AU2018204432B2

AU2018204432B2 - An Improved Towball Assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2018204432B2
Application number: AU2018204432A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew John Shephard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-22
Filing date: 2018-06-20
Publication date: 2019-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-09
Also published as: AU2018204432A1; AU2014221304A1

Abstract

Abstract The present invention is a towball assembly for use in combination with a tongue that is pre-attached to a vehicle, the towball assembly includes a ball portion, a shaft 5 portion, a flange, a threaded elongate portion, fasteneing means for use with said threaded portion, and an integrated tool receiving portion. The threaded elongate portion and integrated tool receiving portion is able to pass through a hole on the tongue. The flange is dimensioned so that it sits flush upon the surrounding area in close proximity to the hole, which therefore causes the ball portion, shaft portion and 10 flange to sit above the tongue. A nut and lock washer is then screwed onto the threaded portion so that the nut compresses the lock washer against the underside of the tongue and thereby fastens the towball assembly to the tongue. The integrated tool receiving portion is used when the towball assembly is either being attached, or loosened, or removed from the tongue. The integrated tool receiving portion can 15 accommodate one tool, and the nut can accommodate another tool, so that a user can use the pair of tools simultaneously and independently, so that when they are turned in opposite directions with respect to each other, the nut is either tightened or loosened with respect to the tongue. (PRIOR ART)

Description

An Improved Towball Assembly

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a towball assembly for use in association with a tongue that is already pre-installed on a vehicle, and wherein the towball assembly includes means to apply an additional direct force to tighten or loosen the fastening means, and also includes a protective covering that also aids in the shipping, handling and sale of the towball assembly.

Background of the Invention

Towballs for use with a tongue that include a ball portion, a shaft portion, a flange and a threaded portion have been used for many decades. In one of the most common arrangements, the tongue has a round hole in a suitable location that is sufficiently sized so that the threaded portion of the towball can pass through the hole. The flange is sufficiently large, with respect to the hole, so that it sits over the hole. A nut is used on the threaded portion, and it screws up from the underside of the tongue, often with a lock washer preceding it, so that the lock washer and the nut is tightened against the underside of the tongue and thereby locks the towball onto the tongue.

This common arrangement suffers from a number of problems. Firstly if the towball is left attached to the tongue for a sufficiently long period of time, surface corrosion can occur between the flange and the tongue, and/or also between the nut and the threaded portion. Also over time, mud and dirt can build up in the threaded portion. Either the corrosion, or the mud and dirt, or a combination of both can obstruct the easy turning of the nut relative to the towball. When affected in this way, it can quite often be a difficult, frustrating and time consuming task to remove the towball from the tongue. It is common for a user to attach a tool like a spanner or wrench to the nut, but because the nut cannot screw freely on the threaded portion, and because the

2018204432 20 Jun2018 threaded portion and the hole both have a circular profile, the whole towball spins relative to the tongue, and the nut does not unscrew from the threaded portion. It is also quite often very difficult to retain the towball relative to the nut, so that the nut can be turned independently of the threaded portion. Quite often the person trying to remove the towball from the tongue will try and hold the ball of the towball in one hand, to try and hold it in place as he/she tries to undo the nut with their other hand. Also quite often the person’s hand may not be strong enough to resist the force needed to unlock the nut, and/or turn the nut along the entire length of the threaded portion. The problem can also be exacerbated if the operation for adding or removing the towball from the tongue is undertaken in a cramped area so that the person cannot get into a sufficient position relative to the towball so that they can bear down upon it with full force. Also some people apply tools to the ball portion, in order to hold it immobilised while the nut is turned on the threaded portion. This has the potential of marring the smooth surface of the ball, and diminishing it appearance and performance.

Attempts to overcome this common problem include adding a square or hexagonal shaped profile extension to the underside of the flange. This extension interengages with a correspondingly shaped recess in the top face of the tongue. The interengagement of the extension and the recess, lock the towball in place with respect to the tongue, so that the full force of the person can be applied to the nut through the wrench or spanner. This solution to the problem introduces its own problems. Firstly it is more time consuming and costly to produce a tongue that includes a matching recess for the shape of the extension on the flange. Secondly it reduces the selection of towballs that are for sale on the market that are compatible with the particular tongue.

Another problem common in the industry is damage to the end of the threaded portion during normal use. In many circumstances, particularly as a vehicle is driven onto or off of a ramp or a driveway etc., the lowermost end of the threaded portion of the towball may impact with the surface of the ramp or driveway. This impact has the potential to burr the end of the thread, and thereby make it difficult to remove the nut

2018204432 20 Jun 2018 entirely from the threaded portion so that the towball can be removed from the tongue.

Another problem is associated with the handling, packaging, transportation and sale 5 of towball assemblies. Improper packaging, and rough handling along the supply chain as it moves from the manufacturer to the end user may cause damage to the towball assembly, including the thread. Any damage to the thread may make it more difficult to get the nut onto, or off of the threaded portion.

Finally, many towballs are sold by a wide array of car part and accessory retailers. From the retailer’s perspective, it is important that these types of products are retailed to their customers in a convenient and effective way. Current towball’s are typically displayed on a shelf in a store, and require manual effort by the retailer to bring stock to the front as customers purchase the stock displayed at the front of the shelf.

Another problem is theft of the nut. It is common for people to steal the nut and lock washer from a new towball assembly in a store, leaving behind the rest of the towball assembly. This problem causes loss and inconvenience to the retailer.

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some of the aforementioned problems.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention is a towball assembly for use in combination with a tongue that is pre-attached to a vehicle. The towball assembly includes a ball portion, a shaft portion, a flange, a threaded elongate portion, a nut for use with the threaded portion, and an integrated tool receiving portion. The tongue includes a hole that is located in a suitable position on the tongue, and the hole is dimensioned so that the threaded elongate portion able to pass through the hole, and the flange is dimensioned so that it sits flush upon surrounding area in close proximity to the hole which therefore causes the ball portion, shaft portion and flange to sit above the tongue. The nut is then screwed onto the threaded portion so that the nut compresses

2018204432 20 Jun 2018 against the underside of the tongue and thereby fastens the towball assembly to the tongue. The integrated tool receiving portion is capable of accommodating a first tool, and the nut is capable of accommodating a second tool, so that when the towball assembly is either being attached to, or loosened from the tongue, the user can use the first and second tools, simultaneously and independently, allowing each to be turned in an opposite directions with respect to the other, thereby allowing the nut to be either tightened or loosened with respect to the tongue.

Preferably the integrated tool receiving portion is an extension that extends from the lowermost end of the threaded portion.

Preferably the tool receiving extension is hexagonally shaped and sized to receive a standard tool, such as a spanner or socket wrench or the like.

Alternatively, the integrated tool receiving portion is a recess in the lowermost end of the threaded portion.

Or alternatively, the integrated tool receiving portion is formed in the flange and comprise a pair of diametrically opposed flat sections.

Preferably the lowermost end of the hexagonally shaped extension is dome shaped so that any incidental impact with a surface, such as the road, or a driveway etc, is borne by the dome shaped end instead of the hexagonal portion.

Preferably a removably attached cylindrically shaped skirt is included as part of the assembly. The skirt acts like a sheath to protect and secure the threaded elongate portion, and the fastening means within. The skirt enables the towball and skirt assembly, when laid on its side on a flat surface, to roll in a substantially straight line.

Preferably the cylindrically shaped skirt has a first end with a first face and a second end with an open face, and the first face has a hole that is located in its centre, and the hole has a sufficient diameter that allows the threaded portion and the extension of the

2018204432 20 Jun 2018 tow ball to pass through the hole so that the first face lays flush against the flange. During shipping, pre-sale handling, warehousing, and at the point of sale of the towball assembly, the nut and lock washer is used to lock the first face of the skirt onto the flange by having the nut and lock washer tightened on the threaded portion.

Preferably the skirt has a first and second cut out section on diametrically opposed sides of the skirt in the vicinity of the first face, and each of these cut outs is sufficiently large enough to enable a user to attach a first tool onto the nut so that the nut can be either tightened or loosened while the skirt is in place.

Preferably the length of the skirt is longer than the length of the towball assembly’s threaded portion and extension if one is present.

Preferably the skirt has a third and fourth cut out section at its second end, and each cut out section is diametrically opposed to the other, and the third and fourth cut out sections are adequately dimensioned so that a user can attach a second tool to the tool receiving extension, and the second tool can be used in combination with the first tool to either tighten or loosen the nut.

Preferably the first and second diametrically opposed cut outs are arranged at 90° around the circumference of the skirt, relative to the third and fourth cut outs.

Preferably the skirt is fabricated out of a suitably hard and tough polymer material that is capable of resisting impact and crushing loads.

Preferably the towball assembly and skirt assembly is able to be stocked onto a point of sale display at a retailer or a rack or the like arrangement in a workshop, that is sufficiently inclined, so that when a plurality of towball assemblies are stored on their side up the incline, either in a single column, or in a series of parallel columns, as the leading assembly in a particular row is removed, thereby creating a gap at the base of the column, the remaining assemblies in the column are able to roll down the incline to fill the gap in the point of sale display.

2018204432 20 Jun 2018

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of a towball assembly illustrating the prior art

Figure 2 is a side view of the towball assembly of the present invention without the polymer skirt attached illustrating one form of the tool receiving extension.

Figures 3 through 5 show alternative preferred forms of the tool receiving extension, in accordance with the present invention.

Figures 6 and 7 show another form of the invention where the tool receiving extension is replaced with a tool receiving recess.

Figure 8 illustrates the use of a special tool to interact with one preferred embodiment 15 of the tool receiving extension, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 9 shows an alternative form of the flange incorporating a pair of diametrically opposed flat portions.

Figure 10 illustrates an exploded view of the present invention with the polymer skirt.

Figure 11 shows a fully assembled towball and skirt assembly, in accordance with the present invention, with a section of the skirt cut-away and shown in cross-section.

Figure 12 shows an alternative arrangement for attaching the skirt to the towball assembly.

Figure 13 shows another alternative arrangement for attaching the skirt to the towball assembly.

Figure 14 shows a point of sale display with parallel columns of towball and skirt assemblies.

2018204432 20 Jun2018

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Turning firstly to Figure 1, we see a towball assembly 1 that is typical in the prior art. 5 It has a ball portion 3, a shaft portion 5, a flange 7, a threaded portion 9, a lock washer

11, and a fastening nut 13.

In Figure 2 we can see that in accordance with the present invention, that a tool receiving extension 15 has been added to the lowermost end of the threaded portion 9.

The tool receiving extension 15 is shown as having a hexagonal profile in this preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, a standard tool, such as a ring spanner or socket wrench can be attached to the tool receiving portion 15. The tool receiving extension 15 also includes a domed end 17.

When this towball assembly 1 is attached to a pre-installed tongue on a vehicle, the nut 13 and lock washer 11 are removed from the threaded portion 9, and the threaded portion 9 is then passed through a suitably sized, and located hole in the tongue. The flange 7 is wider than the hole, so the towball sits upon the tongue with a substantial amount of the threaded portion 9 extending below the tongue. The lock washer 11 and nut are also both wider than the hole in the tongue, so when they are placed back onto the threaded portion 9, they can be tightened up against the underside of the tongue to retain the towball 1 upon the tongue.

An appropriate tool, such as a hand held spanner or wrench can be used directly on the nut to tighten it. A second tool can be applied directly to the tool receiving extension 15. When both tools are used simultaneously, and in opposite directions, the full force from the tools can be borne down upon the fastening assembly. This has the added advantage that if over time there has been corrosion in the interface between the nut 13 and the thread of the threaded portion 9, or if the thread has mud and dirt, or has been damaged, the full force of the user can still be applied to the nut, thereby giving it maximum force to move relative to the threaded portion 9.

2018204432 20 Jun 2018

Another advantage of the present invention is that the domed end 17 and the tool receiving extension 15 extend below the end of the thread on the threaded portion 9. This means that any impact with the road or a driveway etc will not be borne by the thread and thereby cause it to become damaged, making it harder to completely remove the nut from the threaded portion 9. In addition, because of the domed end 17, this is the most likely part of the assembly to sustain any impact, and this is much less likely to damage the tool receiving extension 15. So the invention has greater resistance to normal wear and tear during normal use.

Turning to Figures 3 to 5, we are shown some alternative preferred embodiments for the tool receiving extension 15.

In Figures 6 and 7 we are shown illustrations of threaded portions 9 having a tool receiving recess 29 instead of an extension.

In Figure 8 we are shown another embodiment where the tool receiving recess 29 is a pair of holes, and a tool 31, that includes a matching pair of lugs 33, that is used to engage with the towball assembly.

In Figure 9, we are shown yet another embodiment where the tool receiving extension has been replaced with a pair of diametrically opposed flat portions 35 on the flange

7. These allow a tool, like a shifting spanner to be attached directly to the flange so that a separate tool can work on the nut.

Not only is it important to protect the threaded portion 9 during normal use of the towball, it is also important to do so during the handling and transportation of the towball assemblies from the manufacturer to the wholesaler/retailer. In Figure 10 we can see and exploded view that includes a skirt 19. The skirt 19 has a first end 21 that sits flush with the underside of the flange 7 when the skirt 19 is in place. The first end 21 has a closed face, and it has a hole 37 in the centre that is sufficiently wide enough so that the threaded portion 9 can pass through the hole 37. The walls of the skirt sit proud of the threaded portion 9 and create a gap that is sufficient to ίο

2018204432 20 Jun2018 accommodate the nut 13 and the lock washer 11. The skirt 19 has an open face at the second end 23. The skirt 19 is manufactured out of a suitably impact and crush resistant polymer.

As best shown in Figure 11, in order to make it easier for an owner to remove the protective skirt, prior to use, the skirt 19 is provided with a first pair of cut outs 25, which a diametrically opposed and are sufficiently sized to allow a standard spanner or wrench to be attached to the nut 13. A second pair of cut outs 27 are cut into the skirt 19 from the second end 23 so that the user can attach a second spanner or wrench to the tool receiving extension 15. The first pair of diametrically opposed cut outs 25 are at a 90° angle to the second pair of diametrically opposed cut outs 27. This allows for the first and second tools to be attached to the nut 13 and tool receiving extension 15 respectively at a convenient angle with respect to each other to enable the user to apply maximum torsional force to the nut 13.

In Figure 12 we are shown an alternative may of attaching the skirt 19 to the towball assembly. In this embodiment, the interior wall of the hole 37 in the first end 21 of the skirt 19 has a circumferential protuberance 39 that matches a complimentary circumferential recess 41 in the shank 43. In this embodiment, the interengagement of the circumferential protuberance 39 with the circumferential recess 41 keeps the skirt 19 in place even after the nut 13 is loosened or removed completely. The user can disengage the skirt from the towball assembly by simply bending the skirt 19 relative to the towball assembly, after the nut 13 has been loosened a sufficient amount.

Figure 13 shows yet another alternative embodiment where the skirt 19 had a circumferential flange 45 which overlays the outermost top edge of the flange 7. In this embodiment, after the nut 13 has been loosened sufficiently, the skirt 19 can be removed from the towball assembly by bending the skirt 19 with sufficient force to cause the flange 45 to break away and release the skirt 19.

2018204432 20 Jun 2018

Typically the skirt 19 may be retained and re-attached to the towball for safe storage purposes when the towball assembly is not in use.

In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the flange 7 is the same as the ball 3, so 5 that when the towball is laid on its side on a flat surface, the towball will roll in a substantially straight line. The skirt 19, when attached to the towball also has the same outer diameter, so even with the skirt attached, the towball assembly will roll in a straight line. This is advantageous in a retail or workshop scenario. The retailer can have a point of sale display shelf 47 as shown in Figure 14 in their retail outlet that has a slight incline towards the front of the display. The retailer can then stock the display shelf 47 with towball assemblies of the type included in the present invention. These can be placed into a single column or multiple parallel columns up the incline. When a customer removes a towball assembly from the display, any gap that is created in the column by the removal of the towball assembly is then filled by the next towball assembly in the column as the entire column of towball assemblies rolls down the incline. The same arrangement can be put in place in a mechanic’s workshop for example.

Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention.

It will be also understood that where the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims

2018204432 28 Mar 2019

Claims

1. A towball assembly that is adapted for point of sale display and safe handling during transportation to an end user wherein said towball assembly is for use in combination with a tongue that is pre-attached to a vehicle, said towball assembly including a ball portion, a shaft portion, a flange, a threaded elongate portion, a nut for use with the threaded portion, and an integrated tool receiving portion, wherein the tongue includes a hole that is located in a suitable position on the tongue, and the hole is dimensioned so that the threaded elongate portion is able to pass through the hole, and the flange is dimensioned so that it sits flush upon surrounding area in close proximity to the hole which therefore causes the ball portion, shaft portion and flange to sit above the tongue, and wherein the nut is then screwed onto the threaded portion so that the nut compresses against the underside of the tongue and thereby fastens the towball assembly to the tongue, and wherein the integrated tool receiving portion is at least one recess in the lowermost end of the threaded portion, and the at least one recess is capable of accommodating a first tool that is adapted at one end to fit within the at least one recess, or wherein the integrated tool receiving portion is formed in the flange and comprise a pair of diametrically opposed flat sections, and the first tool is adapted to engage with the diametrically opposite flat sections, so that the first tool can provide an opposing torsional leverage against the opposite torsional leverage action of a second tool that is simultaneously operating on the nut, and wherein a removably attached cylindrically shaped skirt is included, wherein said skirt acts like a sheath to protect and secure the threaded elongate portion, and the towball threaded elongate portion and nut within, and wherein the provision of the skirt enables the towball and skirt assembly, when laid on its side on a flat surface, to roll in a substantially straight line, and thereby enables a plurality of towball assemblies to be laid adjacent one another in a point of sale display at a retailer, and to also provide protection to the towball assembly from potential damage caused by transportation and handling of the assembly, and wherein the cylindrically shaped skirt has a first end with a first face and a second end with an open face, and the first face has a hole that is located in its centre, and the hole has a sufficient diameter that allows the threaded portion and the shaft portion of the tow ball to pass through the hole so that the first face lays flush against the flange, and during shipping, pre-sale handling, warehousing, and at the point of sale of the towball assembly, the nut and lock washer is used to lock the first face of the skirt onto the flange by having the nut and lock washer tightened on the threaded portion.

2018204432 28 Mar 2019
2. The towball assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the skirt has a first and second cut out section on diametrically opposed sides of the skirt in the vicinity of the first face, and each of these cut outs is sufficiently large enough to enable a user to attach a first tool onto the nut so that the nut can be either tightened or loosened while the skirt is in place.
3. The towball assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the length of the skirt is longer than the length of the towball assembly’s threaded portion and extension.
4. The towball assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the skirt has a third and fourth cut out section at its second end, and each cut out section is diametrically opposed to the other, and the third and fourth cut out sections are adequately dimensioned so that a user can attach a second tool to the tool receiving extension, and the second tool can be used in combination with the first tool to either tighten or loosen the nut.
5. The towball assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first and second diametrically opposed cut outs are arranged at 90° around the circumference of the skirt, relative to the third and fourth cut outs.
6. The towball assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the skirt is fabricated out of a suitably hard and tough polymer material that is capable of resisting impact and crushing loads.

2018204432 20 Jun 2018