Patent ID: 8448973

Claim:
A hitch apparatus for bi-directional attenuation of shock loading of a towed trailer, the apparatus comprising: a connection element for releasably securing the hitch apparatus to a gooseneck trailer; a housing member with a front wall, two side walls and a back wall; a connection member with an upper end and a lower end, a front surface a back surface and two side surfaces, the connection member being pivotally secured internal to the housing member at the two connection member side surfaces, the connection member having an opening passing through the connection member from the front surface to the back surface; a shock attenuating unit secured to and disposed substantially perpendicularly to the housing member, the shock attenuating unit further comprising; a rod element with a first end and a second end, the rod element first end passing through a first plate, the housing member front wall and the opening in the connection member exiting through the back surface of the connection member; a spring element with a first end and a second end that is disposed longitudinally over the rod element wherein the spring element first end abuts but does not pass through the housing member front wall and the spring element second end abuts a second plate, wherein the rod element passes through the second plate and is secured in position by an adjustable locking element; a bushing element slidably disposed on the rod element between the connection member and the housing member front wall and of such a diameter that it contacts the first end of the spring element and may also pass unobstructed through the housing member front wall; a locking element secured to the first end of the rod element preventing movement of the rod element first end past the connection member back surface; at least one bar element slidably connecting the first plate to the second plate and maintaining alignment of the rod element and the spring element; wherein when the connection member pivots toward the housing member back wall the locking element secured to the first end of the rod element applies a tensile loading to the rod element which is transferred to the second plate causing the second plate to slidably reposition toward the housing member causing the spring element to compress, wherein when the connection member pivots toward the housing member front wall the connection member front wall contacts the bushing disposed on the rod element which in turn contacts the spring element causing the spring element to compress.