US 5,236,214 AGranted

Underlift towing apparatus

AssigneeTaylor-Made Equipment Co., Inc.

InventorWilliam L. Taylor

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Abstract

Towing apparatus mounted on the rear of a towing vehicle for lifting and towing disabled vehicles includes an extendible boom assembly positionable beneath the undercarriage of the vehicle to be towed. The boom assembly is carried by a vertically and pivotably movable housing assembly mounted on the towing vehicle and is pivotable relative to the housing assembly. The boom assembly includes a number of extendible boom stages telescopically mounted within first and second stage boom members, the first stage boom member being pivotably mounted on the housing assembly. Second stage boom member is mounted within and pivotable relative to the first stage boom member about a vertical axis so as to move from side-to-side, the extendible boom stages moving with the second stage boom member. The first stage boom member has an enlarged mouth through which the second stage boom member extends, the large mouth permitting the second stage to have substantial sideways movement. The extendible boom members may be moved vertically, tilted relative to the vertical, moved side-to-side and extend and retract so as to provide a towing vehicle operator with a multitude of positioning capabilities.

Claims19

Dependent claims

Towing apparatus carried at the rear of a towing vehicle for lifting and towing a disabled vehicle, said towing apparatus comprising support means secured to the towing vehicle, a first stage boom member pivotally mounted on said support means for movement about a substantially horizontal axis relatively to said support means, said first stage boom member comprising a hollow housing having one end adjacent to said axis and an open second end remote from said axis, a second stage boom member comprising a hollow housing having a first end and an open second end, said first end of said second stage boom member being disposed within said first stage boom member and said second end of said second boom member being disposed externally of said second end of said first stage boom member, means for pivotally mounting said second stage boom member within said first stage boom member for movement about a second axis lying in a plane substantially normal to said horizontal axis, said second end of said first stage boom member having a dimension in a side direction parallel to said horizontal axis substantially larger than the dimension of said second stage boom member in said side direction, force applying means for pivotally moving said second stage boom member relative to said first stage boom member selectively to one side or the other about said second axis, and at least another boom member disposed within said second stage boom member and selectively extendible out said second end of said second stage boom member for supporting disabled vehicle engaging means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.