US1290813A - Towing-pole. - Google Patents

Description

l. A. WEAVER.

TowlNG PQLE.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY19|1915 Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHED.' l.

l. A. WEAVER.

Towm POLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9, 19,15.

2 SNEETS--SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES. PATENT. OFFICE.

.mA AjwnAVER, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'ro WEAVER MANUFACTURING co., or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

TOWING--POLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

" To 'whom #may concern:

Be it'known that I, IRA A. WEAVER, a citi- `z en of the United States, and resident of Springfield, in the county of Sangainon and if" Vtate of Illinois, have invented certain new and.' useful Improvements in Towing-Poles,

. ofl which the following` is a specication.

"My invention relates to towing means for automobiles and has particular reference to "10.a' novel construction of a towing pole.-

Itl is common practice to employ a rope or -Ycable for towing disabled automobiles, but I,there are many objections to the use of a flexible connecting element, particularly in a city where traic is more or less congested.

If ashort towing element is employed, the towed machine is likely to collide with the .rearocf the machine in front. If the towing elementbe long, pedestrians are likely to v attempt to pass between the two machines A and be injured by tripping on the cable. Furthermore, in the use of a exible towing 'element the connected machines are subject to considerable shock, due to the fact that 25` their speed of travel can not be uniform.

This vresults injerking and the frequent breakage of the towing rope or of the parts Aof the machines to which the rope is connected. I have conceived the idea of em- 80 ploying a substantially rigid connection betweenthe adjacent machines to the end that the shocks occasioned by the use of a flexible element may be eliminated. I have constructed a device with provision for limited relative movement of the parts and have provided a cushion element therebetween, thnseliminating all shocks of starting and stopping. The advantage in the use of a device of this sort is in that a disabled machine sometimes has its brakes impaired or destroyed. If a flexible towing element be used, it then becomes necessary to provide a third machine at the rear of the disabled machine. By the use of my novel device a machine without brakes may be towed with ease.

My invention also contemplates the employment of novel attaching devices between the pole and the machmes to which it is con- 5() nected.

Other objects will beapparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accomanying drawings, in lwhich like numbers indicate like parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows the preferred form of towing pole as applied ,to two automobiles and also shows the application of the attaching clamp;

Fig. 2-shows theattaching clamp' as` applied to the front end of the automobile frame;

` Fig. 3 is a top view showing the'assembly of the' several parts of the pole. 'ip- The spring is partially cut away to show ,aslot;

. Fig. 4 is a side view, partially in section, 65 showing the eyes at each end'of the pole, the telescoping portions, and means for connecting the same;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Flg. 4; 70

Fig. G'is av view of a fragmentary portion of spring with the clamp fastened thereon,

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig,

6 showing a means of fasteningthe clamp to 75 the spring. In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, I have shown the pole as composed of three sections,

11, 13 and 14, of tubular form. Members 80 13 and 14 are adapted to telescope within the member 11. Fastened to one end of the body 11 is a yoke 1'5, the portion 13 being slidably mounted n the other end of yoke 15. Member 14 is connected to body 11 by 85 means vof a pin 16. Said member 14 is provided with several apertures 17 to adjust same inwardly or outwardly of the end of body 11.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen the member 13 extends into body 11 beyond the 90 connection between said body 11 and yoke 15. A slot 18is provided in member 13, as best seen in Fig. 3. A coil spring 21 is placed around member 13 within yoke 15., L-shaped keys 19 are placed in said member 95 13 so that they rest on the bottom thereof and extend through slot 18. Projections 20 extend upwardly and are adapted to bear against the inside ends of yoke 15 and the ends of spring 21. The keys 19 are of suiiicient length to extend under several colls of spring 21.

Loops 22 are provided at the outer ends of members 13 and 14 and are provided with 'two openings 23 and 24.

The preferred form of clamp is best shown in Figs.. 2, 6 and 7 and comprises side members 25 and 26 held together on spring 27 by bolts 28 and 28a. Bolts 28L aremounted in a slot 29 in the sides 25 and 26 to permit `110 los the clamps being applied to springs` of dif'- ferent size and also to parts of the frame.

`A set screw 30 is provided and is adapted to bear against bolt 2Sn to hold the same. rmly against the top of the spring 27. An upstanding boss 31 is integral with, or attached to, one of the side pieces of the clamp. In the drawings it 'is integral with side 25, The loops 22 of the pole 10 are hooked over the bosses 31 after the clamps have been secured to the automobile and form the pulling grips. The eye 23 is adapted to fit over boss 31 and held thereon by washer 32 and screw cap 33. It will be noted that each of the side pieces 25, 26 is provided with a pointed lateral projection 3l, 35, adapted to engage between the two lower leaves of the spring and to wedge the same apart slightly. This assists in holding the clamp in position, giving ay certain resiliency to the clamping action of the said bolt 30. The action of these projections on the springs'is well illustrated in Fig. 6.

If not desired to attach the clamps tosome part of the automobile, the pole 10 may be fastened by ropes through the eyes 24 of the loops 22. s f

The operation of the towing pole is as follows: Machine B, being disabled, is to be towed to vsome shop for repairs. A represents the automobile which will tow B. Having applied the clamps and attached the pole 10 thereto'on bosses 31` machine A is started. Member 13 is moved, thus moving the key19 at the farther end of the'yoke in the slot 18, thus compressing spring 21. This imparts motion to yoke 15 and consequently through body 11, pin 16 to member 14, which is attached to machine B, thereby starting B without jerking. When stopping, the reverse action occurs in spring 21 any key 19, thus eliminating shock. Also in descending hills the jars will be cushioned by the spring 21.

"L do not limit my invention to' the exact structure disclosed and described.l but consider any substantially vrigid Connection provided with cushioning means and means for attachment to any part of a vehicle or vehicles and further provided with means for increasing or decreasing the length of said pole as coming within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an attaching device for towing means, the combination of side sections having apertures, one of which is in the form of a slot, screw means located in said apertures and adapted to clamp said side sections ontoV a portion of an automobile, and additional screw means acting upon the screw means in said slotted aperture', substantially as described.

2. In an attaching device, the combination of side members, each thereof having a plurality of apertures, one of said apertures being in the form of a slot, bolts engaging said side members through said apertures, and an additional bolt occupying said slottedaperture, substantially as described.y

3. A unitary towing device, comprising in combination two tubular members in*endtoend relation, a third tubular member within which the ends of said first two tubular members telescope, a shock-absorbing spring car ried by one of said tubular members, and a removable pin connecting said third ytubular member and one of said first mentioned tubular members, said pin providing for relative longitudinal adjustment of said tubular members.

Signed at Springfield, Illinois, this 15th day of July, 1915.

IRA A. WEMTER.A

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