Snow chain for tires of motor vehicles for quick mounting

#The invention relates to a snow chain for tires of motor vehicles, for quick mounting, which does not require time-consuming shifting of the vehicle and in the case of deep snow does not require the removal of the snow from the ground in the vicinity of the tire on which the snow chain ought to be mounted.

#There are known conventional snow chains for passenger cars the construction of which is such as to require shifting or displacement of the vehicle when said chain is to be mounted on the respective tire. This shifting or displacement of the vehicle is done at least once and is time consuming and inconvenient, especially when there is a deep snow to be removed around the wheel or tire on which the snow chain is to be mounted.

#In order to overcome the previously cited inconveniences of conventional snow chains various solutions have been proposed. Among other expedients for driving and starting in snow there are known those which have the form of laths arranged frontally on the wheel and generally screwed on the felly. These devices make impossible fast and quiet driving on a snow covered road. A further inconvenience is that the profile of the tire is not provided with engaging elements on its entire circumference, which causes nonuniform engagement of the wheel with the snow covered surface. A further snow chain for quick mounting without the need of vehicle shifting is composed of two frames of rectangular form which are bent accordingly to the profile of the tire. The frames are mutually connected by means of lateral chains and a net of transverse chain is arranged between said lateral chains. The known snow chain is tightened on the tire of the vehicle by means of a special straining device, only on the outer side of the vehicle wheel, while on the inner side of the wheel the frames are not connected between them and hence these frames can fall off the respective tire or wheel of the vehicle.

#The invention will be explained in detail on the basis of the embodiment and attached drawing in which:

#FIG. 1: is a plan view of a snow chain for tires of motor vehicles, for quick mounting in an extended state;

#FIG. 2: is an elevational view of the insert;

#As obvious from FIG. 1, the snow chain for tires of motor vehicles, for quick mounting, consists of a one-piece inner lateral chain 2 and of a two-piece outer lateral chain 3'. The length of the undivided or one-piece inner lateral chain 2 is chosen so as to correspond to the circumference of the tire at the region at which it rests upon the tire. One-piece inner lateral chain 2 is provided on one end with hook 6 and on the other with ring 5. The transverse connection between said one-piece inner lateral chain 2 and the two-piece outer lateral chain 3' is made by means of two net sections of transverse chain 1 which may have different designs or patterns respectively and which is fixed to said one-piece inner lateral chain 2 and to said two-piece lateral chain 3' by means of welded members (links) 11 and oval members 7 or by means of open (loop) members 9 at its ends (FIG. 1). The two-piece outer chain 3' is made in such a way that the length of the shorter section 4 is equal to approximately one half of the circumference of the tire in the region in which this chain rests upon the tire, while the length of the longer section 3 of the outer lateral chain 3' is longer than a half of the circumference at the tire, whereby this chain section 3 serves for the tightening of the snow chain, already put on the tire, during its connection to the shorter chain section 4. One of the extreme circumferential ends of the shorter chain section 4 of the two-piece outer lateral chain is provided with a hook 6 for connection with ring 5 arranged at one end of the longer chain section 3 of said two-piece outer lateral chain. The other end of the shorter chain section 4 of the two-piece outer lateral chain is provided with a ring 5, while at the other end of the longer chain section 3 of the two-piece outer lateral chain there is an S-hook. Parallel to the shorter chain section 4 and the longer chain section 3 of the outer lateral chain extend two mounting springs 12 provided with eyelets 6', whereby during the mounting after the connection of both chain sections 4 and 3, the introduction of the hook 8, belonging to the chain section 3, through said ring 5 at the chain section 4, and by passing said chain section 3 through the ring 5 and introducing said hook 8 and passing chain section 3 through eyelets 6' of both springs 12, a final setting of the chain upon the tire is attained, elastic inserts 13 being filled in each eyelet 6'.

#The snow chains for tires of motor vehicles, for quick mounting, are set upon the tire in this way.

#When looking frontally at the wheel or tire respectively on which the snow chain should be mounted, the chain is first laid on the ground in stretched state at the right side of the wheel. The chain is then gripped at the left mounting spring and pulled at the inner side of the wheel in such a way that two-piece outer lateral chain 3' with both mounting springs 12 is turned towards the outer front side of the wheel and the longer chain section 3 of the outer lateral chain lies at the right side. Then both springs belonging to chain section 3 and 4 of the two-piece outer lateral chain are seized by both hands and pulled towards the front side of the wheel. Afterwards the hook 6 and the ring 5 of the inner lateral chain 2 are drawn along the circumference of the tire in the upward direction (so that the inner lateral chain comes as far as the axis of the wheel), then said hook and ring are pulled towards the outer side they are connected and laid on the tire. Now we connect the two-piece outer lateral chain 3' by means of hook 6 and ring 5 at the upper side of the tire. Then the inner lateral chain 2 is pushed on the upper side of the tire. The extension of the chain section 3 of the two-piece outer lateral chain with the hook 8 is introduced into the ring 5 of the chain section 4 and is strongly pulled at the lower side of the tire. Then the chain section 3 with the hook 8 is passed through the eyelet 6' of the right spring 12 and the hook 8 is hooked on the left spring. If the chain section 3 is longer, it is passed through the eyelet 6' of the left spring 12 and connected by means of said hook back to the right at the same chain section 3. In each of the eyelets 6' of the right and the left spring 12 is introduced an insert 13 in such a way that it leans against the cap of the wheel.