Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-30
2001-04-10
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S416100, C280S495000, C280S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213492
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a underlift T-bar support accessory by which a tow truck operator may easily and reversibly modify an underlift T-bar of a tow truck into an underlift T-bar equipped with a convenient fifth wheel hitch assembly for lifting and towing of fifth wheel hitch trailers. The invention also optionally, but preferably, provides a hitch ball for use with gooseneck trailers that require a hitch ball on the towing vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of devices exist for mounting a fifth wheel hitch in a pickup truck bed for towing a fifth wheel hitch trailer including HARRIS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,134 issued Apr. 25, 1989; CHAMBERS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,288 issued Oct. 2, 1990; and LINDENMAN, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,682 issued Apr. 23, 1996. These devices are not suitable for use with underlift T-bars.
At least one fifth wheel hitch apparatus distributed by Miller Industries Towing Equipment Inc. of Ooltewah, Tennessee exists that may be used with tow trucks with a rear mounted underlift T-bar. The Miller device is massive, heavy, and cumbersome and provides little elevation to its centrally disposed fifth wheel hitch above the crossbar of the underlift T-bar. The Miller device is assembled on the crossbar of the underlift T-bar by sliding a sleeve onto each of the two free ends of the crossbar, each sleeve having an ear extending to the rear of the crossbar, each ear having a receiving aperture dimensioned to receive a vertical mounting stud of a central assembly, by mounting a central assembly having two vertical mounting studs to the sleeves from above by inserting the two studs into the receiving apertures, and by securing the studs in the ears by inserting locking pins in radial-through holes in the studs below the ears. The central assembly includes a centrally disposed fifth wheel hitch for receiving a kingpin of a fifth wheel trailer. When using the Miller apparatus, the operator has to reach under the trailer to be towed to insert a keeper pin in the hitch to secure the kingpin.
HILL, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,279 issued Mar. 4, 1997, discloses a towing lift accessory for mounting a cable sheave to the retractable leg of an underlift hoist of a winch equipped flat bed tow truck. The elements of the lift accessory and its method of use require retraction of the leg to secure the lift accessory to the leg of the underlift hoist. The lift accessory provides a means for elevating and stabilizing the sheave for use with a cable running from a winch on the tow truck to a vehicle or other load to be retrieved. Hill also provides for a hitch socket member for receiving a conventional trailer hitch accessory.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Towing vehicles, commonly tow trucks, often have a rear mounted hydraulically actuated underlift T-bar. The underlift T-bar comprises a boom aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tow truck connected to a crossbar proximate its middle point. The crossbar has a first leg and a second leg.
Many of the currently used underlift T-bars have booms that can be telescopically extended and retracted and many of the underlift T-bars have a limited range of vertical lifting motion that is insufficient for the lifting and towing of fifth wheel trailers.
A principal objective of this invention is to provide a novel, improved, and removable fifth wheel hitch assembly support accessory that is relatively lightweight, compact, simple, and low-maintenance, that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and that over a long service life provides reliable performance. The present invention provides for easy and reversible modification of an underlift T-bar of a tow truck to allow the lifting and towing of a fifth wheel trailer. The invention also provides an elevated hitch ball to an underlift T-bar, accessible for easy use for lifting and towing a gooseneck trailer.
The accessory includes a novel frame easily mounted to the boom and legs of an underlift T-bar. Then either a fifth wheel hitch assembly or a hitch ball is coupled to the frame. Then either a fifth wheel trailer or a goose neck trailer is coupled to the hitch assembly or hitch ball for lifting and towing. The frame provides the hitch assembly or hitch ball at an appropriate working elevation. In the preferred embodiment, the frame provides elevation of the fifth wheel hitch assembly approximately two feet above the central axis of the crossbar of the underlift T-bar. The frame provides elevation of the hitch ball approximately one and a half feet above the central axis of the crossbar of the underlift T-bar. The elevation provided by the frame allows an underlift T-bar that has limited range of vertical lifting motion increased capability to lift and tow a fifth wheel trailer or a goose neck trailer.
The frame includes two leg-straddling brackets and one boom-straddling bracket whereby the frame is releasably mounted to the boom and the two legs of the crossbar of the underlift T-bar. The two leg-straddling brackets are spaced from each other equidistant from the middle point of the crossbar and each is dimensioned to straddle and extend downward on both sides of a leg of the crossbar and downward below the leg. The boom-straddling bracket is dimensioned to straddle and extend downward on both sides of the boom and downward below the boom. Each bracket cooperates with locking means to encircle the corresponding boom or leg. The locking means may include releasable slidably received locking pins, push-pull pins, or locking bolts that are received in a pair of cooperating apertures in each of the brackets. Preferably the locking pins are secured relative to the brackets by spring clips, hair-pin clips, lynch pin clips, or cotter pins through radial-through holes in the locking pins. If locking bolts are used, they can be secured with locking nuts.
The frame may include three bracket shims for adjusting the dimensions of the brackets relative to the boom and legs of the specific underlift T-bar being modified. The shims allow the frame when dimensioned to fit an underlift T-bar with a larger boom or larger legs to be adjusted for use with an underlift T-bar with a smaller boom or smaller legs.
Each leg-straddling bracket is joined to a vertical support, the two vertical supports are connected to opposite ends of a horizontal crosspiece. The supports and the crosspiece form a figure H. Preferably, a hitch ball is releasably mounted in an appropriate opening in the crosspiece.
The boom-straddling bracket is joined to an angled member, the angled member is joined to the crosspiece proximate its midpoint. The vertical supports at their upper ends are joined to yokes that are adapted and dimensioned to cooperate with two pintle pins of a fifth wheel hitch assembly; whereby, the hitch assembly may be operatively coupled and decoupled from the yokes. Each yoke may receive and operatively retain a pintle pin of the fifth wheel hitch assembly. Each yoke has a pair of cooperating holes for the insertion of retaining means to secure a pintle pin relative to the yoke. The retaining means may include releasable slidably received retaining pins, push-pull pins, or retaining bolts that are received in the cooperating holes. Preferably the retaining pins are secured relative to the yokes by spring clips, hair-pin clips, lynch pin clips, or cotter pins through radial-through holes in the retaining pins. If retaining bolts are used, they can be secured with locking nuts.
Another prime object of the accessory is to increase the capability of a tow truck equipped with an underlift T-bar having a telescoping boom to respond to a towing situation that involves a disabled tow vehicle towing a fifth wheel hitch trailer or a goose neck trailer. Often such a truck is also equipped with a tiltable, extendable flat bed for carrying a disabled vehicle. Nominal use of the
Clark Charles R.
Johnson Brian L.
Lerner Avraham H.
LandOfFree
Underlift T-bar support accessory does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Underlift T-bar support accessory, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Underlift T-bar support accessory will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2549587