IP Library › Granted Patent US 12667034
Granted Patent B2
US 12667034 · App. 17/880,739 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Hitching assembly

Inventor: Jacob D. Kappelman (Bloomfield, IA)
Assignee: Deere & Company
A01B59/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667034
App. No.
17/880,739
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a hitching assembly for coupling to a hitch assembly on a vehicle. The hitching assembly includes a single point assembly including a first attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly and a support passage extending through the single point assembly, a two-point assembly extending through the support passage, the two-point assembly having second and third attachment areas for attaching to the hitch assembly, and one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms configured to couple the two-point assembly to the single point assembly. The two-point assembly is movable from a raised position where the two-point assembly is coupled to the single point assembly, to a lowered position where the two-point assembly is decoupled from the single point assembly to move relative to the single point assembly.

Claims (31)

1 . A hitching assembly for coupling to a hitch assembly on a vehicle, the hitching assembly comprising:

a single point assembly including a first attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly and a support portion having a support passage extending therethrough; and

a two-point assembly including a support member extending through the support passage, the two-point assembly having second and third attachment areas for attaching to the hitch assembly,

wherein the two-point assembly is movable from a raised position where the two-point assembly is coupled to the single point assembly to form a rigid assembly, to a lowered position where the two-point assembly is decoupled from the single point assembly to move the support member vertically within the support passage of the support portion from the raised position to the lowered position and among a plurality of degrees of freedom within the support passage while being constrained by the support passage for adjusting a position of the two-point assembly relative to the hitch assembly.

2 . The hitching assembly according to claim 1 , wherein sides of the support passage converge towards a top of the support passage, and wherein the support member has sides that converge towards a top of the support member.

3 . The hitching assembly according to claim 2 , wherein when the two-point assembly is in the raised position, the top of the support member is proximate the top of the support passage and movement of the support member is restricted by the support passage, and when the two-point assembly is in the lowered position, a gap is formed between the sides of the support passage and the sides of the support member to allow the position of the two-point assembly to be adjusted.

4 . The hitching assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the support passage is substantially trapezoidal in shape.

5 . The hitching assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support member has a profile substantially similar to a profile of the support passage.

6 . The hitching assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the single point assembly includes a body portion having the first attachment area, a first opening extending through a side of the support portion into the support passage, and a second opening extending through another side of the support portion into the support passage, the first and second openings being aligned with one another.

7 . The hitching assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second openings each have a geometry that converges towards a top of the respective opening.

8 . The hitching assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a latch mechanism coupled to the two-point assembly and extending through the first and second openings to constrain motion of the two-point assembly and center the two-point assembly in the raised position.

9 . The hitching assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second openings are substantially triangular in shape.

10 . The hitching assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the two-point assembly includes one or more arms attached to each side of the support member, the one or more arms on one side of the support member having the second attachment area and the one or more arms on the other side of the support member having the third attachment area.

11 . The hitching assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the support member includes laterally spaced openings configured to align with corresponding openings in the support portion in the raised position for receiving one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms.

12 . The hitching assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms configured to couple the two-point assembly to the single point assembly.

13 . A hitching assembly for coupling to a hitch assembly on a vehicle, the hitching assembly comprising:

a single point assembly including a body portion having a first attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly, and a support portion having a support passage extending therethrough;

a two-point assembly including a support member extending through the support passage, one or more first arms attached to a first side of the support member that have a second attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly, and one or more second arms attached to a second side of the support member that have a third attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly; and

one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms configured to couple the support member to the support portion,

wherein the two-point assembly is movable from a raised position where the two-point assembly is coupled to the single point assembly by the one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms to form a rigid assembly, to a lowered position where the one or more manually-operated latch mechanisms are removed such that the two-point assembly is decoupled from the single point assembly to move the support member vertically within the support passage of the support portion from the raised position to the lowered position while being constrained by the support passage.

14 . The hitching assembly according to claim 13 , wherein sides of the support passage converge towards a top of the support passage and sides of the support member converge towards a top of the support member.

15 . The hitching assembly according to claim 14 , wherein when the two-point assembly is in the raised position, the top of the support member is proximate the top of the support passage and movement of the support member is restricted by the support passage, and when the two-point assembly is in the lowered position, a gap is formed between the sides of the support passage and the sides of the support member to allow a position of the two-point assembly to be adjusted.

16 . The hitching assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the support portion additionally includes a first opening extending through a side of the support portion into the support passage and a second opening extending through an opposite side of the support portion into the support passage, the first and second openings being aligned with one another.

17 . The hitching assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second openings each have a substantially triangular geometry that converges towards a top of the respective opening.

18 . The hitching assembly according to claim 17 , further comprising a latch mechanism coupled to the support member and extending through the first and second openings in the support portion to constrain motion of the two-point assembly and center the two-point assembly in the raised position.

19 . A hitching assembly for coupling to a hitch assembly on a vehicle, the hitching assembly comprising:

a single point assembly including a first attachment area for attaching to the hitch assembly and a support passage extending through the single point assembly, wherein sides of the support passage converge towards a top of the support passage; and

a two-point assembly extending through the support passage, the two-point assembly having second and third attachment areas for attaching to the hitch assembly, wherein the two-point assembly includes a support member having sides that converge towards a top of the support member,

wherein the two-point assembly is movable from a raised position where the two-point assembly is coupled to the single point assembly to form a rigid assembly, to a lowered position where the two-point assembly is decoupled from the single point assembly to move relative to the single point assembly among a plurality of degrees of freedom for adjusting a position of the two-point assembly relative to the hitch assembly, and

wherein when the two-point assembly is in the raised position, the top of the support member is proximate the top of the support passage and movement of the support member is restricted by the support passage, and when the two-point assembly is in the lowered position, a gap is formed between the sides of the support passage and the sides of the support member to allow the position of the two-point assembly to be adjusted.

20 . The hitching assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the support passage is substantially trapezoidal in shape.