A tow hitch is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing. Tow hitches known to those of skill in the art can include a tow ball, and a hitch mechanism can include a socket that receives and secures the tow ball for affixing another apparatus to the hitch. The tow ball and socket allow for swiveling and articulation of the apparatus while preventing disengagement of the hitch mechanism from the tow ball.
Known hitch mechanisms are not rigid relative to the tow ball and tow hitch associated with the vehicle. However, in various applications it is desirable to have a rigid assembly that connects to the tow ball. Nonetheless, it is undesirable to replace a trailer mechanism with a permanently rigid assembly as the need can change between the need for a rigid assembly and the need for a non-rigid assembly.
For example, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/537,621 filed Aug. 7, 2009 and titled “Loading Ramp and Trailer,” which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an apparatus that can function as a ramp in one position and a trailer in another position. It would be desirable to hitch the apparatus to a tow hitch so that the apparatus is rigid relative to the tow hitch when the apparatus is functioning as a ramp. It would also be desirable to hitch the apparatus to a tow hitch so that the apparatus is non-rigid relative to the tow hitch when the apparatus is functioning as a trailer. Furthermore, it would be desirable to employ only one hitch mechanism to hitch the apparatus to the tow hitch so that the hitch mechanism need not be changed when the apparatus changes from functioning ramp to functioning as a trailer.
There is thus a continuing ongoing need for an improved hitch mechanism. Preferably, such an improved hitch mechanism can move between rigid and non-rigid positions relative to a tow hitch associated with a vehicle.