Over-center locking mechanism for tow truck wheel-lift or the li

Material or article handling – Traversing hoist type – Tow truck type

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

280402, 414427, B60P 312

Patent

active

057228108

ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a wheel grid assembly and vehicle towing apparatus. The wheel grid assembly includes a wheel boom and a pair of lift arms. Each lift arm consists of an extension arm segment and an engaging arm segment pivotally mounted to the extension arm segment. Each engaging arm segment is made up of an actuating arm segment and a gripping arm segment extending in different directions from the pivot point. A pair of linear actuators rotate the engaging arm segments about their pivot points to engage the wheels of a vehicle to be towed. Each linear actuator is attached to an engaging arm segment through an over-center locking mechanism. The over-center locking mechanisms lock the engaging arm segments in wheel engaging positions without aid of force from the linear actuators. The present invention also relates to a position lock mechanism and a wheel grid self-centering device. Additionally, the present invention provides a wheel spacer for creating adjustability in the lift arms to accommodate variations in wheel size, and an automatic linear actuator control line retractor assembly. The wheel grid assembly of the present invention may be incorporated with an extensible main boom, and utilized with various configurations of tow vehicles.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2183478 (1939-12-01), Holmes et al.
patent: 2436000 (1948-02-01), Fleming
patent: 2449146 (1948-09-01), Ryan
patent: 2495493 (1950-01-01), Wright
patent: 2625278 (1953-01-01), Sensenbaugh
patent: 2793770 (1957-05-01), St. Denis
patent: 3434607 (1969-03-01), Nelson
patent: 3667630 (1970-06-01), Scott
patent: 3667631 (1972-06-01), Bishop
patent: 3951280 (1976-04-01), Peck
patent: 4034873 (1977-07-01), Harirg
patent: 4176999 (1979-12-01), Thorley
patent: 4186938 (1980-02-01), Youngblood
patent: 4194755 (1980-03-01), Youngblood
patent: 4384817 (1983-05-01), Peterson
patent: 4392771 (1983-07-01), Smalley
patent: 4407623 (1983-10-01), Parks
patent: 4451193 (1984-05-01), Cannon, Jr. et al.
patent: 4473334 (1984-09-01), Brown
patent: 4487544 (1984-12-01), Hubbard
patent: 4493603 (1985-01-01), Williams et al.
patent: 4564207 (1986-01-01), Russ et al.
patent: 4573857 (1986-03-01), Porter, Sr. et al.
patent: 4583466 (1986-04-01), Reddy et al.
patent: 4632629 (1986-12-01), Kooima
patent: 4634337 (1987-01-01), Hamman
patent: 4640660 (1987-02-01), Watson
patent: 4674943 (1987-06-01), Nespor
patent: 4678392 (1987-07-01), Capers et al.
patent: 4679978 (1987-07-01), Holmes et al.
patent: 4701099 (1987-10-01), Muller
patent: 4737066 (1988-04-01), Allison, Jr.
patent: 4741661 (1988-05-01), Carey
patent: 4761110 (1988-08-01), Boutilier
patent: 4761111 (1988-08-01), Brown
patent: 4775285 (1988-10-01), Zackovich
patent: 4793763 (1988-12-01), Bubik
patent: 4797057 (1989-01-01), Shoup et al.
patent: 4797058 (1989-01-01), Bilas
patent: 4798509 (1989-01-01), Bubik
patent: 4815915 (1989-03-01), Crupi, Jr.
patent: 4836737 (1989-06-01), Holmes et al.
patent: 4838753 (1989-06-01), Gehman et al.
patent: 4859134 (1989-08-01), Lock
patent: 4861221 (1989-08-01), Krisa
patent: 4871291 (1989-10-01), Moore et al.
patent: 4874285 (1989-10-01), Bubik
patent: 4904146 (1990-02-01), Lock et al.
patent: 4917563 (1990-04-01), Pollner et al.
patent: 4927315 (1990-05-01), Nespor
patent: 4946182 (1990-08-01), Weber
patent: 4948327 (1990-08-01), Crupi, Jr.
patent: 4968052 (1990-11-01), Alm et al.
patent: 4993909 (1991-02-01), Hamman
patent: 5013205 (1991-05-01), Schardt
patent: 5013209 (1991-05-01), DeMichele et al.
patent: 5249909 (1993-10-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 5259572 (1993-11-01), Franken et al.
patent: 5269553 (1993-12-01), Alonso
patent: 5302074 (1994-04-01), Elfstrom
patent: 5326216 (1994-07-01), Russ
patent: 5336037 (1994-08-01), Curten et al.
patent: 5350271 (1994-09-01), Weller
patent: 5352083 (1994-10-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 5354167 (1994-10-01), Cullum et al.
patent: 5391044 (1995-02-01), Young
Abstract of Canadian Patent No. 2069809-A, Issued May 28, 1992, "Wheel Engaging System for Towing Vehicle Wheel Lifts", Derwent Publications Ltd. London, England 1993.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Over-center locking mechanism for tow truck wheel-lift or the li does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Over-center locking mechanism for tow truck wheel-lift or the li, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Over-center locking mechanism for tow truck wheel-lift or the li will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2243588

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.