Patent ID: 7837216

Claim:
A tow bar apparatus for use by a towing vehicle for towing a towed vehicle over a surface, the towing vehicle having a hitch receiver, the tow bar apparatus comprising: a hitch member having a receiver tube and a vertical pivot post, the receiver tube being adapted to removably engage the hitch receiver of the towing vehicle, and the vertical pivot post having a vertical axis that is generally orthogonal to the surface when the hitch member is mounted on the towing vehicle; a pair of linkages that each include a vertical aperture and a horizontal pivot pin, the vertical aperture being adapted for pivotally mounting the linkage on the vertical pivot post of the hitch member such that the linkages are mounted in a stacked arrangement and such that the linkages may pivot about the vertical axis of the vertical pivot post; a pair of tow bars, each having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being adapted to be pivotally attached to one of the linkages with the horizontal pivot pin, the distal end having a towed vehicle attachment element adapted to be removably attached to the towed vehicle; and a storage plate positioned on the vertical pivot post, the storage plate having a stored locking aperture positioned adjacent the proximal end of the tow bars such that a locking post of the proximal end may engage the stored locking aperture of the storage plate when the tow bar is in a stored position, thereby locking the tow bar in the stored position.