US3824930A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tow line truck and brake system
Assignee: WEBSTER TRUCK AND CASTER Co
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Filing: 1973-07-13
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Granted: 1974-07-23
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Expires: 1993-07-13
Abstract
Abstract An improved truck for tow line use is provided with a brake system designed to stop the truck in response to engagement of a front bumper against an obstacle, while minimizing the force applied by the truck and bumper to the obstacle. The truck includes a brake member having a bottom floor-engageable surface and an upper wheel-engageable surface. A longitudinally movable brake support member on the truck supports the brake member in front of at least one wheel for relative movement between a retracted position ahead of the wheel and a braking position in which the brake member is engaged beneath the wheel. The brake support member is mounted on the truck by low-friction ball or roller bearings, to further insure operation of the brake system with minimal application of force against an obstacle. The front bumper is movably mounted on the brake support member for movement from a rest position to an active control position by engagement with the obstacle. Movement of the front bumper to active position controls an anti-back-up device, in the form of a one-way clutch and brake interconnecting the truck body and brake support member, which permits forward movement of the truck body and wheel onto the brake member with a resulting cessation of forward motion due to the action of the brake member and weight of the truck, rather than the resistance of the obstacle. The anti-back-up device also prevents premature rearward movement of the wheel and truck body from the brake support member. The antiback-up device is released forcibly by return movement of the front bumper to its rest position. Improved tow pin lifting and rear bumper features are also shown, including a specially latched, resiliently held bumper.
Inventors
- 👤 R Biessener
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 09:17
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60T; B60T7/00; B60T7/12; B60T7/22; B60T1/00; B60T1/12; B60T1/14; B61; B61B; B61B10/00; B61B10/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
485 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck comprising in combination a load-carrying truck body having front and rear supporting wheels for engagement with a supporting floor, a tow pin for driven engagement by a tow line conveyor to move the truck across the floor along a path defined by such a conveyor, mechanism supporting the tow pin on the truck for movement between a driving position for driven engagement by such conveyor and a retracted non-position, a brake support member constituting an assembly extending generally longitudinally of the truck body in a direction corresponding to the path of movement of the truck, a front bumper member mounted at the front of the brake support for engagement by an obstacle in front of the truck, an anti-friction bearing member having respective bearing portions on said truck body and brake support member with intermediate rotatable friction-reducing bearings between the respective bearing portions supporting said brake support and freely permitting relative longitudinal movement of the brake support member and truck body along said path between a forward brake support member position in which the front bumper projects ahead of the truck and a rear brake support member position in which the front bumper is retracted rearwardly with respect to the truck body and thereby stopping the forward movement of the brake support member in response to minimal force resulting from such engagement of the front bumper by an obstacle, said brake support member carrying at least one brake member having a bottom floorengagable surface and a top wheel-engagable surface, the brake support member in iTs forward brake support position holding the brake member in front of and out of engagement with at least one truck wheel, and the brake support member when stopped by engagement of an obstacle with the front bumper also stopping said brake member and holding it in a relative rearward braking position in which said one truck wheel rolls up onto the brake member and is separated from the floor with that part of the truck weight carried by that wheel pressing the brake member against the floor, the tow pin, truck body and brake support member having an interconnection for moving the tow pin to nondriving position in response to initial relative movement of the truck and wheel toward the brake member, an anti-back-up device preventing premature relative movement of the wheel and truck longitudinally off the brake member, said front bumper being movably supported on said brake support member for movement thereon between a rest position and an active position in response to engagement by such an obstacle in front of the truck, and a connecting mechanism between the front bumper and the antiback-up device for activating the latter while the front bumper is held in its active position and for releasing the anti-back-up device in response to movement of the front bumper back to its rest position on removal of such obstacle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
485 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck comprising in combination a load-carrying truck body having front and rear supporting wheels for engagement with a supporting floor, a tow pin for driven engagement by a tow line conveyor to move the truck across the floor along a path defined by such a conveyor, mechanism supporting the tow pin on the truck for movement between a driving position for driven engagement by such conveyor and a retracted non-position, a brake support member constituting an assembly extending generally longitudinally of the truck body in a direction corresponding to the path of movement of the truck, a front bumper member mounted at the front of the brake support for engagement by an obstacle in front of the truck, an anti-friction bearing member having respective bearing portions on said truck body and brake support member with intermediate rotatable friction-reducing bearings between the respective bearing portions supporting said brake support and freely permitting relative longitudinal movement of the brake support member and truck body along said path between a forward brake support member position in which the front bumper projects ahead of the truck and a rear brake support member position in which the front bumper is retracted rearwardly with respect to the truck body and thereby stopping the forward movement of the brake support member in response to minimal force resulting from such engagement of the front bumper by an obstacle, said brake support member carrying at least one brake member having a bottom floorengagable surface and a top wheel-engagable surface, the brake support member in iTs forward brake support position holding the brake member in front of and out of engagement with at least one truck wheel, and the brake support member when stopped by engagement of an obstacle with the front bumper also stopping said brake member and holding it in a relative rearward braking position in which said one truck wheel rolls up onto the brake member and is separated from the floor with that part of the truck weight carried by that wheel pressing the brake member against the floor, the tow pin, truck body and brake support member having an interconnection for moving the tow pin to nondriving position in response to initial relative movement of the truck and wheel toward the brake member, an anti-back-up device preventing premature relative movement of the wheel and truck longitudinally off the brake member, said front bumper being movably supported on said brake support member for movement thereon between a rest position and an active position in response to engagement by such an obstacle in front of the truck, and a connecting mechanism between the front bumper and the antiback-up device for activating the latter while the front bumper is held in its active position and for releasing the anti-back-up device in response to movement of the front bumper back to its rest position on removal of such obstacle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
173 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 1 in which said anti-back-up device includes a releasable one-way clutch and brake device having first and second relatively movable portions, the first of which is secured to a portion of the truck body other than the wheel and the second of which is secured to the longitudinally movable brake support, said one-way clutch and brake device having a movable locking member operatively connected to and operated by the front bumper, thereby positioning the locking member in a lock position, in response to movement of the front bumper to its active position, in which the one-way clutch and brake device permits continued relative forward movement of the truck body relative to the brake support member but prevents rearward movement of the truck body relative to the brake support member, and movement of the front bumper to its rest position moving said locking member to unlocked position in which the truck body is free to move rearwardly relative to the brake support member and brake.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
145 words
An improved tow line truck according to claim 2 in which the first relatively movable member of the one-way clutch and brake is a longitudinally extending shaft, the second relatively movable member is a holder for a tiltable lock washer, and the locking member includes the washer and a spring holding the lock washer resiliently in its first position in which the shaft is movable only in a relative forward direction through the lock washer, and said locking member further includes a link connecting the lock washer and front bumper and tilting the lock washer to a second position in response to movement of the front bumper to its rest position, said link having a lost-motion connection with the lock washer, for insuring a desired force to swing the lock washer from its first to second position when the link finally engages the lock washer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
225 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 1 in which the truck is designed for use with a tow line conveyor positioned beneath such floor, and the interconnection between the tow pin, truck body and brake support member comprises a somewhat vertically movable tow pin housing, a supporting member connecting the truck body and tow pin housing for normal angular upward and forward movement of the housing and tow pin thereby tending to disengage the tow pin from such conveyor in response to the driving force exerted along said path by engagement of the conveyor against the tow pin, and interengaging portions connecting the brake support member and one of the tow pin and tow pin housing members for holding the tow pin downwardly in driven engagement with the conveyor whenever the Brake support member is in its relative forward position and the front bumper is free of engagement with any obstacle, said interengaging means having a shape and construction disengaging the tow pin and tow pin housing members in response to engagement of the front bumper with an obstacle and initial relative forward movement of the truck body with reference to the brake support member and thereby providing disengagement of the tow pin from the conveyor whenever the truck body moves relatively forwardly for engagement of said wheel onto said brake member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 4 in which said interconnection between the tow pin, truck body and movable brake support member includes interengaging surfaces connecting said brake support member and one of said tow pin and tow pin housing members for holding the tow pin upwardly in non-driving position whenever the relative longitudinal position of the truck body and brake support member holds said wheel fully on said brake member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
184 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to calim 1 having a rear bumper mounted on the truck body for longitudinal movement between a rearwardly projecting position and a forwardly retracted position, spring means normally and resiliently urging said rear bumper from its forwardly retracted position toward its rearwardly projecting position, and latching mechanism for temporarily locking the rear bumper in its rearwardly projecting position, said latching mechanism including cooperating first and second latch portions located respectively on said rear bumper and on said truck body, at least one of said latch portions being normally urged into a first position in engagement with the other latch portion thereby locking the rear bumper in its rearwardly projecting position, and a latch releasing member on said brake support member having a relative location for engaging said one latch portion and moving said one latch portion into a second position out of engagement with the other latch portion in response to relative movement of the brake support member with respect to the truck body to a position at which said truck wheel rolls onto said brake member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
184 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to calim 1 having a rear bumper mounted on the truck body for longitudinal movement between a rearwardly projecting position and a forwardly retracted position, spring means normally and resiliently urging said rear bumper from its forwardly retracted position toward its rearwardly projecting position, and latching mechanism for temporarily locking the rear bumper in its rearwardly projecting position, said latching mechanism including cooperating first and second latch portions located respectively on said rear bumper and on said truck body, at least one of said latch portions being normally urged into a first position in engagement with the other latch portion thereby locking the rear bumper in its rearwardly projecting position, and a latch releasing member on said brake support member having a relative location for engaging said one latch portion and moving said one latch portion into a second position out of engagement with the other latch portion in response to relative movement of the brake support member with respect to the truck body to a position at which said truck wheel rolls onto said brake member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 6 in which the mounting of said rear bumper and its latching mechanism provides a resilient member at a location which introduces a limited degree of resilience, when the bumper is forcibly engaged by a following or pushing truck, even when said bumper is latched in rearwardly projecting position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 7 in which said resilient member is a resilient supporting washer within which one of said latch portions is supported.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
149 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck according to claim 7 in which said brake support member has two longitudinally extending outer edges with front and rear anti-friction bearing members for each edge, each such bearing member including angular upper and lower bearing suraces on the brake support member edge, with the upper bearing surface inclined outwardly and downwardly to an outer edge line and with the lower bearing surface inclined outwardly and upwardly to said outer edge line, the corresponding bearing surfaces on the truck body for each such bearing including similarity inclined upper and lower bearing surfaces spaced outwardly from and parallel to the corresponding surfaces at the brake support member edges, and such bearing having its intermediate rotatable bearing members positioned and guided by an angular bearing member cage spaced between the parallel to the corresponding inclined bearing surfaces of the brake support member and truck body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
479 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck comprising in combination a load-carrying truck body having front and rear supporting wheels for engagement with a supporting floor, a tow pin for driven engagement by a tow line conveyor to move the truck across the floor along a path defined by such a conveyor, mechanism supportiNg the tow pin on the truck for movement between a driving position for driven engagement by such conveyor conveyor and a retracted non-driving position, a front bumper support member extendng generally longitudinally of the truck body in a direction corresponding to the path of movement of the truck, a front bumper member mounted at the front of the bumper support for engagement by an obstacle in front of the truck, an anti-friction bearing member having respective bearing portions on said truck body and bumper support member with intermediate rotatable friction-reducing bearings between the respective bearing portions supporting said bumper support and freely permitting relative longitudinal movement of the bumper support member and truck body along said path between a forward position in which the front bumper projects ahead of the truck body and a rear position in which the front bumper is retracted rearwardly with respect to the truck body and thereby stopping the forward movement of the bumper support member in response to minimal force resulting from such engagement of the front bumper by an obstacle, the tow pin, truck body and bumper support member having an interconnection for moving the tow pin to non-driving position in response to initial relative movement of the truck and wheel toward the front bumper, the truck being designed for use with a tow line conveyor positioned beneath such floor, and the interconnection between the tow pin, truck body and bumper support member comprises a somewhat vertically movable tow pin housing, a supporting member connecting the truck body and tow pin housing for normal angular upward and forward movement of the housing and tow pin thereby tending to disengage the tow pin from such conveyor in response to the driving force exerted along said path by engagement of the conveyor against the tow pin, and interengaging portions connecting the bumper support member and one of the tow pin housing members for holding the tow pin downwardly in driven engagement with the conveyor whenever the bumper support member is in its relative forward position and the front bumper is free of engagement with any obstacle, said interengaging means having a shape and construction disengaging the tow pin and tow pin housing members in response to engagement of the front bumper with an obstacle and initial relative forward movement of the truck body with reference to the bumper support member and thereby providing disengagement of the tow pin from the conveyor whenever the bumper engages an obstacle and the truck body moves relatively forwardly with respect to said bumper support member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
479 words
An improved tow line conveyor truck comprising in combination a load-carrying truck body having front and rear supporting wheels for engagement with a supporting floor, a tow pin for driven engagement by a tow line conveyor to move the truck across the floor along a path defined by such a conveyor, mechanism supportiNg the tow pin on the truck for movement between a driving position for driven engagement by such conveyor conveyor and a retracted non-driving position, a front bumper support member extendng generally longitudinally of the truck body in a direction corresponding to the path of movement of the truck, a front bumper member mounted at the front of the bumper support for engagement by an obstacle in front of the truck, an anti-friction bearing member having respective bearing portions on said truck body and bumper support member with intermediate rotatable friction-reducing bearings between the respective bearing portions supporting said bumper support and freely permitting relative longitudinal movement of the bumper support member and truck body along said path between a forward position in which the front bumper projects ahead of the truck body and a rear position in which the front bumper is retracted rearwardly with respect to the truck body and thereby stopping the forward movement of the bumper support member in response to minimal force resulting from such engagement of the front bumper by an obstacle, the tow pin, truck body and bumper support member having an interconnection for moving the tow pin to non-driving position in response to initial relative movement of the truck and wheel toward the front bumper, the truck being designed for use with a tow line conveyor positioned beneath such floor, and the interconnection between the tow pin, truck body and bumper support member comprises a somewhat vertically movable tow pin housing, a supporting member connecting the truck body and tow pin housing for normal angular upward and forward movement of the housing and tow pin thereby tending to disengage the tow pin from such conveyor in response to the driving force exerted along said path by engagement of the conveyor against the tow pin, and interengaging portions connecting the bumper support member and one of the tow pin housing members for holding the tow pin downwardly in driven engagement with the conveyor whenever the bumper support member is in its relative forward position and the front bumper is free of engagement with any obstacle, said interengaging means having a shape and construction disengaging the tow pin and tow pin housing members in response to engagement of the front bumper with an obstacle and initial relative forward movement of the truck body with reference to the bumper support member and thereby providing disengagement of the tow pin from the conveyor whenever the bumper engages an obstacle and the truck body moves relatively forwardly with respect to said bumper support member.
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) | 1977-07-22 | 1978-01-21 | 1978-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-22 | 1982-01-21 | 1982-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-22 | 1986-01-21 | 1986-07-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |