Tow mechanism for vehicles

A tow mechanism for vehicles including a frame having front and rear ends, a platform at the front end for supporting the front wheels of a towed vehicle, a pair of cables at the rear end of the frame adapted to be secured to the towed vehicle rear end, and a winch associated with the cables which elevates the rear end of the frame in spaced relationship to the ground and the towed vehicle rear wheels establish rolling support for the tow mechanism during a towing operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a tow mechanism for attachment to a 
vehicle, such as an automobile, bus or moble home (towing vehicle) from 
which another vehicle (towed vehicle), most commonly another automobile, 
can be towed. It is relatively common to see a mobile home towing a 
relatively small "economy" car, and one primary purpose for this often 
seen vehicle combination is the comfort and accommodations provided by the 
mobile home and the fuel economy and convenience provided by the smaller 
automobile. Most commonly, the mobile home is parked for several days, a 
week or more at a particular location, and the automobile is used for 
so-called "day" trips, as is most common when the mobile home/economy car 
are used by vacationers. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Heretofore conventional automobile tow bars have been provided by means of 
which one vehicle can be towed by another vehicle with a relative degree 
of safety during towing. The problems associated with conventional tow 
bars are generally not during the towing operation but the problems 
associated with connecting the tow bars to and removing the tow bars from 
the towed/towing vehicles. In two conventional tow bars disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,758,135 and 3,831,980, both in the name of August A. Kniff, 
the vehicle which is to be towed must first be fitted with a bracket and 
one must accurately align the tow bar with the bracket generally while 
lying prone upon ground and in most cases while being at least partially 
beneath the vehicle to-be-towed, obviously respectively difficult and 
dangerous prospects. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,938 issued to John W. 
Youngblood, another vehicle tow bar is disclosed which is highly complex 
and requires extraordinary manipulation for both assembly and disassembly 
relative to the towed and towing vehicles. A further example of an 
extremely complicated tow bar is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,993 in the 
name of Stanley F. Curtis which is again exemplary of another very 
complicated tow bar which is extremely difficult to connect and disconnect 
between the associated vehicles. A simple tow bar is found in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,592,564 in the name of Rudolph M. Warnock et al., but even this tow 
bar requires special mounting brackets and is associated with ATV/ATC 
vehicles which are, obviously, lightweight as compared to conventional 
automobiles, and can be manually lifted, pushed and pulled which simply 
can not be done with heavier conventional automobiles, economy size or 
standard. Accordingly, virtually all known towing devices or tow bars are 
extremely complex, are relatively difficult to connect and disconnect from 
either or both of the associated vehicles, and in most cases require some 
type of adaptive measures to be utilized with either or both of the 
vehicles. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages heretofore noted in the 
towing devices/tow bars of the aforementioned patents, particularly by 
providing a tow mechanism which is extremely simple in construction and, 
therefore, can be manufactured and sold at relatively moderate prices, has 
few moving parts, can be connected to the towing vehicle by a conventional 
ball and socket connection, and most importantly can be quickly, easily, 
efficiently, reliably and safely connected to the towed vehicle. The frame 
of the towed mechanism has at a forward end portion thereof a support 
which is normally inclined and upon which the front wheels of the towed 
vehicle can be driven. A step-wise adjustable abutment is provided so that 
the front wheels of the vehicle are accurately located on the tow 
mechanism simply by "feel," namely, once the front wheels "bump the 
abutment, this indicates the front wheels are accurately located upon the 
support. Thereafter, a cable at each side of the tow mechanism frame at 
its rearward frame portion is hooked to the towed vehicle undercarriage 
and the cables are then wound upon winches through the use of a 
conventional crank. As the cables are wound upon the winches, the rearward 
frame portion rises from the ground and when sufficient clearance between 
the rearward frame portion and the ground has been achieved, the winches 
are locked and towing can proceed in the customary fashion. In order to 
remove the towed vehicle from the tow mechanism, the cables are payed out 
resulting in the progressive lowering of the frame rearward portions until 
the latter contact the ground after which the cables can be disconnected 
from the undercarriage of the towed vehicle and the latter can simply be 
backed off and removed from the tow mechanism. From the foregoing, it 
should be observed that the tow mechanism of this invention can be 
connected to and disconnected from the towing vehicle by a conventional 
ball and socket tow bar fitting which is straightforward, efficient, quick 
and safe. The towed vehicle requires no modification whatever and need but 
be driven upon the front wheel support of the tow mechanism frame, and the 
accuracy of its position thereon is established automatically by contact 
of the front wheels with the abutment. The latter procedure involves only 
the ability of an average driver to drive the front wheels of a vehicle 
upon a relatively large platform. Finally, the flexible cables can be 
quickly and safely hooked to the vehicle undercarriage, be it any part of 
the rear frame, rear end, or rear suspension system, and this can be done 
simply by reaching under the vehicle quickly and safely without exposing 
one's self to harm as might necessarily be required by crawling under 
vehicles to connect other conventional tow bars. All that is then required 
is to winch the cables through an appropriate crank which raises the 
rearward frame portion above the ground and permits towing to proceed 
conventionally thereafter. 
Obviously, the ease of connecting the towed and towing vehicles, as just 
described, is equally applicable to disconnecting these vehicles. 
With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the 
nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to 
the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several 
views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A novel tow mechanism for vehicles is best illustrated in FIG. 1 of the 
drawings, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. 
The tow mechanism 10 is designed to be conventionally connected to a towing 
vehicle V1 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and to a towed vehicle V2. The towing vehicle 
V1 can be, for example, an automobile, a mobile home, a bus, truck or the 
like, while the towed vehicle V2 can be any one of the latter vehicles but 
is most commonly a standard size or economy size vehicle. 
The tow mechanism 10 includes a frame 11 having a forward frame portion 12 
and a rearward frame portion 13. The frame portion 13 is formed from a 
pair of box beams 14, 15 which are in generally parallel relationship to 
each other and a pair of box beams 16, 17 which diverge in a direction 
toward the box beams 14, 15. The cross-section of the box beams 14 through 
17 is illustrated in FIG. 5. The box beams 16, 17 are sandwiched between a 
pair of plates 20, 21 and are welded thereto and to each other. The box 
beams 16, 17 are also welded to the box beams 14, 15, respectively. At the 
rearward frame portion 13 each of the box beams 14, 15 is slotted through 
the upper and lower walls (unnumbered) leaving a pair of opposite, 
generally parallel vertical walls 22, 23 and 24, 25 (FIG. 1) associated 
with the box beams 11, 15, respectively. 
The forward end portion 12 of the frame 11 carries a conventional tow bar 
fitting 25 which defines means for securing the frame 11 to the towing 
vehicle V1 (FIGS. 3 and 4) through the conventional tow bracket B1 and 
ball B2 carried thereby. 
Means generally designated by the reference numeral 30 is provided for 
maintaining the forward frame portion 12 of the frame 11 elevated above 
the rearward frame portion 13 (FIG. 3) when the towed vehicle V2 is 
secured in the operative position relative to the tow mechanism 10. The 
means 30 is a support leg defined by an upper tube 31 which receives 
therein a lower tube 32, and the lower tube 32 carries a conventional 
caster wheel 33 which pivots about a vertical axis in a conventional 
manner. The tubes 31, 32 are welded together and the tube 31 is connected 
by a pivot pin 34 to the box beam 17 of the forward frame portion 12. The 
pivot pin 34 permits the support 30 to be pivoted between the positions 
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the inuse/towing or travel position shown in 
FIG. 4 the support 30 is locked in a conventional fashion to the box beam 
17 as, for example, by inserting a pin 35 into aligned holes 36, 37 (FIG. 
3) of the tube 32 and box beam 17, respectively. A short chain 38 having 
one of its links welded to the box beam 17 assures that the pin 35 will 
not be lost when not in use. The primary function of the support 30 is to 
allow the tow mechanism 10 to be manually rolled along a supporting 
surface or the ground G when the vehicle V2 has not yet been positioned 
thereupon when, for example, the tow mechanism 10 is being moved from its 
stored position to be connected to the ball B2 of the vehicle V1. 
Obviously, the support 30 is also in its down position when the tow 
mechanism 10 is being moved to its stored position after being 
disconnected from the ball B2 of the vehicle V1. Obviously, the support 30 
is also in its down position when the tow mechanism 10, again without the 
vehicle V2 being associated therewith, is being manually moved along the 
ground G at any time. 
In order to further assist ease of manual movement of the tow mechanism 10, 
the rearward frame portion 30 includes a pair of wheels 41, 42 which are 
carried by the respective box beams 14, 15 on the inboard sides thereof 
immediately adjacent the respective walls 23, 24. Bolts 43 (FIGS. 1 and 2) 
pass through openings (not shown) of the walls 22 through 25 and carry 
appropriate spacers, washers, lock nuts, and nuts 44 to retain the wheels 
41, 42 in general axial alignment with each other. While the tow mechanism 
10 is relatively lightweight, the wheels 41, 42 and the caster wheel 33, 
when the support 30 is in its vertical position, allows the tow mechanism 
10 to be easily rolled along the ground G for the purposes heretofore 
described. 
Means 50 are also provided for underlyingly supporting the front end F of 
the towed vehicle V2 through the front wheels W1 thereof. Means 50 
includes three rigid angle bars 51 through 53 which are in generally 
spaced parallel relationship to each other and which underlie and are 
welded to the box beams 14, 15. A support plate 54 lies between the angle 
bars 51, 52 and another support plate 55 lies between the angle bars 52, 
53. The support plates 54, 55 are welded to the respective angle bars 51, 
52; 52, 53 and to the box beams 14, 15. Thus, the means 50 establishes a 
generally rigid and flat platform upon which the vehicle V2 can be driven 
when the tow mechanism 10 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, as will be 
described more fully hereinafter. However, it will be noted that when the 
support 30 is in its vertical position (FIG. 3), a plane taken through the 
vehicle front end support means or supporting platform 50 defines an acute 
angle A (FIG. 3) with a generally horizontal plane through the supporting 
surface or ground G. This acute angle A is relatively shallow to permit 
the vehicle V2 to be driven from left-to-right in FIG. 3 toward, up, upon 
and forwardly of the supporting platform 50 to the eventual towing or 
in-use position shown in FIG. 4. 
The forward frame portion 12 also carries front wheel abutment means 
generally designated by the reference numeral 60 which function to be 
contacted by the towed vehicle wheels W1 when the vehicle V2 is being 
driven forwardly upon the supporting platform 50. The abutment means 60 is 
a tubular bar which is welded at generally opposite ends thereof to a 
tubular sleeve 61, 62. The tubular sleeves 61, 62 are in turn welded to 
tubular sleeves 63, 64 which are in turn welded to tubular sleeves 65, 66. 
The axes of the sleeves 61, 63, 64 and 62, 64, 66 are generally parallel 
to each other and normal to the axis of the abutment bar or abutment tube 
60. A headed bolt 67 (FIG. 5) passes through openings (unnumbered) in the 
upper and lower walls of each of the box beams 14, 15, and the upper end 
of each of the bolts 67 can be selectively positioned in selected pairs 
61, 62; 63, 64 and 65, 66 of the sleeves 61 through 66, after which a nut 
68 can be tightened thereon. In the position shown in FIG. 1, each bolt 67 
passes through the associated sleeve 61, 62 and this position accommodates 
a vehicle V2 thereon, as shown in FIG. 3 with the wheels W1 thereof in 
abutment with the abutment bar 60. Depending upon the size of the towed 
vehicle V2 and/or the size of the wheels W1, it may be desirable to adjust 
the position of the wheels W1 upon the supporting platform 50. In order to 
achieve such step-wise adjustment the nuts 68 are removed, the abutment 
tube 60 is lifted upwardly from the position shown carrying therewith the 
sleeves 61 through 66 and thereafter any of the two remaining selected 
pairs 63, 64 and 65, 66 of the sleeves 63 through 66 can be utilized to 
move the abutment bar 60 to the left from the position shown in FIG. 1. In 
this fashion three different positions of the abutment bar 60 relative to 
the platform 50 can be achieved to accommodate vehicles V2 of varying 
sizes, lengths, wheel bases and wheel sizes. Furthermore, as the vehicle 
V2 is driven forward (FIG. 3) during loading, the abutment bar 60 is 
eventually contacted or bumped by the wheels W1 and this can be felt by 
the driver of the vehicle V2 to indicate that the vehicle is properly 
positioned upon the tow mechanism 10, after which the operator of the 
vehicle V2 simply cuts the ignition, sets his emergency brake and proceeds 
with the subsequent task of quickly securing the rear end R of the vehicle 
V2 to the tow mechanism 10, as will be described immediately hereinafter. 
Reference is made to FIG. 3 of the drawing which, as heretofore noted, 
illustrates the vehicle V2 after the same has been driven upon the 
supporting platform 50 with the position thereof being established upon 
the driver feeling the contact of the wheels W1 with the abutment bar 60. 
In the position shown in FIG. 3, the wheels 41, 42 rest upon the ground G, 
as does the caster wheel 33. However, at this time the leg 30 can be 
pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 4 and locked thereat by the pin 35 
in the manner heretofore described. Particular note should be made at this 
time of the angle A heretofore noted and the fact that when the vehicle V2 
is positioned initially upon the tow mechanism 10, a predetermined 
distance D1 (FIG. 3) is established between an upper surface (unnumbered) 
of the frame 11 and a plane through the lower surface (unnumbered) of the 
vehicle V2. 
Means 81, 82 (FIG. 1) are carried by the respective box beams 14, 15 for 
both clamping or securing the rear end R of the vehicle V2 to the rearward 
frame portion 13 of the tow mechanism 10 and tightly clamping/connecting 
the same thereto by tension or pulling forces effected by a manually 
operable crank C (FIG. 1). The means 81, 82 each include a hook 83, 84 
connected to an elongated element, member or flexible cable 85, 86 which 
is partially entrained about a respective pulley 87, 88 carried by the 
bolts 43 (FIG. 2). The cables 85, 86 are in turn connected to winches or 
drums 90, 91 which are fixed to a shaft 92 journaled at the ends thereof 
in a conventional manner in the box beams 14, 15. A gear 93 is welded to 
the shaft 92 adjacent the wall 25 (FIG. 2) and meshes with another gear 94 
connected to a stub shaft 95 (FIG. 2) which is conventionally mounted for 
rotation in the wall 25. The stub shaft 95 has a square opening 
(unnumbered) which mates with the square end (unnumbered) of the crank C. 
A ratchet dog or locking dog 96 is conventionally pivoted to the wall 25 
and meshes with the gear 94 in a conventional fashion to prevent the gear 
94 from rotating unless the latching dog 96 is manually removed from 
engagement therewith in a conventional fashion. 
Turning to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the rear end R of the vehicle V2 
includes conventional springs S, shock absorbers SA, a differential 
housing H, rear swing arms AS and an undercarriage or frame FR. Once the 
vehicle V2 has been driven to the position shown, each of the hooks 83, 84 
is manually connected preferably to the undercarriage or frame FR of the 
vehicle rear end R, as is schematically illustrated in FIG. 3. However, 
the hooks 83, 84 can, as well, be connected to conventional rear end 
structure, as, for example, the rear end suspension system, brackets 
associated with the drive shaft or differential housings, conventional 
cargo tie-down lugs/holes, etc. Furthermore, rather than the hooks 83, 84 
being directly hooked over a part of the vehicle rear frame FR, as shown 
in FIG. 3, the flexibility of the cables 85, 86 allow the same to be 
looped over any particular part of the rear end R and then the hooks 83, 
84 are merely hooked upon their associated cable 85, 86 in a well known 
and conventional manner. Once the hooks 83, 84 and associated cables 85, 
86 are connected to the rear end R of the vehicle V2, as shown in FIG. 3, 
the crank C is inserted into the square socket (unnumbered) of the gear 94 
and is rotated clockwise which in turn rotates the gear 93 
counterclockwise along with the drums or winches 90, 91 fixed to the shaft 
92. As the winches 90, 91 rotate counterclockwise, the cables 95, 96 are 
wound thereupon and eventually a vertical force vector F (FIG. 3) thereof 
begins lifting the rearward end portion 13 of the tow mechanism 10 
upwardly and in effect begins pivoting the entire tow mechanism clockwise 
about the ball B2, as indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 4 associated with 
the frame 11. Since the brake of the vehicle V2 has been set and the front 
wheels W1 are in contact with the abutment bar 60, the vehicle V2 can no 
be moved forwardly from the position shown in FIG. 3 as the winches 90, 91 
are continuously rotated clockwise and, thus, the vector force F 
progressively raises the rearward end portion of the frame 13 until the 
wheels 41, 42 are spaced the distance S (FIG. 4) from the ground G. When 
sufficient space or clearance S has been achieved, the crank C and be 
withdrawn and, of course, unwinding is precluded because the locking dog 
96 prevents rotation of the gear 94, thus locking the gear 93 in a 
position at which the space S will be maintained during towing. During the 
same upward motion of the rear frame portion 13 between the position shown 
in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4, it will be observed that the 
predetermined distance D1 (FIG. 3) lessens to the distance D2 (FIG. 4) 
which, of course, creates the space S and, correspondingly, the angle A of 
FIG. 3 lessens to an angle A1 (FIG. 4). Once positioned, as shown in FIG. 
4, the brake of the vehicle V2 need simply be released and towing can 
commence. 
From the foregoing it is readily apparent that the tow mechanism 10 is of a 
relatively straightforward construction formed of a minimum of readily 
accessible off-the-shelf parts which can be quickly and economically 
assembled together to create a lightweight, durable, efficient and 
extremely safe towing mechanism 30, particularly from the standpoint of 
ease of uniting the towed vehicle V2 to the tow mechanism 10 and removing 
the same therefrom. As noted earlier, the vehicle V2 is simply driven atop 
the supporting platform 50 in the absence of any type of precise 
alignment, and this can be performed by the average driver with little, if 
any, trouble whatsoever. Furthermore, one need not crawl beneath the 
vehicle V2 or the towing mechanism 10 when connecting the means 81, 82 
thereto, it being simply necessary to reach one's arm from the outside of 
the vehicle V2 beneath the same and do so momentarily to effect desired 
connection or disconnection. Obviously, the vehicle V2 need not be 
modified in any fashion whatsoever. Accordingly, the disadvantages of 
known tow bars heretofore earlier noted, as well as others which have not 
been specified herein, are totally eliminated by the novel and unobvious 
tow mechanism 10 of the present invention. 
The tow mechanism 10 may, of course, be modified within the spirit and 
scope of this invention. For example, the shaft 92 need not extend and 
have connected thereto the winches or drums 90, 91. Instead, a short stub 
shaft can be associated with each of the drums 90, 91 and the wall 92 can 
have connected thereto a locking dog and gear 94 corresponding too the 
locking dog 96 and gear 94 associated with the drum 91. Likewise, a gear 
corresponding to the gear 93 can be connected to the shorter stub shaft 92 
of the drum 90. In order to pull the rearward frame portion 13 upwardly 
toward the underside of the vehicle rear end R, one need now use the crank 
C alternatively at opposite sides of the fram 11 cranking one and then the 
other of the gears 93 to progressively lift the rearward frame portion 13. 
This will cant or cock the frame 11, but no harm is created thereby. As a 
matter of fact, one side can be totally elevated, followed by total 
elevation of the opposite side because of the overall flexibility, yet 
high strength, of the design of the tow mechanism 10. 
In lieu of the pivoting of the leg 30, the tube 32 can be constructed to 
telescope up and down in the tube 31 by an appropriate rack and pinion 
arrangement, as is conventionally known. In this case, the tube 30 can be 
welded to the box beam 17 in its vertical position and there is, 
therefore, no need for the pivot 34, the holes 36, 37, the pin 35 or the 
chain 38. 
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically 
illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor 
variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.