Snow chains for vehicles

A quick connect and release vehicle tire chain structure for connection to a stationary vehicle tire comprising:

• a plurality of metal cross chains, having inboard and outboard ends, for positioning across the tread of a tire, at arcuately spaced locations, to enhance tire traction;
• a flexible non-metallic inboard rope connector successively connected to said inboard ends of said cross chains by threading through inboard end links of each of said cross chains;
• said inboard rope connector including releasable inboard attachment elements at the ends of the inboard rope connector for attaching the ends of said inboard rope connector to one another when the inboard rope connector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic outboard rope connector successively connected to each of said outboard ends of said cross chains by threading through outboard end links of said cross chains;
• said outboard rope connector including releasable outboard attachment elements at the ends of said outboard rope connector for attaching the ends of said outboard rope connector to one another when the outboard rope collector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic spreader rope connector connected to said outboard rope connector by a plurality of spreader rope connecting rings, each of said spreader rope connecting rings connecting said spreader rope to a location on said outboard rope intermediate two successive connections of said outboard rope connector to two successive cross chains, whereby said spreader rope connector is successively connected to said outboard rope connector at locations intermediate the connections between said outboard rope connector and said cross chains;
• said spreader rope connector freely passing through said spreader connecting rings;
• a first end of said spreader rope connector fixedly secured to said outboard rope connector at a first securement point;
• a second end section of said spreader rope connector being threaded through a first securement ring connector carried by said outboard rope connector at a second securement point;
• a free end section of said second end of said spreader rope connector freely passing through said first securement ring;
• the pulling of said free end portion through said first securement ring to a taut condition while the tire is stationary urging said outboard and inboard rope connectors and cross chains radially inward to tighten the engagement of the chain structure on the tire;
• the free end portion of said spreader rope connector after passing through said first securement ring including a spreader rope connecting element for connection to a first intermediate securement location of said spreader rope connector when said spreader rope is pulled to its taut condition;
• an intermediate spreader rope connecting means intermediate the second end terminus connection of said spreader rope and said spreader rope connecting element;
• said intermediate spreader rope connecting means maintaining the portion of the spreader rope connector extending towards said first securement ring connector in a taut condition, as the portion the spreader rope between said intermediate spreader rope connector and second end terminus is pulled to increase the tension within all of said inboard, outboard and spreader rope connectors and thereby enhance the securement of said cross chains on the tire to securably install the tire chain structure while the vehicle tire is stationary.

A quick connect and release vehicle tire chain structure for connection to a stationary vehicle tire comprising:

• a plurality of metal cross chains, having inboard and outboard ends, for positioning across the tread of a tire, at arcuately spaced locations, to enhance tire traction;
• a flexible non-metallic inboard rope connector successively connected to said inboard ends of said cross chains by threading through inboard end links of each of said cross chains;
• said inboard rope connector including releasable inboard attachment elements at the ends of the inboard rope connector for attaching the ends of said inboard rope connector to one another when the inboard rope connector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic outboard rope connector successively connected to each of said outboard ends of said cross chains by threading through outboard end links of said cross chains;
• said outboard rope connector including releasable outboard attachment elements at the ends of said outboard rope connector for attaching the ends of said outboard rope connector to one another when the outboard rope connector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic spreader rope connector connected to said outboard rope connector by a plurality of spreader rope connecting rings, each of said spreader rope connecting rings connecting said spreader rope to a location on said outboard rope intermediate two successive connections of said outboard rope connector to two successive cross chains, whereby said spreader rope connector is successively connected to said outboard rope connector at locations intermediate the connections between said outboard rope connector and said cross chains;
• said spreader rope connector freely passing through said spreader connecting rings;
• a first end of said spreader rope connector fixedly secured to said outboard rope connector at a first securement point;
• a second end section of said spreader rope connector being threaded through a first securement ring connector carried by said outboard rope connector at a second securement point;
• a free end section of said second end of said spreader rope connector freely passing through said first securement ring;
• the pulling of said free end portion through said first securement ring to a taut condition urging said outboard and inboard rope connectors and cross chains radially inward to tighten the engagement of the chain structure on the tire to securably install the tire chain structure while the vehicle tire is stationary;
• the second end terminus of said spreader rope connector including a spreader rope connecting element for connection to a first intermediate securement location of said spreader rope connector when said spreader rope is pulled to its taut condition.

In a quick connect and release vehicle tire chain structure for connection to a stationary vehicle tire comprising:

• a plurality of metal cross chains, having inboard and outboard ends, for positioning across the tread of a tire, at arcuately spaced locations, to enhance tire traction;
• a flexible non-metallic inboard rope connector successively connected to said inboard ends of said cross chains by threading through inboard end links of each of said cross chains;
• said inboard rope connector including releasable inboard attachment elements at the ends of the inboard rope connector to one another when the inboard rope connector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic outboard rope connector successively connected to each of said outboard ends of said cross chains by threading through outboard end links of said cross chains;
• said outboard rope connector including releasable outboard attachment elements at the ends of said outboard rope connector for attaching the ends of said outboard rope connector to one another when the outboard rope connector encircles the tire;
• a flexible non-metallic spreader rope connector connected to said outboard rope connector by a plurality of spreader rope connecting rings, each of
• said spreader rope connecting rings connecting said spreader rope to a location on said outboard rope intermediate two successive connections of said outboard rope connector to two successive cross chains, whereby said spreader rope connector is successively connected to said outboard rope connector at locations intermediate the connections between said outboard rope connector and said cross chains;
• said spreader rope connector freely passing through said spreader connecting rings;
• a first end of said spreader rope connector fixedly secured to said outboard rope connector at a first securement point;
• a second end section of said spreader rope connector being threaded through a first securement ring connector carried by said outboard rope connector at a second securement point;
• a free end portion of said second end of said spreader rope connector freely passing through said first securement ring;
• the pulling of said free end portion through said first securement ring to a taut condition urging said outboard and inboard rope connectors and cross chains radially inward to tighten the engagement of the chain structure on the tire to securably install the tire chain structure while the vehicle tire is stationary;
• the free end portion terminus of said spreader rope connector including a spreader rope connecting element for connection to a first intermediate securement location of said spreader rope connector as said spreader rope is pulled to its taut condition;
• a combined rope to cross chain connecting link and rope connector adjustment device provided at each end of each cross chain for connection to said inboard and outboard rope connectors;
• each of said connecting links comprising a substantially V-shaped member with a loop formed at each end of the V;
• said V-shaped member connected to the associated cross chain end by passing the cross chain end link at the bottom of the V;
• said loops each being engaged with the associated one of said rope connectors by at least partially surrounding the rope connector;
• both of said loops being dimensioned and arranged to partially surround and slidably engage said rope;
• each of said slidably engaged loops being open sufficiently to permit the rope to be slipped out of and into said loop;
• an adjustment collar means clamped to said rope in the vicinity of each of said connecting links;
• said collar adjustment means being sufficiently large to prevent the portion of the rope to which the collar is clamped from sliding through at least one of said slidably engaged loops, to prevent longitudinal movement of said rope with respect to said link when the section of rope between said loops contains said adjustment collar means;
• the improvement comprising:
• forming said adjustment collar means as loops which are clamped to their respective ropes over a length which exceeds 360 degrees to provide an overlapped length beyond the butt juncture of their ends.