Shock absorbing tow bar

In combination with a leading component and a trailing, load-supporting component of a product conveyor, a shock-absorbing tow bar responsive to acceleration or deceleration of the conveyor, said tow bar comprising:

• an elongated, tubular member having a resilient material therein of predetermined radial thickness presenting a longitudinal passage having a substantially uniform, normal transverse dimension,
• a plunger in said passage shiftable longitudinally of the passage,
• a rod member connected to said plunger, shiftable therewith and extending longitudinally from said tubular member at one end of the tubular member,
• means for connecting said members to said leading and trailing components respectively to connect the tow bar to the conveyor and cause relative longitudinal movement of the members and lengthening or shortening of the tow bar in response to acceleration or deceleration, respectively, of the conveyor, and
• said plunger having a head in said passage of greater size than said transverse dimension to compress and displace said material at a zone of contact of the head with the material and cause the displaced material to form a pair of spaced, radially inwardly projecting, leading and following ridges of the material in contact with the head at said zone,
• said head shifting said zone of contact and compressing and displacing said material to shift said ridges in response to said relative longitudinal movement, whereby impact communicated to said tow bar shifts the plunger against the resistance of the resilient material to lengthen or shorten the tow bar and thereby absorb the shock.