Patent ID: 8439388

Claim:
A universal tow bar assembly for connecting a double arm tow hitch member for a towed vehicle to a hitch receiver of a towing vehicle, the tow bar assembly comprising; a knuckle member mounted to a draw bar that is receivable within the hitch receiver of the towing vehicle, the knuckle member being cylindrical and having a pair of generally aligned vertically extending open slots therein, a U-joint coupler having oppositely oriented first and second ends defined by pairs of opposing generally parallel and spaced flanges with the flanges of each pair having aligned openings therein, the pair of flanges of the first end being oriented in a first direction and the pair of flanges of the second end being oriented in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, a first pivot member extending through the aligned openings in the pair of flanges of the first end of the U-joint coupler and through the aligned open slots in the knuckle member such that the U-joint coupler is pivotal with the first pivot member about a first pivot axis defined by an elongated central axis of the draw bar and the knuckle member and such that the U-joint coupler is also pivotal about a second pivot axis defined by an orientation of the first pivot member relative to the knuckle member, and the aligned opening in the pair of flanges of the second end of the U-joint coupler being adapted to receive a second pivot member associated with the tow hitch member such that the second end of the U-joint coupler is pivotal relative to the tow hitch member about a third vertical pivot axis, whereby the tow bar assembly permits universal pivoting motion between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.