Patent ID: 7988179

Claim:
A tow bar for connecting a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle, the tow bar comprising: (a) a body element; (b) a first connector element secured to and extending forwardly from the body element, the first connector element being structured to releasably connect the body element to a towing hitch arrangement of a towing vehicle; (c) at least one tow bar leg extending rearwardly from the body element; each at least one tow bar leg having: (1) a hollow outer member with a fore end connected to the body element, an aft end and a first axis, and (2) an inner member with an aft end and a second axis; (d) a second connector element secured to and extending rearwardly from the aft end of the inner member of the at least one tow bar leg, the second connector element being orthogonally-articulated and structured to releasably connect the aft end of the at least one tow bar leg to a towing hitch arrangement of the towed vehicle; and (e) a locking element secured to each at least one tow bar leg, each locking element including: (1) at least one latching portion having a radially displaceable shovel device, the at least one latching portion being secured to and extending through the outer member, and (2) a cylindrically-shaped shuttle portion having tapered fore and aft shuttle ends and a peripheral groove arranged around an outer extremity thereof to receive the shovel device, the shuttle portion being secured to the inner member and structured wherein the inner member with the shuttle portion secured thereto is slidably, longitudinally, and telescopingly displaceable in the outer member, and (3) wherein the shuttle portion and the at least one latching portion are structured to cooperatively: (A) provide a locked configuration wherein displacement of the inner member relative to the outer member is prevented, and (B) provide an unlocked configuration wherein displacement of the inner member relative to the outer member is allowed.