GB2250254A - "Tow Rope Device" - Google Patents
"Tow Rope Device" Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2250254A GB2250254A GB9024429A GB9024429A GB2250254A GB 2250254 A GB2250254 A GB 2250254A GB 9024429 A GB9024429 A GB 9024429A GB 9024429 A GB9024429 A GB 9024429A GB 2250254 A GB2250254 A GB 2250254A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- spring
- tow rope
- housing
- vehicle
- towing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60D—VEHICLE CONNECTIONS
- B60D1/00—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices
- B60D1/14—Draw-gear or towing devices characterised by their type
- B60D1/18—Tow ropes, chains or the like
- B60D1/182—Tow ropes, chains or the like comprising resilient members
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A device for use at one or both ends of a tow rope for towing a vehicle, comprises a housing 12 having a hook 22 at one end and a rod 18 passing through the other end and having an eye 20 at its free end for attachment to the tow rope. A helical compression spring 14 surrounds the rod to resist withdrawal of the rod from the housing. A hydraulic damper may be incorporated within the housing to reduce the rate of compression of the spring 14. <IMAGE>
Description
Title: Tow Rope Device
Field of the invention
This invention relates to a device for use with a tow rope for towing a vehicle.
Bakground to the invention
Tow ropes, for use in an emergency for towing a vehicle, are nowadays usually made of a nylon or similar synthetic filamentary material. They require to be of a sufficient length sch that if the towing vehicle decelerates rapidly, the driver of the towed vehicle has sufficient time to brake his vehicle without bumping into the towing vehicle ahead. Although a certain amount of stretch or "give" occurs in such a rope when a towing force is applied, due to the significant length of the rope it is often difficult for the driver of the towing vehicle (particularly an inexperienced driver) to judge correctly when the slack in the rope has been taken up and the towing strain is being applied. As a result the problem may frequently occur that a sudden jerk is applied via the rope to the towed vehicle.This is both unpleasant and may even cause damage to the vehicle, and could even be dangerous.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for use of the tow rope which will at least mitigate the aforementioned problem.
According to the present invention there is provided a device for use with a tow rope or the like, having first connection means at one end for attachment to a towing vehicle or to a towed vehicle, and a second connection means at the other end for attachment to the tow rope, and spring means disposed between the connection means and arranged to make limited extension therebetween.
The spring means may be constituted by a tension spring (having means to limit its extension), or alternatively by a pneumatic spring.
Advantageously, the spring means comprises a helical compression spring enclosed in a cylindrical housing. In this case one end of the spring may be connected to a central rod passing axially through the spring while the other end abuts a cap at the other end of the housing.
In this manner the spring is neatly enclosed, and is less likely to attract dirt or constitute a danger to the user.
If desired the device may incorporate a hydraulic damping means to reduce the rate of extension or compression of the spring.
Brief description of the drawings
An example of a device in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of the device in use at each end of a tow rope between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle; and
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the device, shown partly in section.
Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown the tail end of a towing vehicle A and the front end of a towed vehicle
B.
Connected to a suitable towing point (eg. an eye bolt) on the towing vehicle A is one of the devices 10 in accordance with the invention. A similar device 10 is suitably connected to the towed vehicle B, and connected in between is a tow rope 11.
Referring now to Figure 2 each device comprises a cylindrical housing 12 closed at each end and surrounding a helical compression spring 14. One end of the spring 14 bears against the inside of an end cap 16 at one end of the housing, while the other end is connected to one end of a tension rod 18 which passes axially through the spring and the end cap 16, where it is formed into a ring or eye 20 for connection to one end of the tow rope 11.
The other end of the housing 12 has a hook 22 secured to it whose opening is closable by a sprung strip 24. As can be seen from Figure 1 the hook 22 is adapted to be connected to a suitable towing point on the towing vehicle or towed vehicle respectively.
In use, assuming that the tow rope 11 is at first slack, as soon as the tension begins to be applied to the tow rope, spring 14 in each device 10 begins to be compressed, thereby cushioning any sudden jerk caused by the acceleration of the towing vehicle. As the force is increased the rod 18 will be withdrawn from the respective device 10 until the spring is fully compressed. Clearly the device described above could be permanently fixed, particularly to the rear end of the towing vehicle.
Although two devices have been described above, in many circumstances it will be sufficient for only one device to be required.
In order to dampen the extension or retraction of the spring in the device, a hydraulic damping device may be incorporated within the housing.
Claims (8)
1. A device for use with a tow rope or the like, having first connection means at one end for attachment to a towing vehicle or a towed vehicle, and a second connection means at the other end for attachment to the tow rope, and spring means disposed between the connection means and arranged to accomodate limited extension therebetween.
2. A device according to claim 1 in which the spring is constituted by a tension spring.
3. A device according to claim 2 in which the tension spring comprises means to limit extension of the spring.
4. A device according to claim 1 in which the spring means is a pneumatic spring.
5. A device according to claim 1 in which the spring means comprises a helical compression spring enclosed in a cylindrical housing.
6. A device according to claim 5 in which one end of the compression spring is connected to a central rod passing axially through the spring, and the other end of the spring abuts a cap at the other end of the housing.
7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and further comprising hydraulic damping means to reduce the rate of extension or compression of the spring
8. A device for use with a tow rope or the like, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9024429A GB2250254A (en) | 1990-11-09 | 1990-11-09 | "Tow Rope Device" |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9024429A GB2250254A (en) | 1990-11-09 | 1990-11-09 | "Tow Rope Device" |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9024429D0 GB9024429D0 (en) | 1991-01-02 |
GB2250254A true GB2250254A (en) | 1992-06-03 |
Family
ID=10685156
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB9024429A Withdrawn GB2250254A (en) | 1990-11-09 | 1990-11-09 | "Tow Rope Device" |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2250254A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP6140875B1 (en) * | 2016-10-26 | 2017-05-31 | 有限会社アグリプロジェクト | Towing aid |
WO2019217342A1 (en) * | 2018-05-07 | 2019-11-14 | Fenix Space, Inc. | Tow cable system and method of use |
US11866202B2 (en) | 2021-07-27 | 2024-01-09 | Fenix Space, Inc. | System and method for improved air-launch of a launch vehicle from a towed aircraft |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3952685A (en) * | 1975-07-30 | 1976-04-27 | Richard Lewis Hollenbush | Tow rope device |
GB1450179A (en) * | 1972-09-26 | 1976-09-22 | Rosan Ets | Rope having tension-cushioning shock absorber |
US4370783A (en) * | 1978-09-07 | 1983-02-01 | Fretwell Jack W Jr | Yieldable load release connector |
US4428568A (en) * | 1981-07-08 | 1984-01-31 | Rubber Millers, Inc. | Force-absorbing device |
US4718690A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-01-12 | Baker Jimmie W | Tow line |
WO1990006453A1 (en) * | 1988-11-30 | 1990-06-14 | Cantuti, Pierre | Shock absorber for absorbing traction forces |
-
1990
- 1990-11-09 GB GB9024429A patent/GB2250254A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1450179A (en) * | 1972-09-26 | 1976-09-22 | Rosan Ets | Rope having tension-cushioning shock absorber |
US3952685A (en) * | 1975-07-30 | 1976-04-27 | Richard Lewis Hollenbush | Tow rope device |
US4370783A (en) * | 1978-09-07 | 1983-02-01 | Fretwell Jack W Jr | Yieldable load release connector |
US4428568A (en) * | 1981-07-08 | 1984-01-31 | Rubber Millers, Inc. | Force-absorbing device |
US4718690A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-01-12 | Baker Jimmie W | Tow line |
WO1990006453A1 (en) * | 1988-11-30 | 1990-06-14 | Cantuti, Pierre | Shock absorber for absorbing traction forces |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP6140875B1 (en) * | 2016-10-26 | 2017-05-31 | 有限会社アグリプロジェクト | Towing aid |
US20200047885A1 (en) * | 2017-05-08 | 2020-02-13 | TGALTO Holding, LLC | Tow cable system and method of use |
US11014671B2 (en) * | 2017-05-08 | 2021-05-25 | Fenix Space, Inc. | Tow cable system and method of use |
WO2019217342A1 (en) * | 2018-05-07 | 2019-11-14 | Fenix Space, Inc. | Tow cable system and method of use |
US11866202B2 (en) | 2021-07-27 | 2024-01-09 | Fenix Space, Inc. | System and method for improved air-launch of a launch vehicle from a towed aircraft |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9024429D0 (en) | 1991-01-02 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |