Trailer hitch and draw bar (vehicle)

[svishal03]

Hi,

I'm not a mechanical or an automobile engineer and have a poor knowledge of vehicles as I don't drive.

I'm solving a particular problem in mechanics dealing with stress analysis which deals with a trailer hitch (See attached figure)

Can anyoen tell me ina very fundamental manner

1) What is a trailer hitch ? (I understand through wikepedia that a trailer hitch is an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle)

2) Considering the attached figure, my questions are

a) Which oen is a trailer hitch and which is a draw bar in the figure?
b)What is the function of the bolt in the figure?
c)Can anyoen explain the operation of the trailer hitch,draw bar and state of stress in thebolt ?

I shall eb grateful



Vishal

 

[svishal03]

Can anyone pleaseeeee help?

 

[SteamKing]

A trailer hitch is a device which allows a car or truck to pull a trailer. The trailer is an unpowered wheeled vehicle.

The draw bar in the attached figure is the straight rectangular piece. The draw bar is attached to the pulling vehicle.

The ball piece on the left end permits the trailer to articulate when the pulling vehicle makes a turn. The trailer has a corresponding piece called a coupler which projects from the front of the trailer and slips over the ball of the hitch.

 

[svishal03]

Thank you very much.
Does the attached picture show the trailer? You said the draw bar is the straight rectangular piece.What is the curved piece in the figure - is the curved piece the trailer?

What are the loads / state of stress on the bolt there?

 

[AlephZero]

It might help to see a trailer hitch attached to a car...

... and towing a trailer