Patent ID: 8920102

Claim:
An auto-latch mechanism mounted on a crossbar of a towing vehicle, the auto-latch mechanism enabling a towing vehicle to hook-up and tow-away a disabled vehicle having a connecting portion for engagement with the auto-latch mechanism, comprising; upwardly-facing, opposing guide plates mounted on a crossbar of the towing vehicle; a plunger pin having a distal end movable into a location between the opposing guide plates, the plunger pin being capable of extension and retraction; whereby during hook-up of the disabled vehicle, as the crossbar is raised, and the connecting portion of the disabled vehicle is located between the opposing guide plates, the connecting portion is caused to exert downward pressure on the distal end of the plunger pin, thereby automatically forcing the plunger pin to retract away from a location between the opposing guide plates, without a need for manual intervention by an operator, to allow further downward entry of the connecting portion between the guide plates, which then enables extension of the plunger pin toward the location between the opposing guide plates so that the plunger pin automatically engages the connection portion and each of the opposing guide plates.