Automobile towing apparatus

Claim 2

Automobile towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising (a) a pair of vehicle lifts adapted to engage and lift transversely spaced apart portions of a disabled vehicle, each lift defining a plane, (b) a boom having an upper horizontal portion for extending rearwardly along the tow truck from a first transverse pivot axis at a forward location to a second transverse pivot axis at a more rearward location, said boom further having a lower horizontal portion for projecting rearwardly from the tow truck, (c) means supporting the vehicle lifts in a horizontal loading position on said lower portion of the boom at transversely spaced apart locations adjacent the ground with their planes generally parallel with the ground, (d) means for vertically moving each of said first and second axes independently of each other relative to the tow truck whereby upward movement of the second axis causes pivoting of the boom about the first axis to bring the lower portion of the boom to an elevated position in which the vehicle lifts are elevated above the ground and the disabled vehicle is raised to a towing position and upward movement of the first axis causes pivoting of the boom about the second axis to bring the lower portion of the boom to a down-sloped loading position in which the vehicle lifts lie closely adjacent ground that slopes rearwardly and downwardly away from the ground on which the tow truck stands with the planes of said vehicle lifts extending generally parallel to such sloping ground.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each vehicle lift comprises (k) a pair of spaced apart, rearwardly extending arms and a pair of spaced apart, transversely extending bar means joining the ends of the arms, said bar means being adapted to engage portions of a tire of the vehicle and together with the arms defining said plane of the lift, a forward one of said bar means constituting part of said means supporting the lifts on the rear portion of the boom, (i) means mounting the forward end of each arm on said forward bar means to pivot about a transverse axis, and (j) means limiting downward pivoting movement of the rear ends of the arms below a position in which the plane of the lift is horizontal in said horizontal loading position, while permitting said rear ends of the arms to move upwards to bring the plane of the lift into an up-sloped loading position with said plane parallel to ground that slopes upwardly and rearwardly away from the tow truck.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, means pivotally mounting said beam on said rear portion of the boom for movement about an axis extending rearwardly along said rear portion of the boom to enable said vehicle lifts to lie closely adjacent ground sloping transversely relative to the ground on which the truck is standing in a side-sloped loading position, and means for restricting such pivotal movement of the beam.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, means pivotally mounting said beam on said rear portion of the boom for movement about a substantially vertical axis in the horizontal loading position, and means for inhibiting such pivotal movement until a predetermined force is exerted to overcome such inhibiting means whereby to render the beam effectively non-pivotable about said vertical axis during a loading operation but pivotable about said vertical axis during towing in a curved path.

Claim 6

Automobile towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising a boom having (i) an upper, generally horizontal, forward portion, (ii) an intermediate, downwardly extending, generally vertical portion, and (iii) a lower, generally horizontal, rear portion, a rear end of the upper portion being connected to an upper end of the intermediate portion and a lower end of the intermediate portion being connected to a forward end of the rear portion, (b) means for mounting front and rear ends of the upper portion at first and second locations on the tow truck so that the intermediate portion extends downwardly adjacent the rear of the truck and the lower portion projects horizontally rearwardly from the truck adjacent the ground, (c) said mounting means comprising a first transverse pivot pin at the first location, a second transverse pivot pin at the second location and respective power means for individually moving each said pin vertically relative to the tow truck whereby upward movement of the second pin causes pivoting of the boom about the first pin to raise the rear boom portion and upward movement of the first pin causes pivoting of the boom about the second pin to lower the rear boom portion, (d) said rear boom portion comprising a forward member and a rearward member, the forward member being connected to the lower end of the intermediate portion and the rearward member being telescopically extensible relative to the forward member, (e) a transversely extending beam centrally pivotally connected to said rearward member for movement about a substantially vertical axis, including means for inhibiting such pivotal movement, and (f) a pair of vehicle lifts mounted on respective ends of said beam for engaging and lifting a pair of wheels of a disabled vehicle, (g) each lift comprising a pair of spaced apart arms extending rearwardly from the beam and having notches for retaining a transverse bar for joining the bars and cooperating with the beam to engage portions of a tire of a said wheel.

Claim 7

Automobile towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising a boom having (i) an upper, generally horizontal, forward portion, (ii) an intermediate, downwardly extending, generally vertical portion, and (iii) a lower, generally horizontal, rear portion, a rear end of the upper portion being connected to an upper end of the intermediate portion and a lower end of the intermediate portion being connected to a forward end of the rear portion, (b) means for mounting front and rear ends of the upper portion at first and second locations on the tow truck so that the intermediate portion extends downwardly adjacent the rear of the truck and the lower portion projects horizontally rearwardly from the truck adjacent the ground, (c) said mounting means comprising a first transverse pivot pin at the first location, a second transverse pivot pin at the second location and respective power means for individually moving each said pin vertically relative to the tow truck whereby upward movement of the second pin causes pivoting of the boom about the first pin to raise the rear boom portion and upward movement of the first pin causes pivoting of the boom about the second pin to lower the rear boom portion, (d) said rear boom portion comprising a forward member and a rearward member, the forward member being connected to the lower end of the intermediate portion and the rearward member being telescopically extensible relative to the forward member, (e) a transversely extending beam centrally pivotally connected to said rearward member for movement about a substantially vertical axis, including means for inhibiting such pivotal movement, and (f) a pair of vehicle lifts mounted on respective ends of said beam for engaging and lifting a pair of wheels of a disabled vehicle, (g) each lift comprising a pair of spaced apart arms extending rearwardly from the beam and having notches for retaining a transverse bar for joining the bars and cooperating with the beam to engage portions of a tire of a said wheel.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for inhibiting pivotal movement of the beam includes means adapted to yield to a predetermined force to enable the beam to pivot about said substantially vertical axis.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said rearward member of the rear boom portion is pivotable relative to the forward member about an axis extending along said rear boom portion, and including means for restricting such pivotal movement.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each arm is mounted on the beam to pivot upwardly about a transverse axis from a horizontal orientation.

Claim 11

Automobile towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising (a) a pair of vehicle lifts adapted to engage and lift transversely spaced apart portions of a disabled vehicle, each lift defining a plane, (b) a boom, (c) means for mounting the boom on the tow truck to project rearwardly therefrom, and (d) means supporting the vehicle lifts on a generally horizontally extending rear portion of the boom at transversely spaced apart locations adjacent the ground with their planes generally parallel with the ground, (e) the means for mounting the boom on the truck including means for pivoting said rearward portion thereof in a vertical plane between (i) a horizontal loading position in which said vehicle lifts lie closely adjacent ground substantially level with ground on which the truck stands, and (ii) a towing position in which said vehicle lifts are elevated above the ground and the vehicle is raised to a towing position, (f) said rear portion of the boom comprising an outer member and an inner member longitudinally slidable within the outer member, said inner member having a circular cross-section whereby to be pivotable within the outer member about an axis extending rearwardly along said rear portion of the boom, and wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, and means mounting said beam on said inner member to enable free pivoting of said beam with said inner member about said rearwardly extending axis to enable said vehicle lifts to lie closely adjacent ground sloping transversely relative to the ground on which the truck is standing in a side-sloped loading position, and means for restricting such pivotal movement of the inner member and hence the beam about said rearwardly extending axis.

Claim 12

Automobile towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising (a) a pair of vehicle lifts adapted to engage and lift transversely spaced apart portions of a disabled vehicle, each lift defining a plane, (b) a boom, (c) means for mounting the boom on the tow truck to project rearwardly therefrom, and (d) means supporting the vehicle lifts on a generally horizontally extending rear portion of the boom at transversely spaced apart locations adjacent the ground with their planes generally parallel with the ground, (e) the means for mounting the boom on the truck including means for pivoting said rearward portion thereof in a vertical plane between (i) a horizontal loading position in which said vehicle lifts lie closely adjacent ground substantially level with ground on which the truck stands, and (ii) a towing position in which said vehicle lifts are elevated above the ground and the vehicle is raised to a towing position, (f) said rear portion of the boom comprising an outer member and an inner member longitudinally slidable within the outer member, said inner member having a circular cross-section whereby to be pivotable within the outer member about an axis extending rearwardly along said rear portion of the boom, and wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, and means mounting said beam on said inner member to enable free pivoting of said beam with said inner member about said rearwardly extending axis to enable said vehicle lifts to lie closely adjacent ground sloping transversely relative to the ground on which the truck is standing in a side-sloped loading position, and means for restricting such pivotal movement of the inner member and hence the beam about said rearwardly extending axis.

Claim 13

Automoblie towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising (a) a pair of vehicle lifts adapted to engage and lift transversely spaced apart portions of a disabled vehicle, each lift defining a plane, (b) a boom, (c) means for mounting the boom on the tow truck to project rearwardly therefrom, and (d) means supporting the vehicle lifts on a generally horizontally extending rear portion of the boom at transversely spaced apart locations adjacent the ground with their planes generally parallel with the ground, (e) the means for mounting the boom on the truck including means for pivoting said rearward portion thereof in a vertical plane between (i) a horizontal loading position in which said vehicle lifts lie closely adjacent ground substantially level with ground on which the truck stands, and (ii) a towing position in which said vehicle lifts are elevated above the ground and the vehicle is raised to a towing position, (f) wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, means pivotally mounting said beam on said rear portion of the boom for movement about a substantially vertical axis in the horizontal loading position, and means for inhibiting such pivotal movement until a predetermined force is exerted to overcome such inhibiting means but to freely permit such pivotable movement after the inhibiting means have been overcome whereby to render the beam effectively non-pivotable about said vertical axis during a loading operation but freely pivotable about said vertical axis during towing in a curved path.

Claim 14

Automoblie towing apparatus for mounting on a tow truck, said apparatus comprising (a) a pair of vehicle lifts adapted to engage and lift transversely spaced apart portions of a disabled vehicle, each lift defining a plane, (b) a boom, (c) means for mounting the boom on the tow truck to project rearwardly therefrom, and (d) means supporting the vehicle lifts on a generally horizontally extending rear portion of the boom at transversely spaced apart locations adjacent the ground with their planes generally parallel with the ground, (e) the means for mounting the boom on the truck including means for pivoting said rearward portion thereof in a vertical plane between (i) a horizontal loading position in which said vehicle lifts lie closely adjacent ground substantially level with ground on which the truck stands, and (ii) a towing position in which said vehicle lifts are elevated above the ground and the vehicle is raised to a towing position, (f) wherein the means supporting the vehicle lifts on the rear portion of the boom include a transversely extending beam at respective ends of which said vehicle lifts are located, means pivotally mounting said beam on said rear portion of the boom for movement about a substantially vertical axis in the horizontal loading position, and means for inhibiting such pivotal movement until a predetermined force is exerted to overcome such inhibiting means but to freely permit such pivotable movement after the inhibiting means have been overcome whereby to render the beam effectively non-pivotable about said vertical axis during a loading operation but freely pivotable about said vertical axis during towing in a curved path.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said rear portion of the boom comprises an outer member and an inner member longitudinally slidable within the outer member, said inner member having a circular cross-section whereby to be pivotable within the outer member about an axis extending rearwardly along said rear portion of the boom, and including means mounting said beam on said inner member to enable free pivoting of said beam with said inner member about said rearwardly extending axis to enable said vehicle lifts to lie closely adjacent ground sloping transversely relative to the ground on which the truck is standing in a side-sloped loading position, and means for restricting such pivotal movement of the inner member and hence the beam about said rearwardly extending axis.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 9, 10 or 11 wherein each vehicle lift comprises (g) a pair of spaced apart, rearwardly extending arms and a pair of spaced apart, transversely extending bar means joining the ends of the arms, said bar means being adapted to engage portions of a tire of the vehicle and together with the arms defining said plane of the lift, a forward one of said bar means constituting part of said beam, (h) means mounting the forward end of each arm on said forward bar means to pivot about a transverse axis, and (i) means limiting downward pivoting movement of the rear ends of the arms below a position in which the plane of the lift is horizontal is said horizontal loading position, while permitting said rear ends of the arms to move upwards to bring the plane of the lift into an up-sloped loading position with said plane parallel to ground that slopes upwardly and rearwardly away from the tow truck.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 5, including at least one brake bar mounted on the beam adjacent said vehicle lifts, each said brake bar being movable between an operative position in which it projects below the vehicle lifts towards but not engaging the ground when the apparatus is in the towing position but into engagement with the ground when the apparatus is lowered to the horizontal loading position, and an inoperative position in which it does not project below the vehicle lifts, for use in the loading position of the apparatus.