Department of Mechanical Engineering

Randolph Hall, 100-S

Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
Tel: (540) 231-7183
Fax: (540) 231-9100

Date: Thursday, September 03, 2015

To:
Deborah Pollio, Manager

VTAARPS

From:
Brenden Bowerman, Design Engineer

VTAARPS


Subject:
Hitch-Insert Project Proposal


Tailgating equipment and various hitch-inserted devices are highly sought after by sports fans,
concert tailgaters, and grill masters on the go. The chosen design for this proposal was a grill
completely supported by the trailer hitch both while travelling and while stationary. To improve
this already existing product, a retractable umbrella, an icebox type cooler, and a trash receptacle
have all been secured to the grill-hitch apparatus.

This setup saves the customer space in their vehicle, as they do not have to sacrifice seats in their
car for tailgating items such as coolers and awnings or tents. The icebox cooler will be large enough
to accommodate all regular sized bottles and cans as well as small bowls to server colder items that
need to be refrigerated such as meats or fruits. The retractable umbrella features a geared crank
system that will be used to open and close the umbrella. In addition, the umbrella will not only be
height adjustable to accommodate several heights and shapes of cars, but it will also be placed on a
pivoting arm, which can help place the umbrella in better positions for tailgating as well as
travelling. The trash receptacle serves the purpose of keeping trash in an organized place and away
from the clean interior of the vehicle until it can be disposed of at the proper location.
The following program is proposed to investigate the feasibility of this project as well as steps
necessary to see its completion:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Develop a preliminary model with researched materials to perform stress analysis

Manufacture prototypes to test in house and in the field
Perfect design and make necessary adjustments
Manufacture the parts and assemble the hitch-attachment

[Attachments - None]

Copy to:
Deborah Pollio, VTAARPS
V I R G I N I A

Invent th e F ut ure

P O L Y T E C H N I C I N S T I T U T E A N D S T A T E
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U N I V E R S I T Y