Abstract: An improved fifth wheel hitch for attaching a trailer to a towing vehicle. The hitch includes an outer box support frame having two rails for mounting the trailer hitch to the towing vehicle, a spherical bearing mounted in the frame having a ball joint, and a latch assembly affixed to the spherical bearing to allow the assembly to have two degrees of movement, and a head body. The latch assembly comprises a base plate, a jaw fixed at a first elevation, and a vertically displaceable jaw. A means are provided to raise the vertically displaceable jaw above the level of the fixed jaw to allow release of the king pin latch. When the jaws are coplanar they capture the kingpin of a trailer, and safely lock the trailer to the hitch.

Abstract: An improved fifth wheel hitch for attaching a trailer to a towing vehicle. The hitch includes an outer box support frame having two rails for mounting the trailer hitch to the towing vehicle, a spherical bearing mounted in the frame having a ball joint, and a latch assembly affixed to the spherical bearing to allow the assembly to have two degrees of movement, and a head body. The latch assembly comprises a base plate, a jaw fixed at a first elevation, and a vertically displaceable jaw. A means are provided to raise the vertically displaceable jaw above the level of the fixed jaw to allow release of the king pin latch. When the jaws are coplanar they capture the kingpin of a trailer, and safely lock the trailer to the hitch.

Abstract: An improved fifth wheel hitch for attaching a trailer to a towing vehicle. The hitch includes an outer box support frame having two rails for mounting the trailer hitch to the towing vehicle, a spherical bearing mounted in the frame having a ball joint, and a latch assembly affixed to the spherical bearing to allow the assembly to have two degrees of movement, and a head body. The latch assembly comprises a base plate, a jaw fixed at a first elevation, and a vertically displaceable jaw. A means are provided to raise the vertically displaceable jaw above the level of the fixed jaw to allow release of the king pin latch. When the jaws are coplanar they capture the kingpin of a trailer, and safely lock the trailer to the hitch.

Abstract: An all terrain vehicle having its chassis, its front suspension, its rear axle, its rear suspension, and its power transmission shaft interconnected in a manner that allows the rear axle to rotate about both the longitudinal and a transverse axis of the all-terrain vehicle to provide increased flexibility in its rear end so that the vehicle's rear tires remain on the ground at least as long as its front tires remain on the ground when traversing relatively even terrain so that the vehicle will not transition from understeer to oversteer.

Abstract: An outboard motor for a marine craft which incorporates a surface drive heretofore only found with inboard motors. A specially designed constant velocity universal joint is used to pivotally couple the propeller shaft and propeller shaft extension housing to the outboard's lower unit whereby propeller thrust forces are transmitted directly through the propeller shaft to the transmission's output shaft. Furthermore, provision is made for routing engine cooling water and exhaust through the prop shaft extension housing and the propeller hub, thereby reducing the engine noise.

Abstract: An improved surface drive for a marine craft having an inboard engine in which propeller generated thrust forces are transferred directly and co-linearly from the propeller shaft, through a constant velocity U-joint to the engine or transmission shaft to thereby reduce the overall dimensions of the surface drive unit.

Abstract: The specification describes a tow bar assembly for coupling an auxiliary watercraft to the stern of a larger towing craft. The tow bar assembly comprises a socket member especially designed for attachment to the swim platform of the towing craft when one is provided or, alternatively, directly to the transom of the towing craft. The socket is designed to receive one end of a generally longitudinally incompressible but vertically flexible bar member. The other end of the bar member is provided with a suitable coupling device for facilitating connection to the bow of the craft to be towed.

Abstract: A bottle is specially designed for storing, measuring and dispensing liquids or pourable granular materials having a lower relatively large capacity reservoir for storing the material to be later measured and dispensed and an upper measuring chamber of a lesser capacity and having raised graduated marks thereon indicating a plurality of predetermined measured capacities. The lower and upper chambers are in fluid communication with one another by a passageway formed internally of the bottle. The passageway is configured so that when the bottle is tipped, a quantity of fluid may be transferred from the storage reservoir into the measuring chamber until a desired quantity has been transferred into that chamber. Formed in the top of the measuring chamber is a pour spout having a cap thereon which, when removed, can allow the measured quantity to be dispensed from the measuring chamber.

Abstract: Contained within a splash water impervious housing and secured to a shock-mounted equipment support plate are an internal combustion engine, a water pump and a generator, each with a vertically-oriented shaft. Also disposed on the support plate immediately adjacent the engine's exhaust manifold is a water-cooled muffler. Combustion air for the engine and cooling air for the generator is drawn into the housing through a labyrinthian passage, which is effective to block the entry of splash water into the enclosure defined by the housing. The water pump and generator are driven by the engine with the water pump delivering cooling water to the engine's oil pan and cylinder block as well as to the muffler. The heated water is then discharged with the engine's exhaust through the muffler.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive recreational vehicle having an independent front suspension system and a clutch arrangement for normally driving the vehicle from the front wheels only, but capable of sensing slippage of the rear wheels to thereby couple the engine's output shaft to the front wheels as well. The front wheels are equipped with tires which are more narrow than those used on the rear wheels, but the tread width of the front wheels is made larger than that of the rear wheels to thereby provide adequate space for the driving connections between the front differential and the wheels so that only modest bending forces are experienced by the U-joint coupling the driven shaft between the front differential and the wheels' driven axles.

Abstract: An off-the-road recreational vehicle is described which has at least one steerable front wheel, two driving rear wheels, an engine unit mounted in the vicinity of the center of the vehicle frame for transmitting power from the engine's shaft to the rear driving wheels through a transmission mechanism and a rider's seat arranged above and rearward of the engine unit. To convert the recreational vehicle to a work vehicle, a hydraulic pressure generating mechanism, including a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic fluid reservoir provided with the pump being driven by the engine's shaft at a point upstream of the vehicle's transmission. A manually-operable hydraulic pump clutch is interposed between the engine's shaft and the hydraulic pump for selectively engaging and disengaging the pump from the engine. A quick-disconnect coupler mechanism is disposed along the length of a hydraulic line which is used to connect the hydraulic pump to a working hydraulic accessory detachably secured to the vehicle's frame.

Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle which is constructed to include a pair of steerable right and left front skis suspended from a front portion of a frame. Further included are a pair of right drive wheels and a pair of left drive wheels which are suspended from a rear portion of said frame and adapted to be driven by said engine. Each of the drive wheels has a wide, low-pressure tire. The front ski and rearwardly located driving wheels on each side of the frame are aligned longitudinally to achieve a base having substantially uniform width from front to back.

Abstract: An off-the-road vehicle having at least two rear wheels mounted on axles which are journaled for rotation within the housing of a torque transfer type differential whereby drive power from the motor is coupled to the slower rotating one of the two rear axles.

Abstract: A gauge for determining the relative proportions of materials to be added to a container to achieve a desired, predetermined mixture. More precisely, the gauge of the invention measures the level of the mixture remaining in the container and indicates the amount of at least one element of the mixture to be added to the tank before filling the tank with the other element of the mixture to achieve the desired ratio of elements when the tank is full. The gauge is comprised of a cap, gasket, and calibrated stick having a hinge member and retaining feet.

Abstract: An epicyclic planetary gear system having a plurality of partially meshed straight-cut primary and secondary planetary gears slidably mounted in a slidable differential housing and partially meshed with respective straight-cut input and output gears. Forward drive is achieved in each of a plurality of forward drive ranges by the respective coupling of the primary planet gears with the secondary planet gears and output gear and the secondary planet gears with the input gear. Reverse drive is similarly achieved for each of the forward ranges via the coupling of the input gear only with the secondary planet gears and the output gear only with the primary planet gears, while restraining rotation of the differential housing.

Abstract: An improved lightweight snow vehicle that embodies an improved suspension that permits ease of riding of the vehicle while maintaining good control and handling. The drive belt is supported so that the vehicle has a longer effective length than prior art devices of the same overall length and so that on increased suspension travel a larger portion of its engages the ground. In addition, the body of the vehicle is pivotally supported for leaning movement relative to the rear of the drive belt about a pivot axis that is disposed closely adjacent the ground. The vehicle may, therefore, be ridden like a motorcycle without sacrificing the contact patch between the drive belt and the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling.

Abstract: An improved lightweight snow vehicle that embodies an improved suspension that permits ease of riding of the vehicle while maintaining good control and handling. The drive belt is supported so that the vehicle has a longer effective length than prior art devices of the same overall length and so that on increased suspension travel a larger portion of it engages the ground. In addition, the body of the vehicle is pivotally supported for leaning movement relative to the rear of the drive belt about a pivot axis that is disposed closely adjacent the ground. The vehicle may, therefore, be ridden like a motorcycle without sacrificing the contact patch between the drive belt and the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling.