US3770149A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for towing wide vehicles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-11-26
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Granted: 1973-11-06
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Expires: 1991-11-26
Abstract
Abstract Truck mounted crane-type apparatus for towing relatively wide and heavy wrecks or otherwise disabled vehicles is constructed with an adjustable length spacer bar extending from the rear of the towing vehicle and secured to the towed vehicle to maintain these vehicles spaced apart especially during turning. The rear end of the spacer bar is mounted to a generally horizontal pivot disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle, and the front end of the spacer bar supports a tow bar on a joint means that provides mutually perpendicular pivot axes about which the tow bar is pivotable, relative to the spacer bar. One of these pivot axes extends along the longitudinal axis of the spacer bar, and when this pivot axis is horizontal, the other of these pivot axes is vertical. In one mode of operation, a fixed length cable passing over a pulley mounted to the movable rear end of the crane boom is secured at its ends to fixed points on the tow bar, with these points disposed on opposite sides of the tow bar conection to the spacer bar. This permits pivoting of the tow bar about the other of said axes and provides means for lifting the tow bar as the rear end of the boom is raised. In another mode of operation, the fixed length cable is replaced by a winch having a cable which passes over a guide pulley secured to the boom at the rear end thereof, with this cable being secured to the tow bar at the same spaced points where the ends of the fixed length cable were secured.
Inventors
- 👤 J Aquila
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:33
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60P; B60P3/00; B60P3/12; B60P3/125
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
257 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear end of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed; a framelike base including spaced side members adapted to be fixedly secured to a towing vehicle; first means defining said generally horizontal axis and second means defining another generally horizontal axis extending parallel to the other generally horizontal axis; said first means secured to said base at the rear of said side members and said second means secured to said side members forward of said first means; said boom having its front end secured to said second means to constitute a center about which said boom pivots.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
257 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear end of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed; a framelike base including spaced side members adapted to be fixedly secured to a towing vehicle; first means defining said generally horizontal axis and second means defining another generally horizontal axis extending parallel to the other generally horizontal axis; said first means secured to said base at the rear of said side members and said second means secured to said side members forward of said first means; said boom having its front end secured to said second means to constitute a center about which said boom pivots.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means defining the first and second pivotal axes are both disposed at said rear end of said spacer means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the spacer means includes first and second elongated members; said first member connected at the front thereof to said horizontal axis and said second member connected at the rear thereof to said tow bar means; said second member, through axial movement thereof, being adjUstable relative to said first member; and means for maintaining said second member in its adjusted position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which one of said members is tubular and the other of said members is telescoped within said one member; said means for maintaining said second member in its adjusted position including removable pin means disposed within aligned apertures in said members; said apertures extending transverse to the longitudinal axes of said members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which the means defining the first and second pivotal axes are both disposed at said rear end of said spacer means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which the means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means includes a cable operatively connected between said boom and points on said tow bar means disposed on opposite sides of said mid-region; a pulley mounted to said boom at the rear thereof; said cable passing over said pulley and having opposite ends thereof anchored to said points on said tow bar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means includes a cable operatively connected between said boom and points on said tow bar means disposed on opposite sides of said mid-region; a pulley mounted to said boom at the rear thereof; said cable passing over said pulley and having opposite ends thereof anchored to said points on said tow bar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means includes a cable operatively connected between said boom and points on said tow bar means disposed on opposite sides of said mid-region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which there is a pulley mounted to said boom at the rear thereof; said cable passing over said pulley and having opposite ends thereof anchored to said points on said tow bar.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
106 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 also including winch means having a relatively long lifting cable, and a guide pulley for said lifting cable; said guide pulley being mounted to the boom at the rear thereof; said lifting cable being selectively connectable to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; and another cable normally extending between said boom and said tow bar means, and constituting at least part of a selectively separable operative connection to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; both said lifting cable and said another cable comprising said means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the means defining the first and second pivotal axes includes respective first and second pin means generally perpendicular to each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said first means includes a rear transverse base member pivotally mounted to said side members and having the front end of the spacer means connected thereto.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 in which the spacer means is fixedly secured to said rear transverse base member and is generally at right angles thereto at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 in which said second means includes front transverse base member means extending between said side members.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
266 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear End of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed, which means having a relatively long lifting cable, and a guide pulley for said lifting cable; said guide pulley being mounted to boom at the rear thereof; said lifting cable being selectively connectable to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; and another cable normally extending between said boom and said tow bar means, and constituting at least part of a selectively separable operative connection to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; both said lifting cable and said another cable comprising said means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
266 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear End of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed, which means having a relatively long lifting cable, and a guide pulley for said lifting cable; said guide pulley being mounted to boom at the rear thereof; said lifting cable being selectively connectable to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; and another cable normally extending between said boom and said tow bar means, and constituting at least part of a selectively separable operative connection to control raising and lowering of said tow bar means; both said lifting cable and said another cable comprising said means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
231 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear end of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed; said means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means including a cable operatively connected between said boom and points on said tow bar means disposed on opposite sides of said mid-region; a pulley mounted to said boom at the rear thereof; said cable passing over said pulley and having opposite ends thereof anchored to said points on said tow bar.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
231 words
Apparatus mounted to a towing vehicle and removably connectable to a vehicle to be towed; said apparatus including a boom mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane; rigid elongated spacer means extending rearward from the rear of a towing vehicle; said spacer means being pivoted at its front end about a generally horizontal axis so that the rear end of said spacer means is movable in said vertical plane; tow bar means connected at its mid-region to said spacer means at its said rear end; means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means at the rear of the latter; means operatively connected to said boom for raising and lowering said rear end of said spacer means; means defining first and second pivotal axes for said tow bar means whereby the latter is free to pivot and thereby compensate for both longitudinal and side-to-side tilting misalignment between towed and towing vehicles; said spacer means being selectively adjustable in length in accordance with the width of a vehicle being towed; said means operatively connecting said boom and said spacer means including a cable operatively connected between said boom and points on said tow bar means disposed on opposite sides of said mid-region; a pulley mounted to said boom at the rear thereof; said cable passing over said pulley and having opposite ends thereof anchored to said points on said tow bar.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 in which the spacer means includes first and second elongated members; said first member connected at the front thereof to said horizontal axis and said second member connected at the rear thereof to said tow bar means; said second member, through axial movement thereof, being adjustable relative to said first member; and means for maintaining said second member in its adjusted position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 in which the means defining the first and second pivotal axes are both disposed at said rear end of said spacer means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
96 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 also including a framelike base including spaced side members adapted to be fixedly secured to a towing vehicle; first means defining said generally horizontal axis and second means defining another generally horizontal axis extending parallel to the other generally horizontal axis; said first means secured to said base at the rear of said side members and said second means secured to said side members forward of said first means; said boom having its front end secured to said second means to constitute a center about which said boom pivots.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-05 | 1977-05-07 | 1977-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-05 | 1981-05-07 | 1981-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-05 | 1985-05-07 | 1985-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |