Locking device for trailer hitches and method therefor

Abstract

A method and apparatus to secure the coupler section of a trailer provides a locking device that includes a lock housing having a hitch ball element to engage the recess in the coupler, a shackle member lockable to the housing and having a bridge section that spans the hitch ball element and, and a latch assembly to latch and unlatch the shackle member. The shackle member is shown to be U-shaped with legs that extend through and secure to the lock housing. The latch assembly provides a ratchet-type engagement to allow adjustable locking. A rotatable lock mechanism drives a cam based latch mechanism between a latch state and an unlatch state.

1 . A locking device adapted to secure to a coupler section of a trailer that has a hitch ball recess, comprising: 
 (A) a lock housing including a hitch ball element supported thereby that is sized and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the hitch ball recess of a coupler section of a trailer;    (B) a shackle member releasably securable to said lock housing to define a retain state, said shackle member including a bridge section that extends across said hitch ball element when in the retain state whereby said coupler section becomes non-removably trapped between said hitch ball element and said bridge section when in the retain state, said shackle member releasable from said lock housing to define a release state wherein said coupler section can be released from said hitch ball element; and    (C) a selectively lockable latch assembly disposed in and integral with said lock housing and operative to move between a latch state wherein said shackle member is latched in the retain state and an unlatch state wherein said shackle member may be moved to the release state.    
   
   
       2 . A locking device according to  claim 1  wherein said shackle member is generally U-shaped in configuration including a pair of spaced apart leg sections and a bridge section extending therebetween, each of said leg sections securable to said lock housing when in the retain state with said bridge section oriented across said hitch ball element.  
   
   
       3 . A locking device according to  claim 1  wherein said shackle member includes at least one leg section supporting said bridge section and having a latch structure thereon and wherein said lock housing includes at least one passageway therein sized to receive said leg section when in the retain state, said latch assembly operative to engage said latch structure when in the latch state to prevent removal of said leg section from said lock housing.  
   
   
       4 . A locking device according to  claim 3  wherein said latch structure is defined by a plurality of first latch teeth, said latch assembly including a latch block having at least one second latch tooth operative to engage a selected one of said first latch teeth when in the retain state.  
   
   
       5 . A locking device according to  claim 4  wherein said latch block is biased toward the latch state.  
   
   
       6 . A locking device according to  claim 5  wherein said first latch teeth and said second latch tooth define a ratchet engagement whereby said leg section may be inserted into but not removed from said locking housing when said latch mechanism is in the latch state.  
   
   
       7 . A locking device according to  claim 4  including a plurality of second latch teeth on said latch block, said second latch teeth operative to engage selected ones of said first latch teeth when in the retain state.  
   
   
       8 . A locking device according to  claim 1  wherein said latch assembly includes a latch mechanism and a lock mechanism mechanically linked to one another, said lock mechanism rotatable between first and second rotational positions thereby to move said latch mechanism between the latch and unlatch states.  
   
   
       9 . A locking device according to  claim 8  wherein said latch mechanism includes a latch rod having a cam surface associated therewith and movable between first and second rod positions that respectively correspond to the latch and unlatch states, said lock mechanism including a cam element that interacts with the cam surface such that rotation of said lock mechanism between the first and second rotational positions acts to cause movement of said latch rod between the first and second rod positions.  
   
   
       10 . A locking device according to  claim 9  wherein said latch rod includes a shaft portion and a head portion located at a first end of said shaft portion, said latch mechanism including a latch block located at a second end of said shaft portion opposite the first end portion thereof, said head portion having the cam surface formed therein, and including a spring positioned along said shaft portion that is operative to bias said latch rod toward the first position.  
   
   
       11 . A locking device according to  claim 1  wherein said lock housing includes a body portion having a longitudinal throughway extending therethrough and a transverse bore intersecting the throughway with said hitch ball oriented generally orthogonally to the throughway and to the bore, and including an elongated tubular casing disposed in the throughway.  
   
   
       12 . A locking device adapted to secure to a coupler section of a trailer, comprising: 
 (A) a lock housing including a hitch ball element supported thereby that is sized and adapted to mate with a coupler section of a trailer, said lock housing having a pair of spaced-apart passageways extending therethrough;    (B) a shackle member releasably securable to said lock housing to define a retain state, said shackle member including a pair of spaced-apart leg sections and a bridge section extending therebetween, said leg sections respectively configured to pass through the pair of passageways when in the retain state whereby said coupler section can be non-removably engaged between said hitch ball element and said bridge section, said shackle member releasable from said lock housing to define a release state wherein said coupler section can be engaged by and released from said hitch ball element;    (C) a latch mechanism disposed in said lock housing and operative to move between a latch state wherein said shackle member is latched in the retain state and an unlatch state wherein said shackle member may be moved to the release state; and    (D) a lock mechanism that is integral with the lock housing and that is movable between a lock state to lock said latch mechanism in the latch state such that said shackle member is in the retain state and an unlock state to unlock said latch mechanism so that it may move to the unlatch state thereby allowing said shackle member to move to the release state.    
   
   
       13 . A locking device according to  claim 12  wherein at least one of said leg sections has a latch structure thereon, said latch mechanism operative to engage said latch structure when in the latch state to prevent removal of said leg sections from said lock housing.  
   
   
       14 . A locking device according to  claim 13  wherein said latch structure is defined by a plurality of first latch teeth, said latch mechanism including at least one latch block having at least one second latch tooth operative to engage a selected one of said first latch teeth when in the retain state.  
   
   
       15 . A locking device according to  claim 14  wherein said latch block is biased toward the latch state.  
   
   
       16 . A locking device according to  claim 15  wherein said first latch teeth and each said second latch tooth define a ratchet engagement whereby said leg sections may be inserted into but not removed from said locking housing when said latch mechanism is in the latch state.  
   
   
       17 . A locking device according to  claim 16  including a plurality of second latch teeth on said latch block, said second latch teeth operative to engage selected ones of said first latch teeth when in the latch state.  
   
   
       18 . A locking device according to  claim 12  wherein each of said leg sections has a latch structure thereon, said latch mechanism operative to engage said latch structure when in the latch state to prevent removal of said leg sections from said lock housing.  
   
   
       19 . A locking device according to  claim 12  wherein said lock mechanism is rotatable between first and second rotational positions thereby to move said latch mechanism between the latch and unlatch states.  
   
   
       20 . A locking device according to  claim 19  wherein said latch mechanism includes a pair of latch rods each having a cam surface associated therewith and movable between first and second rod positions that respectively correspond to the latch and unlatch states, said lock mechanism including a cam element that interacts with the cam surfaces such that rotation of said lock mechanism between the first and second rotational positions acts to cause movement of said latch rods between the first and second rod positions.  
   
   
       21 . A method of securing a coupler section of a trailer that has a hitch ball recess, comprising: 
 (A) engaging the hitch ball recess with a hitch ball element that is attached to a lock housing having at least one passageway and a lock that is integral with the lock housing;    (B) spanning a portion of said coupler section adjacent to the hitch ball element with a first portion of a shackle member in a manner such that said portion of said coupler section is positioned between said first portion of said shackle member and said hitch ball element;    (C) adjusting said first portion of said shackle member to trap the portion of said coupler section non-removably between said hitch ball element and said first portion of said shackle member to define a locked state; and    (D) lockably retaining a second portion of said shackle member relative to said hitch ball element with said integral lock such that said first portion of said shackle member is locked in the locked state.    
   
   
       22 . A method of securing a coupler section of a trailer according to  claim 21  including the step of selectively releasing said second portion of said shackle member such that said first portion of said shackle member is unlocked and removable thereby permitting disengagement with said portion of said coupler section.  
   
   
       23 . A method of securing a coupler section of a trailer according to  claim 21  wherein the step of adjusting said first portion of said shackle member is accomplished by a ratchet mechanism.  
   
   
       24 . A locking device adapted to secure to a coupler section of a trailer, comprising: 
 (A) a lock housing including a hitch ball element supported thereby that is sized and adapted to mate with a coupler section of a trailer, said lock housing having a pair of spaced-apart passageways extending therethrough;    (B) a shackle member releasably securable to said lock housing to define a retain state and releasable from said lock housing to define a release state wherein said coupler section can be engaged by and released from said hitch ball element, said shackle member including a pair of spaced-apart leg sections and a bridge section extending therebetween, said leg sections respectively configured to pass through the pair of passageways when in the retain state whereby said coupler section can be non-removably engaged between said hitch ball element and said bridge section, at least one of said leg sections has a latch structure thereon that is defined by a plurality of first latch teeth;    (C) a latch mechanism disposed in said lock housing and including at least one latch block having at least one second latch tooth that is operative to engage a selected one of said first latch teeth when in the retain state to prevent removal of said leg sections from said lock housing, said latch mechanism operative to move between a latch state wherein said shackle member is latched in the retain state and an unlatch state wherein said shackle member may be moved to the release state; and    (D) a lock mechanism that is movable between a lock state to lock said latch mechanism in the latch state such that said shackle member is in the retain state and an unlock state to unlock said latch mechanism so that it may move to the unlatch state thereby allowing said shackle member to move to the release state.    
   
   
       25 . A device for closing a socket of an unhitched trailer hitch coupler, said device comprising: 
 a locking bar wherein at least a portion thereof rests on top of the trailer hitch coupler; and    a base comprising a plug member for receipt within said trailer hitch coupler socket, a locking bar-receiving aperture, and an integral lock for lockingly engaging said locking bar within said aperture.    
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 25  wherein said locking bar may be locked within said aperture at a plurality of positions therealong so that said device may accommodate trailer hitch couplers of variable heights.  
   
   
       27 . A device for closing a socket of an unhitched trailer hitch coupler member, said device comprising: 
 a locking bar having a pair of arms, wherein at least a portion of said locking bar rests on top of the trailer hitch coupler;    a base comprising a plug member for receipt within the trailer hitch coupler socket, a pair of arm-receiving apertures, and an integral lock for lockingly engaging a first said arm within a corresponding said arm-receiving aperture.    
   
   
       28 . The device of  claim 27  wherein said first arm may be locked within said corresponding arm-receiving aperture at a plurality of positions therealong so that said device may accommodate trailer hitches couplers of variable heights.  
   
   
       29 . The device of  claim 27  wherein said locking bar comprises an inverted U-shaped member.  
   
   
       30 . A device for closing a socket of an unhitched trailer hitch coupler member, said device comprising: 
 an inverted U-shaped locking bar having a pair of arms, wherein at least a portion of said locking bar rests on top of the trailer hitch coupler;    a base comprising a pair of arm-receiving apertures located therein, a plug member for receipt within the trailer hitch socket located intermediate said apertures, and an integral lock for lockingly engaging a first said arm within a corresponding said arm-receiving aperture.    
   
   
       31 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein said first arm may be locked within said corresponding arm-receiving aperture at a plurality of positions therealong so that said device may accommodate trailer hitches couplers of variable heights.  
   
   
       32 . A method for closing the a socket of an unhitched trailer hitch coupler member, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a locking bar;    providing a base comprising a plug member, a locking bar-receiving aperture, and an integral lock;    inserting said plug member into the trailer hitch coupler socket;    inserting a portion of said locking bar into said locking bar-receiving aperture, wherein a least a portion of said locking bar rests on top of said trailer hitch coupler; and    locking said locking bar within said locking bar-receiving aperture.    
   
   
       33 . A method for closing a socket of an unhitched trailer hitch coupler member, said method comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a plug member into a trailer hitch coupler socket, said plug member being attached to a base having a pair of arm receiving apertures extending therethrough and an integral lock;    providing an inverted, U-shaped locking bar having a pair of arms;    inserting said pair of arms into said pair of arm receiving apertures, wherein a portion of said locking bar rests on top of said trailer hitch coupler; and locking at least one said arm within at least one said aperture.