The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 29, 2001
Edward Wayne Ebey, Wausau, WI (US);
Fulton Performance Products, Inc., Mosinee, WI (US);
Abstract
The ball clamp coupler includes a coupler housing wherein a coupler socket is defined, with the coupler socket having a bottom socket opening to allow insertion of a hitch ball. A rear wall is also defined within the coupler housing interior adjacent the coupler socket. A ball clamp moves within the interior of the coupler housing between an open (uncoupled) state wherein the ball clamp is substantially removed from the coupler socket, and a closed (coupled) state wherein the ball clamp is substantially inserted within the coupler socket. During such motion, the ball clamp is guided against the rear wall, whereby engagement of the hitch ball will situate the ball clamp between the hitch ball and the rear wall. The ball clamp is driven by a clamp driving member which extends from the interior of the coupler housing to its exterior. An actuator lever is pivotally affixed to the coupler housing at a lever pivot, and is also at least pivotally affixed (and preferably also translationally affixed) to the clamp driving member at a driving member pivot outside the coupler housing. Thus, rotating the actuator lever about the lever pivot causes the actuator lever to rotate (and perhaps translate) with respect to the clamp driving member at the driving member pivot, thereby moving-the clamp driving member and the ball clamp between the open (uncoupled) state and the closed (coupled) state.