Retractable towing system
OwnerJohn P. MacMullaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retractable towing system which is mounted on the undercarriage of a vehicle, with the towline extending beneath the vehicle, secured at a secondary stress-bearing point near the rear of the towing vehicle, and attached to the object or vehicle to be pulled or towed.
Claims19
An apparatus mountable to a first vehicle for towing an object, the first vehicle having a first end, a second end, a bumper mounted to the second end of the first vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a protective case mounted to the first vehicle proximate the first end of the first vehicle, the protective case having a towline opening formed therein;
- a conduit mounted to the first vehicle, the conduit having a first end proximate the towline opening of the protective case and a second end proximate the second end of the first vehicle;
- a towline, the towline having a first end, a second end and means for engagement therebetween, the towline slidably received within the conduit, a portion of the towline proximate the first end thereof protruding from the first end of the conduit and received through the towline opening and within the protective case, a second portion of the towline proximate the second end thereof protruding from the second end of the conduit;
- means for retracting the towline mountingly received within the protective case;
- and
- mounting means for selectively attaching a point of the towline between the first end and the second end thereof to a point on the first vehicle whereby tension in the towline due to towing is transmitted directly to the first vehicle, independently of the protective case and the retracting means.
An apparatus mountable to a first vehicle for towing an object, the first vehicle having a first end, a second end, a bumper mounted to the second end of the first vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a protective case mounted to the first vehicle proximate the first end of the first vehicle, the protective case having a towline opening formed therein;
- a conduit mounted to the first vehicle, the conduit having a first end proximate the towline opening of the protective case and a second end proximate the second end of the first vehicle;
- a towline, the towline having a first end and a second end, the towline slidably received within the conduit, a portion of the towline proximate the first end thereof received within the protective case, a second portion of the towline proximate the second end thereof protruding from the second end of the conduit, a third portion of the towline between the first and second portions of the towline comprising a plurality of chain links;
- means for retracting the towline mountingly received within the protective case;
- and
- means for engaging a chain link of the towline, the engaging means mounted on the first vehicle at the second end thereof.
A method of towing an object using a first vehicle and a towline, a protective case having a towline opening therein mounted at a first end of the first vehicle, means for retracting the towline mounted within the protective case, a conduit mounted to the first vehicle such that a first end of the conduit is proximate the towline opening of the case and a second end of the conduit is proximate the second end of the first vehicle, a means for engaging a portion of the towline between the first and the second ends thereof mounted to the first vehicle proximate the second end thereof, the towline having a first end and a second end, a plurality of chain links therebetween, the first end of the towline received within the protective case, the second end protruding from the second end of the conduit, the towline slidably received in the conduit for movement between a retracted position and an extracted position, means for securing mounted at the second end of the towline, the method of towing comprising the steps of:
- first, extracting a length of the towline from the conduit;
- engaging one of the chain links of the towline onto the engagement means such that the desired length of towline is exposed;
- securing the second end of the towline to the object;
- and
- moving the first vehicle in a direction substantially away from the object to be towed, whereby the object is towed, with strain in the towline transferred through the engagement means directly to the first vehicle without straining the protective case and retraction means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.