Foldable tow bar

Abstract

A car towing apparatus which, in its extended locked position, is a rigid tow bar attached to the front end of a towable vehicle and which subsequently can be folded into a compact structure and stored in a visually and non-obstructing, secured position to facilitate the vehicle being driven legally and safely on the highway.

1. A tow bar adapted to be folded into a compact structure for storage adjacent to a vehicle front bumper prior to towing, which comprises:
 a tow bar apparatus having spaced ends of an L-shaped beam secured to short extensions on the front of a vehicular frame, the beam including inside and outside vertical and horizontal surfaces with a lug extending outwardly from the inside vertical surface adjacent to a right end,    A left end mounting plate and a right end mounting plate having outside and inside faces and an opening therethrough, each left and right end plate including a pair of adjoining contoured side edges mounted vertically on the inside surfaces of said beam, and further including an upstanding finger-like extension with a lower end attached to the outside face of the right end plate with a small hole including a cotter pin therein extending through the outer end of the extension,    an elongated tube supported at the opposite ends in the left and right end mounting plate opening,    a left end collar and a right end collar mounted rotatably on opposite ends of the elongated tube on the inside of said left and right end plates and including a pair of spaced flanges having a hole therethrough for a hinge connection extending from the top, the right end collar also includes an arcuate lug on the bottom portion adapted to engage the lug on said L-shaped beam in a locked connection,    a left side telescopic arm and a right side telescopic arm having a rear and front end, the rear end being pivotally connected to the hinge connection on the left and right end collars, and the left and right side arms consisting of a second square tube slidably enclosed in a similar first square tube, and including means for locking each together,    a coupler comprising a pair of spaced Y-shaped plates separated by a short length of square tubing and having a conventional towing hitch including a short length of round tubing mounted thereon, the coupler being connected to the front end of said left side telescopic arm and fixedly secured on the other side of the front end of the right side telescopic arm,    whereby said left and right side arms in horizontal towing condition being unlocked and raised vertically so as to initiate rotation of said left and right end collars on said elongated tube which rotates said right end collar arcuate lug out of the locked connection with said L-shaped beam lug, and with downward movement the pivotal connection of said left and right side arms with said hinge connection of said left and right end collars urges said right end collar to slide along said elongated tube from right to left and bring said left and right side arms and said round tubing in enclosing contact with a finger-like extension on the outside face of said right end plate, and    whereby said coupler being released from said finger-like extension and raised upwardly to allow said right end collar to return to the right end of said elongated tube, and lowered so as to rotate said left and right end collars and engage the locked connection between said arcuate lug on said right end collar and said lug on said L-shaped beam, whereby at horizontal level said left and right side arms may be locked in rigid extension for towing.    
     
     
       2. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said beam is an angle having an outside horizontal surface secured to the short extensions.    
     
     
       3. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said finger-like extension mounted on the outside face of said right end plate is adapted to close with said short length of round tubing disposed on the coupler and when fastened together with a cotter pin serves to secure the left and right side arms in folded position.    
     
     
       4. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein:
 the second square tube includes an elongated loop connected to one end of said second square tube for limiting the travel of said second square tube within said first square tube.    
     
     
       5. An apparatus as recited in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said first square tube includes a front and rear hole therethrough, and further included is a stop pin and a lock pin, the stop pin being located in said second square tube elongated loop and the lock pin being inserted in the rear hole is adapted to lock the reciprocal movement of said second square tube.    
     
     
       6. An apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein:
 said coupler includes on one of the Y-shaped plates a handle for lifting and folding the apparatus.    
     
     
       7. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said right end plate includes a square notch in the top edge to receive and support the front end of said right side arm therein when said left and right side arms and coupler are locked and stored on said L-shaped beam.    
     
     
       8. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said elongated tube includes a stop cap threaded on the left end adapted to enclosed the end of said tube and, further included is a narrow ring mounted on said tube for holding said left end collar in rotatable position.    
     
     
       9. An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said elongated tube also includes a hole extending therethrough adjacent to the outside face of said right end plate and inserted with a bolt threaded with a nut to prevent said right end collar from sliding off said tube.    
     
     
       10. A tow bar apparatus for use in interconnecting a front end of a first vehicle to be towed with a second vehicle for towing the first vehicle, comprising:
   means including a coupler and a pair of elongated first and second arms interconnected with the coupler to form a tow bar which has relatively extended and collapsed positions when in and out of use, respectively, and        means for mounting the tow bar on a frame of the first vehicle adjacent the front end thereof so that the tow bar can be extended and collapsed in relation to the front end to assume the respective extended and collapsed positions thereof when the tow bar is in and out of use, respectively,        the coupler having means thereon with which to couple the tow bar to the second vehicle when the tow bar is in use,        the pair of elongated first and second arms each having relatively rearward and forward end portions which are telescopically engaged with one another so that each of the respective first and second arms is extensible and controllable relatively lengthwise thereof,        the tow bar mounting means including an elongated support member having spaced ends and a longitudinal axis extending from one of the spaced ends thereof to the other of the spaced ends thereof,        means for mounting the elongated support member on the front of the first vehicle so that the support member extends generally transverse the first vehicle adjacent the front end thereof and the longitudinal axis of the support member is disposed in a horizontal line,        a pair of mounting elements for mounting the tow bar on the support member,        a first of said pair of mounting elements being engaged on the support member adjacent the one of the spaced ends thereof so as to be fixed against movement along the longitudinal axis of the support member, and a second of said pair of mounting elements being slidably engaged on the support member between the first mounting element and the other of the spaced ends of the support member so as to be movable along the longitudinal axis of the support member between spaced first and second positions thereon relatively proximate to the first mounting element and relatively remote from the first mounting element, respectively,        the relatively rearward end portions of the first and second arms being pivotally connected with the first and second mounting elements, respectively, so that the respective first and second arms are pivotable about the first and second mounting elements, respectively, in a plane of the support member substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis thereof,        the relatively forward end portion of the first arm being pivotally connected with the coupler at a first connection therebetween having a pivot therein whose axis of rotation is relatively transverse the plane of the support member, and the relatively forward end portion of the second arm being rigidly connected with the coupled at a second connection therebetween which is spaced apart from the pivot in the first connection so that when the tow bar is in the collapsed position thereof, and the respective first and second arms are extended relatively lengthwise thereof, pivoted in relation to one another at the pivot in the first connection, and pivoted about the first and second mounting elements, respectively, in the plane of the support member, the second mounting element will move along the longitudinal axis of the support member from the first position to the second position thereof on the support member to enable the coupler and the respective arms to move relatively away from the support member so that the tow bar can assume the extended position thereof relative of the front end of the first vehicle when the tow bar is in use, and when the respective first and second arms are thereafter contracted relatively lengthwise thereof, pivoted in relation to one another at the pivot in the first connection, and pivoted about the first and second mounting elements, respectively, in the plane of the support member, the second mounting element will move along the longitudinal axis of the support member from the second position to the first position thereof on the support member to enable the coupler and the respective arms to move relatively toward the support member so that the tow bar can resume the collapsed position thereof relative to the front end of the first vehicle when the tow bar is out of use,        stop means for limiting the movement of the second mounting element along the axis of the support member to the respective first and second positions thereof on the support member,        first releasable detention means for releasably detaining the tow bar in the extended position thereof relative to the front end of the vehicle when the tow bar is in use, and        second releasable detention means for releasably detaining the tow bar in the collapsed position thereof relative to the front end of the first vehicle when the tow bar is out of use.      
     
     
       11. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the support member is cylindrical and the respective first and second mounting elements are engaged thereon to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the support member so that the tow bar can be extended in relation to the front end of the first vehicle in a generally horizontal plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member when the tow bar is in use, and then rotated into a generally vertical plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member when the tow bar is out of use.  
     
     
       12. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the tow bar mounting means also include a pair of generally spaced parallel first and second plates which are connected with the respective one and other of the spaced ends of the support member, respectively, transverse the longitudinal axis thereof, the first mounting element is engaged on the support member adjacent the first plate, a collar is fixedly mounted on the support member between the first mounting element and the second plate, the second mounting element is slidably engaged on the support member between the collar and the second plate, and the stop means are formed on the collar and the second plate to limit the movement of the second mounting element along the axis of the support member to first and second positions thereon adjacent the collar and the second plate, respectively.  
     
     
       13. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 12  further comprising an elongated beam rigidly interposed between the first and second plates in spaced parallel relationship to the support member, and wherein the support member is cylindrical and the respective first and second mounting elements are rotatably engaged thereon so that the tow bar and the respective first and second mounting elements can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the support member to an orientation in which the tow bar is extended in relation to the front end of the first vehicle in a generally horizontal plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member when the tow bar is in use, and then the tow bar and the respective first and second mounting elements can be rotated from the generally horizontal plane into a generally vertical plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member when the tow bar is out of use, and the first releasable detention means include lugs on the second mounting element and the beam which are oppositely disposed to one another along parallels to the longitudinal axis of the support member and engageable with one another to prevent the second mounting element from moving toward the first position thereof from the second position thereof on the support member when the tow bar is rotated from the generally vertical plane into the generally horizontal plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member, and disengageable from one another to release the second mounting element for movement toward the first position thereof from the second position thereof on the support member when the tow bar is rotated from the generally horizontal plane into the generally vertical plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member.  
     
     
       14. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the first releasable detention means also include pin and hole means for releasably attaching the relatively rearward and forward end portions of the respective first and second arms to one another when the tow bar is in the extended position thereof.  
     
     
       15. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 14  further comprising means in the respective first and second arms for positioning the respective pin and hole means in alignment with one another when the tow bar is in the extended position thereof.  
     
     
       16. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the second releasable detention means include means for releasably attaching the coupler to the second plate when the tow bar is out of use in a generally vertical plane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the support member.  
     
     
       17. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the coupler has relatively forward and rearward ends in said plane of the support member, and is Y- shaped between the relatively forward and rearward ends thereof so as to have a neck portion adjacent the relatively forward end thereof and a relatively flared portion adjacent the relatively rearward end thereof, and wherein the respective first and second connections between the coupler and the relatively forward end portions of the first and second arms are formed on the relatively flared portion of the coupler.    
     
     
       18. The tow bar apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein when the tow bar resumes the collapsed position thereof, the first arm is adapted to be contractible relatively lengthwise thereof to a lesser length in one stage of contraction, and the second arm is adapted to be contractible relatively lengthwise thereof to a length shorter than the lesser length of the first arm in two successive stages of contraction.