Patent ID: 7412864

Claim:
A method for forming a hitch receiver which comprises: placing a tubular blank into a first device, wherein said tubular blank includes a continuous opening throughout a length of said tubular blank, further wherein said first device comprises a first die having a longitudinal aperture disposed therein and a first punch wherein said first punch is sized to fit within said first die, further wherein said first die comprises a first inner mandrel sized to fit within at least a portion of said continuous opening throughout said length of said tubular blank and a first exterior forming wall of said first die wherein said first exterior forming wall comprises a first head forming portion connected to a first transition forming portion connected to a first body forming portion; extruding said tubular blank into said first device, wherein said tubular blank is extruded into said first die using said first punch such that said tubular blank is extruded into a volume between said first inner mandrel and said first exterior forming wall; removing said first punch from said first die; removing said tubular blank from said first device; placing said tubular blank into a second device wherein said second device comprises a second die having a longitudinal aperture disposed therein and a second punch wherein said second punch is sized to fit within said second die, further wherein said second die comprises a second inner mandrel sized to fit within at least a portion of said continuous opening throughout said length of said tubular blank and a second exterior forming wall, wherein said second exterior forming wall comprises a second head forming portion connected to a second transition forming portion connected to a second body forming portion; and extruding said tubular blank into said second device to from said hitch receiver, wherein said tubular blank is extruded into said second die using said second punch such that said tubular blank is extruded into a volume between said second inner mandrel and said second exterior forming wall.