Trailer hitch assembly and method for connecting a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle with force dampening capabilities

A draw bar adapted to mate with a hitch receiver and be secured therein by means of a hitch pin in a mated state, comprising:

• (a) an elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and formed as a hollow tubular member, said shank having a transversely extending throughway extending therethrough with the throughway having a perimeter wall portion, said throughway formed by a pair of opposed axially aligned openings each having a first edge portion and a second edge portion that defining at least some of said perimeter wall portion;
• (b) a rigid casing sized and adapted to be received in the throughway, said casing supported against movement in said shank by the first and second edge portions;
• (c) a resilient cushion member disposed in said casing and supported thereby;
• and
• (d) a passageway associated with said cushion member and sized to receive said hitch pin therethrough such that, when in the mated state, longitudinal motion of said shank in said hitch receiver is resisted by said cushion member with a resilient force.

A draw bar adapted to mate with a hitch receiver and be secured therein by means of a hitch pin in a mated state, comprising:

• (a) a substantially solid, elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and a transversely extending throughway extending therethrough with the throughway having a perimeter wall portion;
• (b) a resilient cushion member adapted to be selective mounted into the throughway to define a mounted active state an demounted from the throughway, said cushion member supported against the perimeter wall portion of the throughway when in the active state;
• and
• (c) a passageway associated with said cushion member and sized to receive said hitch pin therethrough such that, when in the mated state, longitudinal motion of said shank in said hitch receiver is resisted by said cushion member with a resilient force.

A draw bar adapted to mate with a hitch receiver and be secured therein by means of a hitch pin in a mated state, comprising:

• (a) an elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and a transversely extending throughway extending therethrough;
• (b) a cartridge adapted to be disposed in the throughway and supported against movement therein;
• (c) slide means disposed in said cartridge for reciprocal movement therein in the longitudinal direction,
• (1) said slide member having a transversely extending bore therethrough defining the passageway, the bore being sized and adapted to receive said hitch pin when in the mated state;
• and
• (d) cushion means disposed in said cartridge for resiliently resisting relative longitudinal movement of said slide member in said cartridge and therefore said shank in said hitch receiver when in the mated state.

A draw bar adapted to mate with a hitch receiver and be secured therein by means of a hitch pin in a mated state, comprising:

• (a) an elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and a transversely extending throughway extending therethrough;
• and
• (b) at least one cartridge adapted to be disposed in the throughway and supported against movement therein, said cartridge including
• (1) a casing in the form of a rigid sleeve having an axis oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction;
• (2) a resilient cushion member disposed in said casing;
• and
• (3) a passageway associated with said cushion member and sized to receive said hitch pin therethrough such that, when in the mated state, longitudinal motion of said shank in said hitch receiver is resisted by said cushion member with a resilient force.

A trailer hitch adapted to mount onto a tractor vehicle in order to interconnect a trailer and the tractor vehicle;

• comprising:
• (a) a hitch receiver adapted to be secured to the tractor vehicle,
• (1) said hitch receiver defining longitudinally extending cavity,
• (2) said hitch receiver including a pair of receiver side walls each having a bore sized for close-fitted engagement by said hitch pin when in a mated state,
• (i) the bores in said receiver side walls being axially aligned;
• and
• (b) a draw bar including an elongated shank formed as a hollow tubular member and having a longitudinal axis and a throughway extending transversely therethrough with said throughway having a perimeter wall portion, said throughway being defined by a pair of a opposed axially aligned openings each having a first edge portion and a second edge portion with said first and second edge portion defining at least some of said perimeter wall portion;
• (c) a resilient cushion member immovably disposed in the throughway and supported against at least some of the perimeter wall portion of said shank;
• and
• (d) a passageway associated with said cushion member and sized to receive said hitch pin therethrough such that, when in the mated state, longitudinal motion of said shank in said hitch receiver is resisted by said cushion member with a resilient force.

A trailer hitch adapted to mount onto a tractor vehicle in order to interconnect a trailer and the tractor vehicle;

• comprising:
• (g) a hitch receiver adapted to be secured to the tractor vehicle,
• (1) said hitch receiver defining a longitudinally extending cavity,
• (2) said hitch receiver including a pair of receiver side walls each having a bore sized for close-fitted engagement by said hitch pin when in a mated state,
• (i) the bores in said receiver side walls being axially aligned;
• and
• (h) a draw bar including an elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and a throughway extending transversely therethrough with said throughway having a perimeter wall portion;
• (i) at least one cartridge adapted to be disposed in the throughway in said shank and supported against movement therein, said cartridge including a casing in the form of a sleeve having an axis oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction;
• (j) a resilient cushion member disposed in said casing and supported against longitudinal movement therein;
• and
• (k) a passageway associated with said cushion member and sized to receive said hitch pin therethrough such that, when in the mated state, longitudinal motion of said shank in said hitch receiver is resisted by said cushion member with a resilient force.

A method of hitching a trailer to a tractor vehicle, comprising:

• (a) placing a hitch receiver on said tractor vehicle,
• (1) said hitch receiver defining a longitudinally extending cavity,
• (2) said hitch receiver including a pair of side walls each having a bore sized for close-fitted engagement by said hitch pin when in a mated state,
• (i) the bores in said side walls being transversely aligned;
• (b) providing a draw bar including
• (1) an elongated shank having a longitudinal axis and a transversely extending throughway extending therethrough;
• (c) providing at least one cartridge adapted to be disposed in the throughway and supported against movement therein;
• (d) interconnecting said hitch receiver and said draw bar with a hitch pin in such a manner that the hitch pin is resiliently cushioned relative to said cartridge;
• and
• (e) attaching a tongue of the trailer to the draw bar.