar by means of the ball fastener. No portion of this base plate extends into any substantial engagement with other portions of the vehicle or with the draw bar and therefore the base plate may be easily mounted to any conventional, existing ball-type draw bar. A rigid, V-guide is removably mounted to the base plate by means of engaging male and female coupling members formed on the base plate and the guide. These permit the guide to be simply lifted and removed from the base plate after the trailer socket is engaged with the ball, thus preventing the V-guide from restricting the articulation of the trailer with respect to the towing vehicle during turns.