Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-18
2001-05-29
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S407000, C280S482000, C410S007000, C414S563000, C414S664000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237931
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to devices that are used for securing a vehicle to a towbar boom.
There are a number of devices which facilitate the towing of a vehicle behind another vehicle. The towing vehicle typically employs a towbar with at least one boom for lifting one end of the towed vehicle off the road surface. The towed vehicle is secured to the towbar boom by means of chains or similar devices. The use of chains to secure the towed vehicle to the towbar boom presents problems in finding a sufficient number of anchoring points to secure the towed vehicle to the towbar boom. In addition, the use of chains requires an operator to reach underneath the vehicle to be towed, which is time consuming and awkward in adverse conditions such as snow or rain storms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The towbar adapter assembly includes two subassemblies. A receiver sub-assembly is comprised of a base and a body. The receiver base is adapted to be mounted onto a towbar boom and securely attached thereto, for instance, by bolts. The receiver body is attached to the base and projects upward and at a right angle from the base. The attachment position of the receiver body is offset from the centerline of the boom receiver base and towbar boom.
The towbar adapter assembly further comprises an anchoring strut subassembly. The strut is adapted to be slidably received by the receiver body and comprises at least one clevis. The vertical position of the strut with respect to the receiver body may be varied by sliding the strut up or down within the body. Once the desired strut vertical position is achieved, this position may be secured, for instance, with a pin.
The clevis comprises a set of parallel ears extending from the strut. Each ear has an aperture, which is axially aligned with an opposing aperture. The clevis has a centerline plane which is offset by a distance from the centerline plane of the strut. The vehicle tie ring is positioned between the parallel ears of the clevis and coupled thereto.
In use, the receiver base bolts are loosened and the towbar adapter assembly is removed from a storage mount. The receiver base is positioned onto the towbar boom to obtain the desired offset of the receiver body to the towbar boom. The receiver base is secured to the towbar boom. The strut is positioned with respect to the receiver base so that the desired vertical height and offset of the clevis to the base are achieved. The strut is secured to the receiver body to fix this position. The vehicle tie ring, or another similar fixture, is then positioned between the ears of the clevis and coupled thereto.
Preferably a pair of towbar adapter assemblies are used for securing the vehicle to the towbar. In this circumstance, the offset distance of each clevis to its base is independently variable. This allows the use of two towbar adapter assemblies of the same dimensional configuration to incrementally accommodate vehicles with an extended range of tie ring spacings.
An object of the invention is to provide a rapid and convenient means of adjustably securing a vehicle to a towbar boom via a vehicle tie ring.
A further object of the invention is to provide a high integrity attachment of a heavy-duty vehicle to a towbar boom.
Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient device capable of readily securing a wide range of vehicles having differing vehicle tie ring locations to a towbar boom.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4640660 (1987-02-01), Watson
patent: 5090718 (1992-02-01), Kauffman
patent: 5249911 (1993-10-01), Marola
patent: 5413366 (1995-05-01), Gibbons
patent: 5722677 (1998-03-01), Lichter et al.
patent: 5765850 (1998-06-01), Emerson
patent: 5795115 (1998-08-01), Collins
patent: 6077004 (2000-06-01), Denman, Jr.
patent: 2620128 (1977-11-01), None
patent: 2250323 (1975-05-01), None
Alix Yale & Ristas, LLP
Johnson Brian L.
Lerner Avraham H.
Tru-Hitch, Inc.
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