Patent ID: 8573630

Claim:
A tow bar comprising: a first bar element having a proximal end, a first elongate body, and a latch stop opposite the proximal end, wherein the latch stop is an annular latch stop washer that directly abuts the first bar element and is attached to the first bar element with a bolt positioned through the latch stop washer and threadedly engaged with the first bar element; a second bar element having a distal end, a second elongate body, and a latch end opposite the distal end, the first bar element being telescopically engaged within the second bar element to slide between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration; and a latch mechanism adapted to abut the latch stop to lock the first and second bar elements in the extended configuration, the latch mechanism comprising: a locking sear having a sear locking surface and a sear back surface, the locking sear being pivotally mounted on a sear pivot to pivot between a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein when the locking sear is in the locking position the sear locking surface abuts the latch stop to lock the first and second bar elements in the extended configuration, and wherein when the locking sear is in the unlocking position, the sear locking surface disengages the latch stop, allowing the first and second bar elements to move to the collapsed configuration; a latch element for locking against the sear back surface to maintain the locking sear in the locking position, the latch element comprising a latch handle and a latch locking surface, the latch element pivotally mounted on a latch housing with a latch pivot to move between a braced position and a release position, wherein when the latch element is in the braced position the latch locking surface abuts the sear back surface to maintain the locking sear in the locking position, and wherein when the latch element is in the release position the latch locking surface does not abut the sear back surface, thereby enabling the locking sear to move away from the locking position towards the unlocking position; and a spring positioned between and contacting both the locking sear and the latch element to bias the locking sear towards the locking position, wherein the latch mechanism further includes a sear lever arm extending outwardly from the locking sear, opposite from the sear pivot, adjacent the latch handle, to provide a lever with which to manually control the operation of the locking sear.