Trailer hitch bar

Claim 1

A trailer hitch bar device comprising: a. a sleeve member adapted to be affixed to a towing vehicle to extend generally parallel to the direction of vehicle travel and opening rearwardly, b. a hitch bar normally coaxial with and carried for unidirectional sliging movement in said sleeve for movement between forward and rearward positions, and extending rearwardly from said sleeve in said latter position, c. a towing vehicle hitch element affixed to the rearwardly extended end portion of said hitch bar, d. a pin insertable transversely through said sleeve adjacent the open rearward end thereof, said pin being engageable selectively either in a closely fitting hole provided therefor in said hitch bar adjacent its rearward end, whereby to latch said hitch bar in its forward position, or in a longitudinally elongated slot formed therefor in said hitch bar forwardly of said hole, whereby to serve as a stop limiting rearward movement of said hitch bar, said hitch bar being laterally pivotable relative to said sleeve on said pin when said hitch bar is in its rearward position, e. resilient means carried by said sleeve and biasing said pin in a direction to project through said sleeve, and f. mannually operable means for retracting said pin from said sleeve against said biasing means, said hitch bar being formed to present a cam surface at the rearward end of the slot thereof, said cam surface being operable as said hitch bar approaches said forward position to deflect said pin outwardly from said sleeve against said biasing means.