Patent ID: 7032919

Claim:
A tow bar for connecting a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle, the tow bar comprising: (a) a towing vehicle connection mechanism connected to the towing vehicle, the towing vehicle connection mechanism defining a fore-to-aft oriented towing vehicle axis that is operatively fixed relative to the towing vehicle and to the towing vehicle connection mechanism; (b) a towed vehicle connection mechanism connected to the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle connection mechanism defining a horizontal transversely-oriented towed vehicle axis that is operatively fixed relative to the towed vehicle and to the towed vehicle connection mechanism; and (c) an interconnecting mechanism connecting the towing vehicle connection mechanism to the towed vehicle connection mechanism, the interconnecting mechanism defining an interconnection central point and an interconnection vertical axis spaced rearwardly from the interconnection central point and including: (1) a spherically-shaped ball member having a radius and a ball member center point, (2) a body member having a main cavity with a main cavity center point and a radius of curvature, which is slightly greater than the radius of the ball member, (3) wherein the ball member is rotatively captured within the body member with the ball member center point and the main cavity center point coinciding with the interconnection central point, and (4) a disk spring washer device; and (d) wherein the interconnecting mechanism is configured and structured to accommodate substantially all pitch and roll movements, including any and all combinations thereof, between the towing vehicle axis and the towed vehicle axis, at and about the interconnection central point; and wherein the interconnecting mechanism is further configured and structured to accommodate substantially all yaw movements, between the towing vehicle axis and the towed vehicle axis, at and about the interconnection vertical axis.