GB2416337A

GB2416337A - Securing the wheels of a vehicle to a transportation apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2416337A
Application number: GB0416067A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Francis Rodgers
Original assignee: INTERTRADE ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: INTERTRADE ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2004-07-17
Filing date: 2004-07-17
Publication date: 2006-01-25
Also published as: GB0416067D0

Abstract

Vehicle transportation apparatus, such as a trailer, tow dolly or spectacle lift, including wheel securing means (5,6,7,8,9) for securing one or more wheels (17) of a vehicle relative to the apparatus. A means for operating (10,11,12,13,14) the wheel securing means is provided at a position remote from the wheel securing means. Providing wheel securing means which may be operated remotely enables the vehicle transportation apparatus to be configured so that an operator can secure all the wheels of a vehicle being transported to the apparatus without, or with much reduced, exposure to passing traffic. The securing means may be a clamping (6) arm which is pivotted into position and clamped onto the wheel by the action of a tension cable or strap (10).

Description

241 6337

VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS

The present invention relates to vehicle transportation apparatus comprising wheel securing means. s

When transporting vehicles using vehicle transportation apparatus such as a tow dolly, trailer or spectacle lift it is necessary to secure the transported vehicle's wheels to the vehicle transportation apparatus. Conventionally, vehicle wheels are held in place on vehicle transportation apparatus by means of a strap, which necessitates the operator securing the wheels being in close proximity to them. This can be hazardous when off-side wheels of a vehicle are secured to vehicle transportation apparatus by the side of a road as the operator is exposed to passing traffic.

The present invention seeks to address this issue.

According to the present invention there is provided vehicle transportation apparatus comprising wheel securing means for securing one or more wheels of a vehicle relative to the vehicle recovery apparatus and means for operating the wheel securing means wherein the means for operating the wheel securing means is operable from a position remote from the wheel securing means.

Providing wheel securing means which may be operated remotely enables the vehicle transportation apparatus to be configured so that an operator can secure all the wheels of a vehicle being transported to the apparatus without, or with much reduced, exposure to passing traffic.

In one embodiment the means for operating the wheel securing means is operable at an opposite side of the vehicle transportation apparatus to the wheel securing means.

The means for operating the wheel securing means may be mounted on the vehicle transportation apparatus.

Preferably the wheel securing means comprises a pivotally mounted wheel gripping arm.

Preferably said wheel gripping arm comprises at least one resiliently biased gripping element. The gripping element may be forked, and may have two free ends.

Preferably a roller is provided at each free end of the gripping element.

Preferably said wheel gripping arm comprises at least one shaft upon which said at least one gripping element is movcable. More preferably two shafts are provided.

Preferably the gripping element is slidably mounted on the at least one shaft by respective tubes to which the gripping element is attached.

Preferably the means of resiliently biasing the gripping element is at least one spring.

Preferably each shaft is surrounded by a spring.

Preferably the gripping element is attached to the means for operating the wheel securing means. The means for operating the wheel securing means preferably comprising a means for drawing the wheel securing element towards a wheel to be secured, preferably in a direction against the resilient biasing of the gripping element.

The means for drawing may comprise a cord or elongate strip of material, such as a webbing strap.

Preferably user operable means are provided for pulling on the means for drawing, and means for securing the means for drawing are provided in order to secure the wheel securing means in an operational state, for example a ratchet buckle, or winch.

Embodiments of the invention provide a simple and robust way for a wheel of a vehicle being transported to be secured to vehicle transportation apparatus without an operator having to attend the wheel. : 3

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure I is a schematic front view of a tow dolly according to the invention, with the position where the wheels of a vehicle being transported on the dolly would be located shown in broken lines; Figure2 shows the wheel securing arm of the dolly of figure l from the direction of arrow A of figure l; and Figure 3 shows part of the tow dolly of figure I with the wheel securing arm securing a wheel.

Referring to the drawings a tow dolly comprises an axle l with a wheel pan 2 and road wheel 3 mounted at each end. The road wheels 3 are mounted on the axle by way of king pins extending through upward extensions 4 of the axle 1. In use the front wheels of a vehicle to be transported are driven or pulled on to the wheel pans 2, to which they must be secured, and the tow dolly is then towed by another vehicle.

Tow dollies are known and therefore need not be described in further detail.

Tow dollies are often used for vehicle recovery operations when it is necessary to retrieve a failed vehicle from a road side. Conventionally the wheels of a vehicle driven on to a tow dolly are secured to the tow dolly by way of straps, necessitating that an operator attends each wheel pan 2 to affix the straps. At a roadside recovery situation it is usual for one side of the vehicle to lie adjacent to passing traffic (known as the offside). Therefore, when an operator attends the offside of the tow dolly the operator is exposed to the danger of the passing traffic. This is, of course, undesirable.

Where the illustrated tow dolly differs from conventional tow dollies is by provision of a wheel securing means which may be operated remotely.

The wheel securing means comprises a wheel gripping arm, this is formed from a pair of shafts 5, each pivotally mounted at one end to the upward extension 4 of the axle l so that they may pivot towards and away from the adjacent wheel pan 2. A gripping element 6 is mounted on the shafts 5 by way of tubes 7 which slide over the shafts 4.

The gripping element 6 is forked to form two arms which diverge and towards their free ends and extend substantially at right angles to the shafts 5 in the general direction of the adjacent wheel pan 2. A roller 7 may be mounted at the free end of each arm.

The gripping element 6 is urged towards the free ends of the shafts 5 by helical springs 8 mounted on each shaft 5 between the tubes 7 of the gripping element 6 and a stop 9 on each shaft 5.

A webbing strap 10 is attached to the wheel gripping element between the tubes 7 from which it passes down the length of the shafts 5 to a roller l l, mounted under the axle 1 of the tow dolly. The webbing strap 10 subsequently passes around a second roller 12 mounted at a corresponding position at the opposite side of the tow dolly from which it extends upwards and around a third roller 13 mounted at the inside edge of the top of the upward extension 4 of the axle I and into a ratchet buckle 14 operative to tension and lock the webbing strap 10.

The three rollers 11, 12, 13 arc arranged so that, in use, as the webbing strap lo is tensioned by the ratchet buckle 14 the wheel securing element 6 is pulled towards the shafts 5 in the direction of arrow 16 so that it slides down the shafts against the action of springs 8, and the shafts are pivoted in the direction of arrow 15 so that the wheel securing element engages with and grips a wheel 17 standing on the wheel pan 2, as shown in figure 3. When sufficient webbing strap 10 has been drawn through the ratchet buckle to cause the wheel securing element to grip a wheel on the wheel pan the strap is locked by the ratchet buckle 14.

Thus, an operator is able to secure a wheel 17 of a vehicle being transported disposed at one side of the tow dolly by attending the opposite side of the tow dolly. The wheel of a vehicle being transported which sits on the wheel pan 2 adjacent to the ratchet buckle 14 can be secured in the conventional way. In an alternative embodiment though a second wheel securing means is provided, so that there is one at each side of the dolly, but both wheel securing means are operable from the same side of the dolly.

In a further alternative one or both wheel securing means provided on a tow dolly are each operable from both sides of the tow dolly.

The invention is applicable to all types of vehicle transportation apparatus where the wheels of a vehicle to be transported must be secured to the apparatus. Any suitable type of wheel securing means may be employed, as appropriate, together with any suitable means for operating the wheel securing means which enables it to be remotely operated. Embodiments employing mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic means for remotely operating a wheel securing means can be envisaged.

The above embodiment is described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. Vehicle transportation apparatus comprising wheel securing means for securing one or more wheels of a vehicle relative to the vehicle transportation apparatus and means for operating the wheel securing means wherein the means for operating the wheel securing means is operable from a position remote from the wheel securing means.

2. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for operating the wheel securing means is operable at an opposite side of the vehicle transportation apparatus to the wheel securing means.

3. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheel securing means comprises a pivotally mounted wheel gripping arm.

4. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the wheel gripping arm comprises at least one resiliently biased gripping element.

5. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gripping element is forked, with two free ends, and a roller is provided at each free end.

6. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the gripping element is slidably mounted on at least one shaft.

7. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the gripping element is attached to the means for operating the wheel securing means and the means for operating the wheel securing means comprises a means for drawing the wheel securing element towards a wheel to be secured.

8. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means for drawing the wheel securing element towards a wheel to be secured is operable to draw the wheel securing element in a direction against the resilient biasing of the wheel gripping element.

9. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the means for drawing comprises a cord or elongate strip of material.

10. Vehicle transportation apparatus as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 further comprising user operable means for pulling on the means for drawing, and means for securing the means for drawing operable to secure the wheel securing means in an operational state.

11. Vehicle transportation apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.