TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a trailer security apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The theft of trailers is an ever increasing problem. The present invention has been made from a consideration of this.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a trailer security apparatus, the trailer having a trailer towing member including one of a socket or a projection to be received in a socket of a towing device, said apparatus comprising means for securing the apparatus to the trailer and means for restricting access to the trailer towing member by a cooperating towing member of a towing device, the access restricting means being movable from a first position in which access to the trailer towing member is not restricted and a second position in which access to the trailer towing member is restricted, wherein a lock is provided for releasably locking the said access restricting means in the second position.

If access to the trailer socket is prevented the ball of a towbar cannot be located in the socket and the trailer cannot be removed. Furthermore if access to a trailer pin, as commonly used in trailers of articulated vehicles, is prevented then the pin cannot fit in the socket of the towing vehicle.

When the trailer towing member comprises a socket the means for securing the apparatus to the trailer preferably comprises a body defining a channel, the channel being received over the trailer towing member. Alternatively or additionally the means for securing the apparatus to the trailer comprises flanges operative to engage a flange provided at the base of the trailer towing member.

The apparatus may comprise a pin that moves into the trailer socket when the apparatus is in the second position. The pin may be mounted in any suitable manner. For example, the pin may be pivotally mounted on a hinge or mounted for sliding movement. The pin may be spring loaded into a retracted position or into an extended position. A pin may be provided for receiving the ends of a cable, the ends of the cable being retained on the pin when the towing member is located in the security apparatus.

The apparatus may comprise two rotatably connectable parts. Here one of said parts may be profiled so as to be non rotatable on the trailer towing member. The profiling may

comprise a groove operative to be received around the handle of a towing hitch. Here the apparatus preferably comprises a pin in one of said parts which when in use is movable between a retracted position in which rotation of the said one body relative to the other body is not limited and an extended position in which said rotation is limited.

The parts of the apparatus may be secured together by way of a pin engaging an aperture or slot in the other of said parts. If the trailer towing member comprises a projection. The trailer security apparatus preferably comprises a housing received over the projection and secured thereto by a pin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood specific embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig.l shows one security apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig.2 shows the security apparatus of Fig.l when in use;

Fig.3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 when in use;

Fig.4 shows a further security apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig.5 shows another security apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 6 to 9 show different embodiments of the security apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 10 shows the apparatus of Fig.9 when in use;

Fig. 11 is a cross section of a further apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig.12 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig.11; and

■Fig.13 is a still further apparatus in accordance with the invention.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 a security apparatus 10 comprises a base plate 11 having retaining flanges 12,13 provided on the longitudinal sides thereof. A shoe 14 is provided at one end of the security apparatus 10. The base plate 11 of the apparatus below the shoe 14 comprises an aperture which, when the security apparatus is in use, is in register with the socket 15 of the security apparatus 10.

Two U-shaped walls 16, only one of which is illustrated, depend from the base of the apparatus below the shoe 14. A connecting wall 17 connects the edges of the two U-shaped walls together so as to define a lower chamber. A locking mechanism 18 is provided in the lower chamber. Access to the barrel of the lock is via a keyhole 19 in one of the U-shaped walls.

In use the apparatus slides onto the towing hitch 20 and the retaining flanges 12,13 engage the flange 21 of the towing hitch. If no flanges are provided on the towing hitch the shoe of the apparatus is simply placed over the end of the towing hitch. As previously stated the aperture in the baseplate is in register with the towing hitch socket 15. Operation of the lock causes the hook shaped member 22 to engage the wall defining the socket 15. After this the security apparatus 10 cannot be removed from the towing hitch 10 until the hook shaped member 22 is removed by operating the lock 18.

Fig.4 shows a second embodiment of the invention which is the same as that previously described except in that no shoe is provided. Such an apparatus may only be successfully used when the towing hitch has a flange for engagement with the retaining flanges of the securing apparatus.

Fig.5 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the hook shaped member is replaced by a dummy ball 23 located

on a plate 24. The plate is connected via a hinge 25 to one end of the security apparatus.

In use the securing apparatus is located on the towing hitch in the manner as previously described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 while the hinged plate is orientated away from the security apparatus as shown in position "A" of Fig.5. Once the security device is in position the plate 24 is moved about the hinge 25 until the ball 23 is located in the socket 26 of the towing hitch. The ball is then locked in position.

In an alternative embodiment the hook shaped member 22 of Fig.3 may be spring loaded into the socket. Operation of the lock would remove the member from the socket as before.

Fig.6 shows a security apparatus 30 for use on articulated trailers. On such trailers a projection depends from the base of the trailer at the front thereof. A groove is provided around the circumference of the projection towards the base thereof. The apparatus 30 of Fig.6 comprises a metal cube shaped hollow box 31 which is open at the top face thereof as illustrated. A small metal box 32 is secured to a side of the box, for example by welding. The small box 32 and the hollow cube 31 have a channel 33 extending therethrough. A pin 34 is located in the channel 33. The pin 34 is movable between two positions. In the first position as illustrated in Fig.6 the pin extends outwardly from the small box and does not extend into the large open ended box.

In the second position the pin extends into the open ended box and only the pin handle 35 is located outside the small box. The pin 34 may be spring loaded into either position. A lock 36 is provided in the small box for locking the pin in the second position. The lock may be a spring loaded lock or a cam lock. In use the pin is moved into the first position and the cube 31 is located over the base of the trailer towing projection. The pin 34 is then moved into the second position and is locked in the second position by the lock 36. Here the pin 34 is captured in the groove in the trailer towing projection and then the apparatus cannot be removed from the trailer towing pin. The apparatus then fits over the towing pin thus making insertion of the trailer towing pin in the socket of a tractor unit impossible.

The apparatus 38 of Fig.7 can be located on the towing hitch of a trailer having a socket. Here the apparatus is located over the towing hitch. A pin and locking arrangement similar to that defined with reference to Fig.6 is provided at the base of the apparatus. When in use the apparatus is located over a towing hitch and the pin 39 is moved vertically into the towing socket and locked in position by lock 40. Withdrawal of the security apparatus from the towing hitch is therefore prevented and access to the socket is prevented thus preventing theft of the trailer.

The apparatus 42 illustrated in Fig.8 is again for use on towing hitches of conventional trailers having sockets

rather than articulated trailers. The apparatus 42 comprises a first hollow open ended cylinder 43 having a thread 44 provided at one end thereof for engagement with a thread 45 provided at the open end of a blind cylinder 46. A groove 47 is provided in the open ended cylinder 43. A pin 48 is located at the closed end of the blind cylinder. The pin is movable from a retracted position to an extended position. In use the open ended cylinder 43 is located on the trailer towing arm behind any handle on the towing arm such that the handle is captured in the groove 47. The blind cylinder 46 is thus located on the free end of the towing hitch and is thus on the other side of the handle. The blind cylinder 46 is brought into threaded engagement with the open ended cylinder 43 thus capturing the handle in the blind end of the groove 47. The handle prevents rotation of the open ended cylinder 43. The apparatus is locked in position by limiting rotation of the blind cylinder 46 such that insufficient rotation is allowed to separate the two tubes 43,36. This is achieved by moving the pin into the extended position within the blind cylinder 46. In the extended position the pin 48 will extend below the towing hitch. On attempting to rotate the blind cylinder 46 the pin 48 engages the base of the towing hitch thus limiting rotation. The blind cylinder 48 may be removed from the towing hitch by withdrawing the pin 48 into the retracted position and rotating the blind cylinder 48 appropriately.

The apparatus 50 of Figs. 9 and 10 is operative for use

in connection with trailers such as compressors in which the towing socket comprises a loop 51. The apparatus 50 comprises a box 52 having a single open face 53. A locking pin arrangement 54 is provided at the top of the box as illustrated. This locking pin 55 operates in the same manner as that described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. In use the aperture through the trailer loop 51 would be located in register with the pin 55 and the pin 53 is passed through the loop in order to retain the loop 51 in the apparatus.

Generally speaking trailers having hitches comprising a loop are relatively tight and are possibly transportable manually. It is therefore desirable to attach such units to a fixed object such as a post. This may be achieved by wire, rope, cable or the like 53. A stud 54 is located in the apparatus 50 on the inside of one of the walls adjacent the open face 53 of the apparatus. The stud 54 is orientated parallel to the rear face of the box. The length of the stud is selected such that the gap between the end of the stud 54 and the opposite wall 56 of the box is such as to receive the loop 51 of the trailer into a snug fit. In use the wire 53 having loops at either end is passed around a fixed object and the loops are received on the stud 54. The trailer loop 51 is then inserted in the open box and the locking pin 55 is locked in position. The wire ends are trapped in place by the trailer loop 51 and therefore the apparatus not only prevents the trailer from being towed away, but also from being moved manually.

The apparatus of Figs. 11 and 12 is also operative for use with trailers having towing loops 51. The apparatus 58 comprises a base part 59 and a top part 60. The base part 59 comprises a disc shaped base having a hollow tube 61 upstanding from the centre thereof. A thread 62 is provided on the exterior of the tube. A hole 63 is provided part way down the tube. The top part 60 comprises a cap 64 having a hollow tube 63 depending from the centre thereof. A thread 66 is provided in the interior of the hollow tube 65 for engagement with the thread 62 on the first tube. A lock 67 extends down the centre of the hollow tube. The lock comprises a catch 68 which releasably engages the hole 63 in the base tube. When the catch is locked in position in the hole 63 it prevents relative rotation of the top and base parts. In use the tube 61 of the base part is inserted through the loop and the upper part is secured onto it and the two parts locked together by lock 67. This prevents access to the loop and theft of the trailer by towing.

Fig.13 shows a further security apparatus 70 for a towing hitch comprising a hollow box like case open at one corner thereof as to receive a towing hitch. A projection 72 extends upwards from the base of the case 71. A locking pin arrangement 73 is provided on the side of the case. The locking pin arrangement is similar to that described with reference to Fig.6.

In use the case 71 is located over the towing hitch with

the projection 72 being received in the towing hitch socket. The locking pin is then inserted into the case 71. Insertion of the pin prevents removal of the case from the towing hitch as the pin is inserted above the towing arm of the hitch. Thus the case is trapped on the hitch until the pin is retracted.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are by way of illustration only. Many modifications and variations are possible.