US 5,785,783 AGranted

Device for quickly fitting snow chains to vehicle tires

OwnerGeorges Thioliereinventor

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Abstract

A tire chain assembly including two stays hinged at one end on a housing and supporting wall chains which hold tread chains in place on the tread of the tire when they are pulled tight as the stays are drawn together by a resilient linkage. Arms or resilient linkages control displacement and vibration of the stays when the wheel is moving. The device enables gripping equipment to be fitted quickly and easily and is suitable for use on snow-covered, muddy, sandy, or vegetation-covered terrain.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A chain assembly for vehicle wheels, comprising:

(a) a plurality of driving surface-contacting members to be maintained on tire tread;
(b) a wall chain subassembly for maintaining the plurality of driving surface-contacting members on the tire tread, this subassembly comprising:
(i) an inner wall chain, to be positioned on the side of the wheel opposite to that taken by the individual installing the chain assembly;
and
(ii) an outer wall chain, to be positioned on the same side of the wheel as that taken by the individual installing the chain assembly;
(c) two L-shaped stays for tensioning the wall chain subassembly on both sides of the wheel, each of the two L-shaped stays comprising:
(i) a horizontal portion of the L-shape, to which the wall chain subassembly is directly or indirectly fixed;
and
(ii) a vertical portion of the L-shape, comprising a hooking point;
(d) a common connection element on which each of the two L-shaped stays is journalled, by a respective vertical portion of the L-shape, about a separate axis of rotation, the common connection element to be located, when the chain assembly is assembled on the vehicle wheel, in the vicinity of the wheel axis on the same side of the wheel as the outer wall chain;
(e) a first elastic link for tensioning the chain assembly when the chain assembly is assembled on the vehicle wheel, the first elastic link comprising ends to be fixed to the L-shaped stays at the hooking points:
(f) at least two arms, each fixed at one end to the outer wall chain, and at the other end each journalled on the common connection element about a separate axis of rotation, the axes of rotation for the at least two arms being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation for the two L-shaped stays;
(g) at least one second elastic link comprising three attachment points for connecting between the two L-shaped stays and between the outer wall chain and the two L-shaped stays:
(i) the first attachment point, for attachment to the outer wall chain, being located in the bisecting plane of the angle formed by the two L-shaped stays, when the chain assembly is assembled on the wheel;
and
(ii) each of the second and third attachment points being connectable to the vertical portions of the L-shape of an L-shaped stay.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A chain assembly for vehicle wheels, comprising:

(a) a plurality of driving surface-contacting members to be maintained on tire tread;
(b) a wall chain subassembly for maintaining the plurality of driving surface-contacting members on the tire tread, this subassembly comprising:
(i) an inner wall chain, to be positioned on the side of the wheel opposite to that taken by the individual installing the chain assembly;
and
(ii) an outer wall chain, to be positioned on the same side of the wheel as that taken by the individual installing the chain assembly;
(c) two L-shaped stays for tensioning the wall chain subassembly on both sides of the wheel, each of the two L-shaped stays comprising:
(i) a horizontal portion of the L-shape, to which the wall chain subassembly is directly or indirectly fixed;
and
(ii) a vertical portion of the L-shape, comprising a hooking point;
(d) a common connection element on which each of the two L-shaped stays is journalled, by a respective vertical portion of the L-shape, about a separate axis of rotation, the common connection element to be located, when the chain assembly is assembled on the vehicle wheel, in the vicinity of the wheel axis on the same side of the wheel as the outer wall chain;
(e) a first elastic link for tensioning the chain assembly when the chain assembly is assembled on the vehicle wheel, the first elastic link comprising ends to be fixed to the L-shaped stays at the hooking points:
(f) at least two arms, each fixed at one end to the outer wall chain, and at the other end each journalled on the common connection element about a separate axis of rotation, the axes of rotation for the at least two arms being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation for the two L-shaped stays;
(g) at least one second elastic link comprising three attachment points for connecting between the two L-shaped stays and between the outer wall chain and the two L-shaped stays:
(i) the first attachment point, for attachment to the outer wall chain, being located in the bisecting plane of the angle formed by the two L-shaped stays, when the chain assembly is assembled on the wheel;
and
(ii) each of the second and third attachment points being connectable to the vertical portions of the L-shape of an L-shaped stay.

13 more elements