Vehicle lifting and towing method and apparatus

A lifting apparatus comprising:

• an L-shaped member having a riser leg and a boom leg,
• the riser leg including a base end and an upper end,
• the boom leg including a front end and a free end, and
• the front end of the boom leg attached to the base end of the riser leg;
• a base pivot bearing at the base end of the riser leg,
• the base pivot tiltably mounted to a support frame;
• a riser pivot bracket at the upper end of the riser leg;
• a linkage arm having
• a riser pivot bearing, hingeably connected to the riser pivot bracket, and
• a crank pivot bearing;
• a camming crank having,
• a forward direction of rotation and a rearward direction of rotation,
• a crank pivot bracket, hingeably connected to the crank pivot bearing of the linkage arm,
• an upper frame pivot bearing, hingeably mounted to the support frame, and
• an actuator pivot bracket;
• and
• a force means for rotating the camming crank in the forward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot bearing, to pull the linkage arm, so that the linkage arm pulls the riser leg and tilts the L-shaped member about the base pivot to raise the free end of the boom leg.

A lifting apparatus comprising:

• an L-shaped member having a riser leg and a boom leg,
• the riser leg including a base end and an upper end,
• the boom leg including a front end and a free end, and
• the front end of the boom leg attached to the base end of the riser leg;
• a base pivot bearing at the base end of the riser leg,
• the base pivot tiltably mounted to a frame member of a towing vehicle;
• a riser pivot bracket at the upper end of the riser leg;
• a lever arm extended from the base end of the riser leg, substantially parallel to the boom leg;
• an anchor pivot bracket attached to the lever arm;
• a linkage arm having a riser pivot bearing and a crank pivot bearing,
• the linkage arm hingeably connected at the riser pivot bearing to the riser pivot bracket;
• a camming crank hingeably mounted to the frame of a towing vehicle, the camming crank having
• a forward direction of rotation,
• a rearward direction of rotation,
• a crank pivot bracket,
• an actuator pivot bracket,
• an upper frame pivot bearing,
• the upper frame pivot bearing hingeably mounted to the frame member of a towing vehicle,
• the crank pivot bracket hingeably connected to the crank pivot bearing of the linkage arm;
• and
• an extending and retracting actuator, for rotating the camming crank to selectably rotate the camming crank,
• in the forward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot bearing, to pull the linkage arm,
• so that the linkage arm pulls the riser leg, and tilts the L-shaped member, to raise the free end of the boom leg, or
• in a rearward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot bearing, to push the linkage arm,
• the linkage arm to push the riser leg and tilt the L-shaped member, to lower the free end of the boom leg,
• the extending and retracting actuator having an actuator pivot bearing and an anchor pivot bearing, the actuator pivot bearing connected to the actuator pivot bracket of the camming crank and the anchor pivot bearing connected to the anchor pivot bracket.

A method for raising a boom leg which comprises:

• a) providing an L-shaped member having a riser leg and a boom leg, the riser leg including a base end and an upper end, and the boom leg including a front end and a free end;
• b) providing a base frame pivot at the base end of the riser leg;
• c) mounting the base frame pivot to a support frame;
• d) providing a riser pivot at the upper end of the riser leg;
• e) providing a linkage arm,
• f) hingeably connecting the linkage arm to the riser pivot;
• g) providing a camming crank having a forward direction of rotation and a rearward direction of rotation, a crank pivot and an upper frame pivot;
• h) hingeably connecting the crank pivot of the camming crank to the linkage arm;
• i) mounting the upper frame pivot to the support frame;
• j) mounting the base frame pivot to the support frame;
• k) rotating the camming crank in the forward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot;
• l) pulling the linkage arm, the linkage arm to pull the riser leg;
• m) tilting the L-shaped member about the base frame pivot;
• and
• o) raising the free end of the boom leg.

A method for raising a boom leg which comprises:

• a) providing an L-shaped member having a riser leg and a boom leg, the riser leg including a base end and an upper end, and the boom leg including a front end and a free end;
• b) providing a base frame pivot bearing at the base end of the riser leg;
• c) mounting the base frame pivot to a support frame of a towing vehicle;
• d) providing a riser pivot bracket at the upper end of the riser leg;
• e) providing a linkage arm, the linkage arm including a riser pivot bearing, and a crank pivot bearing;
• f) hingeably connecting a riser pivot bearing to the riser pivot bracket;
• g) providing a camming crank having a forward direction of rotation and a rearward direction of rotation, a crank pivot bracket, and an upper frame pivot bearing;
• h) hingeably connecting the crank pivot bracket of the camming crank, to the crank pivot bearing of the linkage arm;
• i) mounting an upper frame pivot bracket to the support frame;
• j) hingeably connecting the upper frame pivot bearing to the upper frame pivot bracket;
• k) mounting a base frame pivot bracket to the support frame;
• l) hingeably connecting the base frame pivot bearing to the base frame pivot bracket;
• m) rotating the camming crank in the forward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot bearing;
• n) pulling the linkage arm with the camming crank;
• o) pulling the riser leg with the linkage arm,
• p) tilting the L-shaped member by pulling on the riser leg to raise the free end of the boom leg.

A lifting apparatus comprising:

• an L-shaped member having a riser leg and a boom leg,
• the riser leg including a base end and an upper end,
• the boom leg including a front end and a free end, and
• the front end of the boom leg attached to the base end of the riser leg;
• a base pivot bearing at the base end of the riser leg,
• the base pivot tiltably mounted to a support frame;
• a riser pivot bracket at the upper end of the riser leg;
• a linkage arm having
• a riser pivot bearing, hingeably connected to the riser pivot bracket, and
• a crank pivot bearing;
• a camming crank having,
• a forward direction of rotation and a rearward direction of rotation,
• a crank pivot bracket, hingeably connected to the crank pivot bearing of the linkage arm,
• an upper frame pivot bearing, hingeably mounted to the support frame, and
• an actuator pivot bracket;
• and
• a force means for rotating the camming crank in the forward direction of rotation, about the upper frame pivot bearing, to pull the linkage so that the linkage arm pulls the riser leg and tilts the L-shaped member about the base pivot to raise the free end of the boom leg, and
• the force means is an extending and retracting actuator,
• the extending and retracting actuator having an actuator pivot bearing and an anchor bearing,
• the actuator pivot bearing is connected to the actuator pivot bracket of the camming crank, and
• the anchor pivot bearing is connected to an anchor pivot bracket,
• the anchor pivot bracketing is attached to a lever arm, and
• the lever arm extends from the base end of the riser leg, substantially parallel to the boom leg.