Patent ID: 7891690

Claim:
A trailer hitch for a vehicle comprising: a) attachment means for attaching the hitch to a vehicle; b) a base mounted on the attachment means; c) a universal pivot connector having a vertical axis secured to the base for mating connection to a tongue of a trailer to be connected to the vehicle; d) a pair of overlapping pivot plates comprising a top pivot plate and a bottom pivot plate, wherein the top pivot plate and the bottom pivot plate are overlapping and mounted to pivot about the vertical axis of the universal pivot connector in coordination with the trailer tongue when the trailer tongue is in a mating position with the pivot connector, each of the pivot plates further comprising: i) a flange on each of the pair of pivot plates to interact with the trailer tongue when the trailer tongue is in a mating position with the universal pivot connector such that as the trailer tongue pivots about the universal pivot connector the trailer tongue contacts at least one of the flanges to move at least one of the pivot plates with respect to the attachment means; and ii) a biasing device coupled to each of the pair of overlapping pivot plates to bias each of the pivot plates to a preset position with respect to the base and to resist rotation of the pivot plates and trailer tongue away from the preset position.