Vehicle towing apparatus

A towing device for front wheel drive vehicles in which support plates are attached to the two front axle hubs, the support plates are each connected to a strut of said vehicle whereby the respective axle of said vehicle is prevented from rotating, an ancillary axle depending from each said support plate has an axle hub adapted to receive a wheel for supporting said vehicle, and draw bars secured at one end to the support plates and converging at the other end to receive a coupler permit attachment to a towing vehicle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a vehicle towing device and, more particularly, 
relates to an apparatus by which the front wheel axles of a front wheel 
drive vehicle are immobilized from rotation and a new free wheeling axle 
is substituted for each drive wheel axle. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Vehicle towing devices are commonly used for towing disabled vehicles and 
for towing dinghy vehicles such as cars and small trucks behind 
recreational vehicles such that a dinghy vehicle is available to the owner 
when their destination is reached. In that front wheel drive vehicles have 
the speedometer and odometer operatively connected to the transmission, 
and in that it is unlawful to disconnect the odometer from the 
transmission, the miles logged while the vehicle is towed are shown on the 
odometer. Although the miles accumulated do not involve any load and wear 
on the power train, since the engine, transmission and other driveline 
components are not under load, warranty coverage may be denied due to the 
accumulated total mileage. 
Various types of vehicle towing trailers are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,827 
which issued Feb. 2, 1971 to Schier shows a device having a tow bar frame 
assembly and castor wheels spaced outside the front wheels of the vehicle 
towed. An electric motor powers a hoist for raising and lowering the 
vehicle to be towed onto the trailer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,582 which issued Feb. 13, 1951 to Hawkins shows another 
embodiment of a tow trailer having ground-engaging wheels located outside 
the front wheels of the vehicle being towed. Wheel-supporting cradles on 
the trailer receive and slightly elevate the wheels of the towed vehicle 
above the roadway. The supporting cradles are spaced to correspond to the 
spacing of the front wheels of the vehicle being towed. 
Both of these patents relate to trailers which are fairly large and 
cumbersome and which are not easily stored. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a 
relatively simple vehicle towing device which is relatively easy to 
install for use and which can be collapsed for storage. 
In its broad aspect, the towing device of the invention for front wheel 
drive vehicles having a pair of front wheels removed from said vehicles on 
front axle hubs comprises a pair of support plates, means formed on the 
support plates for attachment of the support plates to the two front axle 
hubs; means formed on the support plates for connection of each said 
support plate to a strut of said vehicle whereby the respective axle of 
said vehicle is prevented from rotating; an ancillary axle depending 
outwardly substantially perpendicular from each said support plate from a 
position below said means formed on the support plate for attachment to 
said front axle hub; said ancillary axle having a hub, said ancillary axle 
hub being adapted to receive a wheel for supporting said vehicle; and draw 
bars secured at one end to the support plates and converging at the other 
end to receive a coupler for attachment to a towing vehicle. 
According to one aspect of the invention, a towing device for front wheel 
drive vehicles having a pair of front wheels mounted on front axle hubs 
comprises a pair of support plates fixedly connected to the front axle 
hubs of a vehicle; means for connecting said support plates to a towing 
vehicle; at least one bracket on each support plate for attaching the 
support plates to suspension struts of the vehicle; ancillary axles 
extending substantially horizontally outwardly from said support plates 
from below said support plates' connections to said front axle hubs; said 
ancillary axles having hubs journalled therein for receiving vehicle 
wheels for supporting the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIG. 1, the towing device depicted by numeral 10 
comprises support plate 12 which has apertures 14 for attaching towing 
device 10 to a front axle hub 15 (FIG. 6) of a vehicle. Bracket 16 
extending inwardly from support plate 12 fits onto the MACPHERSON strut 
46, or like suspension strut (FIG. 5), of the vehicle. Bracket 16 may be 
attached to the MACPHERSON strut by clamping onto the strut itself with 
the use of bolt 18. Bracket 16 may also be attached to a retrofit top bolt 
(not shown) joined to the MACPHERSON strut 46. Bolt and nut combination 20 
joins bracket 16 to support plate 12. Bracket 16 may be attached at 
various positions to the MACPHERSON strut by vertically adjusting its 
position by sliding the bolt 20 and nut attachment up or down through 
elongated vertical slot 22. 
Ancillary axle 24 extends outwardly substantially perpendicular to support 
plate 12 below the attachment of support plate 12 to the axle hub of the 
vehicle. Hub 26 is journalled for rotation at the end of ancillary axle 
24. 
Ancillary axle hub 26 includes backing plate 28. Bolts 30 project from 
backing plate 28 for engagement with the hub of a vehicle wheel 44 (FIG. 
6). In the preferred embodiment, the number of bolts 30 in backing plate 
28 corresponds to the number of apertures 14, enabling the vehicle wheel 
to be removed from the vehicle and placed on ancillary axle hub 26. Nuts 
32 may be used to secure the vehicle wheel to ancillary axle hub 26. 
Vehicles may employ 4, 5 or 6 bolts for securing the wheel to the hub. The 
towing device includes variations of support plates 12 and ancillary axle 
hub 26 to complement the varieties of bolts used to attach the wheels to 
hubs. Support plate 12 and ancillary axle hub 26 may be adapted to engage 
a variety of wheel sizes such as 13", 14" and 15" diameter wheels. 
The towing bar assembly 34 has arms 40 adjustably connected to support 
plate 12 by bolt 35 and a corresponding nut (not shown). Referring now to 
FIG. 2, towing bar assembly 34 is comprised of two elongated arms 40 which 
are connected to support plates 12 as shown in FIG. 1 on each side of the 
vehicle. Each arm 40 contains central hinge 36 enabling fast and easy 
assembly and articulation of the arm for storage, as depicted by ghost 
lines in FIG. 2. Towing bar assembly 34 also comprises hitch or coupler 38 
for attachment to the draw bar of the towing vehicle. The front converging 
ends 41 of arms 40 are attached to hitch 38 by bolt and corresponding nut 
assemblies 42. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the operation of the towing device of the invention. 
FIG. 3 shows vehicle 42 with front wheel 44. Vehicle 42 may, for example, 
be a front wheel drive automatic transmission vehicle. FIG. 4 shows 
vehicle wheel 44 attached to the towing device of the invention which 
causes the front end of vehicle 42 to be raised to the attitude shown. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, with wheel 44 shown by ghost lines for clarity of 
illustration, towing device 10 is attached to vehicle 42 by securement of 
support plate 12 to the front wheel axle by nuts 32 on lugs 45. Bracket 16 
attaches the towing device 10 to MACPHERSON strut 46 of the vehicle. This 
clamping of bracket 16 to MACPHERSON strut 46 in combination with the 
attachment of support plate 12 to the front axle hub 15 (FIG. 6) of the 
vehicle prevents the vehicle's axle from rotating. By attaching the 
vehicle wheels 44 to ancillary axle hubs 26, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, 
the vehicle is supported by and travels on its original wheels without 
rotation of the vehicle front wheel axles. Thus, the miles towed are not 
accumulated on the odometer. 
It will be understood that ancillary axle hub 26 may have a different 
number and arrangement of bolts 30 than apertures 14 in hub 15. In this 
latter embodiment, a wheel other than the vehicle wheel would be utilized. 
The present invention provides a number of advantages. A motor vehicle can 
be towed behind another motor vehicle such as a recreational vehicle and 
the towing device readily collapsed for storage in a vehicle trunk at the 
destination. The towed vehicle's front axles are mobilized during towing, 
thereby obviating wear on the towed vehicle's powertrain and avoiding 
accumulation of mileage on the odometer. 
It will also be understood that modifications can be made in the embodiment 
of the invention described herein without departing from the scope and 
purview of the invention as defined by the appended claims.